I firmly believe in a holistic, broad-based education for children from a young age, an education that empowers them, that enables them to think independently and creatively. Most importantly, I believe in an education that imbues our children with broad knowledge of the world, its people and nature, rather than using it as a tool for success.
I want my Bees to have passionate empathy for issues and events in the world, versus cold apathy - an understanding of all religions, gender discrimination, global warming, extinction of nature, racial biases, poverty...the list goes on. It is not easy though, in cosy Singapore, where our children are so accustomed to a comfortable life.
Despite the fact that top universities around the world are now focusing their brightest minds on interdisciplinary (versus multidisciplinary) learning, fusing together learning outcomes from different disciplines in a holistic, liberal-arts style, I am not convinced that we should wait for higher education institutions to impart such valuable life skills to our children. This is especially crucial in our local education system where the curriculum is a lot more fragmented, focusing on excellence in rigid vertical subject areas rather than integrating the core curriculum together.
Alas, it is much easier said than done in the constant race for excellence and meritocracy starting from primary schools. I am guilty as charged - always coaching Big Bee on her subject areas during intensive term time, and only focusing on some feeble semblance of integrating the language arts, general knowledge, arithmetic and science during weekends or holidays.
Of course, a thematic learning approach helps a lot, but I found that this thematic approach - combined with integrating Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences with a strong understanding of our child's learning style - is more effective for Little Bee who is still detached from the harsh primary school education system.
Still, I try my best to foster general knowledge about the world, incorporating science and math concepts, to Big Bee. But I am finding it a challenge to balance my expectations of her academic performance (which parent would not have expectations?) and my desire for her to have a holistic, enjoyable education.
Anyway, enough of my rambling! I just want to share the skeleton of our most recent homelearning theme on Forest Animals which was structured around a lesson plan incorporating Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory, and we try to work on activities that complement, rather than isolate, each other.
Brief peek at the lesson plan
Theme: Forest Animals
Visual/spatial intelligence (the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas) - crafts, visual arts, paintings, sketchings, dioramas
Linguistic intelligence (the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals) - writing of journals and stories (for Big Bee), reading, oral articulation of stories, understanding of new vocabulary, word recognition
Logical-mathematical intelligence (the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically) - math concepts, general knowledge, concentration/memory games, observation of patterns
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements) - walks, dancing, sports, speech and drama, games
Musical intelligence (capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms) - music, songs (I am not that good at teaching this aspect!)
Interpersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others) - Activities that nurtures empathy, cooperation, trust and conflict resolution, eg working on dioramas as a pair of siblings, stories that foster empathy, etc
Intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations) - activities that encourage self-reflection, eg drawings of individual perspectives, encouraging the Bees to talk about their feelings after stories, etc
Naturalistic intelligence (awareness of nature and the environment, and how one fits into the whole global ecosystem) - field trips, walks in parks, picnics, etc
There is one last intelligence that he developed more recently on existential intelligence (sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here) and I try to incorporate questions and discussions on this aspect into our activities, more for Big Bee.
I find that building a lesson plan based on these intelligences helps me to ensure that their homelearning will be as holistic as possible. There are also many activities that overlap between intelligences, hence stressing on the interdisciplinary aspect of this theory. I will share more on our specific activities, which are the usual homelearning ones, in another post!
5 comments:
I totally agree that there is no need to wait till tertiary level for our kids to learn with the interdisciplinary thematic approach. As a matter of fact, I have seen very encouraging results with my own kids and students in my classes.
I can imagine the challenge you face about juggling schoolwork and finding time for more holistic education. In a few months, I expect it will be the same for us. :>
Are you aware that there are some preschools and enrichment centres in Singapore that teach curriculum based on the theory of multiple intelligences too? I have considered them before, but after studying their curriculum more closely, I realize that they are not much different from interdisciplinary thematic approach anyway. Just that the activities are categorized differently and given a fancier name!
Well, I can't wait for you to share your lesson plan. Looking forward!
That said, i agree wholeheartedly with the theory that each child may have a different kind of intelligence. So when a child may not appear to have a high IQ (which is a quotient that I think means little in today's world anyway), he should still be exposed to other areas of interest and as parents and educators, we should help him discover his strengths. That part of the theory is very relevant. Oops.. sorry for the rambling.
You continue to inspire and motivate me. Thanks!
Domesticgoddess: I agree with all that you said, and I love long meaningful comments from you! Yes, the dilemma between wanting our children to excel academically and the fundamental need for a holistic, all-rounded education that they can enjoy is truly a real problem once they enter primary school. However, I am sure your wonderful pedagogy will be valuable in helping your sons set their priorities and goals right!
I am not aware that we have preschools and enrichment centres with curriculum based on multiple intelligences! It will be interesting to see how truly holistic these are, versus wanting to satisfy many kiasu parents who want "fast results" in Singapore!
Like you, I am also a strong believer in different children having different intelligences and different learning styles. If we use one singular style on different children, we may kill the learning interest in children who may have affinity with other learning styles. I experience this with my 2 girls, who both have very polarised learning styles!
K: You motivate and inspire me so much as well! (And Domestic Goddess too!) I guess the beauty of technology and social networks these days is the power of knowledge sharing and mutual learning! Valuable!
I would imagine it to be extremely challenging for pre-schools and childcare to teach/guide their students according to their individual learning styles.
In the first place, I suspect most teachers have no idea what are the different learning styles or have the suitable training to appropriately identify the different intelligences that their students may have. That said, maybe some preschools have special training for their teachers, that I would not know. But the high ratio of kids to teachers will make it too challenging I think.
Besides it is only truly possible to recognise the kind of intelligences in a child if a school offers truly holistic education. So in short, I think it is all part of marketing gimmick, to position themselves differently from the others and hence, charge a premium in fees. There, the cynic in me is showing! :P
Someone once told me "You should not ask another 'How intelligent are you?', you should ask 'How are you intelligent?'"
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