BXVII - We are family

I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up ev'rybody and sing
We are Family - Sister Sledge

What does learning in a community-based setting afford children? What are they able to learn in a community-based setting that they would not be able to learn in a school setting? What does teaching in a community-based setting afford the educator? What can one do in a community-based setting that one could not do in a school?

I believe a community-based setting allows for students to see a variety of perspectives from a variety of knowledge that the community has, as opposed to the knowledge of a singular teacher. Learning in a community gives them an understanding of how to interact with others and to learn with others (by applying the knowledge they gain through their experiences). When a child learns one an one, the child has the potential to strongly focus on a single subject and become very adept at it. At the same time, if the child doesn't like that subject, it's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Thus, in a community it has the opportunity to explore, which I feel is an integral part of learning.

The educator, in a community setting, has the opportunity to learn beyond his or her own knowledge. Though there is the possibility of the educator learning from the student, being in an open community offers the knowledge of the entire community - more heads are better than one. I feel the communal knowledge offers something a more open concept education and knowledge pool. It also offers the practical application of knowledge that the student learns in or out of school.

Though I'm not saying school would limit a child, a community setting , if managed properly in a way the parents don't take over the educators role as a teacher, can be a positive experience for a learner. Once again, I believe a balance is needed. School has it's reasons for being an effective learning environment, but none the less the community offers something school does not. As mentioned before, allowing the student the application and exploration of it's knowledge would be much more wide open in a community setting.