Chapter Four: Literacy, Focused Attention, and Contemplative Practice
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that contemplative education, which cultivates attentional capacities, offers an alternative to cognitively focused higher education, and proposes that deep reading and present-moment awareness are rooted in wisdom traditions and ancient Indian practices. |
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the anti-thesis of digital technologies, what Tobin Hart refers to as our interiority. The roots of much of what is called present moment find their origins in ancient India, where the practice of education centered on developing focused awareness in individuals, and ethical service for society. According to the chapter, deep reading can be connected to wisdom tradition. In the mainstream tradition of higher education, learning is viewed as essentially a cognitive activity. The chapter supports Contemplative Education, which represents the kind of education which privileges and promotes the cultivation of students' attentional capacities. It views emotional contagion, as connected to the remarkable discussions that brain researchers have advanced concerning what they call mirror neurons. The chapter shares the worries of Dehaene, Wolf, and others that reading is an activity that may be lost in the confusion and distractions of the 21st century.Keywords: 21st century classroom; attentional capacity; cognitive-affective learning; contemplative education; mirror neurons; Stanislaus Dehaene; wisdom tradition