When children are actively engaged in learning, amazing things happen.
For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. (Aristotle)
Learning by doing is not a new concept. Artisans such as stonemasons, bakers, playwrights, songwriters, blacksmiths and tailors have mentored their apprentices in specialized crafts and in a workshop context for centuries. The items they created had practical applications but also focused on beauty and design. An artisan understood the craft – the art, the science, the usefulness. Excellent teachers are just like this. They are artisans- artful, knowledgeable, and skilled. They respond to the apprentices (students) in a way that encourages, teaches, and develops self confidence. Last, but not least, they themselves are learners.
So what is the connection of this to language, peace building and peace education? A workshop philosophy in education honours the fundamental characteristics of what a workshop entails: learning by doing, honouring diversity, engaging in purposeful…
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Laurie Woodward 