Learning through senses means to undermine sight’s privilege in teaching, opening up to an inclusive use of students’ skills.
There is an old Chinese proverb: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” This saying existed in ancient Chinese philosophy for a long time, although some westerners use it as a Benjamin Franklin quote; while some think it is from Maria Montessori – but the famous school Association Montessori Internationale has officially clarified it as a Chinese proverb. This philosophy of teaching/ learning approach is called “Learning Through Senses” in the western.
Maria Montessori was the most famous western educator who strongly supports this theory. She observed that the younger children were intensely attracted to sensory development apparatus. The children used these materials spontaneously, independently, repeatedly and with deep concentration. They emerged from this spontaneous activity renewed and with a profound sense of inner satisfaction. Montessori method is based on the spontaneous activity of the child which is aroused precisely by the interest the child takes in the material" (AMI, 2015). She argues that children enjoy learning in an environment designed to meet their needs and they learn best through the senses (Pound, 2006). Hence this approach is talked about more often in education for children in primary school and secondary school instead of in HE. Many great educators think similar, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Robert Owen for example (Pound, 2006), and regard learning through senses is a good way for children.
2. Pragmatist style of learning
Learning then comes to be seen not only as a reading activity but also as a full-bodied experience. Some students have a pragmatist style of learning. For them, understanding the practical, applicative is key in approaching wider concepts (Honey and Mumford, 1992). The embodiment of learning is easily to be understood when the skill to be achieved is somehow practical. Still, workshops and small groups teaching are active arena in where to experiment a multi-sensorial form of learning. The use of objects, music, tactile involvement are easy to be achieved without having to change a classroom arrangement. Smell and taste are harder to be included because of schools regulations, but sharing food to talk about culture is a valid ice-breaker in an environment where different identities and cultures are negotiated.
Moreover, Western tradition has included this full-bodied approach as in Montessori educational method, where children are invited to actively play and engage with nature as part of their learning experiences. Heutagogy approach, developed in neuroscience , has recently brought up the need of making the learning curriculum flexible and more learner-centred. While adopting the use of social media and other sight-based learning tools, it fails to recognize the role that other senses can have in opening a way to deep learning.
3. Classens article “Other ways of Wisdom: Learning through the senses across cultures”
I am commenting Constance Classens article “Other ways of Wisdom: Learning through the senses across cultures”, in which the author compares different teaching/learning methods from other cultures with Western one. Classens’ point is that we give for granted that knowledge is acquired mainly through reading, while the other forms of apprenticing can be defeating. This position, enhanced by Western positivistic supremacy, labels as decadent and irrational those cultures that adopt other approaches. Classens shows how, instead, very in depth form of understanding are taught through senses. Smell becomes fundamental in recognizing medicinal herbs that would look the same, the taste of matcha is part of the overly refined tea ceremony apprenticeship in Japan and so forth. The claver point in Classens’ article is that, especially in multi-cultured environment, senses can be a gate to attention and focus in terms of personal attitude and background.
4. "Learning through senses" can be used in HE
What I want to add on this topic is that “Learning Through Senses” is not just for children, this approach is also of great value in higher education. Firstly it is applicable for a modern language degree. Modern language degrees in the UK have traditionally been designed for British students who have spent several years learning one or more foreign languages at secondary school and perhaps even in primary school. To trigger their memory and re-arouse their interest of learning a foreign language, we can use the “Learning Through Senses” approach.
Secondly I want to talk about a session I had when my master started in 2013. It was a Cultural Geography seminar and there were seven of us in the class. We were asked to define/compare and contrast “place” and “space”, and what we need to do is grab a pen and go to the white writing board to write the concepts down. The succession of movement – getting up, grab a pen, go to the board, write it down, come back to seat, put the pen down – make the session more impressive and make up us think deeper before acting. I regard this succession of movement part of kinaesthetic learning or tactile leaning in which an individual’s knowledge acquisition is enhanced by touching, manipulating or doing as distincts from listening, watching, reading and writing. Everyday movement can be used as a method in “Learning Through Senses” approach.
Classen, C. (1999) ‘ Other ways to wisdom: learning through the senses across the cultures’, International Review of Education, vol 45, n.3/4, pp. 269-280.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., Marshall, S., and Ketteridge, S. (2003). A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing academic practice. 2nd ed. UK and USA: Kogan Page Limited.
Honey, P and Mumford, A. (1992) The Manual Learning Styles. Maidenhead: Peter Honey.
Pound, L. (2006). How Children Learn: From Montessori to Vygotsky - educational theories and approaches made easy. London: MA Education Ltd.
Learning through senses means to undermine sight’s privilege in teaching, opening up to an inclusive use of students’ skills.
