ALL ABOUT HOLISTIC EDUCATION
As an educator, I pride myself on my ability to differentiate my instruction to suit the distinct needs of the students in my classroom. I also find it imperative to provide experiences that will promote growth not only within the confines of the classroom, but in the community at large. To be quite honest, upon embarking on this journey, I was not aware of the term holistic and even more clueless as to how it was used within education. It was indeed a learning experience for me, as I had a lot of ground to catch up on in order to be able to understand how this concept of holistic teaching and learning would intertwine with technology. Upon further research and discovery through course discussions, I became well aware that holistic instruction is something I strive to do in my everyday teaching. Little did I know what I had been eager to do all along within my classroom, was a concept and philosophy that many teachers share and uphold.
To be clear, holistic education is educating not only ones academic awareness, but also taking time to build upon ones spirit and body as well. It is an interconnected relationship that exists between the mind, body, spirit and emotions, coming together to form a whole. Basically, holistic education is teaching the whole child, rather than strictly adhering to a set of principles and guidelines meant to academically educate each student. Through this lens, learning is viewed as an organic process, meant for students to build meaning upon what they are learning by becoming active participants in their learning. Having students build connections between learning in the classroom, their lives and the outside world, as well as using forms of inquiry to develop students critical thinking skills, drive holistic forms of teaching and learning. |
Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child. Teachers always want to know exactly how to incorporate certain methods within their classroom. With this in mind, providing a list of instructional strategies that can be used to meet the goals of providing students with holistic education, will certainly help to set the stage for what opportunities students must be open to in order to foster holistic learning. Utilizing strategies such as the dramatic arts, collaborative learning experiences, creative problem solving activities, visualisation, and the integration of artistic components, not in isolation, but rather simultaneously, will really aid in developing a holistic-driven curricula within your classroom.
Reference: http://astralsite.com/1110/HolisticLearning.html |
Looking for more information surrounding Holistic Teaching and Learning?
Visit some of the websites I found to be most helpful in my discovery of Holistic Education.
Visit some of the websites I found to be most helpful in my discovery of Holistic Education.
- The Encyclopedia of Informal Education - This site not only has a plethora of knowledge surrounding the meaning of holistic education and how it can be utilized in your daily programming, but it also provides links to many theorists who support the use of holistic forms of teaching and learning within the classroom. This is a fabulous resource to support you in your journey through holistic education.
- Astralsite - This is the site I accessed many times throughout the duration of the course. It not only provides clear and concise material surrounding holistic education, but it is also the place I visited to gain the knowledge I shared above. If you are looking for the gist of holistic teaching and learning, it is definitely the place to go!
- Teach Thought - Looking for strategies and tips to create and promote a collaborative learning environment? This resource lists 20 tips and strategies for teachers. The information given helped to pave a path with strategies to utilize in my classroom in September.
- Exploring Holistic Approaches for Early Childhood Educators - Even though I do not teach primary, sometimes I find that approach useful for certain activities or games within my classroom, especially when in an Intensive Support Program (ISP). This link not only provides philosophies that embrace holistic teaching, but also methods for implementation in the primary classroom.
- Facilitating Holistic Curriculum Planning in Schools - This resource helped me to understand exactly how I was going to go about implementing holistic teaching and learning within my classroom. The best part? It outlines responsibilities of each participant when planning using this method.
Have any resources you found helpful? Click the link below.