Traveling through time and space.

Chapter 209 The Value of Taoist Culture in the Moral Education of Youth

Mu Yang closely monitors the progress of regenerative medicine research and development at biotech companies, eagerly anticipating the benefits this cutting-edge technology will bring to human health. He also has his sights set on social education. He keenly recognizes the unique and irreplaceable value of Taoist culture's rich moral resources in the moral education of young people. Driven by a sense of mission to promote the inheritance and development of Taoist culture in education, Mu Yang actively engages in integrating Taoist culture into the moral education of young people.

Mu Yang first visited a school's moral education classroom. It was spacious and bright, its decor simple yet solemn. The walls were covered with various moral quotations and inspirational slogans, which stood out in the sunlight. The teachers were making final preparations for an upcoming moral education course incorporating Taoist culture. Lesson plans were being repeatedly reviewed, densely scribbled with annotations, documenting the teachers' meticulous effort in preparing the class.

"Dear teachers, today we are going to discuss how to better integrate Taoist culture into the moral education curriculum. This is not only a continuation of traditional culture, but also to provide children with richer and more diverse moral education content, helping them to shape a sound personality and correct values, which is crucial for their growth." Mu Yang said to the teachers with a smile, his eyes full of enthusiasm and expectations for the cause of education, as if injecting a warm and firm power into the teachers.

Teacher Wang, the teacher in charge of this course, pushed his glasses up and said excitedly, "Mr. Mu, we've done a lot of preparatory work. For our lesson plan, we've carefully selected many Taoist stories, such as the story of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. By telling the story of how the Eight Immortals each used their magical powers to help each other and ultimately succeed in crossing the sea, we intend to teach students the importance of helpfulness and unity and cooperation. To give the children a more intuitive understanding, we've also prepared an animated version of the story, along with relevant role-playing props, so they can experience it firsthand in class. However, in actual teaching, we've encountered some challenges. The contradiction between the resources required to integrate Taoist culture into youth moral education and the resulting educational results is stark. Developing the relevant teaching materials requires considerable time and effort. We've consulted numerous Taoist texts and research materials, and consulted with numerous Taoist experts, before finally completing the initial draft. We also need professional teacher training, all of which requires considerable resources. However, we're still unsure to what extent this investment will improve students' moral character and achieve the desired educational results. After all, moral education is a long-term process, and it's difficult to see significant results in a short period of time."

Mu Yang pondered for a moment and said, "Teacher Wang, your concerns are very reasonable. Regarding teacher training, we can invite Taoist cultural research experts to give lectures and training courses for teachers to enhance everyone's understanding of Taoist culture and teaching ability. I have contacted several well-known experts in the industry, and they are very interested in our project and willing to provide support. In terms of textbook compilation, we will organize a professional team to combine the teaching syllabus with the students' cognitive level to develop a set of systematic and practical textbooks. At the same time, we must establish a long-term educational effect tracking mechanism. Through regular questionnaires and student behavior observations, we will evaluate the educational effects and make timely adjustments to teaching methods and content. Although the initial investment is large, as long as our methods are appropriate, I believe we will see significant results. We can start with a pilot teaching in one class and gradually promote it after accumulating experience."

After leaving school, Mu Yang arrived at the Youth Palace. The place was brimming with youthful energy, the laughter of children echoing in every corner. The Youth Palace staff were busy preparing for a Taoist cultural interest class, preparing painting tools and setting up a calligraphy display area. Everything was proceeding smoothly. The walls of the calligraphy display area were already covered with exquisite Taoist calligraphy works, ranging from elegant running script to dignified regular script, each one imbued with the charm of Taoist culture.

"Director Zhang, thank you for your hard work in preparing for this Taoist culture interest class. We hope that through these interest classes, children can feel the charm of Taoist culture and improve their moral cultivation while learning art. This will not only enrich children's extracurricular life, but also add a unique color to their growth." Mu Yang said to Director Zhang of the Youth Palace.

Director Zhang responded with a smile, "Mr. Mu, we are all very much looking forward to the launch of this interest class. We have invited several teachers with expertise in Taoist calligraphy and painting to teach. However, during the organization process, competition and conflict over the allocation of moral education resources between different educational philosophies and methods have gradually emerged. For example, some other interest classes believe that we are taking up too many resources in terms of venue use and teacher staffing, which has affected their activities to a certain extent. Dance interest class teachers have reported that they have recently been short of rehearsal time and space because our Taoist culture interest class has taken up part of the venue. In addition, some parents are concerned about the impact of Taoist culture on their children and would rather their children focus on traditional art and subject interest classes."

After some thought, Mu Yang said, "Director Zhang, we need to balance the allocation of resources in all aspects. Regarding the use of venues, we need to develop a detailed schedule and reasonably arrange the class times for each interest class to avoid conflicts. We can use modern information technology to develop a venue reservation management system so that each interest class can reserve a suitable venue in advance. In terms of teacher staffing, we should fully tap and utilize social resources, invite more volunteers to participate in teaching, and alleviate the problem of teacher shortage. At the same time, we must clearly explain the unique significance and value of the Taoist culture interest class to the leaders of other interest classes and strive for their understanding and support. We can organize some cross-interest exchange activities to allow children to learn from each other and grow together in different cultural and artistic forms. To address parents' concerns, we can organize parent open days so that they can personally experience the teaching content and atmosphere of the Taoist culture interest class and understand the positive impact of Taoist culture on children's moral cultivation."

