I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what education is. How do you define it? Is it books? Knowledge? Ideas? Learning? We spend so much time talking about our children’s education and what we want in their educational experience, along with the desired outcome, but have we stopped to actually determine and define that very word itself: education?
According to dictionary.com, “Education is both the act of teaching knowledge to others and the act of receiving knowledge from someone else.” I like that both teaching and learning are given consideration in this definition. Yet, it seems too simple. Notice the verbs: teaching and receiving. Education is both teaching knowledge and receiving knowledge. This is a simple and broad over-arching definition that leads to the next question: How is knowledge received? Through lecture? Through story? Is receiving knowledge a one-time act, or can it occur often and continuously?
I’d like to think that education is not limited to four walls. In fact, my homeschooling journey would lead me to argue that the richest education is gained away from a traditional classroom. My own answer to this question: What is education, and how is knowledge received?”begins by expanding the idea of education. While lecture and direct teaching are wonderful and have a place, I find that my own children gain more knowledge and retain that knowledge when I cultivate their sense of wonder. On a simple walk down the street we might notice the different types of leaves, name the types of trees, match leaf to tree, or notice the different types of clouds and talk about the weather patterns they usually bring. The kids might find a slug, ladybug, or preying mantis and desire to learn more about that creature- what it eats, or what it’s life cycle looks like. We can build upon this curiosity by reading and researching until their questions are answered. And the next time we see said creature, they will remember what they learned previously. They will observe it for characteristics they read about, and grin with joy as they watch it move. The sense of wonder opens the door to gaining knowledge. Wonder leads to education. Wonder is an activity that must be nurtured and encouraged in children. It doesn’t operate on a time table. Sadly, that sense of wonder is lost in many classrooms across America today. Curricula are so full, there isn’t room for a teacher’s creativity, or responding to the needs of individual students, much less for children to wonder. When a child can no longer rely on wonder to open the door to knowledge, their desire for learning begins to fade.
This is not to say that all learning must be child led. On the contrary- teacher led learning can still evoke that sense of wonder. Sometimes the teacher may need to model their wonder for students. Take a lesson about birds, for example. While the children may prefer another topic, the teacher can invoke wonder by asking questions: “I wonder, how does a bird keep dry in a rain storm? What kind of materials might it use for it’s nest? Why does it choose those, over other materials?” These questions can lead students to discover the wide variety of materials used in nest building, dependent upon the bird species. Imagination, curiosity, and wonder are vital to a rich, living education.
Many well-known educational philosophies are built upon these and similar ideas. Maria Montessori recognized that following a child’s curiosity and wonder leads to better learning outcomes. Rudolf Steiner, pioneer of the Waldorf method, also relied heavily on the child’s imagination. Unschooling, a method that is gaining popularity, is based on the very idea that learning happens every day, every where and is not limited by a chosen curriculum. It is often based on the child’s interest and pursuits. Imagination, curiosity, wonder- these key educational components are mentioned in nearly all of the major educational methods.
Charlotte Mason defined education as “an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” I like this definition. It’s broad enough to cover the various ways learning occurs, but specific enough to show how learning occurs. An atmosphere. The ideas that rule the life of the child’s home. A child learns what he or she lives. A discipline. Good habits. Working hard, telling the truth, being helpful, being a peacemaker, attentiveness. All of these require discipline to cultivate. A life. A wide range of ideas for the mind to feast upon. Continually presenting new ideas to think over, to mull, to chew upon.
Education never stops. I’m constantly learning new ideas and pieces of knowledge. Yes, I am educated, and yes, my education is incomplete. I am still learning. This is why I believe that the definition of education needs room for continual learning. It is possible to be educated, while still gaining education. Atmosphere, environment, habits, and ideas fuel and cultivate one’s education. What do you think? How should education be defined?