As I have previously mentioned, my philosophy on teaching science is that it needs to be 98% experiential. Sure, some reading and writing are necessary. However, I am fully convinced that reading and writing supplement experiential learning in the area of science. I use personal experience as both a teacher and a learner to support this philosophy. I have discovered that very little can compete with the joy of watching your own children learn.
We had an amazing experience last week while on vacation. We got to watch a nest of sea turtles hatch and venture into the Atlantic ocean. There was no need for me to prompt my children to learn. They were bombarding me with questions, gasping in awe and planning their futures as scientists. I was able to answer some of their questions on the spot. The majority of their questions required a bit of research.
I suspect that they will retain what they have learned about Loggerhead Sea Turtles for many years. I wish that I could take my children on a world tour, allowing them to take in the amazing variety of plants and animals that call Earth home. Since that is out of the question, my husband and I try to maximize the opportunities that are presented to us.
Here is a link to an article written by Dr. Albert Mohler that addresses the issue of exposing children to God's creation. I was encouraged by this article when it was originally published in 2005. I love it when scholars confirm what I simply feel in my gut as a mother.
For those of you interested in the turtles here is a video of the nest that we saw hatch being relocated. Hopefully the video of the babies parading to the ocean will be up soon. You could check back here or on 'Coastal Digital' page on You-Tube.
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