Lots of children do not like going to school. They say it isn’t fun, it’s boring. They ask why do I have to learn this or that. I was lucky. As a kid I loved going to school, because I couldn’t wait to learn stuff. But school, for the most part definitely wasn’t fun. Once in a while I did have an awesome teacher who made class fun. Those teachers used music, games or movement in their teaching methods. I always aced those classes and remember the material even today. 

As an Anthropologist, I have an ongoing fascination with human behavior and I am especially interested in what makes humans happy, what makes us thrive and how can we continue to improve the human condition. I think one improvement would be to upgrade our education model for k-12 students. I want children to love school, I want them to have fun and learn skills that enable a bright future full of opportunity. 

What would a different model look like?  Here is what I came up with for a k-12 curriculum, I call it Goal Oriented Applicable Learning. Let me explain. There is a main category with sub-categories that are all related to learning the main topic. When disciplines are interconnected it teaches the reality of our interconnectedness in life,  and Aristotle’s axiom “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, is achieved.  Applicable learning means this is a “hands on”method. Children will be creating and building, not just reading about the topic. Yes, there will be plenty of reading, writing and testing, but mostly lots of DOING. 

The following is an initial example. Here are the five categories: 

Gardening 

Biology

Botany

Topography

Meteorology

Art/Design/Permaculture

Harvesting

Culinary Arts

Canning/Drying 

Building a Home 

Math

Science –  Electrical/Plumbing/Solar

Engineering

Art/Design

Architecture

Carpentry & Woodwork

Landscaping 

Debate

Public Speaking

Logic

Philosophy

Politics

Law

Rhetoric

Grammar & Vocabulary

Writing

Editing

Film Production

Peaceful Conflict Resolution

Theatre

Acting

Storytelling/Playwriting

Singing

Dancing

Music

Public Speaking

Art/Design

Carpentry

Sewing

Film Production

Life Skills

Tolerance

Relationships

Conscious Communication

Nutrition

Finance

Computer Science

Foreign Language

Sports & Martial Arts

Etiquette

I’d love to hear if you have anything positive to add. 

Be sure to sign up for my occasional newsletter. There is always something for everyone in it. Many blessings to you, Zoe 

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