NEW APPROACHES TO OUR EDUCATION’S METHODOLOGY.

Related to the last week's lesson, we have found this video which shows a different way of teaching. This brand new kind of education could be quite beneficial to our children's education due to the fact that it makes learning far more enjoyable for the younger ages. In addition, they are given the chance to discover new values and experiences as it is shown in the video. This state of the art kindergarten has reminded us of the eye-catching video we have recently seen in class relating to Denmark's rainforest kindergartens, which could lead us to reconsider our vision about early childhood education.

                                 

When we think about Kindergartens, we usually imagine a classroom where kids learn how to paint, read, write and play with their classmates in a safe and controlled environment. That's what everyone is used to, right? 

For this reason, the really different approach shown in this video could look a bit scary for some people. Instead of sitting in a classroom, the kids who attend this Danish kindergarten climb tall trees, use knives to create their own stakes and learn from the nature around them. 

Currently, students may get used to constant comfort, be given what they want at each moment and are constantly protected from everything that may initially be considered as a threat. However, with this system, parents prevent children from learning values such as caution and responsibility, from being able to act and decide for themselves. As wild and out of control as this method may sound, it could be beneficial for our children, since education is not just about teaching children how to read or do calculations; it should also be about teaching them important skills and values (e.g. autonomy or maturity) they'll need later in their lives.

We would like to finish this post saying that creativity and innovation in the way of educating children is a key aspect to consider. Making all kids repeat things over and over again in the same way is not real education. The topic about the importance of creativity in young people is covered in a really interesting way by Helen E. Buckley on her story “The Little Boy”: 

"If everyone made the same picture,

And used the same colors,

How would we know who made what,

And which was which?"