song for theme #30: Intellectual Freedom

“The Lifelong Learning Parade” by Stephen P. Cook

to be sung to the tune of a medley of “The Fool on the Hill” (left column) and “The Magical Mystery Tour”

by John Lennon and Paul McCartney / The Beatles

Week after week

I sit here in class

Listening, taking notes

All these facts I amass

Seems you often

Try to help me

You know I want to learn

Though I seldom

Have the answer

But what I want to know

As I try to do my best

This difficult concept

Will it be on the test?

Year after year

I teach these same classes

Lecturing, trying to reach

All you lads and lasses

But what’s most important

When all is said and done

I have just one answer

As a life long learner

I‘ve built this map inside me

A conceptual framework¹

Makes sense of reality

Sign up, Sign up

For the Lifelong Learning Parade!

Head right this way!

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For the Lifelong Learning Parade

Curious?²

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

Sign up

Join the explorations

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

Curious?

Make meaningful connections

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

The Lifelong Learning Parade

Will help you cubbyhole facts

Keep track of facts

Order the stack

Curious?

Inquire freely all you please

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Anxious?

Set your mind at ease

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

The Lifelong Learning Parade

Will help find concepts to link

Concepts to link

Get you to think

Rewards?

Find them in books

Signup for the Lifelong Learning Parade

Meaning?

Discover how life cooks

Signup for the Lifelong Learning Parade

The Lifelong Learning Parade

Can help you turn work into play

And see shades of gray

Find your own way

Values?

Decide how it oughta be

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

Baggage?

Unload beliefs you don’t need

Sign up for the Lifelong Learning Parade

The Lifelong Learning Parade

Will help you sort false and true

Separate false and true

Refine your worldview

SONG—NOTES / COMMENTS     (this song is part of the author’s personal story)

1—This refers to an idealized way of making sense out of a complicated world, beginning in early childhood with recognizing

      similarities/differences between objects and building concepts.  The process continues building conceptual schemes and fitting

      these together into a framework.  Note: This song is semi-autobiographical and metaphorically figures in this book’s ending.

2—Intellectual curiosity is the desire to use one’s abilities to investigate, explore, and learn more about a particular part of

      intellectual terrain and do this often in extending one’s conceptual map of reality.

Comment: Those who value this theme tend to be curious, imaginative, and creative—all of which suggest that engagement/problem focused coping that explores new perspectives may help them deal with stress.