One Thing at a Time
Focusing On Integrated Learning
Let's Talk About Taking One Thing at a Time!
Sometimes we need to look at the big picture.
We need to consider EVERYTHING and see how
everything's related and how everything fits in
organically into the big picture as one seamless
fabric.
At other times, we need to focus on specifics.
For example, if you are teaching your little
sister to tie her shoes, you shouldn't have
a lesson plan that explores all the
wondrous variety of knots and connecting
devices and materials involved and who
and how and where they're made and how
that impacts the lives of the workers
and the environment. No. Your little
sister doesn't want or need 'rain forest
shoe tying'. She needs a class in
Shoe Tying. Period.
Any sensible little girl will say to you,
"What does this have to do with tying my shoes
so I can go out and play?". And rightly so.
We need to focus on tying shoes and,
to simplify and ensure mastery, we need
to break down the process into component steps.
1. Get shoes with laces (in some households
with only velcro, shoe-tying is considered
antiquated and properly a part of classical
studies. However, shoe-tying teaches good
critical thinking skills and critical motor
skills and good work habits and, in most
households, most shoes still are laced).
2. Make a decision: Will I wear socks?
3. Organize shoes physically: left shoe
on the left, right shoe on the right.
4. Insert right foot into right shoe
or left foot into left shoe (You might
take this as a learning opportunity about
choice at this time because the child
can choose to complete the process
vertically, seeing the right shoe
all the way to completion and then
proceeding to the left foot, or doing
left and right together, horizontally.
For pedagogical purposes, we shall
describe the process for a generic,
"central shoe", with the understanding
that both the vertical and horizontal
methods are equally valid and that the
child is empowered with the right to choose).
5. Hold left lace in left hand
and right lace in right hand.
6. Cross right lace behind and around
left lace, under itself and pull tight
into an "x". (Note. This is the author's
preferred method. There may be other
methods of equal validity but, in
accordance with "One Thing at a Time"
philosophy, we will focus on this one
method, first.
7. Make a loop with lace that's on right.
8. Wrap left lace in front of and around
the right loop, looping the end of the
left lace and pushing that loop through
the hole you just made above the "x".
(Note. This could be broken down
into several steps or taught as one
continuous event).
9. Pull both loops tight.
10. Make adjustments for looseness,
length, and aesthetics as required
and according to personal preferences.
TA DA.
Your little sister is now ready
to go out and play. Her self-esteem
has been boosted and she has been
empowered to face and conquer the
world and meet new challenges with
a new skill. She will return to you
when she needs to learn things.
A lot of demonstration, guided
practice and independent practice will be
necessary for your little sister to master
this very important life skill.
Can you see now where maybe it was
helpful to not talk about workers and
the environment is this particular lesson?
Exactly. Your little sister needed
to focus her attention on acquiring the
shoe-tying skill for a while, exclusively.
This "Focused Learning Method" will
enable her to master an important skill
that she will be able to perform with
a high degree of skill, automatically,
for the rest of her life, freeing her
time and energy to devote to other
important tasks.
Her mobility has been greatly enhanced
and she will be able to scurry between
classes and libraries and other learning
environments, integrating and connecting
all aspects of her learning.