How to plan for Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning Blog Hop Series

Welcome to our Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning Blog Hop Series. This week we'll be writing all about how we make learning "whole"-istic and joyful in our home.

Monday we discovered the definition for Joyful "Whole"-stic Learning. "Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning-willingly and eagerly formulating questions, creating experiments, and taking risks to acquire knowledge from the source without limitations placed on how, when, or where."

Join us:
Monday...What is Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning?
Tuesday...How to plan for Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning
Wednesday...Suggestions from our series of Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning posts.
Thursday...An example of a recent Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning moment from our Joyful Moment Link.
Friday...Wrap-up: How do you keep records of what you have learned?

Today we'll look at How to plan for Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning. 

Planning in this way is much different than what you may be used to thinking about when you are planning a lesson. There is no script involved, nothing laid out to be learned by all, no one in charge of passing out the information.

Planning for Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning is more about being aware of what is going on around you, knowing where to get resources. Where are the special events in your community? Where are places of interest: museums, zoos, historical places, or your own backyard. Who is knowledgeable in your area? Who has stories to tell? Who do you talk to at the library to help you find the really good stuff?

Then planning is about getting materials necessary for the learning task. Say we're going creeking, I'm taking a backpack with the first aide kit and lots of water, but I'm also stuffing in field guides, pictures to help us identify small water creatures, our wellies, towels, changes of clothes, nets, scoops and containers, an underwater scope, and anything else that strikes our fancy.

Before we get in the water, I'm stopping at the visitor center and asking if there is anything interesting happening in the water during this season, where there's a great spot, and if there is something somewhere else on the premises that is especially interesting. 

Then it is to the water, or wherever else we will find adventure.

Do I have a checklist of things to find or talk about? No way. I'm a learner too! I have questions, I wonder why the fish with the silver streak are so illusive and what the name of the bird is that was standing just over the ridge and what that slippery thing was that touched my hand. Oh and the questions the kids have are so much more important. "Momma what are the crayfish's pinchers for and why did it get me?" "Look it is like an arrowhead (and in fact it is an arrowhead). Do you think our ancestor that came on a boat with his wife and small son on this very river knew the Native American that carried this arrowhead?" Or "Why does Little Man keep splashing me with water?"

Now what do I do with these questions. First, if I know something about the answer, I say, "What do you think? I tell them what I know. Then I say, "What do you think?" If I don't know, I say, "What do you think?" Then we find out. No trip is complete without following up back over at the environmental center to find out just why that fish is so illusive and what that birds name might be. How long ago Native Americans were living in the area. And if our friend, Heather, doesn't know, we search books and the internet. We continue to seek out the answer. Sometimes it can take years to find out, sometimes we have to experiment, take a  risk. But in the end we've learned in a real place, something that we were not only interested in, but that we enjoyed doing.

Interested in learning more about our days? Join us tomorrow for: Suggestions from our series of Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning posts.


See all of the other great blogs participating with their own  series posts here:

Wishing you homeschool blessings,