Guy Claxton in his book 'Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind' talks about "the slow ways of knowing ... the mind needs to be given time" and that we need the disposition to take one's time. I've just been to a slow food weekend in Melbourne which is about "living an unhurried life, beginning at the table." This sounds like a good idea that should apply to education where everything is speeded up with standards, assessments, progression points, high level thinking, authentic learning.
To add to the food metaphor, Claxton also says that the "know-how regions of our minds are organised less like the Library of Congress than a well used kitchen". We need both the organised, logical, deliberative thinking, as well as the meandering, serendipitious, playful, dreamy thinking.
Let's slow down and enjoy our learning and teaching.
5 comments:
The Claxton line fits with my partner and I. I am the organised one but it looks messy. He, on the otherhand, looks organised but is meandering along thinking in a million ways that one can never catch up with. Its partnerships like these that helps the 'slow learning'
But Joan, does he pick up wet towels?
Yes he does!
hi sam thanks for the opportunity.
I look forward to contributing in the future.
Thanks for the comment Clark. I read your post about slow learning.
Claxton talks about learning by osmosis, the know-how learning which is more intuitive learning I guess. It involves a calmer more leisurely process which we are usually unable to articulate.
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