Posted in DemEd in Real LifePhilosophy of Education on Jan 05, 2010 - 01:08 AM
Isn't it great how when we are struggling with something, the people who care about us will sometimes help us through our challenging times so that we will prosper? Great not only because of the loving sentiment that arises from helping one another, but great also because that learning is many times a byproduct of such group efforts.It would be wrong to say that we are not learning when people show us how to do things we otherwise would not know how to do, or when they assist us in challenging matters. Even with the help of somebody who does not break down step-by-step how to perform whatever task is at hand, we as humans still observe and take mental note. We have an amazing ability to watch, analyze, and understand things that are put before us, to some degree. To what degree we are learning from interacting in this way, however, is a rather difficult question to answer without giving some criteria of what qualifies as learning.
But a definition isn't necessary to understand that we as humans learn small and big things. Whether we learn that dish soap and water will remove most stains if quickly applied while the mess is fresh, or that our friend has no hair on his arms, we are constantly learning just from interacting as mindful creatures.
Though it is true that a lot of our learning, especially in the younger years, is the result of people who care for us passing down their wisdom and know how, people also learn just from being around other people who have different skills, techniques, and methods than others. We simply watch, listen, pay attention, and learn.
In striving to attain an understanding of those things that intrigue us, we pay close attention to what is of interest to us and take note of what seems appropriate to achieve our goals. We apply trial and error in future situations that allow us to test our new techniques, the techniques which we perhaps came to understand just by paying attention to our surroundings.
Just by being awake and engaging in different activities we are stimulating our minds, and experiencing new things. We are often curious about what is around us and how things function within our environment, and for this reason we often pursue an understanding of those things we are interested in.
Learning is such a natural aspect of human life. To say that learning requires a school, or teacher figure, or a test is absurd. Perhaps for the aspects of human invention such as math and science, some rigorous guidance and teaching is required. But on that same note, perhaps it is not necessary that we all know of the highest mathematical formulations and achievements. It seems that many folks have lived happy, healthy lives without knowing much of what is taught in our nation's current education systems.
What does seem crucial to a healthy education, however, is having an available community of loved ones and people who care for our well being to the extent that they will partake with us in cooperative actions to better our state of being, thus providing an ample stage for ones education. Guidance and sharing of knowledge from those who care about us often leads to learning on our part as well as for other people involved.
That one maintains a healthy mind to allow their imagination to flourish and explore those areas of life that they are interested in is what one needs in order to learn.
And teachers can be great too. Having folks who are willing to share their wealth of knowledge with others is amazing. But what is important to recognize is that people strive to know things on their own accord. People will grow intellectually whether or not they are force fed bits and pieces of wisdom.
So why are we so afraid to let our minds grow naturally at our own rates, and in our own directions?
Tags for this entry:
curiosity,
community,
experimenting,
natural learning
comments
The problems come when our natural urge to learn and our natural curiosity as humans is stifled or stunted due to environmental factors.
I grew up as a very curious child, and was encouraged to learn and discover new things in a happy parenting setting. When I think of all the struggling public school settings, however, I think this is not the case, and it takes a tremendous effort sometimes to overcome the ‘learned’ numbing of that learning impulse, accompanied as it might be by fear, loneliness, and anger.
What kind of resources/ solutions are there for reversing that numbing process? Precious few in public schools, I’m afraid… (sorry to be so gloom and doom!)
And as for being afraid to let our minds learn ‘naturally,’ it is quite clear that we would not be in such a fast-forward, atomized, technological, and hyper-focused-on-economic-growth society if we were allowed to do that. We’re feeding a machine with our young people’s futures.
on Jan 06, 2010 - 01:39 PM
Just came across a germane quote:
“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
-Rachel Carson
There, that’s a little more positive!
on Jan 06, 2010 - 04:34 PM
Lovely quote, Margaret—I’ll make that the Facebook quote of the day!
on Jan 06, 2010 - 05:44 PM
“And as for being afraid to let our minds learn ‘naturally,’ it is quite clear that we would not be in such a fast-forward, atomized, technological, and hyper-focused-on-economic-growth society if we were allowed to do that.”
This is so true Margaret. Your statement captivates what seems to deter most folks from pursuing and condoning a more natural education. To abolish our current methods is to take a step down, so to speak, in that we would stop progressing as fast as we have been.
On that note, it seems that progression at as quick of a rate as we can support is what folks desire nowadays. Similar to how you noted that public education creates a sort of numbing of our ability to learn naturally, just by being a product of our American, fast-as-lighting societies, we are also numb to the splendor of what is natural learning. It is almost even intuitive to say, ‘why would we change our method of learning when we have accomplished so much,’ but a deep and thoughtful questioning makes me disagree that such an intuition is right. So I suppose the question becomes, what is more important, a healthy nurtured education, or progression at is fastest rate?
on Jan 07, 2010 - 07:03 PM
Margaret and Shawn—I’m a fan of your choice of words. Eloquence to be admired.
Your question above, Shawn, makes me think of the last Dan Brown book I read, The Lost Symbol. A lot of his books deal with technology and its exponential growth, especially in recent years. His latest one highlights how our “new sciences” are only rediscoveries of ancient sciences written about centuries ago.
Although I know I should learn from my past mistakes and not DECLARE my answers so boldly to questions, but I deeply deeply believe that what we call progress today is a stifling of our humanity at the same rate of technological growth. Even my students slowly come to realize over the course of a semester that others “back then” seemed smarter or “realer” as they say.
There’s a difference between schooling and education. Education can happen anywhere and seems to be more genuine further away from schools it’s done.
on Jan 12, 2010 - 12:27 AM
I’ve heard it said that if we taught kids to walk and talk the way we teach them math and reading, we would all stumble and stutter.
I couldn’t agree more that “many folks have lived happy, healthy lives without knowing much of what is taught in our nation’s current education systems.” I would bet good money that many successful adults couldn’t pass the state high school graduation exams so popular today.
Encouraging kids to ask questions, as they do naturally, and seek their own solutions is one of the best and easiest teaching techniques we can use.
on Jan 06, 2010 - 11:55 AM