Frequently Asked Questions
What is the educational philosophy behind Moving Beyond the Page?
Some of the more popular philosophies in homeschool education include Classical Education, Waldorf, Montessori, and Unschooling. Moving Beyond the Page incorporates wonderful aspects from many of these approaches to education. Like the Waldorf Theory, we believe in educating the whole child, and our lessons reflect this belief. Like Montessori, we don't emphasize grades or tests and believe in respecting the individuality of each child. We also believe in giving students a level of freedom in what they study and encouraging them to experience their education in the real world — two hallmarks of Unschooling.
At its core, however, the Moving Beyond the Page curriculum is most closely aligned with what is known as the Constructivist Theory of Learning. Constructivists view learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs knowledge as he tries to comprehend his world. Constructivist theory is about facilitating the learner to go beyond simple memorization toward understanding, application, and competence.
Constructivist theory indicates that understanding, application, and competence cannot be achieved without actively engaging the learner. Learners should be constantly asked to synthesize and evaluate what is being learned. Students must "experience," on some level, what they are being asked to learn in order for the learning to have meaning. In a constructivist-oriented learning environment, students acquire content while carrying out tasks requiring higher-order thinking.
Active learning is a great way to remember what underlies a constructivist approach to learning — not just reading a textbook or hearing a lecture, but actually exploring what is being learned, applying understanding, experimenting with ideas, and forming new ways of thinking. Students must be given time to reflect on and discuss ideas and knowledge.