Vinaire's Blog

Reference: Critical Thinking in Education

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The biggest challenge to education is the stressed child, or the stressed student. When a child is stressed his attention is introverted onto his personal issues and he cannot learn.

The education at SLS is successful because it is addressing the challenge of stress successfully through its special curriculum. Learning requires extroverted attention.  The SLS environment is very extroverting.

Rule: The school environment should be such that it extroverts attention.

The general stress in the current society is increasing. It is inevitable that a certain percentage of children coming to school have stressful situations that are holding their attention. Their introverted attention then does not allow them to learn.

It is absolutely necessary for school to provide a stress-free extroverting environment so that learning can take place. If the school’s environment is also stressful then the student becomes conditioned and robotic.

At SLS, the first half hour of the day is devoted to activities that extroverts attention. The following exercise may also be used to extrovert attention.

This exercise may be conducted with a group of students, or it could be applied to a student who has difficulty learning.

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EXERCISE: EXTROVERSION

PURPOSE: To extrovert the attention by exploring the five physical senses.

STEPS:

(Touch – 5 minutes minimum)

1. Go to an environment where you can explore the sense of touch.

(a)  Touch two different surfaces and compare how they feel.

(b)  Touch them alternately until you can discern the uniqueness of each surface.

(c)  Touch a third surface repeatedly to get a feel of it. Then touch it alternately with one of the earlier surfaces, until you can discern how this third surface is unique.

(d)  Similarly touch additional surfaces carefully until you can discern their uniqueness.

2. Explore the sensation of touch until you can do so happily without feeling any resistance inside you.

3. Exercise the sense of touch for at least 5 minutes. You may do it for as long as you want.

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 (Sight – 5 minutes minimum)

1. Go to an environment where you can explore the shapes and colors of things.

(a)  Look at two different objects and compare their shapes and colors.

(b)  Look at them alternately until you can discern the uniqueness of their shapes and colors.

(c)  Look at a third object repeatedly to get an idea of its shape and color. Then look at it alternately with one of the earlier objects, until you can discern how this third object is unique.

(d)  Similarly look at additional objects carefully until you can discern their unique shapes and colors.

2. Explore the sight of objects until you can do so happily without feeling any resistance inside you.

3. Exercise the sense of sight for at least 5 minutes. You may do it for as long as you want.

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 (Hearing, Smell & Taste – total 10 minutes minimum)

1. Sit around a table and unpack your lunches and drinks. Don’t hold yourself back from talking.

2. Start smelling and tasting little bits of your lunch, while listening to each other talk. You may even listen to your own voice.

(a)  Explore the different sounds that you hear as to their timbre, pitch, loudness and other qualities.

(b)  Explore the different odors as to how pleasant or pungent they are, and as to their other qualities.

(c)  Explore the different tastes as to how sweet or salty they are, and as to their other qualities.

3. Explore the sounds, smells and tastes until you can do so happily without feeling any resistance inside you.

4. Do this exploration for at least 10 minutes. You may do it for as long as you want.

5. Take some deep breaths, appreciate what is around you, and get ready for your next school activity.

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