Working From the Near to the Far

Working From the Near to the Far, From That Which Is to That Which Shall Be

By Maya Shakti

WHAT? Self-formation

Self-formation refers not just to the individual's learning capacity of plasticity and flexibility, and the openness to change and learn, but also to the ability of reflection to make sense of the world and of individual experiences. This concept helps structure the individual's process of self formation and guide the actions of the teacher. Self-formation can be experienced in an infinite variety of ways, depending on the how the opportunities for learning take form. 1 The infant starts from its body and parental contact, learning about and connecting to that which is in their close and immediate surroundings. From this the individual consciousness step by step widens into awareness of society. The individual develops through reflection, interactions with others, and through physical activity. How a person sees herself/himself and sees the world are closely linked.2 “The basis of a man's nature is almost always, in addition to his soul's past, his heredity, his surroundings, his nationality, his country, the soil from which he draws sustenance, the air which he breathes, the sights, sounds, habits to which he is accustomed.”3

WHY? Learning is a three-fold process

Development often has its starting point in experiencing the immediate, without reflection. This then leads the individual through a process of first having a sense of fragmentation and differentiation, and then leading to integration, to finally experiencing harmony, synthesis and reconciliation with that which was experienced. The world is in a constant process of being interpreted through thoughts and actions. This process never stops, throughout our lives, in a constant dialogue between the individual and her/his experiences. Free and natural growth is the condition of such a genuine development. Learning opportunities based in real life situations offer genuine experiences.4 The student is an active part of the learning process, also creating their own learning opportunities. The teacher can invite but never impose.5

Humans don’t just learn through their interpretations, but also through their actions. When things are done the way one is accustomed to, and the individual then bumps into problems or gets surprised, this leads a need to try to do things differently.6 By doing so, the person’s image of reality is the starting point for learning opportunities, from there one can expand learning outwards by through self-driven curiosity and questions.7 To be able to act differently humans need to reflect on their actions, and find new, sustainable ways of being and acting. Self-awareness is developed through this increasing focus of values of care and responsibility for relations to other people, and the environment. It's a journey back and forth between the particular and the universal. Existing oppositions help to produce new understanding.8 Education is to work from the near to the far, from that which is to that which shall be. Each person is a carrier of the past, the possessor of the present, and creator of the future. “The past is our foundation, the present our material, the future our aim and summit.”9

In Integral Education this process is described further, at a deeper plane of the human being, as a threefold process: self-knowledge, awakening of the true centre of one’s being (psychic being), and an ongoing process of integration and harmony. The work of the individual is to analyze the psychological movements that occur inside oneself, and to understand these with a sense of accuracy, to know which part of one’s being they are coming from. The inner psychological dynamics together with the work of the personality is an ongoing process in an Integral Education, and an essential movement for integration and harmonization. Psychological tools such as self-observation, introspection, mindfulness to gain self-awareness, self-understanding and self-mastery are at the core of implementation of Integral Education.10

HOW? Learning as an ongoing interaction with the Self, Others and the Environment

The word curriculum used in its traditional sense can feel limiting, as it tends to be preset and thus not allowing for the freedom needed for Integral Education. A new framework for curriculum, moving from noun to verb, coining the term currere. Curriculum moves from one of content, to, in this new pedagogy, a process. The method of currere requires the student to be in an ongoing spiral of reflection upon their life experiences so far. The framework has four steps to be followed: the regressive, the progressive, the analytical, and the synthetic. These steps help the student in the journey of retelling the story of her/his educational experiences, imagining future possibilities for self-understanding and educational practice, and analyzing relationships between one’s past, present and future life history and practice.11

The first regressive step encourages the individual to remember particular educational experiences and how these past experiences have guided and affected them in their development. This allows the person to understand how the past has not only affected them, but also the people and environment surrounding them. The next step is the progressive step which offers an opportunity for the individual to think about the future. After this there is an analytical step to look at the here and now, to create a new, fresh, subjective space of freedom in the present. This allows the student to be able to be in a reflective process, and feel that they are leading their own journey, with the possibility to make new conscious choices to steer the direction. The final step is the synthetic step, which is about analyzing the present in light of the knowledge and understanding gained throughout this reflective process. This individual journey supports the process of becoming - through self-reflection, self-awareness, self-understanding, self-motivation, self-drive, and self-assessment.12

