Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin
The other day I watched as my son excitedly jumped into a rocky section of the Yarra River on the outskirts of Melbourne. He rolled up his pants and waded in. He had a mission, there was a rocky outcrop nearby that he wanted to get to. The river was fast flowing and deep in parts. I knew he’d make it.
I have seen my son’s amazing sense of space and his body control over his eight year life. He knew the 10 or so km journey to his grandparents house by age 4. He shows me on google maps where his school is and takes me via the streets to nearby places he’s found. The kid has some real talents that aren’t specifically taught in the classroom – but the classroom, and his real life experiences, support and encourage these talents.
So the question for me, as a parent, as a communicator and educator is – how can we support and enhance this learning to ensure every kid feels that awesome feeling of discovery and accomplishment?
It’s really about making learning accessible to everyone, no matter what their strengths.
And the research backs it up: Providing students with multiple ways to access content improves learning (Hattie, 2011).
Dr Howard Gardner, responsible for the development of the multiple intelligences theory recently told the Washington Post:
Teach important materials in several ways, not just one (e.g. through stories, works of art, diagrams, role play). In this way you can reach students who learn in different ways. Also, by presenting materials in various ways, you convey what it means to understand something well.
So that’s why the Lore Makers is here. My business partner, a teacher, and I have taken our interest in cultural heritage, which provides great context for who we are and helps us understand each other, with a plan to create learning experiences that access and support all of our intelligences.
As we start this exciting journey, we’d love to have you come along on the journey with us. You can sign up to our enews and we’ll send you some info on how you can create memories. Or first events kick off in February (so if you’re feeling inclined, you can like our facebook page to keep in the loop).
Oh, and my son did make it to the outcrop, and can back again through the river a different way he’d plotted out. With slightly wet pants and a confident smile that he’d done just as he’d planned and had a great story to tell.
Cultivating Place 