I do believe structure is important, but having structure doesn't mean having no play. All games have structure. Each game has its own rules and that's what makes the game unique. The freedom comes from us getting to choose the game that we think is the most fun, stimulating and rewarding to play. I believe education should be like that.
Thanks Zachary for the add-on! I agree with you. "The freedom comes from us getting to choose the game that we think is the most fun, stimulating and rewarding to play." - This is my life's philosophy, beyond the classroom!
Great read, thank you! Coming from Anthropology, I say we need to reframe what 'democracy' looks like for youth in educational settings. It's ageist (and very typically Western) to devalue the knowledge, skills, and guidance that a society's elders (aka adults) offer. Just as it's neotenizing to have children socializing themselves without adult models, so too is it neotenizing to have them self- and peer-educate (exclusively). In short, when coming of age we are designed to model, to apprentice, to practice the skills our culture has made valuable and meaningful for us. Who are we designed to model? Elders, masters, aunties, uncles, adult kin and non-kin with skills to teach. (Psychology sees this as rejection-based and would call this phase 'individuation', because Westerners fully 'leave the nest' of their families and local kin/cultural networks, but this is a fairly modern and primarily Western phenomena.) In other cultures, and traditionally, your tribe invests in you and in turn you grow to have the knowledge and skills to reinvest in your tribe. We were designed to learn from knowledgeable others and elders - everything from our first words to how to perform cultural rites to how to navigate the stars. We needed to know certain things, and certain contributions were expected of us. I'm wary of any educational ethos that devalues the knowledge and experience of elders/adults, or devalues the role of elders/adults having expectations of particular skill building and contribution. I get the critique of post-industrial, conformist, authoritarian models of education. But the pendulum going the other way is viewing adult input in education as 'corrupting' or 'polluting' or 'coercive', borrowing from a misguided Rousseauian model of human nature that's excessively - and I'd argue dehumanizingly - individualistic. As with parenting models, there's a sweet spot between authoritarian and permissive - it's 'authoritative' - and it sounds like the model you're describing was highly permissive. What's missing is a knowledge- and skill- apprenticeship model that pairs maturity with immaturity, with all the messy pedagogical considerations that may entail. Mutual respect seems key. Gordon Neufeld's models for the not 'equal' but mutually respectful attachment modes of parent and child come to mind. My favorite analogy for socialization applies here: How do you best ripen a green banana (most deliciously and expeditiously)? You pair it with an already-ripened one, and give them time to 'steep'.
Thank you for giving us something to think about here! I saw a documentary on a 'democratic' preschool once and some of the same questions came to mind, and over the years I've finally gathered my thoughts around that, so have enjoyed this mindwalk!
I am so lucky that people let comments on my articles that are at least as worth-reading as the articles themselves. Thank you so much! What an insightful take.
Although I grew up in a Western country, I had the chance to connect with elders and masters throughout my teenage and adulthood. I have a deep appreciation for this type of education.
Today I live in Mexico and I'm inspired daily by the way they consider their elders, and the importance of the community, in contrast to my native culture. I also study the ancestral culture of the Aztecas, its language and relation to education. I will be writing an article about it in the coming weeks!
Always enjoy your perspectives. Your curious mind and unique relationship with learning makes for thought provoking observations. Too much autonomy without some structure is a challenge for most all creative and learning tasks. We crave connection and collaboration along with some sense of direction tied to outcomes.
What you are talking about is the science and pedagogy of learning and behavior. It is a challenging and complex endeavor that takes years of training, experimentation, and mastery to do well.
Like a skilled musician, painter, or builder it can manifest in many different ways. But as you observed, when it doesn’t work it is very noticeable. As we experiment with introducing “alternative”‘learning models I think being grounded in innovative pedagogy with a commitment to equity is the way to go.
Thank you Dagan for such a sweet comment ❤️ I find it fascinating to discover for myself what kind of structure works best to unlock my potential. And indeed, it's such a long journey! Keeps getting refined.
I think it's key to allow students to explore and innovate with learning structures that might work better for them, while giving them tools and support so they never feel lost in the void, like the ones I've met some weeks ago.
Do you have any recommendations for learning more on the science and pedagogy of learning and behavior?
Yes, you are really focusing in on differentiation which is the key. Seeing each person as the individual that they are and helping to co-design learning structures that will draw out their highest potential for learning.
I am not sure what is your preferred media for taking in information, but I really love podcasts. Here are two that I recently listened to that I loved:
I do believe structure is important, but having structure doesn't mean having no play. All games have structure. Each game has its own rules and that's what makes the game unique. The freedom comes from us getting to choose the game that we think is the most fun, stimulating and rewarding to play. I believe education should be like that.
Thanks Zachary for the add-on! I agree with you. "The freedom comes from us getting to choose the game that we think is the most fun, stimulating and rewarding to play." - This is my life's philosophy, beyond the classroom!
