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Fostering Meaningful Understandings
August 16, 2023
It’s better to understand something than to memorize something.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist and author
-Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist and author
In an Exchange magazine article that explains the premise behind the book, The Honeycomb Hypothesis, one of the book’s authors, Sandra Duncan, uses the behavior of honeybees as a metaphor to richly illustrate how infants and toddlers learn through movement and open-ended exploration, especially in and with nature.
Duncan explains why “problematic pedagogy” which includes an overemphasis on direct instruction of specific facts or skills, can lead teachers astray. “The reality is teachers really do not know what is happening inside children’s brains because we cannot see the schemas forming or taking place. We can only observe their visible actions, or patterns of play.” Duncan continues, “There needs to be a shift in pedagogical paradigms from focusing on the acquisition of knowledge of basic facts such as shapes, colors, and alphabet, to a pedagogical emphasis on offering children opportunities for developing meaningful understandings.”
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Comments (3)
Displaying All 3 CommentsEugene, OR, United States
Thank you, Melanie and Francis. You both make very valid points. How do we establish and hold ourselves to professional standards and innovate at the same time? How can we develop standards that elevate a more reflective, relational approach? Professionalizing the field (and striving for fair wages in the process) requires a thoughtful approach. I so appreciate ideas from the field.
Skagit Valley College
Anacortes,, Wa, United States
I agree with Francis. Requiring the adoption and implementation of a "valid, reliable" curriculum puts alternative (and appropriate) practices at a disadvantage. What processes or supports are in place for "test driving" and approving the use of the Honeycomb Hypothesis?
Having read the book, my teacher's gut tells me there is much truth in this approach, but how to share the value with programs whose guidelines require a different approach is problematic.
University of Phoenix/ Red Rocks Community College
Denver, Colorado, United States
Duncan writes, "there needs to be a shift in pedagogical paradigms from focusing on the acquisition of knowledge of basic facts such as shapes, colors, and alphabet, to a pedagogical emphasis on offering children opportunities for developing meaningful understanding. True, but let's not blame the teachers. This "problematic pedagogy" comes directly from each state's early childhood standards. THEY need to lead this change!
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