Holistic Education
As mentioned previously, Aboriginal ways of knowing include the interactions and relationships of all things in the universe; these relationships are interdependent (Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005). Attempting to segregate and compartmentalize knowledge reduces relevancy and connection with the learning at hand. Brown (n.d.) posits that for education to be truly valuable, it must educate the whole child; body, mind, spirit, emotions, and potential. Many sources of knowledge need to be accessed in addition to traditional colonial sources of knowledge; including elders, healers, and extended family (Hare, 2011). The interaction of disciplines also needs attention. Generational knowledge and experience offers a wider perspective and provides context and understanding to current phenomena (Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998).
The medicine wheel is one way to teach holistically. Each of the four pieces of the wheel represents a part of the whole. Various relationships can be represented on the wheel; for example, the four directions (north, west, east, south), the four elements (earth, air, water, fire), the four aspects of health (mental, physical, spiritual, emotional), the four continents (Asia, Africa, North America, Europe), and the four stages of life (childhood, young adulthood, adulthood, elderhood). The versatility of the medicine wheel makes it ideal for all subject areas. Be sure the representations you incorporate are relevant to the context.
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Holistic education can also be addressed through cross-curricular connections. Thematic-based units can be carried through all subject areas. For example, beginning with a story (language arts) showing the reduction of numbers in a species (biology) and using that to frame a real-world investigation into a local population (math). This could extend further to include the impact of human activities on the population and ways to counteract those effects (social studies). Other subject areas might be incorporated based on the specific context. For example, if contamination of habitat is a concern, chemistry can be brought in. If students are going to produce a public service announcement on the topic, it ties back to language arts. Looking for connections, encouraging students to find connections, and being flexible with the direction of a unit all speak to a holistic education model; beneficial for all learners.