Great read, thank you! Coming from Anthropology, I say we need to reframe what 'democracy' looks like for youth in educational settings. It's ageist (and very typically Western) to devalue the knowledge, skills, and guidance that a society's elders (aka adults) offer. Just as it's neotenizing to have children socializing themselves without adult models, so too is it neotenizing to have them self- and peer-educate (exclusively). In short, when coming of age we are designed to model, to apprentice, to practice the skills our culture has made valuable and meaningful for us. Who are we designed to model? Elders, masters, aunties, uncles, adult kin and non-kin with skills to teach. (Psychology sees this as rejection-based and would call this phase 'individuation', because Westerners fully 'leave the nest' of their families and local kin/cultural networks, but this is a fairly modern and primarily Western phenomena.) In other cultures, and traditionally, your tribe invests in you and in turn you grow to have the knowledge and skills to reinvest in your tribe. We were designed to learn from knowledgeable others and elders - everything from our first words to how to perform cultural rites to how to navigate the stars. We needed to know certain things, and certain contributions were expected of us. I'm wary of any educational ethos that devalues the knowledge and experience of elders/adults, or devalues the role of elders/adults having expectations of particular skill building and contribution. I get the critique of post-industrial, conformist, authoritarian models of education. But the pendulum going the other way is viewing adult input in education as 'corrupting' or 'polluting' or 'coercive', borrowing from a misguided Rousseauian model of human nature that's excessively - and I'd argue dehumanizingly - individualistic. As with parenting models, there's a sweet spot between authoritarian and permissive - it's 'authoritative' - and it sounds like the model you're describing was highly permissive. What's missing is a knowledge- and skill- apprenticeship model that pairs maturity with immaturity, with all the messy pedagogical considerations that may entail. Mutual respect seems key. Gordon Neufeld's models for the not 'equal' but mutually respectful attachment modes of parent and child come to mind. My favorite analogy for socialization applies here: How do you best ripen a green banana (most deliciously and expeditiously)? You pair it with an already-ripened one, and give them time to 'steep'.
Thank you for giving us something to think about here! I saw a documentary on a 'democratic' preschool once and some of the same questions came to mind, and over the years I've finally gathered my thoughts around that, so have enjoyed this mindwalk!
I am so lucky that people let comments on my articles that are at least as worth-reading as the articles themselves. Thank you so much! What an insightful take.
Although I grew up in a Western country, I had the chance to connect with elders and masters throughout my teenage and adulthood. I have a deep appreciation for this type of education.
Today I live in Mexico and I'm inspired daily by the way they consider their elders, and the importance of the community, in contrast to my native culture. I also study the ancestral culture of the Aztecas, its language and relation to education. I will be writing an article about it in the coming weeks!
In the meantime, I also wrote this article about the importance of the tribe to raise ourselves: https://zeldapoem.substack.com/p/why-does-it-take-a-village-to-raise
and I love this video describing the role of community for caring of mental health in west African villages (+ everything this teacher does): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDyKXy4j2X8&t=221s&ab_channel=AronG
Thanks again for passing by! Is there any place where I can follow your work?
Always enjoy your perspectives. Your curious mind and unique relationship with learning makes for thought provoking observations. Too much autonomy without some structure is a challenge for most all creative and learning tasks. We crave connection and collaboration along with some sense of direction tied to outcomes.
What you are talking about is the science and pedagogy of learning and behavior. It is a challenging and complex endeavor that takes years of training, experimentation, and mastery to do well.
Like a skilled musician, painter, or builder it can manifest in many different ways. But as you observed, when it doesn’t work it is very noticeable. As we experiment with introducing “alternative”‘learning models I think being grounded in innovative pedagogy with a commitment to equity is the way to go.
Keep sharing!! ❤️
Thank you Dagan for such a sweet comment ❤️ I find it fascinating to discover for myself what kind of structure works best to unlock my potential. And indeed, it's such a long journey! Keeps getting refined.
I think it's key to allow students to explore and innovate with learning structures that might work better for them, while giving them tools and support so they never feel lost in the void, like the ones I've met some weeks ago.
Do you have any recommendations for learning more on the science and pedagogy of learning and behavior?
Yes, you are really focusing in on differentiation which is the key. Seeing each person as the individual that they are and helping to co-design learning structures that will draw out their highest potential for learning.
I am not sure what is your preferred media for taking in information, but I really love podcasts. Here are two that I recently listened to that I loved:
https://www.nais.org/learn/nais-podcasts/new-view-edu/episode-27-developing-mastery-in-approaches-to-education/
https://www.nais.org/learn/nais-podcasts/new-view-edu/episode-23-designing-schools-for-self-directed-learning/
Also, everything John Dewey writes is gold: https://www.neh.gov/article/john-dewey-portrait-progressive-thinker
The Institute for Self-Directed Learning has really taken this question on with some intention: https://www.selfdirect.school/
And one more, these "Five Approaches to Breakthrough Schools" is a nice read. https://www.edweek.org/technology/opinion-five-approaches-to-breakthrough-schools/2017/10