Kate Playground December

CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND OTHER THINGS ...

This past Saturday I attended the "Regional Seminar III Family and School on" Challenges and Opportunities "School Board of the Community of Madrid " with a conference whose theme was "Training parents: why, what and how" . This was held at Warner Park in Madrid.

framework conference entitled " Challenges and opportunities for education of the twentieth century" whose speaker was the renowned writer D. Juan Manuel de Prada and began shelling began to stir some participants uncomfortable in their chairs. The writer noted the need to regain some lost in the traditions and recent years and a certain longing to values \u200b\u200bthat now seem outdated. Everything seemed to have gone well until the final moment when some of those present took the microphone. Expressed disgust at certain ideas that they say, we were back in time to a time long forgotten. I writhed in my chair a speaker with some tension (I was next on the show). "When you see your neighbor's beard cut ....". Prada, with a certain amount of provocation amply answered each of the attendees while, gradually, the temperature rose from the audience.

few minutes later began my presentation with some apprehension, after apparently, to the perception some of the participants: the source of our publication, relating the way we choose the topics, editorial, etc. I must admit that, occasionally, looked up to scrutinize the expressions over 450 guests. Everything was fine and remained so until the end. Breath of relief and took the turn D. Guillermo Cánovas association "Protégeles" who made a brilliant exposition on how to protect our children from the dangers Internet.

Finally, intervened D. Agustín García Matilla (Director of Communication Carlos III University of Madrid) with his presentation " Educate for communication and critical thinking: Children and young people from the screens" who true to the concept of " critical thinking "made numerous references to Juan Manuel de Prada and not precisely ideological tuning. Again the storm: before applauding now shaking their heads in disgust and vice versa.

Understandably, the debate on education seemed to forget the children and focused primarily on policy issues that will surely affect them one way or another through the decisions made " above "but maybe it was a personal perception, the children went into the background.

At one point one of the attendees took a wireless microphone (it was almost 3 in the afternoon) and as a reconciler angel began to list various ideological parallels between the first and last speaker. In short, she said, the positions were not so different. The truth is that he was not far from the truth . All was a matter of interpretation. The gentleness with which reduced the environmental stress and, wisely, came as a great mediator positions I thought, however fleeting, as one of the best interventions from that session: personal resigned their positions after taking the best from each of the exhibitors, an excellent exercise in emotional intelligence. Surely there would be more present them to think like her but at least give a face and is cleared of "ordinary" and "trends" made me regain faith that, at times, was losing in the future of our children. Lucky students that have as a teacher.

José Miguel Gaona

PS going to hang these lines I have seen as one of the authors referred to these days in a national newspaper:

http://www. abc.es/20070416/opinion-firmas/fusilen_200704160255.html

the other I could not find ... yet.