In 'The Educated Mind,' Kieran Egan explores the intricate relationship between education and the development of human thought. He challenges conventional views on learning by introducing a framework that highlights the importance of imagination and narrative in understanding the world. Through vivid examples and compelling arguments, Egan illustrates how traditional education often stifles creativity and critical thinking. Readers are invited to reevaluate their own educational experiences and consider new ways to foster a richer understanding of knowledge. This thought-provoking journey promises to ignite curiosity and inspire a transformative approach to learning.
By Kieran Egan
Published: 1998
"Education, at its best, cultivates a profound sense of wonder, shaping not just what we know, but how we think and feel about the world."
The Educated Mind offers a bold and revitalizing new vision for today's uncertain educational system. Kieran Egan reconceives education, taking into account how we learn. He proposes the use of particular "intellectual tools"—such as language or literacy—that shape how we make sense of the world. These mediating tools generate successive kinds of understanding: somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophical, and ironic. Egan's account concludes with practical proposals for how teaching and curriculum can be changed to reflect the way children learn. "A carefully argued and readable book. . . . Egan proposes a radical change of approach for the whole process of education. . . . There is much in this book to interest and excite those who discuss, research or deliver education."—Ann Fullick, New Scientist "A compelling vision for today's uncertain educational system."—Library Journal "Almost anyone involved at any level or in any part of the education system will find this a fascinating book to read."—Dr. Richard Fox, British Journal of Educational Psychology "A fascinating and provocative study of cultural and linguistic history, and of how various kinds of understanding that can be distinguished in that history are recapitulated in the developing minds of children."—Jonty Driver, New York Times Book Review
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“Education, at its best, cultivates a profound sense of wonder, shaping not just what we know, but how we think and feel about the world.”
The Educated Mind
By Kieran Egan
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Kieran Egan is a celebrated Canadian educational theorist and author known for his influential work in the fields of education and literary theory. He is the founder of the Imaginative Education Research Group and has authored several notable works, including 'The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding' and 'Getting It Wrong from the Beginning: Our Progressivist Inheritance from Herbert Spencer, John Dewey, and Jean Piaget.' Egan's writing style is characterized by its depth of insight and accessibility, melding rigorous intellectual discourse with imaginative and engaging storytelling. His contributions to the understanding of how narrative and imagination play vital roles in education have sparked discussions and innovations in teaching methodologies worldwide.
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