Installation Master
The Kitchener Lectures
A series 'Kitchener Lectures' is being started by The Kitchener Lodge of Freemasons, New Delhi. Upto four lectures will be held from Nov 2012 to Sep 2013 at Freemasons Hall, Janpath, New Delhi. It is located next to the Imperial Hotel, behind Jantar Mantar and diagnolly opposite to the Cottage Industries shop in Connaught Place.
The general topic is "Morality in Profession". The first part is titled "Morality in Profession - Education". It will be delivered by Mr. Simon Ruscoe-Price, a new joining member. Ruscoe-Price is working in India as a specialist curriculum advisor to schools. He has over twenty years of work experience as an experienced teacher and school administrator having served nine years as Assistant Head teacher. He was Deputy Director of a National school improvement program for an overseas government. In 2010 he worked as Director of a large and prestigious residential summer school program in the UK that included English language courses for overseas students. He has a wealth of experience in a variety of schools. He is an experienced teacher recruiter and trainer including initial teacher training. He has led faculties and departments in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). He studied at Anglia Ruskin Cambridge, Montpellier and Reading Universities and in addition has a qualification in school leadership. He has recently successfully completed two modules of a Master’s in Education focusing on change management and action research.
The topic of the second part is Morality in Profession - Food & Bevarage. It will be delivered by a technocrat who also writes a blog on food. The weblog is now India's #1 food blog with over 20 million hits a year.
Please let us know if you wish to receive a soft copy of this first part of the Kitchener Lectures.
Proposals are invited for submission of lectures. A proposal can be submitted by a team of 2 to 3 persons one of whom should be a Freemason. Upto 10 proposals will be shortlisted. These will be showcased on websites and other platforms. Out of these, upto four will be selected for presentations. The submitters of the four selected proposals may get an opportunity to visit the inner temple and deliver the lecture in person..
For more information, please contact
Worshipful Master
Morality in Profession - Education:
Reflections on Education and Morality
Simon Ruscoe-Price
3 December 2012
Freemasonry can be described as a peculiar system of teaching morality, based on the use of allegories and symbols. It is important for a Freemasons to develop his masonic knowledge, indeed it is pointed out to us that through education alone we are rendered fit members of regularly organized society. Being a modern day educationalist and a freemason I decided to start my lecture by musing by upon what we mean by the term 'education' so I went to that great repository of knowledge that today in the 21st century we all have close to hand ..... Google.
The first five definitions that I came across were:
1. The act or process of educating or being educated.
2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.
3. A program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education.
4. The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning.
5. An instructive or enlightening experience: His work with the children in the city slums was a real education.
Lets us consider each of these:
The first definition "The act or process of educating or being educated" this is one of those lexicographer get-out clauses, it does not really answer the question and unfortunately is often an approach used by institutions to impart knowledge as a series of facts that must be memorized. One could quite easily say widgetation is the act or process of widgeting and that being widgeted enables us to widget others. It does not really allow any Socratic reasoning or dialogue, it merely conveys the same message.
The second "The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process" is a better definition and alludes to both obtaining knowledge and developing skills and I hope that in our musings and discussions we will elaborate on these this evening.
Thirdly, a program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education. Implies that we need to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to a range of settings. These settings can on a professional basis, within family relationships and environment and socially. However we don't get certificates or degrees in being a good father or husband. There is no specific curriculum for parenthood or for being a morally upstanding human being; rather it is something that is within us and as interdependent beings we coach and mentor those around us, as we try to improve the world we live in whether it be in sport, charitable acts or through scientific and technological innovation.
The fourth definition "The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning" is what I do as a profession. This means that on a daily basis I, along with millions of other educators, try to encourage young minds to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding they require. the most important word for any educator to ask is ..... Why?
For me it is all about enhancing teaching and learning. Leaning has to be transformational. That means that it has to move thinking forwards. Therefore the 21st century teacher must engage a learner's interest, they then model or show ways that may help the learner to question and through a range of activities develop his or her understanding of the area of study. This encourages freedom of thought and innovation. Then the learner can reflect and evaluate and review what he or she has learned. In this model we move away from the concept of the teacher as expert to that of the teacher being a facilitator.
