Of all the things that might be said about experiential education, the one thing that is unassailably true is that you can't find out by defining it. Come with me and visit in a classroom where a community of young ones are learning about their world. Though the images are mine, the words are John Holt's...he says it far better then I could ever say!!
The child is curious.
He wants to make sense out of things,
find out how things work,
gain competence and control over himself and his environment,
do what he can see other people doing.
He is open, receptive and perceptive.
He does not shut himself off from the strange confused complicated world around him.
He is experimental.
He does not merely observe the world around him
but tastes, touches, hefts, bends, breaks it.
He is bold.
He is not afraid to make mistakes;
and he is patient.
He can tolerate an extraordinary amount of uncertainty, confusion, ignorance and suspense.
He does not have to have instant meaning in any new situation.
He is willing and able to wait for meaning to come to him- even if it comes very...slowly...which it usually does.
John Holt
" I regard it as the foremost task of education to ensure survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity; an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial and above all, compassion."
Kurt Hahn
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Comments: 66
Good to know that you take an equal pleasure in sharing the wonder of a child's growing mind.
How wonderfully you have captured the small actions of big future.
They all look so promising to the upcoming age.
May God Bless Them All.
Shah
thanks Dianne....with two classes of kindergarten each day, it was easy to come up with images that matched my philosophy and that of John Holt's. Thank you for stopping by.
http://bestoftoday.gather.com/
When we were in the 1865 house of the mining superintendant that is now available for people to stay in overnight, I knew my next stop would normally be to head up the hill to Lola's palace. I was going over in my mind how I would handle telling what I thought was a 13 year old an explanation of Red Light Ladies or prostitutes. I knew her grandfather, but didn't know her parents and how they would feel. When I took her in one of the rooms of this Belshaw House, as we call it, there was small stained glass heart suction cupped to one of the windows, and the girl didn't understand what it was or why it was there. Well.. it was obvious it was just a cute modern trinket someone had stuck in the window to catch the light, and I though it odd that she didn't catch that. That and some other observations I had made of the girl made me think she was perhaps a little slow for her age, so I quickly determined to take her down to the 1871 hotel instead of Lola's for our next stop. Later that day, her grandfather thanked me for giving her special attention, and having the foresight to avoid Lola's. He also told me that she was only 10 or 11. Whew! I made the right decision. It's so hard to know though, so many kids even at 10 or 11 are more sophisticated in these matters than adults are ;-)
Your children look so happy, so full of excitement and joy. I sure wish all children had the chance to be in a classroom of yours.
Love the photos!
Marilyn
More en plein artists, this time at Elm Bank yesterday. Check them out on the MassHort.org website. Elizabeth, the paintings were magnificent, as I saw as many as I could along the banks of the Charles riding my bike all around to see them creating right before my eyes on that most gorgeous of days. Display and auction in October. I am volunteering.
There's something you and Gerry Wass and Jessie Voights have to teach us all.
And Nanina...I would love to have you...just think what we could together with these fine wee folks!
I could never complete with the wordsmith John Holt. THX. ~m-zy
jessie, I read John Holt as a beginning teacher upteen million years ago....and his thoughts about education have transcended the years.
(i'm still waiting for meaning to come to me in soooo many ways.. but Mr Holt gives me hope that it will come!)
I love looking at the wonder captured on the faces in many of these pictures.