142. Inner Space, The Final Frontier
Talking Hands Talking Feet inspires educators to rethink human body education through its innovative and theatrical “Human Body School” arts integrated program.
Talking Hands Talking Feet, the teaching artistry of Songs To Educate says, “Inner Space…is the Final Frontier”. Understanding human body mechanics is one thing. Understanding the organic intelligence implicit in the body’s dynamic systems is quite another. Human Body education can be an incredible journey of discovery.
In this Talking Hands Talking Feet program, the children are engaged at many levels. For example, the circulatory-respiratory system is taught as part of a theatrical “body opera”. The children are singing a magnetic song revolving through the arterial and venal blood systems and the in and out breath of the lungs – charging the blood with oxygen and exhausting the carbon dioxide.
The students are challenged to create choreography that represents the circulatory-respiratory systems plus movements that mimic the nature of the red and blue blood systems. What they come up with is nothing short of natural genius!
“There’s so much going on in this,” delights teaching artist Paul Zeir. “We come into the classroom, create an open space in the middle and ‘blast off’ into an adventure of discovery. The children are singing a fun, instructional song, moving through a choreographic diagram of the cardio-vascular system that they help create. It enhances spatial intelligence because they have to be able to see the ‘plan view’ as well as the ‘elevation view’. It’s not static. The whole thing is moving all the time. Live learning is dynamic.”
Zeir continues, “This dynamic learning process builds in increments to a threshold. Then comes the ‘aha!’ moment when the students understand what they’re doing; they make the connection and suddenly the subject is no longer abstract…It’s like fireworks going off in their brains! But it truly requires trust in their natural intelligence.”
“Human Physiology and Health should play a central role in education, but not just with charts and flat informational text. Wonder and curiosity are the guides. We are talking about an uncommon approach to education that doesn’t underestimate children’s natural intelligence.”
“Human Body School” is a successful example of an experiential, interactive arts integrated approach to human physiology and health. It engenders wholesome attitudes about the body through wonder, awe, encouragement and deep respect.
“Imagine an education model that would include human body studies in an arts integrated experiential way that children remember and value,” Zeir continues.
“Imagine young lives developing the self confidence and motivation to take responsibility for their health because they value and understand body fundamentals from the inside out. It would change the cultural landscape to do with the health, food and medicine.”
Talking Hands Talking Feet aims to bring children of the 21st century into new and sustainable ways of learning that respect the natural intelligence and sanctity of human life. Human Body School songs and movement theater represent an accessible, engaging new pathway of education for parents and teachers worldwide.
~PAZ