Holism is a curious word. One can clearly see the root as holy. At the same time it is meant to convey the whole of something, that is, Holistic Education is designed to teach the whole child — the whole person.
I addressed this in a Jungian context earlier in this blog as an Holistic Visualization. We have things to learn about an active, cognizant, curious mind. We must learn to deal with our feelings (affective ed my advisor Charles Calitri would say.) We must nurture and care for our physical selves. And we must expand our connection with the wider fields of life …the all… the force, spirituality in the broader, less divisive sense.
So the question arises if you were creating an Holistic Learning Center for human beings what changes would you make?
Let’s do this as an exercise.
Dear Readers: What would you include that the traditional school does not usually have? Please be prepared to have your work read, shared with, and responded to by other readers.
And yes, I’ve done most of the writing so far. So this is a test. Let’s see what you’ve got.
Physical: What could you do to enhance the physical well being of your learning group?
Affective: How could you address the tendency of young people and some of all ages to flare up emotionally in ways which overwhelm them and cause a loss of balance and perspective?
Cognitive: How can you turn the blah, bored, unfocussed faces into interested, explorers — curious about the world and prepared to pursue directions of their own choosing.
Spiritual: How can you support a larger sense of connection to community, to the planet, to wider aspects of living which transcend individual circumstances in a positive way?
Just take one, any one, and be specific about what you are suggesting. Maybe give an example or discuss with some detail.
Leave a Reply