kinesthetic learning

Mancuso, Carolina. “Bodies in the Classroom.” Teaching with Joy: Educational Practices for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Rowman & Littlefielf Publishers, Inc. 2007, pp.13-20.

Summary:

This article by Carolina Mancuso touches on why there should be an “...active engagement of the body in learning.”(14) She explains how the research done by Gendlin, Henderson, and Spolin lead her to “...holistic mind, body, and spirit teaching and learning...”(17) In these summaries she explains how the body needs to be active in order for the mind to remember and hold on to those memories. By having minimal movement in the class, it constricts the student's ability to feel comfortable learning. These movements do not have to be huge but should occur through out the class period. It can be anything from walking around the classroom to remembering how our bodies were at different ages so that students can become aware of their own bodies/physiology. Mancuso gives great examples of how she has used these methods in her own classroom through activities such as drama-in-the-classroom or bodywork sessions. These activities are detailed so that you can actually repeat them yourself. She also explains how there may be resistance from students and it is important to respect their right to refuse to participate in the activity.

I found this article very enlightening on why holistic education is important for students. Mancuso did not go into detail about how these methods have impacted her students or if they full embraced it. Thus, this article is not helpful in collecting specific study data. However, the article provided me with many sources to explore so I can bring these methods into my own classroom. Thus it was a great jumping off point as to which experts to consult about mind and body learning in addition to how to begin using these methods.

Quotes:

-“Most of us, teachers and students alike, have been steeped in 'mind-only' schooling all our lives.” (14)

-“This standpoint recognizes the lack of attention to the whole person in most schooling and the ensuing emphasis on the cognitive, which contributes greatly to dysfunctional aspects of our society.” (14)

-“The knowledge our bodies carry may not be readily accessible to us because, in general, we do not receive instruction on reading our bodies, and if any, far less than in reading our minds or emotions.” (19)