I have decided to read The Element written by Ken Robinson, who is more commonly known as Sir Ken Robinson. I point this out only because I learned of who he was watching a TED talk where he was referred to as Sir Ken Robinson, so now that is how I think of him. To get back on track, I have decided to read his book The Element about how finding one's passion changes everything. Before even beginning to read the book I agreed with that idea. People often go through life hating what they do or even worse, just being bored by what they do. Why? They believe that within the life they are living there is no room to grow and change. They feel that it is too late to pursue their true passion. While this is an understandable notion because people do have family's to support and bills to pay, each human life deserves to be lived to its full purpose. For this idea to be able to be applied to the masses education must be a facilitation of humans, no matter how young, exploring and finding their natural abilities and passions.
"The Element is the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion."
Ken Robinson writes, "The fact is, though, that the job you took because it "pays the bills" could easily move offshore in the coming decade." This is a point in time where that quote is very true. In the recent years many, many people lost their jobs because there was less of a need for what they do. Factories closed down, technology became more efficient, and human labor was discarded in some ways. These people that had taken the stable jobs to make ends meet and provide for their families, as they had been taught and expected to do, were now without work because the world kept evolving without them. Our system had not allowed them to find something that they were passionate about and could adapt to an ever changing world. Ken Robinson speaks to this point about how we need to find our "element" so that we can take that ability and passion and have a deep understanding of it so as to apply it in a variety of ways.
I believe, and sincerely hope I am correct, that the world is moving toward a place of encouraging people to find what Sir Ken Robinson has termed, their element. The way that I have been taught to teach has emphasized the individuality of human thought, especially when it comes to children. For me, gone are the days of the teacher at the front of the room speaking endlessly to the students blank faces instructing them to do everything exactly as she has instructed. While I may still be at the front of the room, my role it not to dominate but to facilitate discussion and ideas. Children, and students in general know much more than they are given credit for. When asking them to add 3 and 4, I am teaching kindergarten, I am not the one that is supposed to tell them what to do. It is my belief that they are the ones that are supposed to come up with what they think should be done to solve this problem. While I should be facilitating ways for them to learn problem solving strategies, I should not be saying, this is how it is done. Students need to be able to create their own knowledge so that they learn in a way that best suits them and makes the most sense to them. That is why when solving 3+4 there will hopefully be a variety of ways that they students have come up with to solve the problem. Maybe some drew it out, some might have used concrete objects to add, some might count on fingers, some might already have that fact memorized and have the knowledge that 3+4 is 7, and the list goes on. To me this idea of allowing students to problem solve in the way that they best see fit will encourage them to find a path that best suits them as individuals. Some may need more help than others but that is why we are all here, to help each other find our way.
"The Element is the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion."
Ken Robinson writes, "The fact is, though, that the job you took because it "pays the bills" could easily move offshore in the coming decade." This is a point in time where that quote is very true. In the recent years many, many people lost their jobs because there was less of a need for what they do. Factories closed down, technology became more efficient, and human labor was discarded in some ways. These people that had taken the stable jobs to make ends meet and provide for their families, as they had been taught and expected to do, were now without work because the world kept evolving without them. Our system had not allowed them to find something that they were passionate about and could adapt to an ever changing world. Ken Robinson speaks to this point about how we need to find our "element" so that we can take that ability and passion and have a deep understanding of it so as to apply it in a variety of ways.
I believe, and sincerely hope I am correct, that the world is moving toward a place of encouraging people to find what Sir Ken Robinson has termed, their element. The way that I have been taught to teach has emphasized the individuality of human thought, especially when it comes to children. For me, gone are the days of the teacher at the front of the room speaking endlessly to the students blank faces instructing them to do everything exactly as she has instructed. While I may still be at the front of the room, my role it not to dominate but to facilitate discussion and ideas. Children, and students in general know much more than they are given credit for. When asking them to add 3 and 4, I am teaching kindergarten, I am not the one that is supposed to tell them what to do. It is my belief that they are the ones that are supposed to come up with what they think should be done to solve this problem. While I should be facilitating ways for them to learn problem solving strategies, I should not be saying, this is how it is done. Students need to be able to create their own knowledge so that they learn in a way that best suits them and makes the most sense to them. That is why when solving 3+4 there will hopefully be a variety of ways that they students have come up with to solve the problem. Maybe some drew it out, some might have used concrete objects to add, some might count on fingers, some might already have that fact memorized and have the knowledge that 3+4 is 7, and the list goes on. To me this idea of allowing students to problem solve in the way that they best see fit will encourage them to find a path that best suits them as individuals. Some may need more help than others but that is why we are all here, to help each other find our way.