Holistic thinking is guided by the principle idea of everything is connected. It promotes the idea that knowledge is never in isolation, instead it is part of a bigger picture or ecosystem.
The Methods
Top Down Method
The top-down method is used in many different scientific fields and professions.
It's a way to organise knowledge from the top (most general) to the bottom (most detailed).
Similar to how an artist can start with broad strokes then fill in the details of colour and texture. This helps many people to organise knowledge while staying focused and not becoming confused with all of the details.
Word Generation
Words, thinking, and your environment
How you think and feel produces certain words and sentences.
Most of what you think about has something to do with your environment, past, present, or future.
So you can now see language is connected to thinking, and thinking is connect to an environment or your world!
To apply holistic thinking, we are going to make connections using a word generator.
The Word Generator
Key Word
The key word (or root word) is your starting point. Usually this word lives in many different contexts (just like electricity did), and it's your theme word.
Etymology
Is the study of the history of words. Tracing words back to their origin can reveal some fascinating connections.
Thesaurus
This is all about synonymous words, or an associated word.
Questions
Your question can be formatted like this, What is the connection between the "key word" and this "new word"?
Search Engine
Type your questions into a search engine to find very useful results for your word queries. And form connections!
Topic Map - what you make
Using this technique, you can build a topic map quick and easy!
This way, you can be assured that every topic has real connections – it has real meaning.
Extension - Fashion
The advantage of a holistic program is this. When you or children make a creative leap to another topic, you are still in theme!
Lock Nature
In Unlock Nature we used the scientific method to develop evidence.
When programming you can do the reverse.
It seems a little sneaky for an educator to hide knowledge, however if knowledge is uncovered, there is nothing to discover! By changing some logical statements you effectively lock up certain events.
It's the same principle idea that can be found in games like crosswords, puzzles, and escape rooms.
So become the mystery maker, the engineer of fun, the master teacher.
Planning for Play in STEAM Wrap Up
Name
The Fun Loop
Purpose
Clarify the emotional kick in a activity
When to use
Use this method when planning interactions. It enables you to analyse the learning environment, and its potential to motivate children (the fun potential)
Name
The Control Loop
Purpose
Clarify cause & effect and encourage logic.
When to use
Use this method when planning interactions.
It enables you to analyse the learning environment, and its potential for knowledge and changeability.
Name
The Scientific Method
Purpose
Generate evidence and form logical reasoning
When to use
Use this method when planning interactions.
It gives you (the teacher) the power to squeeze as much out of your lessons as you possible can. It also helps you to generate evidence to form logical reasoning. To prove by experiment!
Name
The Word Generator
Purpose
To generate an abundance of ideas that are all in theme while having surprising connections.
When to use
Use this method when planning interactions. Anytime there is an intentional focus, key interest, or you want to make extensions but don't know where to start.
