When in this City of Chilpancingo, I started to hear the terms Holistic Education, the first thing that interested me was to look in the dictionary of the Spanish language for the term holistic, I looked for one and I did not find the definition, not even the term, I looked in another, and nothing, and in another more and nothing; and so on in many more and nothing, obviously from different publishers; What I did later was to search for documents such as brochures, triptychs, magazines and, in themselves, bibliographies, or some reference that would allow me to find this definition since the term was already used in the documents of the University Reform, in the chapter on plans and programs of studies of the Upper Middle Level, since they were at the time of revision for their corresponding update, I speak of the year 1999,prior to the approval of plan 99 of the Upper Middle Level by the H. University Council of the Autonomous University of Guerrero; In those days, I also listened to coworkers at UAG High School No. 9, today Academic Unit Number 9, such as Teachers Candida, Josefina, Nora and Teachers such as José Moctezuma, Eliot Gallardo and Celes, talking about colloquia and International Holistic Education Conferences and it was like this, how I learned that Celes my son, had not only attended a Colloquium, but had even done a diploma in this new aspect of knowledge and thanks to him and Master Candida, who spoke to me and invited me to the International Conference on Holistic Education to be held that year in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, in the month of November of that year,If I remember correctly, it was the ninth, which I attended, I found it interesting, I was enthusiastic and from then on I have not lost contact with this new form of knowledge transmission, also attending the next one, I think the last conference international, also held in the City of Guadalajara, as well as, to a colloquium in the City and Port of Acapulco, Gro., to the Holistic Education Congress held in the City of Chilpancingo, Gro., finally I completed the preparatory course also in Chilpancingo and as a consequence of this course, I entered in August 2005 to study the Master in Holistic Education.I think that at the last international conference, also held in the City of Guadalajara, as well as a colloquium in the City and Port of Acapulco, Gro., at the Holistic Education Congress held in the City of Chilpancingo, Gro., I finally held the propedeutic course also in Chilpancingo and as a consequence of this course, I entered in August 2005 to study the Master in Holistic Education.I think that at the last international conference, also held in the City of Guadalajara, as well as a colloquium in the City and Port of Acapulco, Gro., at the Holistic Education Congress held in the City of Chilpancingo, Gro., I finally held the propedeutic course also in Chilpancingo and as a consequence of this course, I entered in August 2005 to study the Master in Holistic Education.
Holistic Education and its foundations
In the transit of my work, which is as an educator at the upper secondary level since 1970 at the UAG and with the custom of traditional teaching, like all educators of the time, my performance was so, traditional until October 2006, although A year before, I mean, a concern started, as well as a curiosity to also start with the application of what I was learning at the time, something about Holistic Education.
A little confused as well as insecure; How to start? There was a moment when I was explaining a certain topic in the area of Biology, which is the subject I teach because it is my profile, Chemical Biologist, Parasychologist, and to questions related to the topic made by some students, I realized that I could also explain to you the relationship between the knowledge of one discipline with another and others, and I said to myself, that's it, the integration of knowledge, this is an example of integration, indicated by the Holistic Education paradigm, and believe me that From that moment, I try to combine relating the transmission of knowledge with the aim of helping in the discovery of values in each student to discover their interior, their spiritual consciousness and obviously so that they improve it more and more at their level.
Well, talking about Holistic Education as an innovative paradigm of education, talking about resources for sustainability, about the spirituality sustained by the perennial philosophy, about integral politics where characters like Gandhi and Cesar Chávez, among others, give us examples of equanimity and above all, of spirituality and incomparable levels of consciousness, reflecting with it peace, honesty, solidarity and universal love.
In relation to Holistic Education, consider its vision that leads us to a process of restructuring and innovation and its new principles of understanding reality as unity, learning, totality and spirituality, among others, considering of course also concepts such as “Holons”, which refers according to Arthur kostler to what, being a totality in one context, is simultaneously a part in another context, calling holarchy the set of holons that achieve a totality and integrating capacity, with holarchy being the balance of Normal hierarchy and normal heterarchy.
