REALLY look at them. Aren’t they marvelous? Our hands and feet are something that distinguishes us from other animals. We all have about the same structure: 5 fingers on each hand, and 5 toes on each foot. Birds and Fish have some of the same bones in their wings and flippers. It may not lookContinue reading “Look at your hands”
Author Archives: Rebecca Fegan
What if your Teacher isn’t good enough?
For decades we’ve been specializing subject matter. Math class for mathematics, English class for reading and writing, Science class for Earth sciences, biology, chemistry, and physics… Then we started specializing our students. We must understand the culture, the mental abilities, the disabilities, the medical conditions. Then we further specialized the students and the subject matterContinue reading “What if your Teacher isn’t good enough?”
Habitual behavior vs Learned behavior
Let’s look at typical traits of habits: Now let’s look at typical traits of learned behavior: Uh Oh. They are very much alike! Addiction looks very much like a habit on steroids (which, as I understand it, can be addictive! And round and round we go…) Here’s a big difference: Habits will persist even ifContinue reading “Habitual behavior vs Learned behavior”
Afterschool Brain Club
What a stupid name. What would happen if a bunch of kids got together after school and learned stuff for fun? Wait, Learning for Fun? Why not? Do you want to learn how to build robots? Do you want to fire rockets? Do you want to dissect frogs? Do you want to speak Chinese? WhatContinue reading “Afterschool Brain Club”
Let’s solve a problem
Why? Did you know that the purpose of most learning is to solve a problem? Why is the sky blue? How did Russia beat Napolean? Would I understand the book better if I read it in its original language? How do you go about solving problems? Well, you would have to know what you’re lookingContinue reading “Let’s solve a problem”
How to learn vs. What to learn
This is why our “traditional approach” to education is skewed.
Our tradition only goes back to the industrial age. Actual academic traditions were more like discussing subjects in the main square of town.
Steps or Dancing?
Notes or music? Photo or Art? 3-D rendering or Sculpture? I went to a dance contest today. It made my teeth itch. There were several different dance schools present, but you could tell if they were from the same studio. How? Same steps– different music. Move to a place on the stage, do a hipContinue reading “Steps or Dancing?”
Old Dogs
It is a proven fact that young people’s brains are more elastic and pliable and able to learn things much faster than old people. Old people’s brains get brittle and set. They can’t maneuver between subjects and activities as fast as young people. This is why it’s OK to be a prodigy but once youContinue reading “Old Dogs”
Indoctrination
What if every new thing becomes the piece of that puzzle that you were missing…the PacMan shape with the brown and the little dot of red and what looks like fingers that fits…right…there?
Don’t make that rule!
…why, oh why are creativity and resourcefulness relegated to activities other than work? And then, why are creative and resourceful activities so structured for children? We dull our imaginations and then attempt to dull or eradicate imagination from the children. What madness is this?