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Disposition to Learn
November 8, 2010
Fundamental change is an endeavor, it’s a real enterprise, it’s not something that just happens. You make a choice to keep evolving and keep growing.
-Twyla Tharp
-Twyla Tharp
"During the last two decades federal and state educational agencies have put forward national and state standards for academic achievement for all of our children at all levels of education. Invariably, the main purposes of such standards are stated in terms of what all children “should know and be able to do.” Thus far no reference to goals such as the dispositions to use the knowledge, and to be willing to do what they are expected to become able to do, have been seen. In other words, these national and state documents omit reference to the importance of young children "wanting to know" and becoming “eager to do” — or in any other sense, strengthening and supporting positive dispositions to go on learning and to use what is learned. Furthermore, performance standards that emphasize the acquisition of knowledge tend to omit reference to the importance of understanding the knowledge, or reference to the disposition to seek understanding.
"For children growing up to become responsible participants in a democracy, the disposition to seek understanding of the complex issues and decisions for which we all share responsibility should be a major goal of education at every level. At the preschool level this goal means supporting young children’s natural nosiness about things and events around them worth understanding. The disposition to seek understanding is one of several important inborn dispositions that early childhood educators should strive to support and strengthen, by providing a wide range of opportunities for young children to explore and investigate important aspects of their environments and experiences."
Intellectual Emergencies: Some Reflections on Mothering and Teaching is a special contribution to the field by Lilian Katz. She has spent many years conducting workshops for teachers, parents, and students all over the world. During those workshops, she often refers to her son Stephen, and what she has termed the "intellectual emergencies" she experienced during the years he was growing up. Her responses to these "emergencies," the moments when he analyzed her actions and challenged her decisions as a parent and a teacher, are presented in this insightful, witty book.ExchangeEveryDay
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Comments (7)
Displaying 5 of 7 Comments [ View all ]Shishu Vikash Kendra
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Understanding the children is first important subject in any field of early childhood
Plymouth Ed. Center
Detroit, MI, United States
"As an Educator, I believe young children need to be inspired with the enthusiasm to learn from their mother's womb throughout their lives. Yes, we all need to be accountable to young children. This means parents must to be empowered with knowledge of how to utilize the advantage of being their child's first teacher. Teacher's need to create and implement a climate to foster each student's confidence (self-esteem/self-concept) to learn academic and social skills to transition into real life understanding and experiences. Society have to build a platform where the goal is to provide and expect all youth to have an envision of success with the hope of building a world where every youth will contribute to make our society function as a whole with and needing all pieces (individuals) of the puzzle to have a complete picture (a master piece) for other countries to desire!"
Ora Jackson
IPFW
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Lillian Katz continues to hit the nail on the head about children and their learning, standards and our perspective to make excited learners in our children equipped with skills for their future.
The Little School
Weston, VT, United States
Like Pennsylvania, the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS) include a domain called "Approaches to Learning"--"the dispositions and styles of learning that lead to success in school." The VELS state that "it is important for children to develop a sense of wonder, a willingness to participate, persistence in their efforts and the ability to connect past learning to new situations." Further, the VELS emphasize the importance of play in children's learning and development: "There is abundant evidence that children learn best through play...In VELS, therefore, play is one way that children can achieve examples in each of the eight learning domains." It is unfortunate that these kinds of standards are not universal in our country, but it is heartening to know that there are states which have them.
DARE to AFFIRM
Pitman, New Jersey, United States
Totally agree on the value of knowing and understanding for children. I would like to take this concept steps further to acknowledge that this is a critical piece in any teaching/training with the adults who work with the children as well. When I do training, I share the message that it is imperative for those in the audience to be clear on their roles and responsibilities and truly UNDERSTAND what they are doing, WHY they are doing it and the impact that it has on building relationships with children, families and colleagues. If the adults don't have this internal way of knowing and learning, then it is more challenging for them to guide the children to respond and relate in the same way!!
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