Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lead On...!

Courtesy Melody Ehsani

Words and their definitions really fascinate and amuse me. And they lead my thoughts in new and sometimes unusual directions... which is always good because it's important to keep your mind nimble. So there you go.

Today's word of the day is more interesting for the root of its definition... more than for the definition itself. To wit:

educe [ih-DOOS], verb:
Related to educate, educe is derived from the Latin roots ex- meaning "out" and ducere meaning "to lead." Shakespeare was the first writer to use it in the sense of "to provide schooling" in Loves Labours Lost.

So if educate and educe are essentially "to lead out"... then what are leaders meant to do? And how are we to treat our educators? And what of curriculum? How can students be effectively "led out" if we insist on recycling lessons designed simply to lead them to a single test and a limited outcome?

Kind of interesting thoughts in this time of political maneuvering, no?

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