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Forgetting Kindergarten indoctriNATION \|\| April 14, 2006 Related - Unschooling I learned a lot in kindergarten class. Besides things like how to finger-paint and make macaroni art, the most important lessons that stuck with me were those about sharing. It was drilled into our heads back then, that generosity was fundamental to getting along with your fellow classmates, that it is always better to give than to receive. This is seemingly one of those great things about human nature that separates us from the other beasts. Giving for the sake of giving. The lessons of every grade after kindergarten, however, continually drifted from this fundamental notion. As the years went on and the indoctrination continued, we were told that the world is just a big competition, that those who had the best grades and most gold stars were the BEST students, and for God’s sake don’t share your answers with others. Fear is a powerful tool, and it is effectively used to divert us from our giving nature. We are petrified into believing that our neighbour is out to take what’s ours. We are told to horde our possessions and guard them with vigilance because, of course, nice guys finish last. When this fear is legislated in the form of overzealous national and international copyright and patent laws, there are often disastrous consequences for health, scientific progress, social justice, sustainability, and democracy. Changes in laws around the globe have sparked considerable debate on the issue. You may have seen the Creative Commons Licence placed on all content on indoctriNATION and TheFilter.ca. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com From the Creative Commons Canada website: Too often the debate over creative control tends to the extremes. At one pole is a vision of total control — a world in which every last use of a work is regulated and in which “all rights reserved” (and then some) is the norm. At the other end is a vision of anarchy — a world in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise, and moderation — once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally — have become endangered species. Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian. We work to offer creators a best-of-both-worlds way to protect their works while encouraging certain uses of them — to declare “some rights reserved.” Creative Commons features authors who remember what they learned in kindergarten (currently they are featuring TheFilter.ca). Please feel free to share these words and any other content on this website with anyone you choose. We are not afraid. For more on Canadian and international copyright laws, visit Michael Geist’s website. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Forgetting Kindergarten

indoctriNATION || April 14, 2006

Related - Unschooling

I learned a lot in kindergarten class. Besides things like how to finger-paint and make macaroni art, the most important lessons that stuck with me were those about sharing. It was drilled into our heads back then, that generosity was fundamental to getting along with your fellow classmates, that it is always better to give than to receive. This is seemingly one of those great things about human nature that separates us from the other beasts. Giving for the sake of giving.

The lessons of every grade after kindergarten, however, continually drifted from this fundamental notion. As the years went on and the indoctrination continued, we were told that the world is just a big competition, that those who had the best grades and most gold stars were the BEST students, and for God’s sake don’t share your answers with others.

Fear is a powerful tool, and it is effectively used to divert us from our giving nature. We are petrified into believing that our neighbour is out to take what’s ours. We are told to horde our possessions and guard them with vigilance because, of course, nice guys finish last.

When this fear is legislated in the form of overzealous national and international copyright and patent laws, there are often disastrous consequences for health, scientific progress, social justice, sustainability, and democracy. Changes in laws around the globe have sparked considerable debate on the issue.

You may have seen the Creative Commons Licence placed on all content on indoctriNATION and TheFilter.ca.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

From the Creative Commons Canada website:

Too often the debate over creative control tends to the extremes. At one pole is a vision of total control — a world in which every last use of a work is regulated and in which “all rights reserved” (and then some) is the norm. At the other end is a vision of anarchy — a world in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise, and moderation — once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally — have become endangered species.

Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian. We work to offer creators a best-of-both-worlds way to protect their works while encouraging certain uses of them — to declare “some rights reserved.”

Creative Commons features authors who remember what they learned in kindergarten (currently they are featuring TheFilter.ca). Please feel free to share these words and any other content on this website with anyone you choose. We are not afraid.

For more on Canadian and international copyright laws, visit Michael Geist’s website.

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