journal 4: a child’s quest for understanding ernest solar george mason university educ 800 dr....

Journal 4: A Child’s Quest for Understanding

Ernest Solar

George Mason University

EDUC 800

Dr. Anastasia P. Samaras 

Fall 2008

Me

An Invitation …

If you are a dreamer, come in,If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer …If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fireFor we have some flax-golden tales to spin.Come in!Come in!”

- Shel Silverstein

Child

How do schools teach?

Me

Current schools …

• base learning and education on quantitative knowledge,

• which causes the current education system to use a “monolithic approach” to research and instruction.

Child

What does that mean?

Me

There is a School Paradigm with …

• Strengths– Systematic approach

towards educating and graduating students.

– Provide standardized testing to measure student success.

– Set rules and expectations for teachers and students.

• Limitations– Learning has become

rote memorization.

– Learning is no longer personal or related to real world experiences.

– Students who are not quantitative learns are being left behind.

Child

I don’t like that approach,

can you change it?

Me

There needs to be a …

revolution,

a transformation,

a change from one way of thinking to another,

a paradigm shift.”

The Educational System needs to incorporate …

a “pluralistic” approach to learning.

Child

What does that mean?

Me

Learning needs to be …

• Enjoyable and active• Focus on thinking and understanding• Transferable• Encourage students to ask questions

and explore• Provide real-world experiences to

engage students• Promote social and communication

skills

Child

What would a school in the future look like?

Me

A school in the future would differentiate how you would understand and know things.

Let me show you a school in the future …

There are as many worlds as there are ways to describe them. – Nelson Goodman (1978)

Qualitative QuantitativeMixed Method

Technology

Cultural Problem Solving

Imagination

Invention

ArtStudents of tomorrow chose how they learn.

School of Tomorrow

Child

I like the school of tomorrow!

Me

One last piece of advice.

To end where we began …

… listen to the immortal words of Shel Silverstein.

Listen to the Mustn’ts

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,

Listen to the DON’TS

Listen to the SHOULDN’TS

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me – Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be.