When I was a kid, I wanted to be like a corvette. I was fascinated by the car's super sleek design and aerodynamic appeal. In my mind, corvettes were the mark of luxury and sophistication. Plus, they were really fast and had those beautiful curves. Just check out this photo from the 1980 model featured in Chevy's gallery.
As I got older, corvette qualities which enamored me escaped my physical reality. Sure, I developed plenty of curves and could run fast when chased through the cornfields at night, but sleek and aerodynamic were never meant to be a part of my repertoire. And the problem with this thinking? I am not a Chevy and was never meant to be a car.
Growing up in an industrial town in the heart of Indiana, kids were raised to do two things: shuck corn and build automobiles. I attended a traditional high school which prepared the children of auto workers to follow in their parents' footsteps. There was not a lot of opportunity beyond Chrysler and GM, and if you wanted to do something different, like become a research scientist to develop vaccines, you would have to leave the county and possibly even the state. During the late '80s and early '90s when my friends were graduating from high school, there existed a factory attitude that was cultivated at school, at home, and among the adolescents. Most kids were biding their time until they graduated and could exit the school's back door to the front door of the auto plant, making a grand $18 an hour working on some of the most revered assembly and production lines. As I say this, I can see some of you cringing at my words. There is nothing dishonorable or regrettable about being a factory worker and having pride in creating a trusted American product; America thrives on the success of its skilled laborers. Even I am the product of a factory father and grandfather. However, when my father left the factory after an injury in the early '70s, he turned to computer technology and information systems. He has no idea how this small change in venue affected my thinking and reflection on education as a whole. By having a father who embraced the "Knowledge Age" and a mother who worked in the medical field, I had opportunities that other kids didn't have. Which, in turn, reinforces the thought that homes and schools should work in partnership in preparing their young people to succeed in a diversely changing world.
The curriculum at my high school consisted of seven class periods that taught the core subjects independently from one another. The classes did not share subject material, and there were no accommodations for learning styles and aptitudes. Behaviorism was the dominant learning theory of the day and most adults believed that people would do as they were conditioned to do, as long as you break the procedures down into manageable chunks or bits of information. Kids needed to learn procedures, but they didn't need to learn the "why" or the "how" of the procedures.
Enter the 21st century. As constructivism is adopted and embraced in America's schools, the way we think and approach instruction has, too. Children are no longer being prepared for an industrial society; we have moved on to the "Concept Age" and with this age brings challenges. The first being, "How do we prepare our young people to succeed in a changing world so they can think, work, and function for themselves?" As a mother of two young boys, this is a topic I feel passionately about. Hence the reason you are reading about my theoretical ramblings as opposed to the fun things my boys are doing or my latest Pinterest failure. One thing I have enjoyed about Mr. T's schooling is our conversational topics and the opportunity we have to discuss the connections between our parenting styles and our children's learning styles. Together, we are striving to cultivate an environment that helps our boys move beyond basic-level thinking into a world of information that has the power to change our communities for the better. Mr. T and I continue to revisit this topic as we discuss the skills, attitudes, and talents we want to encourage in our children. We aren't trying to parent kids who follow exact orders. We want kids who can effectively communicate and creatively solve problems by using their resources to think outside of the box.
Incidentally, I marvel at how advanced and sharp our young people are. I am convinced they come to this world equipped to handle the challenges that are specific to their generation. They are inquisitive, thoughtful, and perceptive. My 18 month-old can perform technological functions that I never would have been able to do at his age. And Xavier asks me questions that reflect a desire for deeper understanding. At lunch the other day he asked me, "Mom, why would Jesus send us to live with our families on Earth if he lives in Heaven? When we are done here, do we get to go back and live with Him? Where is Heaven exactly? Is it inside the Earth or outside the Earth?" This is the same little boy who two months ago was struggling to recognize all the letters of the alphabet and now he is reading beginner-level books without assistance! He is a sharp boy, and I have to make sure I am in game form to create an environment that continues to foster and cultivate his success. And in our house, that environment includes plenty of technological resources.
I have to tell you, I am very impressed by how some media companies have embraced new educational attitudes and changed they way they develop children's programming. Disney's Mickey Mouse Club is nothing like I remember it from childhood. I see that Mickey and pals have turned traditional television into an educational experience that is both engaging and interactive. The cool thing about Mickey is he is teaching kids skills! He moves through the inquiry process of learning by having the kids help him solve problems. He presents a question or hypothesis, conducts an experiment, asks reflective questions to develop higher-order thinking, helps the kids make meaningful connections, and assists them in applying their learning to real-world situations. The kids are learning because they are active participants in Mickey's adventures and are fully engaged in the learning process. Mickey isn't lecturing to them or directing them, but guiding them through the process. He facilitates their learning without dictating their learning. I am telling you this mouse is a genius! Perhaps we should hire him to write the curriculum for our local schools...
In other media news, Xavier and I have discovered Dinosaur Train thanks to Netflix. Our cable company decided they need an exorbitant amount of money to deliver us wireless programming, so we opted for the stylings of $8 "cable" delivered through our Wii console. I have fallen in love with Dinosaur Train as much as Xavier. It's like Saturday nights with The Muppet Show but even better! The concept behind this program is that it infuses scientific thought with other subjects, such as visual arts, music, life science, and natural history. And the concepts that are taught on the show can be explored further on the PBS website. Dr. Scott, the show's paleontologist, helps children make connections between the past and present by comparing dinosaur traits to common animals found today. The other aspect of this show I love is its appreciation for diversity. All dinosaurs, regardless of their differences, are part of the same family. The theme song introduces this thought before each episode begins. I completely love it and how they teach kids the process for asking and answering questions. They begin with a question, make predictions, create a hypothesis, investigate possible explanations through exploration, draw conclusions, and share their findings with each other. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me! If everyone could learn to apply the inquiry process on a daily basis, we would have a lot less idiots running around. Three cheers for the Dinosaur Train! Teaching America how to solve their problems one dinosaur at a time!
Hey, is anyone still reading this? Do you need a drink of water or a snack? I tend to be long-winded, so I apologize if this editorial has taken up half your day. I am sure you can see how excited I get about teaching our young people because they have such important work ahead of them. I really believe we are so blessed to be parents in this day and age; we get to see these remarkable kids find great purpose in their learning. If you would like to share ideas how you employ active learning in your home, be sure to drop me a line. I feel like I am always playing catch-up, but I love discovering new learning approaches to help our children develop confidence and find success in their adventures. We all want the best for our kids, and together we can model the best practices for success!
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