Empathy Education


A World We Dare to Imagine

Kindness, Compassion and Empathy Education

I recently attended a screening of Chris Paine’s new documentary Do You Trust This Computer? which centered around AI and its involvement in the lives of many people. One of the main criticisms of experts, who feared the rise of AI, was that computers think in a solely pragmatic way and lack the emotions that make people humans. This got me thinking about the theme of empathy, and how kindness can be implemented into the education system. I truly believe that with a more kind and empathetic population, we as a humanity would be better able to feel a sense of community with our fellow man across the globe. Whether this type of education manifests as a lesson plan required every year in school or another way, I think it is important to think about how we can teach the next generation how to be kind, compassionate and empathetic citizens.

Comments

  1. Raghav KumarApril 22, 2018 at 12:16 PM

    Hi Genevieve! I really like your idea about teaching the next generation about compassion and empathy. I wonder if in the future AI and robots can be programmed to have human emotions, and therefore reciprocate feelings. Until then, I think it's even more relevant to teach how to express emotions to the generation that will interact more with machines, than humans. One way to execute on this idea can be to implement a no machine policy at school retreats. Or better yet, start an organization that plans retreats for people who simply want to reconnect with others without getting bogged down by gadgets, social media or the internet. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shirline ChaudharyApril 22, 2018 at 5:42 PM

    Hi Genevieve! I really like your idea of incorporating kindness and empathy into the education system - I think too many of us forget how far kindness and empathy can go and how even one word of kindness to someone can change their outlook for the day. I think you can expand on this post by further comparing the difference between technology and humans and also by elaborating on the type of lesson plan schools would have that work on including kindness and empathy. Great post and I look forward to reading your final post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna ShanApril 22, 2018 at 9:58 PM

    Hi Genevieve! Thank you for sharing your ideas on empathy education to make human beings as a better community that is closely united together. I agree with your concern on the rise of AI and how the widely application of artificial intelligence in our lives may change the traditional way of human interaction. I'm glad that you brought this topic about empathy and kindness to make the world a better place, and I believe that this an important aspect of our society that we should pay attentions to.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jackie KronickApril 22, 2018 at 10:39 PM

    Hey Genevieve! I think your idea of creating an empathetic education is pure genius. I stumbled on an article last week about the importance of soft skills in the work place. The article listed resilience, emotion control and a sense of purpose as the top three interpersonal skills that can help communication, creativity and productivity within the work environment. I think the next step you can take to implementing kindness in education systems is emphasizing the material benefits of teaching students to be kind. This way, not only can school-boards visualize the soft benefits of incorporating kindness in school curriculums, but they can also be encouraged to teach kindness as a way to boost productivity and creativity in student bodies.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Fashion Art?

Image
Is fashion art? I have always been fascinated with fashion and specifically haute couture. For everyone that doesn’t know, haute couture is a line of clothing produced by leading fashion houses that reflects the designers artistic image for the year. This clothing is one of a kind and is made from hand using only the most expensive materials. These pieces are generally not even wearable outside the context of a runway fashion show. So, then what is the point of all the work that goes into these pieces of clothing? Well, I would argue that they are made in the name of artistic expression and therefore should be considered art. The question of whether fashion can be considered art is a long-held debate in the art community. Many art critics as well as museums do not consider fashion as a form of art and there for will not exhibit clothing or other fashion accessories in their museums. However, this notion is changing, most notably with the foundation ...
Read more

Botany of Desire Thoughts

First of all, who knew there were so many varieties of apples! From my sheltered consumer standpoint, I foolishly see what is available in the apple section of the market and think that that is all there is in the world. It was fascinating to discover the thousands of varieties that are out there. I’ve always said that macintosh apples were my favorite, but I think I should try a few more varieties before making such a statement. I also enjoyed the backstory on Johnny Appleseed. Besides being the default name on all Apple products, I had no concept of who Johnny Appleseed. Now that I think about it, it’s quite clever that Apple products would have a connection with the apple seed spreader himself. With both this documentary and my knowledge from “Growing a Farmer” I now have a much more robust understanding of agriculture and how food is produced. I also learned a vital lesson about apple genetics, and that the best way to replicate a fruit is by grafting a blossom rather than...
Read more

The Powers of Matcha

Image
Matcha vs. Coffee Do you love the pick me up of coffee but hate the crash? What if I told you there was a solution to that three o’clock slump?! Well, I have the answer for you! Matcha!! This magical green liquid has the same power and caffeine content as coffee but with a more steady and consistent caffeine release which means no harsh crashes. Thanks to the amino acid L-Theanine which slows the release of the caffeine, matcha is known to have a long lasting and calming effect. Matcha also contains lots of antioxidants and vitamins that are not found in coffee which adds to the magic power of this green superfood.   What is matcha? Matcha is a finely ground powder made from whole Japanese green tea leaves. Unlike other teas in which you steep the tea leaves in hot water to extract the flavor, matcha powder contains the entire tea leaf, leaving none of the good stuff and flavor behind. As mentioned previously matcha powder contains a ton of antioxidants and...
Read more