Paideia should also emphasize creative expression and problem solving that go beyond established bodies of knowledge. An emphasis on innovation is necessary if students are going to learn to adapt to a changing world and ultimately take part in shaping change. Attitudes Toward Learning Paideia should teach that learning is a life-long process, not only an activity associated with institutions, and that individuals are responsible for their own learning. Most schools promote the passive acquisition of knowledge. We should teach our students to use reason and logic and to apply these tools to engage with the world.
Schools often err on the side of stressing the competitive and private nature of learning.
We should impart the value that learning can often be a cooperative effort in which shared ideas enhance each student's experience and understanding. Respect For Diversity Paideia should teach explicitly, by example, and through its environment an appreciation of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. Our students should understand the opportunities they have been given by their parents, their community and their school, and that there exists the expectation that they will respond by leading socially useful and purposeful lives. Social responsibility encompasses compassion for others, responsibility for working on solutions to the problems of our immediate community and of the larger national and international community. Awareness of these problems comes through study and through informed activity.