4 Elements

The 4 Ws of Education

WHO? This is the individual student.  Or a group of students.  It encompasses their needs, interests, values, talents, personality, understanding, and developmental level.  This is also the teacher.

          WHO is like the element of FIRE.  As learners we reach higher for growth.

WHAT? This is the subject matter.  The curriculum. The values, perspectives, concepts, skills, and behaviors we want our students to learn and the experiences we want them to have.  WHAT we teach is largely determined by WHO we teach.

          WHAT is like the element of EARTH.  This is subject matter — the content of learning.

WAY? This is how we teach.  The pedagogical methods we select according to WHO and WHAT we are teaching.  The process of learning.

          WAY is like the element of WATER.  How we teach flows with student, teacher, and topic.

WHY? This is the purpose behind learning and the reason behind the educational decisions teachers, schools, and governments make.  We need to be intentional about WHO we teach, WHAT we teach, and the WAY we teach.

          WHY is like the element of AIR.  Purpose is everywhere — invisible and essential.