Hands-on Learning 1

Out of respect for the Children Matter authors, I'm intentionally not giving you a lot of detail. (I hope I'm not misrepresenting all the great things they're saying by leaving out detail.) It's nice to buy second-hand books or pass them around when you're the reader and don't have a lot of money but authors who support themselves writing need to sell their books to make a living. Check out a friend's book or take it out of the library if you need to, but if you really like a book or an author "Support the author! Buy the book!" End of commercial.

I also realize as I google Dr. Ward and Edgar Dale that I should be addressing each of the Children Matter authors as "Doctor." My apologies for that!

If you're looking for technical information about teaching and learning you'll find treasure here. ie. They say Edgar Dale's research tells us that after two weeks a learner retains 10 % of what he/she reads and 90 % of what he/she does - "what is performed as a task." In between you have what is heard, what is seen, what is seen and heard, what is said and written. Hands-on, simulated real life takes the prize! Most people learn best when all their senses are involved. The CM authors say, "Learning is complex. True learning, learning that results in life change, is holistic." [CM p. 259]

They also quote Dr. Ted Ward. As usual, I read LOTS of books when we were home schooling. I remember the book I read by Dr. Ward. It was one of the best! The authors use one of Dr. Ward's metaphors to talk about learning when they compare the thumb to physical development, the index finger to cognitive development, the middle finger to emotional development, the ring finger to social development, the pinky to moral development. Dr. Ward included some nice commentary likening the traits of the individual fingers to the areas they represent. But when asked about spiritual development he represents spiritual development with the palm of the hand. "Spiritual development, he says, cannot be directly addressed or taught. This development occurs when the whole person is involved in learning in ways that evoke awe and wonder and encounters with the living God and his story..." That gem came from class notes from one of his lectures in 1989. [CM p. 260]

I'm glad someone saved those notes to share with us!