Book Review: Mark Edmundson, Why Teach? In Defense of a Real Education

Abstract

Book Review: Mark Edmundson, Why Teach? In Defense of a Real Education. New York: Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN: 978-1620401071 (Hardcover). 222 Pages. $24.00.[Article copies available for a fee from Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2014 by Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]Why Teach? In Defense of a Real Education is a collection of essays published by Mark Edmundson, University Professor from University of Virginia, that offers reasoning and resolution of influence our consumer-driven society is having on education. book is organized into three sections: The Shift, Fellow Students, and Fellow Teachers. Each portion contains works that are woven together to support theory that both teachers and students need to understand and respect themselves and differences in each other enough to then reach uncomfortable places where true learning unfolds.Over course of 16 essays, Edmundson tackles belief that the major enemy of education in America now is American education, university education in particular (p. xi) and that if you want to get a real education in America, you're going to have to fight (p. 52). Two notions that, according to Edmundson, educators and administrators would lead you to believe are independent of each other, when in fact they are most closely intertwined. Why Teach? provides a refreshing reminder that many teachers do not enter field for earning power, but for influence. That they once possessed a love of thinking and learning and wished to share that with future generations. Edmundson effectively argues that today's product-based education system forgoes genuine experience and curiosity that generates true learning in favor of producing career-ready facsimiles of successful wage-earners. He challenges students and teachers alike to get back to basics of education by encouraging and practicing independent thought.The Shift begins with an essay previously published in Harper's Magazine. Edmundson's Liberal Arts and Lite Entertainment (1997) accurately depicts swing of American education system from prestige to profit. Already in late 1990's he describes universities as competitive markets and students not as thinkers, but as consumers. Rather than paying for privilege of studying at a prestigious university or with a renowned thinker, students were beginning to view course credit as a right to own commodity. If they paid for course, they have right to grade, and a good one at that. Edmundson challenges that human right to ownership does not extend to education. On-time tuition payments and regular class attendance do not equal a college education. Edmundson challenges power students have over professors and institutions by questioning means and vocabulary they have adopted to assess efficacy. Such terms as enjoyable and approachable, he argues, should not be used to describe a powerful, lasting, classroom experience. He defends necessity for tenure in universities as a means for retaining power to question, research, and challenge students to question themselves and transform as a result of their experiences without fear of retribution.Another view Edmundson explores in The Shift is that it is up to student to make most of his or her education. In arguably one of most relevant and powerful statements of book he claims, My students, alas, usually lack confidence to acknowledge what would be most precious asset for learning: their ignorance (p. 19). seasoned professor continues to explain that power we have given youth of today, with their instant access to information and endless flattery of their sheltered lives, has been a detriment to their capabilities as thinkers and learners. Dwelling in Possibilities (2008), second essay of collection, points a finger at way technology has ravaged our ability to perceive and to question. …