Just saw the movie Horton Hears a Who with my son and I wish that I had a pencil and paper (yes, very low but reliable technology) to copy down a few quotations from the movie that were quite profound. One was on the nature of truth. The very controlling homeschooling kangaroo makes therabbit.jpg statement a few times over that if you can’t see it, if you can’t hear it, and if you can’t touch it, then it doesn’t exist (referring to the speck on the clover that contains Whoville). Of course, had the kangaroo had good enough ears (or some technological device to amplify the sound), she would have heard the cries from help coming from Whoville. This is such a scientific view of truth that I think limits ways of knowing so much. Yes, this empirical view is incredibly important in scientific research, but it cannot encompass the complete human experience. Educational research is struggling with this as well. There is much criticism out there of disproportional numbers of quasi-experimental and qualitative types of research methodologies that have grown in popularity with perhaps a decline in true empirical studies - the “pure” science. Yet, not everything can be set up as an experimental design in the classroom. On the flip side, I think too often we accept this “reality” and avoid doing experimental research because it is too difficult. The Whos in Whoville were indeed making noise. It could have been verified with the right tools (methodologies) if the kangaroo had any imagination, desire/curiousity and an open mind.

The other was on creativity and how it is such a waste of time… creativity.jpgthat we should be focusing on the facts in school and not corrupting the young minds. It gets to the point where the kangaroo almost succeeds at having Horton killed by an ignorant lynch mob for his passionate ideas and insights - heresy. Wow… I wonder who wrote that part of the script. They must feel the current pulse of education today, no doubt. Horton is truly a creative spirit, full of humor and grand ideas. How we often squelch such traits in education. Take a closer look at students that don’t seem to fit in. Are you accommodating their learning styles and interests? Do they need some creative license? And are we legislating away creativity in the classroom? Has NCLB not taken this into account? How about making the “C” stand for creativity? In our zeal for basic skills once again (and basic skills are important and necessary), are we in fact leaving kids behind?

A third (and sinister) theme here is to never question authority… even if it is irrational or uninformed. How many teachers have you had or perhaps even know who are so strung up on the need to have power and wield it that it kills any creative or personally relevant possibilities in the classroom? Students respond so much better to “authority” when it values individual talents and intelligences, voice, expression, and yes… creativity.

I don’t have these quotations right, so if you saw the movie and can help me recreate them, please do! Otherwise, I have to wait for the DVD to be released.

There is also a great line in the movie where the mayor (Steve Carell) of Whoville’s daughter is begging for a Who [cell] phone because everyone else in her class has one. Sound familiar?

Other Great Quotations/Themes:

“I mean what I said and I said what I meant.” - integrity

“A person’s a person no matter how small.” - equality

Treat yourself and go see the movie… even if you don’t have kids to take! Borrow some if you have to. (and, then come back and fill in the gaps for me here :-)