‘Cultivating Una Persona Educada: A Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Vision of Education‘
By Laura I. Rendón (Journal of College and Character, 2011: 12 (2), 1-9)
In this article, Laura I. Rendón argues that to imagine a new way in education, we need to create personas educados (educated people). She defines una persona educada as a “dignified, honorable person who is held in high regard.” She believes that such an educated person demonstrates habits of the mind and heart by understanding the importance of knowledge, critical thinking, and good decision making while also being reflective, intuitive, and perceptive. This person also has respect for diverse ways of knowing and is dedicated to equity and social justice.
To develop personas educadas, we need pedagogical spaces that are committed to a sentipensante (sensing/thinking) vision for education — one that honors intuition, introspection, and the inner life (sentir — to sense) and our intellectual development, including the “outer life of action and service” (pensar — to think). Rendón provides several concrete pedagogical recommendations that educators can consider for the sentipensante classroom.
As an educator and leader who is always looking for new ways of reframing the role of the educator and education in society, I highly recommend this article. It helps us imagine how education can help create a better world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Louie F. Rodriguez
Louie F. Rodriguez is a professor and Bank of America Endowed Chair in Education Leadership, Policy, and Practice in the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside.
