For many generations, people have assumed that children learn only when they are
quiet and serious. In some schools, teachers are chastised for an uproarious
classroom, filled with activity and laughter. They might even be warned by their
fellow teachers that they are disrupting the hallway with their joyous noises.
Some parents might argue
that allowing children to enjoy their education does not prepare them for the
“real world” which rewards serious, thoughtful effort. What a pity we all can’t
enjoy ourselves while earning money to support the family! When did fun suddenly
become the bad player in an office? In the classroom? On the playing field? Even
at home?
Let’s look at the research. In chapter 3 of Judy Willis’s book, Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher (ASCD 2006), she notes that emotional well-being positively influences learning. Willis writes, the truth is that when the joy and comfort are scrubbed from the classroom and replaced with homogeneity, and when spontaneity is replaced with conformity, students’ brains are distanced from effective information processing and long-term memory storage. In other words, when children are happy and spontaneous, they learn more quickly. Conversely, when children fear the outcome of their behavior or grades, they learn less quickly, perhaps not at all. When did educational framework stray from fun to dull, from play to work, and from active to quiet? Or did it really ever stray? Maybe today’s teachers need to learn how to invent the joyful classroom to facilitate learning.
Eric Jensen wrote
Teaching with the Brain in Mind (ASCD 2005). He links engagement in
learning with a release of dopamine from the brain. Dopamine is responsible for
reward-driven learning. Therefore, if you increase the dopamine rushing
through children’s bodies, by stressing intrinsic rewards, children not only
learn more easily, but they also feel better about themselves as
individuals. According to Jensen, the task has to be behaviorally
relevant to the learner, which is why the brain will not adapt to senseless
tasks. Senseless tasks: worksheets, rote, and sleep-inducing videos.
Behaviorally relevant tasks: Games, activities, projects, and group interaction.
Intrinsic reward: Performing for the sheer fun of
engagement!
In Kinetic Classroom: Activities that Move Students to Learn, Entelechy Education
co-founder Renee Heiss presents many ways teachers can incorporate fun and active
learning into any regular curriculum content. Turn math facts into a race. Turn
geography lessons into a treasure hunt. And turn book reports into a mini-wax
museum. Get those children moving and you get the oxygen flowing through their
brains. Engage their interest because they find the activity fun and you release
dopamine into their bloodstreams. When those two events occur
simultaneously – increased oxygen and flow of dopamine – teachers may find fewer
discipline problems and higher test scores. And isn’t that the
FUNdamental goal of education? To prepare our children for a world filled with
new experiences that they are not afraid to investigate.
The Entelechy
Education, LLC program provides elementary teachers an holistic approach to
increasing that oxygen and dopamine in children. Without character education,
children fall short in their ability to learn technical topics. For example,
without courage, the child would be unable to take the leap to
investigate a new topic. Without cooperation, the child would be unable
to work with other students toward a common goal. Without independence,
the child would be unable to form unique ideas. And certainly, without
creativity, no child would be able to conceptualize innovations The EnteleTrons™
series of books to begin a FUNdamental investigation into STEM topics while
exploring character education issues in the language arts curriculum.
Wow! Three or more lessons in one plan based on Core Content
Standards!
So what are you
waiting for? Get those kids moving! Engage them in meaningful education!
Bring The EnteleTrons™
series of books into your classroom, electrify student
learning using the tips in The Kinetic Classroom, and watch your classroom come
alive with learning. And then try to convince your administration that
your children are actually learning more in your classroom than the one next
door where the students are lined up in quiet rows of desks. You’ll need a
strong dose of creativity and determination to accomplish that task! Help the
administrators in your district to understand the power of engaging student
learners in the FUN of their FUNdamental Education.
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