The Learning Trap

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Learning. Many educators see it as something we need to stuff into learners. As some information that the learner is a vessel to be filled with. Many look at teachers as the shovers of stuff into the vessel, or the crafters of learning to hit the most targets at once. 
I don't. 

I look at learning as something that students need to love. That students will love if just the right combination of environmental elements are met. 

If the environmental elements are just right for learning to occur, then it will happen in a much more meaningful and fun way than if it is poured into someone. 

Teachers are the creators of the environment. Their purpose in school is to create the traps of learning that students will fall into. Take an example we discussed today as a group. A toy baby is left lying around almost haphazardly in a junior classroom with a towel, and a bowl of water. Play will inevitably lead students towards a discussion of bathing a baby. This is the environmental circumstances that have led to the child falling into the teachers trap of where they wanted the learning to go. Set the trap, bait the trap, and watch authentic, exciting, engaging learning take place. 

The real question, and the real dialogue that teachers should be having as we move into the future is what does this approach look like when the child is 5? What about 10? 13? 17? What are some of the challenges and restrictions that hold us back and how can we get around these? 

Comments

  1. Unknown31 October 2016 at 17:24

    Great post! Is it a trap or a trick?? How about the trappees become the trappers..or even better they become self trapping. Intentional trappers of the self. Although Im playing with the concept I see the real value in your message. Moving the learner from apprenticeship (dependence??) towards Mastery (independence?) of learning must be a key focus as they move through our Ed experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jono Broom31 October 2016 at 22:10

      I love this comment. Training trappees to become expert trappers. Trappers can then trap each other. Trapper trapping trappers. I guess part of trapping students is pushing them beyond what they can do by themselves or with other students. Pushing them past their zone of proximal development. You could say you're trappolding them (half trap half scaffold)

      Delete
  2. Arat oneill31 October 2016 at 18:54

    Excellent Jono, sums up our discussion well. "Do not train children to learning by force and harshness (or stuffing them full of facts), but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each" Plato.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jono Broom31 October 2016 at 22:12

      "...amuses their minds" "...peculiar bent of the genius of each." Love it.

      Delete
  3. Unknown31 October 2016 at 20:29

    Yeah.. totes agree w Plato..and Tara. :-))

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  4. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 19:45

    I wish we had discussions like this in our school! Alas, academic training of 5 year olds is our forte (sigh)

    ReplyDelete

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