Formalized "scholarly" learning took its root in the first century when century Greek philosophers were tutors on a one to one basis and the day job of the philosopher was as a tutor to the children of one or two rulers.
In the 16th century school for was for a few and more often than not it was linked to religious instruction.
The 18th to 20th century saw he advent of school for the masses. The teaching methodologies were translational and depended on the memorization of knowledge, mathematical and linguistic skills which in many instance prepared people for the use of newly arising technology in factories and industrialization. The more enlightened were able to advance medicine, science, humanities and the arts -many of these enlightened men were masons:Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Ford, Sir Alexander Fleming, Mozart, John Louden Macadam and Steve Wozniak among many.
The early 21st century is the epoch of Personal learning, using technological innovation to develop tools and skills that at this moment in time are yet to be discovered. Developing a deep understanding of the knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity throughout history and understanding that over time humanity has adapted to change and will continue to do so the most important message we can inculcate in future generations is to be able to innovate and adapt to an unknown future in a morally responsible manner.
I am happy to elaborate on the approaches and methods we use in schools to prepare children as best we can for the 21st century in the question and answer session which follows.
This now brings us to the fifth definition of education is that it is an instructive or enlightening experience. Every interaction with anther human being should be considered an opportunity for enlightenment, everybody has a story to tell and stories teach us morality. I have been blessed to enjoy enlightening experience in all fields of my life as a family man and father, as a teacher and as a mason. In masonry we learn so much together in a mutually supportive environment both in the ceremonies and at the festive board. Men of all walks of life from around the globe meet and share a common bond.
Therefore to conclude today I would like today for us to think about the part we all play as teachers, no matter what profession or activity we are engaged in and to focus on the notion of " teaching morality and encouraging others to be the best they can be at what they are trying to do" as it a vital part of what makes a mason. In modern day society the true concept of morality is often neglected yet morals are the foundations and building blocks upon which all human life is founded.
The Kitchener Lectures
A series 'Kitchener Lectures' is being started by The Kitchener Lodge of Freemasons, New Delhi. Upto four lectures will be held from Nov 2012 to Sep 2013 at Freemasons Hall, Janpath, New Delhi. It is located next to the Imperial Hotel, behind Jantar Mantar and diagnolly opposite to the Cottage Industries shop in Connaught Place.
The general topic is "Morality in Profession". The first part is titled "Morality in Profession - Education". It will be delivered by Mr. Simon Ruscoe-Price, a new joining member. Ruscoe-Price is working in India as a specialist curriculum advisor to schools. He has over twenty years of work experience as an experienced teacher and school administrator having served nine years as Assistant Head teacher. He was Deputy Director of a National school improvement program for an overseas government. In 2010 he worked as Director of a large and prestigious residential summer school program in the UK that included English language courses for overseas students. He has a wealth of experience in a variety of schools. He is an experienced teacher recruiter and trainer including initial teacher training. He has led faculties and departments in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). He studied at Anglia Ruskin Cambridge, Montpellier and Reading Universities and in addition has a qualification in school leadership. He has recently successfully completed two modules of a Master’s in Education focusing on change management and action research.
The topic of the second part is Morality in Profession - Food & Bevarage. It will be delivered by a technocrat who also writes a blog on food. The weblog is now India's #1 food blog with over 20 million hits a year.
Please let us know if you wish to receive a soft copy of this first part of the Kitchener Lectures.
Proposals are invited for submission of lectures. A proposal can be submitted by a team of 2 to 3 persons one of whom should be a Freemason. Upto 10 proposals will be shortlisted. These will be showcased on websites and other platforms. Out of these, upto four will be selected for presentations. The submitters of the four selected proposals may get an opportunity to visit the inner temple and deliver the lecture in person..
