Skip to main content

guide on the side

I was watching a class that was given recently about how to teach online. The instructor pointed out the move to online learning is highlighting and supporting certain changes that have been happening in education overall. The old model was the "sage on the stage" which is a teacher centered model where an instructor imparts their knowledge. The new model is the "guide on the side" where the learners are actively engaged in the learning process. The goal of this particular class was to help give people alternatives to simply using a video conference platform to offer their courses and to introduce people to the potentials of learning management systems to make online learning more engaging and interactive. 

It was wonderful to hear this perspective since our school and the Education for Life approach is firmly grounded in these types of more dynamic and experiential methods. Our curriculum is student centered meaning we develop the themes and lessons around the students current needs and interests. We incorporate the different aspects of Flow Learning into our lessons and throughout the day. These include: awaken enthusiasm, focus attention, offer direct experience and allow students to share inspiration. Very little of our teaching is meant to be one person imparting knowledge to another. As much as possible we try to make learning a process of experience and discovery. 

Rather than tell a student what to do and why we try to find ways to allow them to have an experience that leads them to their own discovery of consequences, right action, cause and effect. For example we can have conversations or read books about kindness or concentration but when we give them opportunities to help one another or practice concentration in a game they have a direct, personal experience of those qualities which makes a much deeper impression.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

grace

Sometimes when I tell people that I'm a teacher they say something like, "I don't know how you do it!" and I laugh and reply "I don't know either!" But the truth is, I do know: I'm not the one doing it. So who or what is? Well, you can call it what you want - grace, magic, energy, intuition, Divine Mother or God - but sooner or later you start to realize there is something else at work that you can't quite see or fully understand.  I had a sweet, magical moment one afternoon that reminded me that Divine Mother knows just what each of us needs in each moment. I had gone down to the Village center to use the stronger internet connection to upload something for my class. While I was there waiting for things to upload I sat in this beautiful communal space all by myself feeling a bit sad and out of sorts. Not even a few moments later a little boy from the community came walking by and went to check on a nest of birds they'd been watching in a bus...
Post a Comment
Read more

skylights

Swami Kriyananda once shared a superconscious dream he had where he talked with Yogananda about a difficult situation saying "The doors are closed." Yogananda's response: "Don't overlook the possibility of a skylight" and then he added, "A sense of adventure is needed." We are definitely looking for skylights these days when it comes to planning for the upcoming school year. The number of considerations and possibilities seem endless. Now this can seem frustrating and overwhelming but it can also seem incredibly expansive.  Anything is could happen.  There's at least two ways you could say that: with a sense of dread or a sense of excitement. Will we trudge through, wishing it could be otherwise, focused on all that is lacking? Or will we embrace the opportunity before us to completely reimagine our school year and the learning experience we provide? So far it seems, we are choosing to have a sense of adventure. The ideas that are coming up see...
Post a Comment
Read more

difficult conversations

The energy it takes to avoid a difficult conversation is much more uncomfortable than the energy it takes to have the conversation. Many times it's the anticipation is many times worse than the actual conversation. Our minds play out all sorts of worst case scenarios.  This is in the case where we know the conversation is coming. But what about when we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of, or even listening in on, a conversation that suddenly becomes uncomfortable? Perhaps someone has said or done something disagreeable, confusing or unexpected. These things happen regularly in the classroom - kids really do say and do the "darndest things." They say and do mean things to each other without thinking. But these moments are also just a part of life. The question is, how do we react or respond?  Most of us fight, freeze or flee. It's how our brains are hardwired to respond to stressful situations. The problem is, this response gets in the way of learning and growth. ...
Post a Comment
Read more