Introduction
At Spindow, we build knowledge in a collaborative environment. And this collaborative environment is surrounded by intentionality. This intentionality comes from 10 principles that were born from several chats about what we all feel is important when it comes to learning. In this article, I invite you to read a few thoughts about the “Exponential” principle and, afterwards, if you wish, post or send us your own thoughts and experiences or even possible insights you might have from reading it.
Language is connected
Well, the Exponential principle says, ‘every process must converge so that, at some point, the student understands how the language is connected and, thus, starts learning in an exponential way. The moment it will happen varies from student to student, accordingly to a number of factors.’
As I see it, to learn in an exponential way, we need to start dominating the features of a language to the point we are able to make connections. Then, those connections we make will themselves be the trigger for new connections that will not only relate to the structures of a language but also to its use in context taking into consideration the individual who is using that language to communicate. This individual, at this point, will see their learning process exponentially in the sense that they know how to apply what they learn to their life experiences in different areas.
Despite that interpretation of exponential learning, Spindow sees this principle in a broader way, as a form of looking at the learning process exponentially. Our everyday challenge as teachers is to find out, together with each student, their own way of looking at language bringing what seems already known by the student out of their mind to a visual mapping built in collaboration with the teacher who will listen and both interpret what the student brings as they speak and help organize their words in a picture/image that, by being figured out in this process, will help the student organize and make possible necessary adjustments to their thoughts so they are clarified. Thus, opening new mental spaces where they will be able to create from what has been formalized as a foundation for this language and, then, making the student more capable of using the language more fluently.
Conclusion
The process does not end, as it grows exponentially, making it possible for the student to feel free to use the language as a way of expressing themselves as they are and finding, in the new language, their own identity.
At this point, we hope the language is not anymore seen as an end in itself, but as a way to help our students exist as an active individual in their world, able to make positive transformations and state that language should not be a barrier, but a bridge among people.
Practice
How far do your thoughts go when you practice giving your thoughts an exponential environment for development?
As a teacher, which classroom practices can you think of to provide students with an exponential learning environment?
Record a class or activity where you apply this principle.
