Education is a Thing we do

Education is a Thing we do - Not a Place we go

THROUGH THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF BEING UNDER LOCKDOWN, EDUCATION HAS BEEN FORCED TO TAKE ON NEW FORMS AND NEW CHANNELS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM - EVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHO DOES THE EDUCATING HAS SHIFTED.

This has brought about can be self-determined, a new perspective for even at a young age. By both educators and parents asking kids often if they are alike, with each appreciat- comfortable enough with ing the roles that the other what they have learnt in fulfils and realising that it is order to teach others, kids a team effort to coordinate can decide for themselves teaching and learning when if they are confident in their the normal mechanisms are understanding of a topic or not in place. Here is what struck me subject. By preparing aids

As a mother, educa- as the major shifts that in order to help show others tor and business owner, I have happened in educa- what they have learnt, they found myself juggling those tion over the past months: can gauge their own gaps three roles and switching 1. Learning is not and - and then plot the steps proverbial hats, sometimes should not be centred needed to fill those gaps. In on a moment by moment around a single venue. It is many of the mini-projects basis. To be fair, I created fluid, cyclical and is con- we did, the kids in the my own rod by turning our tinuous. It can literally be home classroom taught garage into a classroom of teaching units of measure- one another concepts after sorts with desks, a board ment while baking a cake, or teaching themselves and and even a tuckshop box having an art lesson while were given multiple opwhere the kids could earn learning how the ancient portunities to improve on rewards throughout the Egyptians made paper. Most their attempts, thus setting day and spend them on of all it should be fun! their own pace of learning snacks from the box at the 2. The role of the teacher and self-determining their end of the day. is not to dish out knowl- areas of growth.

What made it even more edge, but to use the online While the traditional challenging was that other resources available and school classroom is not parents were suffering with teach critical evaluation of a redundant concept by the same “role-switching” that knowledge and how to any means, the lockdown fatigue and after a few assimilate information from season has certainly highweeks, my home classroom various sources. Many of lighted one simple truth - had five children attend- our lessons were structured learning and education is a ing lessons. I found myself around mastering how to thing you do, and not just a back in front of a room of research and present infor- place you go. children teaching again for mation coherently. By Lisa Illingworth. For more info visit the first time in 15 years! 3. The pace of learning www.futureproof.co.za.