For more information, please contact
Worshipful Master
Morality in Profession - Education:
Reflections on Education and Morality
Simon Ruscoe-Price
3 December 2012
Freemasonry can be described as a peculiar system of teaching morality, based on the use of allegories and symbols. It is important for a Freemasons to develop his masonic knowledge, indeed it is pointed out to us that through education alone we are rendered fit members of regularly organized society. Being a modern day educationalist and a freemason I decided to start my lecture by musing by upon what we mean by the term 'education' so I went to that great repository of knowledge that today in the 21st century we all have close to hand ..... Google.
The first five definitions that I came across were:
1. The act or process of educating or being educated.
2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.
3. A program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education.
4. The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning.
5. An instructive or enlightening experience: His work with the children in the city slums was a real education.
Lets us consider each of these:
The first definition "The act or process of educating or being educated" this is one of those lexicographer get-out clauses, it does not really answer the question and unfortunately is often an approach used by institutions to impart knowledge as a series of facts that must be memorized. One could quite easily say widgetation is the act or process of widgeting and that being widgeted enables us to widget others. It does not really allow any Socratic reasoning or dialogue, it merely conveys the same message.
The second "The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process" is a better definition and alludes to both obtaining knowledge and developing skills and I hope that in our musings and discussions we will elaborate on these this evening.
Thirdly, a program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education. Implies that we need to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to a range of settings. These settings can on a professional basis, within family relationships and environment and socially. However we don't get certificates or degrees in being a good father or husband. There is no specific curriculum for parenthood or for being a morally upstanding human being; rather it is something that is within us and as interdependent beings we coach and mentor those around us, as we try to improve the world we live in whether it be in sport, charitable acts or through scientific and technological innovation.
The fourth definition "The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning" is what I do as a profession. This means that on a daily basis I, along with millions of other educators, try to encourage young minds to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding they require. the most important word for any educator to ask is ..... Why?
For me it is all about enhancing teaching and learning. Leaning has to be transformational. That means that it has to move thinking forwards. Therefore the 21st century teacher must engage a learner's interest, they then model or show ways that may help the learner to question and through a range of activities develop his or her understanding of the area of study. This encourages freedom of thought and innovation. Then the learner can reflect and evaluate and review what he or she has learned. In this model we move away from the concept of the teacher as expert to that of the teacher being a facilitator.
Formalized "scholarly" learning took its root in the first century when century Greek philosophers were tutors on a one to one basis and the day job of the philosopher was as a tutor to the children of one or two rulers.
In the 16th century school for was for a few and more often than not it was linked to religious instruction.
The 18th to 20th century saw he advent of school for the masses. The teaching methodologies were translational and depended on the memorization of knowledge, mathematical and linguistic skills which in many instance prepared people for the use of newly arising technology in factories and industrialization. The more enlightened were able to advance medicine, science, humanities and the arts -many of these enlightened men were masons:Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Ford, Sir Alexander Fleming, Mozart, John Louden Macadam and Steve Wozniak among many.
The early 21st century is the epoch of Personal learning, using technological innovation to develop tools and skills that at this moment in time are yet to be discovered. Developing a deep understanding of the knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity throughout history and understanding that over time humanity has adapted to change and will continue to do so the most important message we can inculcate in future generations is to be able to innovate and adapt to an unknown future in a morally responsible manner.
I am happy to elaborate on the approaches and methods we use in schools to prepare children as best we can for the 21st century in the question and answer session which follows.
This now brings us to the fifth definition of education is that it is an instructive or enlightening experience. Every interaction with anther human being should be considered an opportunity for enlightenment, everybody has a story to tell and stories teach us morality. I have been blessed to enjoy enlightening experience in all fields of my life as a family man and father, as a teacher and as a mason. In masonry we learn so much together in a mutually supportive environment both in the ceremonies and at the festive board. Men of all walks of life from around the globe meet and share a common bond.
Therefore to conclude today I would like today for us to think about the part we all play as teachers, no matter what profession or activity we are engaged in and to focus on the notion of " teaching morality and encouraging others to be the best they can be at what they are trying to do" as it a vital part of what makes a mason. In modern day society the true concept of morality is often neglected yet morals are the foundations and building blocks upon which all human life is founded.
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