“…we tend to regard it
[thinking] as a kind of disembodied process, as if the body’s role in that
process were to carry the brain from place to place so it can do the important
work of thinking.” ~Carla Hannaford, PhD. Smart Moves, Great Ocean Publishers.
When did you last spend some time with a goat? Got really close to it, close enough to catch a whiff? Watched it blink its large, dreamy eyes? Did it nose up to you through the fence earnestly chewing its snack, its jaws moving in a sideways grinding motion? Did you pet the goat, feel the texture of the fur, the warmth under the skin, the roughness of the horns or hooves?
How long would you need with the
goat to really understand it and remember the sound, the smell, the feel? As much time as memorizing all of its body
parts, characteristics, habits, number currently residing in Arkansas vs.
Michigan, and the things they have in common with other animals in their
species? Which experience would be more memorable? Which would produce an emotional response in
you, whether disgust, enjoyment, or fear?
Strong Memories
What about a child?
If there were TIME, and you could take a child to see a real
goat, wouldn't the sensory input to the brain be just as rich and powerful as
yours was?
If you're teaching mammals, for instance, you could show the
child a picture of a goat and list the characteristics of mammals just as we
did above. You could expect the child to
be able to list them again in a few days to see if he or she had learned it.
Or, from this one unforgettable, multisensory experience with the goat, you could branch out with far more understanding to learn how a cow differs from a goat. What they have in common. What a cat has in common with the goat. Once the child has this one unforgettable experience, you've got an open door.
But who has the time? Can you really afford to spend all the days necessary on field trips in all the different topics in all the different subjects to open these doors? I never could. I still shudder when I recall the huge volume of paperwork I constantly had to do as a teacher. Reports, beautifully formatted lesson plans, grading tests and homework assignments, individualized strategies for each child, etc. My biggest stressor while teaching was the fact that I never had time to sit and contemplate the best way to teach my kids. I grabbed handy resources and I knew that it was not best for my children. I have to admit that the most efficient way to communicate new information is simply by verbalizing the contents of the lesson and expecting the children to listen. Lacking time, I did it like I had been taught myself.
What Do the Experts Say?
Although this is tradition, the practice doesn’t seem to be compatible with what neurophysiologists are saying about learning. Going back to the quoted book, Dr. Hannaford says that our senses gather information, and that through movement we express knowledge and facilitate greater brain function. (See page 12, Smart Moves).
What does it really mean if we say learning happens all over the body? According to research, our senses capture information from our surroundings and then feed the brain with information from which an understanding of the world develops.
The seemingly insurmountable barriers to teaching the way a child learns best must be conquered if our children are going to learn. Is it fair for me to teach them in the way that is most difficult for them just because I don't have time or resources to do it differently? Is it fair to label kids with a disability if they then don’t “get it?” It's a big problem.
So what can be done about this gap between time and good practice? I'd love to hear what some of you have done. What have you found works to make new information accessible, friendly, real, and multisensory for your children, while still “covering” all the material you are supposed to be teaching?
