Tomorrow's Children A Blueprint For Partnership Education In The 21st Century

by Eisler, Riane

• ISBN13: 9780813365695
• ISBN10: 0813365694
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-08-13
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

In the wake of the tragedy of the shootings in Littleton at Columbine High School and other killings of children by children, there is increasing recognition of the urgent need for a deep systemic reassessment of what we are teaching our children. Based on the multidisciplinary research conducted by Riane Eisler over three decades,Tomorrow's Childrenpresents a new integrated model for education: the partnership model.This model is an outgrowth of the cultural transformation theory developed by Dr. Eisler in her classic workThe Chalice and the Blade.In that book, Eisler identifies a continuum of patterns for structuring relations. At one end of the continuum is the partnership model, which embodies equity, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, and gender-fairness. At the opposite end of the continuum is the dominator model, which has marred much of our civilization. This model emphasizes control, authoritarianism, violence, gender discrimination, and environmental destruction. Eisler also shows that we today stand at a crossroads, where a shift to the partnership end of the continuum is essential for human welfare, and possibly survival. A new kind of education system is required to effectuate this shift.Tomorrow's Childrenapplies the partnership model to education from kindergarten to twelfth grade and beyond, providing practical guidance for educators, parents, and students. Rather than one more add-on to existing methods and curricula, it provides a systemic approach that offers a more accurate and hopeful picture of what being human means. The curriculum loom and learning tapestry Eisler presents inTomorrow's Childrenintegrate three primary components of teaching and learning: what Eisler calls partnership process, partnership structure, and partnership content. The book melds Eisler's research and the work of many progressive educators into a cohesive and compelling blueprint for the kind of proactive education children need to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As Nel Noddings, a noted professor of education from Stanford University, writes, "the adoption of a partnership model in both schools and the larger society is essential for human life to flourish."

Author Biography

Riane Eisler is best known as the author of the international bestseller The Chalice and the Blade (Harper & Row, 1987). Her other works include Sacred Pleasure (HarperCollins, 1995), The Partnership Way (Holistic Education Press, 1998), and most recently her fictionalized memoir of growing up in Havana, Cuba, as a refugee from the Nazis, The Gate (iuniverse.com). Dr. Eisler is president of the Center for Partnership Studies, keynotes conferences around the world, and lives with her husband in the Monterey Peninsula.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Nel Noddings
Prologue: Education for the 21st Century	xiii
Acknowledgments	xix
PART ONE PARTNERSHIP EDUCATION: THE BASICS
Reconstructing Education: Basic Building Blocks	3	(24)
Refocusing and Reframing Education: The Basic Design	27	(32)
PART TWO REWEAVING THE EDUCATIONAL TAPESTRY: THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL THREADS
Beginnings: From the Stars to Us	59	(30)
Our Human Adventure: Patterns and Possibilities	89	(46)
From Counting to Current Events: Making the Three R's Meaningful	135	(70)
Learning and Living: Interweaving Student Interests and Concerns	205	(40)
Epilogue: Our Children's Future	245	(60)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Appendix A: Sample Curriculum Materials and Handouts	257	(38)
Appendix B: More on Books and Videos	295	(4)
Appendix C: More Curriculum Materials and Handouts	299	(2)
Appendix D: New Tools for Partnership Education	301	(4)
Notes	305	(34)
List of Illustrations	339	(4)
Bibliography	343	(14)
Index	357