Friday, October 3, 2008

Philosophy Part ll: The Absorbent Mind

Philosophy Part ll
Evonne Liu
Assignment l―Day: 10/1/08
Outline of The Absorbent Mind

1. The Child’s Part in World Reconstruction
Education must start from birth since man begins his mental growth at the hour of birth and pursues it with the greatest intensity during the first three years of his life. The child is endowed with unknown powers to teach himself and does an impressive work of inner formation. He has the chance to build up a complete psychic structure, before the intelligence of grownups can reach his spirit and produce changes in it. During this early period of life, if education can help to unfold the child’s inborn psychic powers; the child becomes able to direct and to mold the future of mankind.


2. Education for Life
The concept of education must conform to the facts of human life.
The child can only build well when the parents’ help is given in a suitable way. Society must heed the child, recognize his rights and provide for his needs. Once adults have focused attention and studied on life itself, they may find out how knowledge should be governed to help the child to construct his work of formation and brings out the immense potentialities to endow him.


3. The Periods of Growth
From birth to six is the most important period of life. The movements the child acquires are in the sense that each proceeds out of a particular period of development. When the child begins to move, his mind, being able to absorb, has already taken in his surroundings. Before he starts moving at all, an unconscious psychological development has taken place in him, and when he initiates his first movements, this begins to become conscious. The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence. The child is endowed with great creative energies. The energies belong to an unconscious mind, which has to become conscious through work and through an experience of life gained in the world. Only practical work and experience lead him to maturity.


4. The New Path
Scientists are now not only study adult specimens, but also taking new focus on the younger specimens. If we study the different forms of life, we find the necessity for two instinct ways of living. If we make this assertion of human life, it becomes necessary to study children, because of the effects they have upon adults. Human life is studied effectively,if we start with very beginning.


5. The Miracle of Creation
Every creature comes from a single first cell. The cell begins by dividing into two equal cells, then four eight, then eight sixteen, and so on. The cells then arrange and form the body and system of organs. If we realize how each complex system like organs, muscles, skin, and nerves function in the body, than we feel upon us the spell of the wonder and majesty of nature.


6. Embryology and Behavior
The investigating on the embryos and their behavioral patterns may help us to understand the formation for human characteristics and behaviors.


7. The Spiritual Embryo
The “Spiritual Embryo” is a decisive moment for the future. The child has to do huge creative work in this period. He has to absorb and adapt the environment surrounding him and then practices in his social group.


8. The Child’s Conquest of Independence
Children’s physical side grows according to natural laws; their mental creation develops by means of experience on his environment. We call such experience “work”. The child gains freedom by his development and growth. The freedom and “work” help the children to conquer independence.


9. The First Days of Life
The first lesson we must learn is that the tiny child’s absorbent mind finds all its nutriment in its surroundings. Mother-child’s special bond relationship helps the child to adapt his new world and develop normally. After this period the child uses his senses to absorb the life going on about him and becomes one with it.


10 Some Thoughts on language
All the sounds that occur in words are produced by the use of certain mechanisms. Children can construct their own machinery and so learn to perfect the languages he hears about. Circumstances are very important, too. If the child lives among educated people with rich vocabulary, he takes it in well; his language will be enriched no matter what his surroundings are.


11 How Language calls to the Child
The inner teacher does everything at right time. The child first fixes the sounds unconsciously; and then the syllables, following by a gradual process that is logical as the language itself. And then finally his language capability enters into the field of grammar. Nature lays down the whole language program for the child via the service and collaboration of the adults.

12 The Effect of Obstacles on Development
Since a child was born, he starts to face different degree of obstacles. Some of them may effect permanently in their life. It’s necessary to know the child’s whole life, or at least to investigate his immediate past. Before we can pacify this tiny creature in the difficulties he is facing. Our patience to wait for the right moment is very important for us to react properly and help their development.


13 The Importance of Movement in General Development
Movement is the final result of nervous energy transmission from brain, senses and muscles, and it expresses child’s personality and relationship to his surroundings. A child’s brain, senses and muscles must cooperate to let him reach high spirituality through action. Man’s movements have great importance in mental development and must be coordinated with the brain. Movement helps child to develop his mind and sensorial activity helps to bring up child’s mental level. Man’s muscles are uncoordinated and he has to learn to build them up by actions initiated by his mind. Child has to practice his internal power to bring about coordinations and to perfect them. In doing so a child can enrich his practical and executive sides of his mental life.


Quote:
There are different types of mentality in the successive phases of growth. These phases are quite distinct one from another, and they are corresponding with the phases of physical growth. (page 19)

Example:
My son’s baby teeth were changed very slowly. He only got 4 adult teeth by age 12. He didn’t grow very tall, either. I was always wondering why he was still acting like much younger than his age suppose to be. Next year by age 12 and half, he suddenly got 6 teeth wiggle and fell in two month. By that time he was not only got new teeth but also improved on his behavior. He suddenly became much mature and responsible. This shows the correspondence between physics and mental growth.


Quote:
The child’s first instinct is to carry out his actions by himself, without anyone helping him, and his first conscious bid for independence is made when he defends himself against those who try to do the action for him. To succeed by himself he intensifies his efforts.(page 91)

Examples:
The quote remind me a three year old girl, S, who insisted on doing zipper herself every morning. The first time she cried for mama because she couldn’t zipper her jacket. I offered my help but she rejected. She said, “I want to do it by myself.” I hinted to her how to slide one end to other side and helped her to hold the bottom of the zipper. I did this little help for her for about 1 week, then she practiced by her own. When she successfully did it herself one day, Her impression was shown on her face. She was very happy and show me, “ Look, I did it!”

A little boy with very tiny figure whose hand was always holds by other kids while proceeding in team. After a few times he refused others help. He wanted to walk by himself. The person who wanted to hold his hand said, “You’re a baby, let me held your hand.” He replied, “No, I’m not. I’m a big boy now.” He insisted to walk by himself without any help. This indicates that he wants to be independent without other’s help.

Quote:
The child is truly a miraculous being, and this should be felt deeply by the educator. In two years this mite has learned everything. In these two years we see a consciousness gradually awakening within him, at an ever faster rhythm, until suddenly it seems to be taken by a fair wind and begins to dominate everything. (page 121)

Example:Last year I had a 3 year old boy in the class who spoke Spanish at home. His mom told me that the boy was taking the lesson with Japanese and French. He spoke English at school. At the beginning of school year his English conversational skill was not very good. Sometimes the teachers were wondering if he understands what’s going on in the class. But about 6 months, later, his English improved a lot. It was amazing to see that little boy could use four languages at same time

Philosophy Part ll: The Absorbent Mind