Author Description

Author Jing Lin contends that there is a great need for educators to reconceptualize education in the 21st century. Here, she discusses the danger of global wars, environmental breakdown, moral vacuum and nihilism in society, and the problems in current debates on school reform. This book calls for a school that facilitates the formation of a compassionate and loving global community-one that teaches the younger generation to gain a harmonious, respectful relationship with nature. The author envisions a school where the teaching of our interconnectedness based on love, changes the learning atmosphere, school curriculum focus, teacher-student relationships, school leadership, and the role of education in society as a transformative power. The book challenges our schools to shift from a rationalistic, functionalist perspective that primarily emphasizes tests and efficiency, to a constructive, transformative paradigm in which the integrated development of students' intellectual, moral, emotional, spiritual, and ecological abilities to promote understanding of the world helps nurture respect for all human beings and nature. In all, constructing a loving world should be the central purpose of education in the 21st century. This book will be of interest t policy makers, teachers, school administrators, peace and environmental activists, and students.