Next, Mu Yang arrived at the Taoist Cultural Education Base. The environment was tranquil, and the ancient buildings exuded a rich historical atmosphere. The base's tour guides were making final preparations for the upcoming youth tour, rehearsing their guidebooks and inspecting the exhibits. These included replicas of precious Taoist artifacts, historical images, and multimedia displays, fully showcasing the charm of Taoist culture to young people.

"Tour guide Master Li, come and see the preparations for the visit and study activity today. This activity is very important for children to understand Taoist culture and improve their moral cultivation. Every tour is a cultural inheritance. I hope you can vividly show the essence of Taoist culture to the children." Mu Yang said to the tour guide Master Li.

Master Li answered earnestly, "Mr. Mu, we're fully prepared. We've prepared detailed explanations on everything from the historical origins of Taoism and its architectural features to the ethical principles underlying its rituals. To help children better understand, we've also designed some interactive sessions, such as allowing them to experience simple Taoist ritual movements and appreciate the cultural connotations. However, during the operation of the base, the Taoist Cultural Education Base faces a significant conflict between operating costs and public service. Maintaining the base's normal operations requires a certain amount of funding, including site maintenance, equipment upgrades, and staff salaries. However, we also hope to provide more young people with free opportunities to visit and learn, thereby promoting Taoist culture. Currently, the base's funding relies primarily on a small amount of government subsidies and social donations, which is far from sufficient to meet operational needs."

Mu Yang said, "Master Li, this is indeed a difficult problem. We can actively seek social donations and government support and set up special funds for the operation and development of the base. I will contact some companies and charitable organizations, introduce our project to them, and strive for their donations. At the same time, we can carry out some appropriate cultural activities, such as Taoist cultural exhibitions and cultural lectures, to attract the attention and participation of all sectors of society, and to a certain extent alleviate the pressure of operating costs. On the premise of ensuring public welfare services, we can explore diversified operating models so that the base can continue to play a role in the moral education of young people. We can also cooperate with schools and communities to organize more young people to visit and study at the base, and expand the scope of cultural dissemination."

Soon after, the school's Moral Education Class officially began. The children listened intently as the teacher recounted Taoist stories. During class, a little boy raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, why do the Eight Immortals help others?" Teacher Wang smiled and replied, "Because in Taoist culture, helping others is a virtue. Just like in our lives, we should learn to care for and help those around us. This will make our society a better place. Everyone, think about it. Have you ever helped others or received help in your life?" The children raised their hands one after another and shared their stories, creating a lively classroom atmosphere.

At the Youth Palace's Taoist culture interest class, children diligently studied Taoist calligraphy and painting. A little girl excitedly said, "Teacher, I think the gods in Taoist paintings are so kind, and their stories are so interesting. I drew a picture of Laozi, and I feel like I've become a kinder person myself." The class teacher smiled and said, "Yes, these works of art not only teach us painting techniques, but also allow us to experience the kindness and virtues of Taoist culture. When you draw, please carefully appreciate the connotations of this culture."

At the Taoist Cultural Education Base, young people, led by tour guides, carefully toured the ancient buildings and precious cultural relics. One parent said with emotion, "It's truly meaningful to have my child visit and learn here. He previously knew very little about traditional culture, but now, through these tours, he has a deeper understanding of Taoist culture and learned a lot about life. After returning home, he even volunteered to help me with chores and has become much more sensible."

However, conflicts between the scientific and rational emphasis of modern mainstream education and the ideologies embodied in traditional Taoist education are gradually emerging in terms of teaching methods and knowledge transfer. One parent asked, "I strongly support my child's diverse education, but some aspects of Taoist culture are quite abstract and difficult for my child to understand. Will this affect their learning outcomes? For example, some Taoist philosophical ideas are too difficult for elementary school students to grasp."

Mu Yang responded, "We understand your concerns. During the teaching process, we will adopt vivid teaching methods based on the children's cognitive level, and transform abstract content into easy-to-understand stories and examples. We will explain Taoist philosophical ideas using simple language and interesting stories so that children can have a preliminary understanding of their meaning. At the same time, we will also focus on combining it with modern educational concepts, so that children can receive Taoist cultural and moral education while not affecting their learning and understanding of scientific knowledge. We will strike a good balance in curriculum design so that the two cultures can promote each other and jointly contribute to the growth of children."

The acceptance and understanding of Taoist moral education varies significantly among adolescents from different family and cultural backgrounds. Some children quickly embrace the teachings and actively participate in discussions and learning, while others are more reserved and require more guidance and encouragement. Teachers patiently monitor each child's individual needs, tailoring their instruction to their individual needs and helping them better understand and embrace the moral education embedded in Taoist culture. For those who are slower to grasp, teachers use simpler examples and more interactive activities to guide them, allowing them to experience the charm of Taoist culture.

Over time, more and more young people are benefiting from Taoist cultural and moral education. They are more helpful in school, respect their elders in their daily lives, and their sense of identity with traditional culture has significantly strengthened. Many children wrote in their essays that through learning about Taoist culture, they understand the importance of kindness, honesty, and unity, and they strive to practice these virtues in their lives.

"I feel extremely gratified to see the children growing up under the influence of Taoist culture. I believe that Taoist culture will continue to contribute to the moral education of young people and lay a solid moral foundation for their future development. In the future, we must continue to innovate educational methods, enrich educational content, and allow more young people to benefit from the nourishment of Taoist culture." Mu Yang said with emotion at an education achievement sharing meeting.

In the days to come, Muyang will continue to work hard and explore more ways to apply Taoist culture in the moral education of young people, and contribute to the cultivation of new-era youth with all-round development of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics and labor.