Let's make strudel, then brioche, pretzels, ravioli, pierogies,
spaetzle, to name a few 'instructive' foods. These
'things' would be easy to do and an easy soft sell where children are concerned. ..These little people, these quirky adults-in-the-making, have
no preconceived idea of perfection and are willing to try anything.
Strudel would be a monumental achievement- for anyone. Imagine its
profound effect on young at-risk children. Unlike yeast dough, strudel would
be a 'strategic' activity, a how to, in this order, sort of thing.
...At-risk children require these prudent, 'out of the box' teaching
methods. Let us not be constrained by the confinement of educational
doctrine. Literacy is always more important than content.
I thought about strudel, unconventionally, the other day, for the
primary at risk child. Why not? Engagement should be the only
criterion upon which to base the educational goals of primary
at-risk children. Waiting for successful 'academic' outcomes is a moot point,
counter productive- if the child is not present, is fearful, does not understand
the academic goals or is not paying attention. In the learning
process, the lessons of courage, trust and confidence will develop,
guiding the student towards full participation in the academic life
of school. ... (Literacy and numeracy will follow, logically and coherently) ...With primary at-risk children, of whom very little is
expected and about whom I have written many times since March 2012,
finding a 'hook' to keep them interested is a priority of educators.
(These learned 'baking' skills are not about baking, anyway.) It's
about higher order thinking, plain and simple. (And yes, the momsey
includes pen and paper in this learning format. The hand /pen/mind
connection must never be underestimated in its power to 'instruct', 'ignite' and 'help to penetrate' the young thinking, vulnerable brain....More about this synergetic alliance, courtesy of Scientific American, Fall, 2013)
The introduction of the exotic-(strudel)- into the formal teaching
schedule along a 'side' dish of music appreciation and a 'dash' of
dance, is not too much to expect. (Is this education's triple
threat?)(Something about doing what we fear in order to grow both
emotionally and intellectually)...The incredible internet has changed
all the rules. Remember, there were rules in place before the
internet came along. ...It is incumbent upon us to throw something
into the day of these children to shake them up, to thrill them, to
test them. ... Leading the group should also be a desired
expectation, at some point. In every group, there is a leader,
invisible or not, responsible for the group, in one way or another. Though I have never made strudel, I will soon. It is an ally to
the learning goals of education, yet, so incredibly off the chart,
where learning a new skill is concerned. Words, printing, cards,
reports, questions, grammar, composition and literature would slowly
work their way into this learning game towards the acquisition of
critical higher order thinking skills.
During the beaver tail lesson
in the primary intensive language class- many years ago- the students
were always full of anticipation, wondering what was going to happen
next.. Devouring these fried misshapen pieces of hand/homemade dough
was always a delicious result of the lesson. It was an exercise in
doing, attention, planning and thinking!. There were no behavioural
incidents. Children never disappoint. They keep us on our toes. We
must always be attuned, however, to their needs, much like the needs
of a puppy or kitten. These 'special' groups have much in common. ...
Little hands/skin and the sense of touch are connected to the brain.
It is another example of experiential learning at its best. In our
sons' kindergarten class, many decades ago, during the topic of
cheese, perogies were demonstrated, from start to finish. The class
of four/five year olds simply took over, making me so redundant. Oh,
what a wonderful feeling that was! The yummy cheese packages were as
good as any I have ever made, perhaps, better.
We must evolve to encompass new knowledge, new strategies about
how children learn in today's modern, fast paced world. Preparing the
young, vulnerable brain for higher order thinking skills is what
education was intended. Only now, the rules have changed. So should
the education of our most vulnerable. Strudel anyone? Let's begin...
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