tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post2972674362134796881..comments2024-03-26T07:00:11.620-05:00Comments on Wisdom of the Hands: Backwards science... the de-emphasis of discoveryDoug Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-31054602839327265772011-04-17T20:29:46.013-05:002011-04-17T20:29:46.013-05:00Thanks Doug. Having worked in the trades for 25 y...Thanks Doug. Having worked in the trades for 25 years and gone to college to become a teacher, I can relate to what you and Matt Crawford say. Your quote hit the nail on the head and it was an appropriate introduction for a fabulous book.Chris Sagnellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09325679500057317981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-70188475704570619922011-04-17T14:09:12.193-05:002011-04-17T14:09:12.193-05:00Chris, you put that well. We learn best when all t...Chris, you put that well. We learn best when all the senses are engaged, which was something Comenius (1592-1670) knew but that modern educators have chosen to ignore. I said the essentially the same thing much later in my paragraph that was used as the introduction to ch. 1 in Matt Crawford's book Shop Class as Soulcraft: “In schools we create artificial learning environments for our children that they know to be contrived and undeserving of their full attention and engagement… Without the opportunity to learn through the hands, the world remains abstract, and distant, and the passions for learning will not be engaged.”Doug Stowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-39018094501725717762011-04-17T13:14:17.897-05:002011-04-17T13:14:17.897-05:00Learning new things is something that all children...Learning new things is something that all children do automatically- the hormonal response to this is very powerful. When students are inspired by discovering things, knowledge is gained as it connects to their soul and becomes permanent. However, teaching and learning science will cause boredom and undermine the fact that science is an exploration of our natural world. Unfortunately, we have reduced it down to a set of facts that allows us to gives grades and tests. Richard Feynman said it's the "kick in the discovery" that is the greatest reward of science. It's student interest that drives a good science class- without this you might as well strap a straight jacket on your students for 180 days.Chris Sagnellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09325679500057317981noreply@blogger.com