The Holistic Curriculum

When trying to figure out what I wanted to discuss for my first blog, I knew I wanted to write about something I didn’t have much knowledge on, but that peaked a certain interest in how I’m interested in teaching my future classrooms.  For me, personally the traditional model is what I experienced and because I was successful at learning within this model I could see how some people could say it is an effective method of teaching.  Even now, I know that it works for me but because of what we have been learning within our education courses and how a more constructivist approach is idealistically best for all students, it has made me question where I could be today.  Would my strengths/weaknesses still be the same or would I be more creative?  

One type of constructivist approach, the holistic curriculum and its focus on allowing the child to be engaged in their learning through their mind, heart, body, and spirit (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014) is something that I had never known could be possible, but that really sparks an interest as to what I am looking to achieve within my classroom.  An example of this holistic curriculum are the Waldorf schools.  When children are able to relate what they are learning to their own experience, it allows them to become alive, and what they learn becomes their own (Barnes, 1991). Waldorf schools are designed to foster this kind of learning, and storytelling is a key method for teaching (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014).  I think storytelling is so important in students' learning because it can relate to the importance of personal narratives and knowing your lived experiences are what shape your worldview (Clandinin, 2006).  If students are able to share their stories in their learning at a young age, it can lead to not only their own personal development but brings out different perspectives from their peers. 

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlHnixpl5mQ  

References

Barnes, H. (1991). Learning that grows with the learner: An introduction to Waldorf education.     Educational  Leadership, 49(2), 52-54.

Clandinin, D. J. (Ed.). (2006). Handbook of narrative inquiry: Mapping a methodology. Sage Publications.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment:    Engaging the 21^st-century learner. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.