Knowledge Through Experience Experience fosters learning; learning creates knowledge. Learning is the link through which we construct knowledge through experience. Scientists have firmly established and progressive educators have long recognized that learning and knowledge in children does not follow as an automatic result from what is taught. Learning and the resulting knowledge is in large part due to childrens' own doing. It is a consequence of their experience: Their activities, problem solving and environment. Children generate their own rules and mental models which they use to make sense of their experiences. Learning is the process of adjusting those mental models to accommodate new experiences. Knowledge is the more complex and networked model which results from the adjustments, or learning. At the neurological level, knowledge is defined as the pattern of connectivity among neurons; and learning is defined as modifications to this pattern of connectivity and the establishment of new synapses and interconnections. A rich environment allows for a multitude of experiences and therefore a greater number of interconnections can be established; consequently, learning can take place faster, more effectively and with greater meaning. At The Chicago Grammar School, our program is designed to immerse the child in complex interactive experiences that are both rich and relevant to the child. The teacher's role is to identify and plan for the experiences. They assume the responsibility of guiding the problem solving. The teacher attentively adjusts the level of assistance and direction in response to the child's level of performance, thereby either expanding or creating a new mental model to accommodate the experience. back to home print this page