When holons are viewed from the perspective of the new science according to Wilber, principles such as: reality is made up of holons, holons emerge holarkically; holarchies coevolve; the lower establishes the possibilities of the higher, the higher establishes the possibilities of the lower; evolution is directional, among others.
In this same vision of holistic education we also find intelligence with its three moments: the uniform vision of intelligence, the pluralistic vision of intelligence and the holistic vision of intelligence; Learning, understood as a process that lasts a lifetime and goes beyond the classroom, are considered four strategic learnings for education in the 21st century, namely: Learning to learn, Learning to do, Learning to live together and Learning To be. Knowledge, Saint Bonaventure states that human beings have three ways of acquiring knowledge, called the eye of the flesh, the eye of reason and the eye of contemplation, through which we have access to transcendent realities.
Some relevant characteristics of holistic education when thinking of Excellence: a dynamic education open to human relations, to be is to be related; holistic thinking is contextual, intuitive and creative; learning is a process of a lifetime, of all situations; Knowledge is carried out through five epistemological relationships, just as valid, among others.
Holistic Education has strategies for learning science and technology such as: scientific research that stimulates the awakening of intelligence…
Elements such as the conscious learning of the new science; UNESCO declarations in favor of holistic education; full knowledge of the industry and technology for sustainability, the true awakening of the scientific mind, direct contact with nature; educate for sustainability; Consciously educate to know the environment and its ecology to know how to consciously and responsibly use the resources themselves, organize education considering principles that govern ecological systems and thus achieve a better sustainable culture for the 21st century and also achieve another of the objectives of holistic education, that science, art and spirituality work together and thus achieve, have a coherent culture,integration that will allow a new culture and a new social intelligence that can face serious dilemmas of our time.
In relation to learning communities, they are no longer isolated, they are more interconnected and communicated, therefore they are more interdependent.
In holistic education, dialogue and communication are also priorities, since by making intelligent use of these routes, harmony, coexistence and peace are achieved.
Spirituality as the fundamental basis of Holistic Education, with it it is possible for the human to discover his conscience and his inner self as well as discover values such as peace, trust, cooperation, responsibility, freedom, love, compassion, among others.
Feasibility of Holistic Education in Mexico
With all the foundations, characteristics and firsts of Holistic Education, the holistic educator will have a full presence and corresponding vision such as: Holistic Education, which is an emerging field based on many fields of knowledge; Holistic Education has profound implications for human and planetary evolution; Holistic educators recognize and make creative use of visions, alternatives, and multiple avenues of knowledge, etc.
My experience as a student from the basic level (elementary), basic medium (secondary), upper middle (preparatory) and Bachelor level, in none of the cycles was there any value to understand, understand and act, therefore, without any teaching of that type and loading with the traditional methodology, I finished until the level of Degree.
I also wish to state that when reading the twelve principles for the Holistic Schools contained in the Book "The Education of the Heart" by Dr. Ramón Gallegos Nava, after understanding, analyzing and understanding them, it became clearer to me what would be, in itself, a Institution of that type, with the very notable characteristics and principles, and with regard to the Book "An integral vision of education", this clarity complements me more, when speaking for example of Holistic Education for the XXI century, the Integrity and Quality, the multilevel-multidimensional perspective, of the integral practice of the educator, among other aspects.
Therefore, with all its considerations, foundations, characteristics and principles, holistic education as a new paradigm, would improve education in Mexico.
Bibliography
- Holistic Education; Pedagogy of Universal Love, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, First Impression April 2002. Guadalajara.Education and Spirituality; Education as a spiritual practice, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, First Impression October 2005. GuadalajaraA Comprehensive Vision of Education; The Heart of Holistic Education, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, First Printing November 2001. Guadalajara. The Education of the Heart; Twelve principles for holistic schools, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, November 2001. GuadalajaraPedagogy of Universal Love; A holistic view of the world, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, June 2003. Guadalajara. Learning Communities; Transforming schools into learning communities, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, June 2003. Guadalajara.Aprender a ser; The birth of a new spiritual consciousness, Gallegos Nava, Ramón, November 2003.Guadalajara.Spiritual Intelligence; Beyond multiple and emotional intelligences Gallegos Nava, Ramón, November 2006. Guadalajara.
