One similarity between all the theorists we have read is that they all empower children. Before attending Lewis and Clark, I never thought of children as a marginalized group, but critically reflecting on my own education, I can see how this rings true. I find this similarity very impactful for us as educators striving towards social justice, because empowering children ultimately results in building a society that can reach out of their knowledgeable funds and achieve desirable goals.
One of the ways that all theorists empower children is by observing them closely enough to decide what goals are effective. Whether that means reaching the brink of their ZPD, or giving them the creative social space they need to learn about lessons they value, all settings are based upon observations of children in order to get a child to a new landmark in the learning landscape.
Lastly, the means that all theorists empower children is by putting them behind the wheel of learning. Montessori does this by allowing children to handle items what others might call safety hazards, while Dewey and Vygotsky allow children to solve big ideas on their own rather than being told.
Anna-I like your connection to Palmer putting the student behind the wheel in his story we read. How often were we allowed to 'drive' our education as kids? I'm guessing not often for many of us. This is probably why I remember so little of my early education (either that or because I'm getting old). All the more reason for all of us to work on our keen observation skills in the classroom to help us figure out what our kids need.
ReplyDeletei love the idea of letting kids solve problems and work through things on their own. i think as adults we don't give kids enough credit with what they are capable of and when we let them figure it out we will be surprised at what they can do...
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