There is an old Chinese proverb: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” This saying existed in ancient Chinese philosophy for a long time, although some westerners use it as a Benjamin Franklin quote; while some think it is from Maria Montessori – but the famous school Association Montessori Internationale has officially clarified it as a Chinese proverb. This philosophy of teaching/ learning approach is called “Learning Through Senses” in the western.
Maria Montessori was the most famous western educator who strongly supports this theory. She observed that the younger children were intensely attracted to sensory development apparatus. The children used these materials spontaneously, independently, repeatedly and with deep concentration. They emerged from this spontaneous activity renewed and with a profound sense of inner satisfaction. Montessori method is based on the spontaneous activity of the child which is aroused precisely by the interest the child takes in the material" (AMI, 2015). She argues that children enjoy learning in an environment designed to meet their needs and they learn best through the senses (Pound, 2006). Hence this approach is talked about more often in education for children in primary school and secondary school instead of in HE. Many great educators think similar, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Robert Owen for example (Pound, 2006), and regard learning through senses is a good way for children.
2. Pragmatist style of learning
Learning then comes to be seen not only as a reading activity but also as a full-bodied experience. Some students have a pragmatist style of learning. For them, understanding the practical, applicative is key in approaching wider concepts (Honey and Mumford, 1992). The embodiment of learning is easily to be understood when the skill to be achieved is somehow practical. Still, workshops and small groups teaching are active arena in where to experiment a multi-sensorial form of learning. The use of objects, music, tactile involvement are easy to be achieved without having to change a classroom arrangement. Smell and taste are harder to be included because of schools regulations, but sharing food to talk about culture is a valid ice-breaker in an environment where different identities and cultures are negotiated.
Moreover, Western tradition has included this full-bodied approach as in Montessori educational method, where children are invited to actively play and engage with nature as part of their learning experiences. Heutagogy approach, developed in neuroscience , has recently brought up the need of making the learning curriculum flexible and more learner-centred. While adopting the use of social media and other sight-based learning tools, it fails to recognize the role that other senses can have in opening a way to deep learning.
3. Classens article “Other ways of Wisdom: Learning through the senses across cultures”
I am commenting Constance Classens article “Other ways of Wisdom: Learning through the senses across cultures”, in which the author compares different teaching/learning methods from other cultures with Western one. Classens’ point is that we give for granted that knowledge is acquired mainly through reading, while the other forms of apprenticing can be defeating. This position, enhanced by Western positivistic supremacy, labels as decadent and irrational those cultures that adopt other approaches. Classens shows how, instead, very in depth form of understanding are taught through senses. Smell becomes fundamental in recognizing medicinal herbs that would look the same, the taste of matcha is part of the overly refined tea ceremony apprenticeship in Japan and so forth. The claver point in Classens’ article is that, especially in multi-cultured environment, senses can be a gate to attention and focus in terms of personal attitude and background.
4. "Learning through senses" can be used in HE
What I want to add on this topic is that “Learning Through Senses” is not just for children, this approach is also of great value in higher education. Firstly it is applicable for a modern language degree. Modern language degrees in the UK have traditionally been designed for British students who have spent several years learning one or more foreign languages at secondary school and perhaps even in primary school. To trigger their memory and re-arouse their interest of learning a foreign language, we can use the “Learning Through Senses” approach.
Secondly I want to talk about a session I had when my master started in 2013. It was a Cultural Geography seminar and there were seven of us in the class. We were asked to define/compare and contrast “place” and “space”, and what we need to do is grab a pen and go to the white writing board to write the concepts down. The succession of movement – getting up, grab a pen, go to the board, write it down, come back to seat, put the pen down – make the session more impressive and make up us think deeper before acting. I regard this succession of movement part of kinaesthetic learning or tactile leaning in which an individual’s knowledge acquisition is enhanced by touching, manipulating or doing as distincts from listening, watching, reading and writing. Everyday movement can be used as a method in “Learning Through Senses” approach.
Resources
AMI. (2015). Materials. Available: http://ami-global.org/materials. [Last accessed 26 May 2015].
Classen, C. (1999) ‘ Other ways to wisdom: learning through the senses across the cultures’, International Review of Education, vol 45, n.3/4, pp. 269-280.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., Marshall, S., and Ketteridge, S. (2003). A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing academic practice. 2nd ed. UK and USA: Kogan Page Limited.
Honey, P and Mumford, A. (1992) The Manual Learning Styles. Maidenhead: Peter Honey.
Pound, L. (2006). How Children Learn: From Montessori to Vygotsky - educational theories and approaches made easy. London: MA Education Ltd.