SAMVAAD ON CHILDREN, LEARNING AND ECOLOGY
We- existential knowledge foundation- are planning a series of samvaads on various aspects of learning and ecology- Why learn? What is being learned? How learning happens? And where learning happens? Who learns? And also a deeper enquiry to understand what exactly is ‘learning’, ‘knowing’ and ‘being’? All of us know much of such learning as is of worth and value, for us and world around us, is un-meditated. The more deeply one explores what is learning the more intangible and subtle --many times elusive-- it seems. But it indisputably happens. Still surviving folk and primitive societies are the evidence.
The crisis of modern times is a crisis of cognition. In nature cognition is about communion. Man made cognition is of alienation and fragmentation. Experientially, internal destruction and external destruction go hand in hand. Each becomes the cause for further destruction as such.
Time and again many sensitive people have questioned the efficacy of the ‘teaching’ paradigm. New insights in cognitive science, neuro biology and is challenging the old paradigm of ‘Teaching’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘school’ as the irreplaceable givens. May be we need to revisit the whole questions based on ‘how children learn’ rather than ‘how to teach children’.
Biological entities learn. Learning is the most fundamental characteristics of all living beings and are born with all the equipments and tendencies. But its development depends on the external conditions offered by the physical and the psychological space.
Some of the most misunderstood aspects of modernity are learning, knowledge and children. Having gone through the schooling process and also having undergone the restructuring the cognitive apparatus/ tools we may encounter several difficulties in addressing the issue. Starting with disbelief to even having the ability to fully comprehend this. With our linear, rational, fragmented beingness we may not be able to fully grasp this as it requires holistic beingness.
We- existential knowledge foundation- are planning a series of samvaads on various aspects of learning and ecology- Why learn? What is being learned? How learning happens? And where learning happens? Who learns? And also a deeper enquiry to understand what exactly is ‘learning’, ‘knowing’ and ‘being’? All of us know much of such learning as is of worth and value, for us and world around us, is un-meditated. The more deeply one explores what is learning the more intangible and subtle --many times elusive-- it seems. But it indisputably happens. Still surviving folk and primitive societies are the evidence.
The crisis of modern times is a crisis of cognition. In nature cognition is about communion. Man made cognition is of alienation and fragmentation. Experientially, internal destruction and external destruction go hand in hand. Each becomes the cause for further destruction as such.
Time and again many sensitive people have questioned the efficacy of the ‘teaching’ paradigm. New insights in cognitive science, neuro biology and is challenging the old paradigm of ‘Teaching’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘school’ as the irreplaceable givens. May be we need to revisit the whole questions based on ‘how children learn’ rather than ‘how to teach children’.
Biological entities learn. Learning is the most fundamental characteristics of all living beings and are born with all the equipments and tendencies. But its development depends on the external conditions offered by the physical and the psychological space.
Some of the most misunderstood aspects of modernity are learning, knowledge and children. Having gone through the schooling process and also having undergone the restructuring the cognitive apparatus/ tools we may encounter several difficulties in addressing the issue. Starting with disbelief to even having the ability to fully comprehend this. With our linear, rational, fragmented beingness we may not be able to fully grasp this as it requires holistic beingness.