The Kindergarten Model of Education

by Gary McCallister

After attending the Mindfest Conference at MIT at the end of October I returned home with much to think about. I was unusually stimulated and thoughtful following the meeting. Perhaps it was just hybrid vigor after a weekend of immersion in engineering, education, robotics, and programming, but I found myself thinking about the implications of the things learned there and my own practices as a biology professor. I came up the following "Kindergarten Model of Education."

The best way of implementing this model, I believe, is by imagining a one-year-old crawling around on the floor with parents or siblings, or a kindergarten class busy at "work." Then try to extrapolate what that might look like for ten-year-olds, high school seniors, or college students.

1. We live in a world of objects

• Some of those objects have a great effect on living things.
• We need to learn how to deal with those objects.
• The best way to learn how to deal with objects is to play with them.

2. Many of the objects in the world are alive. (We live in a living world.)

• Some of those living things have an effect on objects and on other living things.
• We need to learn how to deal with living things.
• The best way to learn about living things is to play with them.

3. Many of the living things in the world are people.

• People have ideas that influence how we deal with objects and living things.
• We need to learn how to deal with people.
• The be way to learn how to deal with people is to play with them.

4. We live in a world of ideas.

• Many of the powerful ideas in the world involve what we think about objects and living things.
• Ideas have consequences. For example, many ideas have to do with living together with both objects and other living things: freedom, rights, duties, love, law, ecology, symbiosis, gravity, magnetism.
• The best way to learn about those ideas is to play with them.

5. We deal with objects, living things, people, and ideas through processes (procedures, skills).

• By understanding and controlling process we can better control objects, life, and ideas.
• We need to learn the appropriate processes for dealing with objects, life and ideas.
• The best way to learn to control a process is to play with it.

If one adopts the above purposes of education, it would follow that our classrooms should be rich in objects, living things, and people who are playing together, many powerful ideas, and the opportunity to learn new processes specific to each field. Students need many opportunities to PLAY with all of these, just as a baby needs opportunities to manipulate, throw, touch, put things in their mouth and generally fool around with the world. I believe that with sufficient opportunities to play there would be very little need for, or importance in, memorizing facts, trivial ideals, and multiple choice exams. If there is enough play we will remember and gain wisdom and knowledge. Gary McCallister is Professor of Biology at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. He has been instrumental in bringing the Logo Summer Institutes to Colorado.

He may be contacted at: mccallis@mesastate.edu