The currere has the purpose of defining the milestones or areas of work, and guided by the teacher, a curriculum will emerge for each student, offering opportunities for the development of their faculties of consciousness. Here the individual development of the personality is entwined with social awareness, local and global responsibility, and curriculum reflections need to merge these areas. An Integral Education approach would support the complete development of the individual and society, inside and out, and a curriculum would need to support the evolutionary unfolding of an individual and collective consciousness through the stages of development.13

An Integral Education wants to offer learning opportunities to the student by using the questions they are confronted with in their lives as a doorway to growth. The student acquires a relation not only to the given answers, but to the questions behind the answers, and also develops the ability to learn to formulate new answers to old questions as well as new questions to be answered.14 These questions are guided by the teacher to find ways of how the socio-cultural aims of this evolutionary educational philosophy can be translated into educational content in the everyday educational practices.15

This approach prevents the students from unreflectively dedicating themselves to cultural content, practices, specific skills or concepts, as in the traditional educational system. Instead, through such practices curriculum theory starts by not affirming any ambitions such as learning of contents or learning of generic skills or concepts.16 The aims of currere are not on the acquisition of specific knowledge content, but of development of the faculties of consciousness, the physical, vital and mental, through which the truth-consciousness (psychic being) will come more and more to the forefront. The stronger this presence grows, the individual will more and more experience that which, in the depth of their being, carries a sense of universality, limitless expansion, and term-less continuity.17

References

Uljens Micheal & Ylimaki, Rose (2017). Implications and future directions for a new research agenda on non-affirmative education theory. Leadership and policy in schools. 2(16), 389-396.
Gustavsson, Bernt (2003). Bildning och demokrati – att förmedla det partikulära och det universella. Utbildning & Demokrati, 1(12), 39-58.
Aurobindo, Sri (1972). The hour of god and other writings. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p.204-205.
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Neeltje (2015). Psychic education - a workbook. New Delhi: Sri Aurobindo Society; Stoll Lillard, Angeline (2007). Montessori - the science behind the genius. New York: Oxford University Press; Partho (2008) Integral education – a foundation for the future. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society; Aurobindo, Sri & Mother, The (1995). A divine life manifesto- an integral education for a divine life. Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press
Gustavsson, Bernt (2003). Bildning och demokrati – att förmedla det partikulära och det universella. Utbildning & Demokrati, 1(12), 39-58.
Egidius, Henry (2003). Pedagogik för 2000-talet. Stockholm: Bokförlaget Natur och Kultur.
Gustavsson, Bernt (2003). Bildning och demokrati – att förmedla det partikulära och det universella. Utbildning & Demokrati, 1(12), 39-58.
Aurobindo, Sri (1972). The hour of god and other writings. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p.205.
Partho (2008) Integral education – a foundation for the future. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society.
Partho (2008) Integral education – a foundation for the future. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society; Pinar, William Frederick (1975). The method of currere. Annual Meeting of the American Research Association. Washington, D. C.
Pinar, William Frederick (1975). The method of currere. Annual Meeting of the American Research Association. Washington, D. C.
Partho (2008) Integral education – a foundation for the future. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society; Rich, Matthew (2012). Educating towards an emerging future: an integral proposal. To be young! Youth and Future. Finland.
Uljens, Michael (2016). Non-affirmative curriculum theory in a cosmopolitan era? Revista Tempos e Espaços em Educação, 18(9), 121-132.
Ylimaki, Rose, Fetman, Lisa, Matyjasik, Erin, Brunderman, Lynnette, Uljens, Michael (2017). Beyond Normativity in Sociocultural Reproduction and Sociocultural Transformation: Curriculum Work - Leadership Within an Evolving Context. University Council for Educational Administration, Educational Administration Quarterly, 1(53), 70-106.
Uljens, Michael (2016). Non-affirmative curriculum theory in a cosmopolitan era? Revista Tempos e Espaços em Educação, 18(9), 121-132.
Rao, Venkateswara, Peesapati (2019). Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on five aspects of integral education. International Journal of Advanced Research, ideas and innovations in technology. 1(5).

Nothing can be taught

Mind must be consulted in its own growth