The Semiotics of Twigs and Leaves

Heraclitus said centuries ago : Naturally the university educated scholar concluded
"Whosoever wishes to know about the world mustthat the aborigine children are incapable of grasping the
learn about it in its particular details.concept of ‘classification'! 
 Knowledge is not intelligence.The local guide who had accompanied the ‘scholar'
In searching for the truth be ready for thein her study had a faint knowledge of the dialect
unexpected…" Heraklietos of Ephesos spoken by the aborigines. So he made some inquires
The following incident  is supposed to have happenedand came up with a startling revelation. He found that
in Australia : there was 'rhyme and reason' in the classification
A scholar with a brilliant university education, for hersystem followed by the aborigine children. They had
post doctoral research had gone to Australia. As partclassified the twigs and leaves according to their
of her research she was expected to teach the‘smell'- very strong smelling ones, faint smelling ones
aborigine children the  concept of classification ofand those with no smell. 
items.  Unfortunately, the post doctoral fellow with a  brilliant
The scholar thought it appropriate to teacheducational background, failed  in inferring  such a
classification using objects found in nature. So she tookstrategy for classification. 
the children to the country side and made them pick upThis story of the semiotics of  twigs and leaves tells
twigs and leaves. us that there exist knowledge beyond   what is
Then, the scholar had the children sit  in a small circle.gained from  professors, journals, research articles,
She made them place the collected objects in thetext books and thousands of educational sites… Even
centre. And as they watched, she began to classifyif the five senses and the ‘common sense' is
them as twigs and leaves.  Next, the leaves itselfactivated through cognitive or  constructivist principles,
was classified into two: green leaves and  dry leaves.there is no guarantee that one might arrive at the truth
After drawing her attention to the classified objectsreal meaning of  things! Let me conclude with a
she made the children mix it up and directed them toquote from Mark Twain: 
classify them  as she had done. The children"All schools, all colleges, have two great functions: to
classified them  in three groups but each groupconfer, and to conceal, valuable knowledge. The
contained both twigs and leaves. Realizing that thetheological knowledge which they conceal cannot
aborigine children failed to understand the concept ofjustly be regarded as less valuable than that which
classification correctly, she repeated her classificationthey reveal. That is, when a man is buying a basket of
strategy. But even after repeated demonstrations thestrawberries it can profit him to know that the bottom
children classified them as three groups eachhalf of it is rotten.
containing both twigs and leaves.