Creating Eudaimonia in the Computational Classroom

Can a Common Story Lead to Common Sense?

The root word of "education" shares a common heritage with "eudaimonia," the Greek concept of pursuing wellness, happiness, or fulfillment in life. Why, then, does our educational system fall short in producing it? Craft (1984) observed that the English word "education" has two distinct Latin roots: "educare," meaning to train or to mold, and "educere," meaning to lead out. It's possible to enhance the attainment of eudaimonia through the opportunities we create within the computational classroom. This enhancement stems from the core functions of the brain, its interaction with the body, and the way phenomena around us become ingrained as mental concepts. I will share a bit about myself, thereby providing a broader overview and analogy of the concept of topology and how we might use higher-order mathematical models to better understand the dynamic changes occurring in a classroom. We can anticipate trajectories and create opportunities that mitigate overall effects while maintaining the most optimal possible path for each individual. We're not lowering the bar for teaching elephants to jump; rather, we're helping them to build ramps and work together to solve problems synergistically, in ways that wouldn't be possible individually.