ESSENTIALS OF EDUCATION

Children tend to discover by themselves, so they are always in an interaction their

environment. At the same time, children affect each other. As a result, they learning all the

time, and learning is so essential for them. In that case, “how do they learn something

better?”, “how important these things for them?” and “how can we provide the best things for

them?” We will consider these three interrelated questions.

Children learn best with observing and applying. The most important thing during

these processes is to provide that children can evaluate the results their experiences or

observations. Firstly, if we start with a basic example from everyday life about importance of

observing, teaching “lie is bad.” Assume a family that they are always trying to teach children

that they should not lie, but both parents can lie easily while with children. According to

Bandura’s theory -called social cognitive theory- these parents will be failed exactly. Because

children are taking you as a role model and if you want to teach something them, you have to

review your behavior. Also, bandura had an experiment about “Are the children affected by

their observations and not affected?” and the research approved that yes, we are role models

for children. Secondly, we will continue with another basic example about importance of

applying, “Don’t touch! You’ll burn.” When we say that to children “oh it’s too hot. Don’t

touch it”, generally we’ll see that children try to touch it. Because there is no experience about

it on children’s mind, so they will want to experience to define this situation completely.

According to experiential learning theory (David Kolb), experiments are more effective when

we are learning. I think that experiential learning theory and social cognitive theory work

together, because according to my informal observations from everyday life, I saw children

that do not touch hot things when they are warned, generally they had an experience or an

observation about it, so I think children learn best when they experienced or observed.

Otherwise, we use this information to maintain our lives, to improve our competencies and to
solve problems that we faced, so experienced or observed information is more referable than

others. The biggest evidence about this argue is that when someone talked about an

information, for approval as valid, this information has to be experienced or observed

practically. As Albert Einstein said “learning is experience, everything else is just

information”

Good or not, every experience had an effect on children’s life. As I mentioned in

introduction, the most important thing is to provide that children can evaluate and realize their

own experience for efficient and healthy process. According to self-regulation theory,

children should take responsibility to improve their competencies (Berk, Laura; Development

Through the Lifespan; Pearson, 2010). Because when we give a responsibility to children, we

have to inform them about the given and the possible consequences, and we create a good

opportunity to test ourselves according to their own choices simultaneously, so taking

responsibility is very important to gain experience and permanent learning. According the

researches, self-regulated children acquire more effective problem-solving strategies and

social skills during the preschool years. (Laible & Thompson. Mother-Child Conflict in the

Toddler Years. Child Development 73, 2002; Lecuyer & Houck. Socialization Strategies for

the Development of Self-Regulation. Infant Mental Health Journal 27, 2006).

From my professional perspective, self-regulation is so essential to educate healthy

and successful individuals in the future, because the most important issue that apart human

from other livings is the ability of creating difference and problem solving effectively.

Especially the ability of creating difference is shaping the world, so children should be given

these values first. In that case, what can we do to raise self-regulated individuals? Firstly,

create difference be only creative education! (Sir Ken Robinson) Supporting creativity is vital

for this, because to get new information, we have to get rid of ordinary things; but If you think

there is only one answer, then you will only find the one (Scottish consultative council on the
curriculum; teaching for effective learning; Learning & Teaching in Scotland, 1996).

Connected to the first way, secondly the good education has to provide opportunities for each

child to use their own capacities and to maintain their personal attributes, because if there is

no attachable goals or different competencies, we cannot talk about creativity in this

educational atmosphere. The last is curiosity. Creativity and sense of curiosity are connected

because curiosity causes creativity, in the same way creativity causes curiosity. To sum up,

fostering competencies, fair opportunities, creativity and curiosity are essentials of self-

regulation process for me. To educate individuals who can evaluate their own behaviors,

sensations and they can realize when they can be wrong; providing fair and creative

environment to test themselves is so important. if all this needs to be defined in one phrase,

“You cannot just give someone creativity injection. You have to create an environment for

curiosity and a way to encourage children and get the best out of them.” (Robinson, Sir Ken;

Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative; capstone publishing limited, 2001)

To conclusion, children are not the problems to be solved, so purpose of education is

not to replace the undesirable competencies of the child. Purpose of education is to indicate

ways of responsible and respectful behavior towards the child's environment, and at the same

time to enable them to develop their personality and talents in the best way possible.

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