Coming Soon ...
Science Education
and Spiritual Transformation
It will also become available from Amazon
Science Education and Spiritual Transformation
(there will also be a free online version) (First Edition)
John Bickart, Ph.D. Red Shirt Interactive Group Asheville, NC Copyright © 2023 John Bickart. Some rights reserved. This book may be shared for non-commercial reasons. This means that it may be copied as a whole or in part and shared in print or any electronic media as long as it is not sold or used to carry advertising. If copied, the author requests attribution. Cover photo composite by Anthony Scaravilli 1st edition, 2023 ISBN: 9798833945506 Printed in the United States of America www.bickart.org Dedication
All of my dedications for books written thus far include my loving wife, Wendy. There is a reason for that, Wendy. This one is also for, and largely because of you. |
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Back Cover of the Book
Science education is like making friends; you form relationships with whatever you study. And just like a relationship with a really good friend, it can be spiritually transformative. What is a spiritual relationship? It is one that is more about giving than receiving - where you truly care about someone or something - one that transforms into genuine friendship with the world around you, with nature. How we think about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) matters. The lessons we take from STEM can be transformative when we realize that learning is not an objective act. It is always subjective. We proactively commit ourselves the moment we begin to pursue nature. We have expectations. On the one hand, we may expect to see a competitive place, something to control and exploit; or on the other hand, we may expect something incredibly wonderful. If we investigate nature while holding expectations to find only adversaries to dominate, and resources to exploit, it limits our perception of what nature may be saying to us. What if we were to choose to use science to really LISTEN to nature? This book contains 20 of my favorite lessons from over 50 years of teaching, where I felt successful in reaching all manner of students. In each, we tried to listen to a spiritual message from nature that we could apply to our own lives. In the 70s, I taught in a Waldorf school. In the 80s and 90s, I consulted on adult education in the corporate world to Fortune 500 companies. Then, I taught in a high school that had students who were largely emotionally disturbed. Following these wonderful experiences, I taught in a men’s, then women’s prison. I have taught in different parts of the world from Shanghai to Peewaukie - from New York City to San Francisco. I have been pairing science with spirituality before the mainstream was ready to entertain it. But, what about now? It seems to me that humankind has a chance right now to make a significant transformation. Just think of the possibilities if we could extend our passion for relationship with friends to all of the beings of nature? What if we pursued STEM with the intense, heart-felt intangibles that we feel for our loved ones - feelings like gratitude, wonder, and awe? |
