Pioneers of Holistic Education

Holistic education's purpose is to emphasize the organic, emotional, spiritual, mythical, and intuitive aspects of human experience, in opposition to a culture perceived as overly rigid, intellectual, and materialistic.  But for many modern Americans, "holistic" implies sentimental, unrealistic, and childish visions of education.  Fortunately, the following pioneers may prove to even the biggest cynic the benefits children receive from engaging in holistic education.  

Rousseau- (1712-1778) Believed vital human qualities such as emotional expression, freedom, and natural surroundings were vital to life.  Rousseau argued that education should be a harmony between organic needs of human development and proceed at its own natural pace.  "The first impulses of nature are always right; there is no original sin in the human heart." His belief that human welfare and happiness can only be achieved if we remain in harmony with it's organic development.

Pestalozzi- (1746-1827) Established residential schools on working farms for orphans and was more concerned with the needs and characteristics of the learner than with the requirements of the subject matter.   "The reading, writing, and arithmetic are not, after all, what they most need; it is all well and good for them to learn something, but the really important thing is for them to BE something- for them to become what they are meant to be."  According to Pestalozzi, the essence of education is love.  In his schools, he cultivates an intimate, friendly, supportive relationship between the teachers and students. Emotional security is necessary for personal development and learning. "Life itself educates." Discovery learning was of upmost importance to Pestalozzi.

Froebel (1782-1852) Founder of kindergarden. "the divine essence of man should be unfolded, brought out, lifted into consciousness, and man himself raised into free, conscious obedience to the divine principle that lives in him"  Froebel's ideas would later on become the central holistic themes- the divine unfolding within the person, the spontaneous and essentially creative nature of this unfolding, and the cultivation of an educational environment that respects the fullness and natural stages of this unfolding.  

Dewey (1859-1952) Major intellectual figure whose educational ideas reflected his wide-ranging concern with social, cultural, and philosophical issues. A central concern of Dewey's work is human experience.  "An ounce of experience is better than a ton of theory simply because it is only in experience that any theory has vital and verifiable significance" Dewey shares with holistic educators the belief that strictly academic learning must be seen as an enrichment of, rather than a substitute for, first-hand experience of the world; literacy is an extension of intelligence rather than it's source.  

Miller, Ron. What are schools for: holistic education in American culture. Brandon, VT.: Holistic Education Press, 1990. Print.

Feng Shui in the Classroom

http://theasideblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/classroom-design-feng-shui-for-learning.html

Classroom Design & Feng Shui 

Classroom design and set-up is an important component in satisfying and enhancing student learning. The look of the classroom says a lot about the learning environment.
 In my classroom, students will not be sitting in individual seats and rows.  Rather, student's desks will be grouped together to support collaboration and enhance communication.
The above link shows examples of classroom designs that promote student-centered learning.  The students already know I am the authoritative figure in the classroom; there is no need for me to be standing in the front of the room in front of them at all times.  I want to make the students the focal point in the classroom.  Ideally, my desk will be in the back of the room and a podium set up in the front.





I also plan on incorporating living life-forms into the classroom such as basic plants.  Plants act as detoxifiers and promote a sense of well-being and balance.  Students will have the opportunity to adopt some plants and treat them with tender love and care so they can grow.  The plans are also symbolic of student's growth.  When we nurture and love the plants and each other, we grow.  We nurture the plants with water and sunlight while we nurture the students' with love, respect, and mindfulness.  The elixir for growth lies within those dimensions.  Plants can not grow without water and sunlight; students can not grow without love, compassion, respect, and trust.  






In my idea classroom, there will be a room for movement, activity, and exploration- similar to the models presented by the Montessori schools.

Ideally, there will be enough room for children to move freely and actively.

School Gardens

A great holistic approach is starting a school garden.  Children participate and learn how organisms work through hands-on experiences.  School gardening has been shown to improve self-esteem, help students develop a sense of ownership and responsibility, help foster relationships with family members, students, and teachers, and increase parental involvement.

Students tend to learn more and better when they are actively involved in the learning process, a major theme in holistic education.  

   Research Supporting the Benefits of School Gardens 

Significantly increase science achievement scores.
Klemmer, C. D., T. M. Waliczek, and J. M. Zajicek. 2005. Growing minds: The effect of a school gardening program on the science achievement of elementary students. HortTechnology15(3):448-452.

