EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION!
How many of us have been shaped by our experiences?
Well all of us, of course!
Experiences are perhaps the most influential
teaching tools in our lives. This is especially true in education. For
example, I really don't remember much from my high school civics class,
although I know I passed. I memorized the Presidents, details about the
three branches of Government, and the key dates in American history.
But I forgot those test answers shortly after my memory schemes wore
off. However, to this day I still vividly remember my high school A
Cappella trip to Washington D.C. Walking around and experiencing
Government and American history made it click! "OH! So this is the House of Representatives! I get it!" Because
experiences are so vital to education we suggest that, whenever
possible, you try to work them into your educational plan. Or better,
let the experiences launch your child's education. That is, let the
experiences lead you to the books needed to explain what you just saw
or did.
For young children especially, experiences should permeate your educational plans. Chris Davis, author of I Saw the Angle in the Marble, suggests that, "Up until about age eleven or twelve most of your education should be experiential." Remember
how much we loved and learned from the field trips in school? They were
usually the highlights of the year. Well, what if you could do as many field trips and other experiential activities as you wanted to? The
good news is...you can!
Education is NOT all book work. "The mistake that we make is that we think that all learning must be academic," continues Chris Davis. "We
think that all learning must come from a book. And so we start our kids
off with this math program. Because to us math is something that has to
come out of a book. Because that's just the way we think. And so math
is going to be the subject that we burn kids out on. Particularly boys.
Unless you have the unique person that just loves math." But "math is really a game. And if you play it as a game then kids love to learn it." It's
amazing how many educational games there are! These are legitimate uses
of your time and additions to your ed plans. My wife tells me she
learned Geography, not from sitting in class and passing tests, but
from playing "Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo?" Experiences!
"But how do you grade experiences?" you
might ask. Well, it is ok if some of your grading (especially for the
younger children) is more subjective. That is, your evaluation of their
progress can be based on an overall picture - one that may or may not
include averaged test scores. "But how do we know if we are missing something?"
you may add. If you create a rich environment, full of great books and
experiences you certainly will not go wrong. In 15 years I have
never once talked to a parent who has said, "We did lots and lots of reading and experiments and fields trips. We took a wide approach to education and we are so burned out!" And
I've never once met a homeschool graduate that grew up with this sort
of experiential education that is not excelling is most everything they
are doing. On the flip side, I've talked to countless parents who have
simply tried to import the traditional methods of schooling into their
home and are struggling with burn out. Experiential Education is one
great way to avoid burn out, enjoy your kids, truly learn, and keep
that fire alive and burning!
"Education is not the filling of
a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
-William Butler Yeats
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