Karen Engels
11/3/09
Article Summary
“Yes, reading and math are important. But what matter most is what kinds of human beings are reading the books and doing the math.” this line is what hooked me in to reading the remaining 10 pages of this scholarly article. The author of this paper, Charles C. Haynes, goes on to give multiple examples of random acts of ethical behavior. The most interesting case to read was one about a man whose parents were survivors of the Holocaust. He told a story of the day the jews were being separated in Auschwitz.
A guard asked for anyone who was a welder to step to the front. Out of impulse this man’s father stepped forward, he had never welded a day in his life but he believed that if he could complete the task given to him he would have a better chance of staying alive. Each “welder” was asked to produce a piece of work to inspect. The German foreman in charge gave this man’s father a perfectly finished project helping him pass inspection, because of this cover up he survived the camp without ever speaking a word to this kind German man.
These acts of leadership are what make our world a better place. These are the kind of stories children need to be learning about. Hearing of these situations could inspire anyone to become more morally correct. In this paper the act of learning how to become ethical leaders is referred to as schools of conscience and the quote I started off the first paragraph with truly explains it all.
Of all the articles I have had to read this semester, I would say this one dealing with educational leadership has been my favorite to work with. I can’t put my finger on the exact reason why this article had such a large impact on me, but I think it has to do with the fact that the information within the paper relates directly to my life. I know I am not alone in saying that some of the knowledge I have gained from school is completely pointless and doesn’t connect me to the path of my future. Certain careers in this world don’t call for advanced math techniques, some don’t call for a background in earth science, but all call for ethical leadership. This is why educating our youth to “develop moral habits of the heart” is so important. It is one specific characteristic everyone will need to carry with them in the long run
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good job karen im very proubd of u
ReplyDeleteKaren, the first quote is an important one to me as well. Not that I do it all of the time, but it is much more important to me that we are doing things that are practical in the class and that you can use. I am glad that you got something out of this article.
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