Improve social skills and behavior.
- DeMarco, L., P. D. Relf, and A. McDaniel. 1999. Integrating gardening into the elementary school curriculum. HortTechnology 9(2):276-281.

Instill appreciation and respect for nature that lasts into adulthood. 
Lohr, V.I. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. 2005. Children’s active and passive interactions with plants influence their attitudes and actions toward trees and gardening as adults. HortTechnology. 15(3): 472-476.

Increase interest in eating fruits and vegetables and improve attitude toward fruits and vegetables. 
Pothukuchi, K. 2004. Hortaliza: A Youth “Nutrition Garden” in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments 14(2):124-155

Have a positive impact on student achievement and behavior. 
- Blair, D. (2009). The child in the garden: an evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. Journal of Environmental Education 40(2), 15-38.

http://www.kidsgardening.org/

Gardening for myself is therapy.  I engage in the activity and look forward to growing and nourishing a life-form that will in return sustain me.  Gardening gives me a greater appreciation of the complex nature of plants, the importance of organic, and fosters collaboration because I seldom garden alone.  Integrating a school garden into a school's curriculum is such a beautiful and meaningful experience that will have ever lasting affects on children.  As obesity is growing at exponential speeds, children can begin to understand the importance and value of eating healthy and taking good care of their bodies.  In addition, children respond well to outdoor activities and become extremely excited when they have the chance to see something they've nurtured grow.  

Montessori & Waldorf

Two amazing institutions that follow the progressive, holistic movement of education are: The Waldorf Schools and The Montessori Schools.

Waldorf Education

Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf schools, believed that education should embody the human being as composed of body, soul, and spirit- also known as Anthroposophy (founded by Steiner himself).
The first Waldorf school was founded in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany.  Currently, there are 1,023 independent Waldorf schools, 600 kindergartens and  646 centers for special education (statistics for Woldford schools worldwide)
The Waldorf pedagogy focuses on three stages of development, each lasting approximately 7 years. The early years education focuses on providing practical, hands-on activities and environments that encourage creative play. In the elementary school, the emphasis is on developing pupils' artistic expression and social capacities, fostering both creative and analytical modes of understanding. Secondary education focuses on developing critical understanding and fostering idealism. Throughout, the approach stresses the role of the imagination in learning and places a strong value on integrating academic, practical and artistic pursuits.

The philosophy of Waldorf fits into holistic education because it supports the theory of freedom, moral responsibility, and social competence.  The curricula is designed around the student's needs and interests and provides hands-on learning and student-centered teaching.  Waldorf schools are great forms of alternative education for those who oppose public schools, but do require tuition.

http://www.waldorfinspirations.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education#cite_note-schulliste-1
Janni, Nicol (2010). Bringing the Steiner Waldorf Approach to your Early Years Practice. New York,   NY: Routledge.

Montessori Education

The Montessori Schools were founded by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development.

Montessori education spread to the United States in 1911 but it wasn't until the 1960's that it gained popularity and widespread attention.  Today, there are more then 4,000 functioning Montessori schools in the United States.

The philosophy and pedagogy of Montessori schools focus on self-construction, liberty, and spontaneous activity/discovery.  In addition, Montessori allowed for for free activity within a "prepared environment" meaning an educational environment tailored to basic human characteristics, to the specific characteristics of children at different ages, and to the individual personalities of each child.

Key characteristics of this school are : freedom, movement, flexibility, beauty, harmony, order, cleanliness, individual personality, communication, and exploration, among others.
Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include multiage groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged and available for use in an aesthetically pleasing environment.

Multiage groupings are a hallmark of the Montessori Method: younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement also mirrors the real world, where individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions.  

https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori.aspx

The secret of education lies in respecting the student

Understanding the emotional well-being of children and promoting it is essential for teachers.  When children are well-balanced, emotionally stable, and happy their learning is enhanced.  Positive emotional health is correlated to success.  

Holistic education understands the child as a "whole" and as an individual.  Education is not about the acquisition of facts but about the overall learning and the application of what is learned to real life.  Students need to be in the right state of mind to be able to do this.  

"Happiness gives people the perception of success, encouraging them to keep moving"

"We believe students learn best when they are pursuing interests and passions in a cooperative rather than competitive environment. Students have considerable freedom to determine their own goals. Our approach emphasizes how to think rather than what to think. We believe education must be seen as part of life and not merely a preparation for life. Learning as an experience is of value in and of itself."  Liberty School, ME

http://bit.ly/1g0281h