SOFA

“ALL EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS ARE BASED IN A VIEW OF HUMANKIND.”
Paulo Freire,  Pedagogy of the Oppressed

The Four Pillars of Life

There are four basic universal components from which every human being operates at all stages of life.  They are Music,  Art,  Drama and Storytelling.  In my view, these should be the foundation on which schooling is constructed.

MUSIC

Music, the universal language, the ever-present background to our lives and entertainment, the basis of creation.  I believe everything that vibrates, down to the lowliest cell, produces music even though we can’t hear it.  Even the moon produces its own music!

ART

Everything that exists in nature, and that is created by man, involves form, color and design.  The way we dress ourselves and our homes; the products and labels we produce; the gardens and artefacts we construct; our buildings, cars, airplanes, furniture, and so on, are all art forms.

DRAMA

We are born as actors on the stage of life.  We must interact from moment to moment in an improvisational drama with whatever circumstances surround us.  Our conversations aren’t scripted and are usually not controlled or predictable.  Our lines can’t be retracted once delivered.  Life is lived without an eraser.  The best performers usually win.

STORYTELLING 

We are all storytellers, telling our stories all day long.  That’s how we communicate.  The brain stores information best in story form.  Memory workshops tell us to make a story around lists and facts if we want to remember them.  In everything from job interviews to relationships, the most convincing storyteller is usually the most successful.  When story is delivered through art, music or drama, the brain thrives and recall is greatly enhanced.

Achieving competency in each of these pillars builds the flexibility that enables each individual’s differences and strengths to flourish and to be used to master academic knowledge.

The Pillars of our Current Model

The view of human kind that our educational system espouses is directly opposite to that of the four pillars of life.  These pillars are the least valued and first to be abandoned in a financial crisis.  Rather, students are viewed as vessels to be filled so they can spew back enough information to pass tests and make their way through the maze.  The pillars are Math, Science, Social Studies and English.  These are important fields of study and are excellent ways to arrange subject matter.  Considering the Pillars of Life in delivering this subject matter would make it much easier for students to succeed.

In their Inspiring Action on Education (2011) discussion paper, Alberta Education has identified Seven Competencies that they believe, “transcend subject areas”.  These are “the foundational skills employers depend on to make our workforce innovative and productive.”  They are also linked to student “disengagement, dissatisfaction with their school experience and dropping out.”   The Competencies are:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Creativity and Innovation
• Social Responsibility and Cultural, Global and Environmental Awareness
• Communication
• Digital Literacy
• Lifelong Learning, Self-Direction and Personal Management
• Collaboration and Leadership

In my view, these can only be achieved using the Four Pillars of Life as the method of delivering academic learning.

Time is the Coin we have to Spend

How many people have wasted many of the best hours of the day, during the formative years of their lives, being forced to sit in classrooms that are not meeting their needs but that may, in fact, be destroying the strengths and talents that would enable them to lead successful lives?  The only thing that counts in our current out-dated model of education is to avoid failure by getting good grades.  So everyone must be fed the same diet so they can pass the same tests. 

Let’s resolve to make the moments of our students lives interesting, challenging and filled with wonder at the great world we inhabit in an incredibly complex universe.

Respectfully submitted by   
Vera Goodman,  B.Ed, M.A.     

Vera is a Calgary based educator and best selling author.  She is also a SOFA executive member.  If you would like to connect with her, please do so via email at  vera@readingwings.com or website at www.readingwings.com