Brilliant idea! In some ways, The Third Teacher project took that approach, but it really only scratches the surface of what is a massive undertaking. If you were to expand beyond the school and think about the Pattern Language of a Learning Life, where the city, the world, and the life in and around us was all part of Learning World, it would be sensational! Love it! Go for it!
Now I know why our conversation sparked connection to this post for you! Another pattern language for learning is "Do it outdoors whenever you can" -- infinite variations of what this can look like -- in content, in pedagogy, in setting, in the community where it's happening -- and now I've seen this pattern play out as truly universal, from informal settlements around Nairobi to Colorado's mountains. The way it looks varies wildly. The how it feels is consistent. Better. Calmer, more engaged, happier, and more self-regulated students; healthier, more joyful, more effective, more creative teachers. Affinity for more-than-human nature.
Amazing to discover a Montessorian who's also a Christopher Alexander fan! The pattern I would nominate for the future of learning is "enable more experienced learners to teach less experienced learners." People love helping others, they strengthen their own understanding by teaching, and build relationships along the way.
Love this post, thanks Sam! Strikes me that another fundamental component of Montessori - observation - is an essential tool as it relates to this piece: "What we want to know is how the structure of the space supports the patterns of events it does, in such a way that if we change the structure of the space, we shall be able to predict what kinds of changes in the patterns of events this change will generate.” And I'd imagine that when applying it to patterns in space, it requires A LOT of scientific, consistent observation.
Expanding beyond school to a pattern of a learning life makes so much sense both as we are learners all our lives but also as a means to take us beyond our preconceptions of where learning will take place.
I fully support the nomination of both “Follow the child” and “Inspire awe.” I would nominate:
Promote agency – not only the choice associated with ‘Follow the child” but the action – exploration, experimentation, and expression
Nurture community
Facilitate connection – with local or distant communities and individuals, with the natural world, with information and resources, with the past and the future
Provide mentors – a person who knows the student well, cares about them, is there for them when needed
Promote discernment – How do I know what I think I know? What are other views?
Support contemplation – Who am I? What am I experiencing? What am I good at? How do I contribute?
I am reminded of a kaleidoscope – each pattern turning over and interacting with other patterns.
Really cool post. I like the idea of pattern languages that balance a clear guide with infinite ways to personalize it. I haven't heard of Alexander's work, but I'm going to start some research. I've also been researching neuroarchitecture and biophilic design for a school idea I'm working on, which I suspect have a lot of overlap.
I would nominate:
Inspire Awe.
I think learning comes downstream from emotion, which is transmitted through a relationship between the teacher and the pupil. And the most important emotion a teacher can inspire in a student is a connection to the larger world, or what we call awe. It's the feeling of awe that allows a student to start to have an understanding of how the world works and how they work within it.
YES. The challenge now is how to describe the core components of the pattern language that relates to inspiring awe, so that anyone who wishes to do so can conceive of how to do it as clearly as that description of an entrance transition. :) Knowing that, how would you like to describe it?
Brilliant idea! In some ways, The Third Teacher project took that approach, but it really only scratches the surface of what is a massive undertaking. If you were to expand beyond the school and think about the Pattern Language of a Learning Life, where the city, the world, and the life in and around us was all part of Learning World, it would be sensational! Love it! Go for it!
I love that -- the pattern language of a learning life . . .
Love Christopher Alexander's work! Are you familiar with Brandon Hendrickson's substack on Pattern Language? We've had some discussions of Montessori and Pattern Language. https://open.substack.com/pub/losttools?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=onagk
Hey Angela! I was not familiar, but I have just subscribed.
Now I know why our conversation sparked connection to this post for you! Another pattern language for learning is "Do it outdoors whenever you can" -- infinite variations of what this can look like -- in content, in pedagogy, in setting, in the community where it's happening -- and now I've seen this pattern play out as truly universal, from informal settlements around Nairobi to Colorado's mountains. The way it looks varies wildly. The how it feels is consistent. Better. Calmer, more engaged, happier, and more self-regulated students; healthier, more joyful, more effective, more creative teachers. Affinity for more-than-human nature.
Two resources not directly related to your prompt, but I think worth sharing:
- The Montessori Architecture pattern language: 28 patterns for organizing space to support Montessori philosophy: https://montessori-architecture.org/tool/about
- Christopher Alexander's late work, "The Nature of Order." MINDBLOWINGLY good. I wrote a little about it here. The concept of "centers" may be pertinent to the education pattern language. https://mitramartin.substack.com/p/texts-for-a-new-time-christopher
Amazing to discover a Montessorian who's also a Christopher Alexander fan! The pattern I would nominate for the future of learning is "enable more experienced learners to teach less experienced learners." People love helping others, they strengthen their own understanding by teaching, and build relationships along the way.
Love this post, thanks Sam! Strikes me that another fundamental component of Montessori - observation - is an essential tool as it relates to this piece: "What we want to know is how the structure of the space supports the patterns of events it does, in such a way that if we change the structure of the space, we shall be able to predict what kinds of changes in the patterns of events this change will generate.” And I'd imagine that when applying it to patterns in space, it requires A LOT of scientific, consistent observation.
Expanding beyond school to a pattern of a learning life makes so much sense both as we are learners all our lives but also as a means to take us beyond our preconceptions of where learning will take place.
I fully support the nomination of both “Follow the child” and “Inspire awe.” I would nominate:
Promote agency – not only the choice associated with ‘Follow the child” but the action – exploration, experimentation, and expression
Nurture community
Facilitate connection – with local or distant communities and individuals, with the natural world, with information and resources, with the past and the future
Provide mentors – a person who knows the student well, cares about them, is there for them when needed
Promote discernment – How do I know what I think I know? What are other views?
Support contemplation – Who am I? What am I experiencing? What am I good at? How do I contribute?
I am reminded of a kaleidoscope – each pattern turning over and interacting with other patterns.
And here's my collection of existing pattern languages (some links may need a Wayback Machine boost): https://bra.in/7qeDZg
In 2014, Takashi Iba wrote Learning Patterns: A Pattern Language for Creative Learning, which has some patterns to borrow from. I asked Perplexity to summarize them, and got this useful list: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-are-the-patterns-explaine-br.YXIHZT4S13v9YKqr_9A
Really cool post. I like the idea of pattern languages that balance a clear guide with infinite ways to personalize it. I haven't heard of Alexander's work, but I'm going to start some research. I've also been researching neuroarchitecture and biophilic design for a school idea I'm working on, which I suspect have a lot of overlap.
I would nominate:
Inspire Awe.
I think learning comes downstream from emotion, which is transmitted through a relationship between the teacher and the pupil. And the most important emotion a teacher can inspire in a student is a connection to the larger world, or what we call awe. It's the feeling of awe that allows a student to start to have an understanding of how the world works and how they work within it.
YES. The challenge now is how to describe the core components of the pattern language that relates to inspiring awe, so that anyone who wishes to do so can conceive of how to do it as clearly as that description of an entrance transition. :) Knowing that, how would you like to describe it?