Dunstan, and Ron Vardiman attended the 26 th annual Lonergan Workshop, organized by Fred and Sue Lawrence, at the Lonergan Institute at Boston College. Now that we are all living longer and there are new machines to bring up almost any information that we might wish, the era of a new education has begun to dawn. The philosophies of Newman, Lonergan and Montessori, together with practical experience and modern research, point to the way ahead. During the last hundred years, education has been based on cognitive learning and so much of this quest has been pushed away by the myriads of facts presented by other people. Later, related facts suddenly come into the conscious mind and this expansion of consciousness connects with life around.
Modern research shows a lighting up of synapses.
The real difference now needs to be that the questioning comes from persons themselves based on their own experience, and we should provide an environment where they can use modern technology such as computers, with access to the internet and libraries, videos, CD's, books, together with enthusiastic experts. They should have communication with others interested in the same question, together with the companionship of a teacher on their way. Learning is to be based on a person's own experience and questioning and not on memorized data imposed by someone else with someone else's questions and all to be regurgitated on a set date. This new type of learning environment has far more bearing on a learner's life. It has been proved that students following their own questions reach a higher standard because there is a basic understanding since the learning is grounded in a student's own experience.