Learning By Doing
APPLICATIONS AND APPROACHES
This section contains examples of traditional and innovative learning applications. We welcome descriptions and discussions of other innovative applications, including samples of your work.
A passive approach
A bell rings. The professor stands before a podium with a sheaf of lecture notes. Facing her is a roomful of banked seats filled with students, notebooks open, pens poised. An hour-long lecture on photosynthesis begins, during which the instructor delivers reams of facts and the students busily record them. The students learn these bits of information and recall them at exam time. The professor grades students on their ability to do this.
A more active approach
Students gather around a table. The professor begins class with a 5 minute discussion on plants. Then, the professor divides the class into groups of three and gives each group a plant. The students are challenged to design experiments that determine how plants get nutrition. The professor walks around the class, providing guidance to each group.
Our current educational system was developed at a time when assembly line workers were in demand. Today’s workers need to be creative, agile thinkers who understand processes, not just facts. This requires a different set of skills. A number of current learning theories suggest ways to nurture the kinds of creativity and flexibility that enable people to thrive in the rapidly evolving work world.
LEARNING A HOBBY
Consider your favorite hobby. Perhaps you are a Pogo Stick enthusiast. It’s unlikely you were born with the innate ability to jump around on a Pogo Stick. But somewhere along the line you mastered this art. How? By getting on your Pogo Stick and jumping…and falling off…and getting back on…and jumping…and falling off… (you get the picture).
Gradually, during this iterative process, your brain and your body (which are accustomed to negotiating the world on two legs) developed a sense of how to balance while bouncing around on a stick. Although you may not have been aware of it, you increased your Pogo Stick expertise by developing and testing theories about how to stay on the stick. You made countless mistakes. And you used each mistake to examine what made you fall off.
The dialogue in your head may have gone something like this:
Okay, if I wait too long to start jumping after mounting the stick, I fall off. So I’ve gotta start jumping right away.
Okay, now I’ve gotten the hang of jumping as soon as I get on the Pogo Stick. But if I lean too far to the left or the right, I lose my balance. So I need to stay centered.
It seems that if I push off from the ground with the same amount of force each time, I can develop a rhythm and build momentum. Hmmm….How can I do that?
What made this learning situation work?
- You were motivated. Pogo-sticking wasn’t part of an established curriculum, but it was on your list of personal goals.
- You practiced in a safe environment. No one was testing or grading you, and it was okay to fail.
- You constructed your own knowledge about how to use a Pogo Stick.
- You learned how to use a Pogo Stick by pogo-sticking!
Learning Retention Rates
I was listening to a training session given by a client last week. The trainer was encouraging his sales people to work harder at educating customers. He mentioned that people retain more information when they are involved in an activity by ‘doing.’ He then cited this learning pyramid.
This pyramid tells a very compelling story. After a lecture we can only be expected to retain 5% of what we hear. We can retain 10% of what we read, etc. Ultimately the pyramid reminds us that the best way to master a topic is to learn to teach it. The more involved we get with the content the more mastery we have over it. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsArt Projects for Kids
Scribble, scribble, scribble, what does it mean? The moment a child figures out how to pick up a crayon, she begins an adventure through art from scribbling to realistic creations. Just like with learning how to read or write, children go through levels of development in art – and it is a fun and educational journey. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsRight Brain vs. Left Brain: Children & Creativity
Most young children are excited about doing a creative activity, while others rush through a project or are quick to complain, “I can’t draw.” The child that doodles while listening to directions instead of attentively keeping eye contact frustrates many a teacher. Some adults might struggle to understand their child’s quirky obsession with wearing matching clothing at all times. This actually has more to do with the brain than one might think. A young child’s brain is simply letting its dominant side take over, and not blending with the other in order to reach its full potential. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsClever Ways to Teach About Giving
We all want our children to be charitable and give back in some way, but telling them they have to tithe (the religious precept of giving 10 percent of their income) or hold back one-third of their allowance as a donation probably won’t make the concept stick when they get out on their own. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsRoller Coaster
Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. It’s a … roller coaster? Well, they may not be quite as fast as a speeding bullet, but unlike Super Man, roller coasters don’t need any super powers in order to fly, spin, and race through the air at top speeds. What do they need? Physics. Read the rest
Add a Comment Show CommentsBrain Teaser Games
Challenging your child’s brain is an important part to their cognitive development. Studies have also found it is easier to learn during childhood.
“Neuroscientists have discovered that between toddlerhood and puberty, brain metabolism, as measured by blood sugar consumption, remains very high. The synaptic net of axons and dendrites is thick and ready to absorb new experiences,” Oregon University’s Health and Science department said. Read the rest
Add a Comment Show CommentsKid’s Art Activities & Encouraging Left-Brain Creativity
Left-brain art activities don’t have to be boring – they can be filled with exciting ways for enticing kids to tap into the benefits of combining the sides of their brains into one fun creative machine. Often, kids let their dominant left-brain take charge forgetting their creative right-brain completely, leading to comments such as, “I can’t draw.” Encouraging creative left-brain art activities promotes self-confidence and the child’s brain to work together. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsEasy Recipes for Kids: Cooking as a Learning Experience
The idea of kids cooking in the kitchen may terrify adults with concern about those sharp knives, potential food poisoning, and the resulting messy kitchen. But, there are simple and easy recipes for kids which they can accomplish without causing a big fuss. According to WebMD, cooking with kids has many benefits, from encouraging picky eaters to helping children learn about healthy food choices. Read the rest
Add a Comment No CommentsFun Science Activities for Kids
Science experiments are a wonderful way to educate and entertain kids – and you might find yourself learning a thing or two, too! Conducting interesting investigations are as simple as using items from the kitchen cabinet. Children of all ages will enjoy finding out what happens next, engaging their brains to figure out intelligent conclusions all while conducting experiments. Read the rest
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