TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM
TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM
BY: ANN RUSTRUM & TYE RUSTRUM
On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. I learned about this date and tragedy as I studied for a test in elementary school. It came to life as a 23 year old adult standing in the former Texas School Book Depository building looking at a sniper’s perch and rifle staring down at the white “X” on Elm St. where the parade route went.
“Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust” had a new meaning as I stood in one of the boxcars that carried them to concentration camps and smelled their shoes piled high at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. I can only imagine the emotions evoked being at Auschwitz concentration camp in Germany. The conviction to never forget.
Watching the planes crash on September 11, 2001 was a moment in time I will never forget. But watching a 5 minute remembrance on the news is not even a comparison to seeing the man place a single white rose by the name of each individual’s name inscribed on the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on their birthday. Seeing the water pour into where the foundation of the World Trade Centers once stood.
Seeing with your own eyes the oil bubbles continue to rise nearly 70 years after the demise of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. The only time in American history when an entire military band has died in action, 1,177 crewman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOjvttpMwD8
On a lighter note, drinking Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, the best coffee I have ever tasted, while having our dear Jamaican friends point and say, “Yawman, those are the Blue Mountains over there”.
Taking our kids to the life size Noah’s ark in Kentucky. Watching their little faces look up from the bottom of the ark to the grandeur of what actually happened in that Bible story. Causing our faith to come to life.
Or even the smaller things:
- Counting how many flowers you can find on a nature walk instead of counting numbers on a chalk board.
- Learning the alphabet by spotting words that start with each letter of the alphabet while driving to school.
- Visiting a local dairy farm or u-pick strawberry patch to teach where our milk and fruit come from instead of reading about it in a book. Or even better, having a small strawberry patch on the side of the house that the kids are in charge of watering and taking care of, so that they learn the value of our food sources.
TRUST ME – IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT!
Does it take effort to do these things instead of turning on an educational show on TV? Absolutely, but I think you will find the greatest rewards from experiential learning. I had never hear the term “experiential learning” until I started writing this blog. It’s always funny to me when there’s an actual term for what we value for ourselves and our family. Experiential learning is a fancy term used to describe the hands-on approach to exploring new topics. Professional educators have adopted this practice to help learners of all ages digest information by doing rather than merely reading about what others have done.
Experiential learning, also referred to as project-based learning, replaces traditional methods of sharing knowledge through less interactive means. Although hands-on learning has made a huge impact in the education world, there’s no reason it has to be limited to the classroom or be employed strictly by professionals. Nor does it have to stop when school is over, keep it going!! I love the quote by Mark Twain, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.”
FEED CURIOSITIES
Now for you parents, grandparents, or future parents, if you’ve ever spent more than a few minutes with a young child, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the never-ending curiosity that consumes most developing minds. This childlike wonder can be a source of unexpected entertainment and humor.
“When raising children, it’s important to instill in them not only a love of learning, but a sense of initiative when it comes to diving into topics that spark interests. “
-Tye Rustrum
However, serving as an endless fountain of knowledge for your kids’ curiosities can become a tiring part of parenthood. After days, months, and years of questions, many parents find themselves habitually mumbling “I don’t knows” or mustering up the quickest answer that won’t lead to further probing. But why not turn some of those natural curiosities into opportunities to learn through firsthand experience?
When raising children, it’s important to instill in them not only a love of learning, but a sense of initiative when it comes to diving into topics that spark interests. What better time to show your children that being inquisitive is a good thing and finding answers can be fun? The next time your kiddo has a burning question, feed the fire by helping them use their resources to immerse themselves in project-based learning. If your son has been obsessing over the science of plant growth, help him start a small kitchen or backyard garden. If your daughter has shown an interest in aircrafts, try guiding her toward an aviation program (like this one). Use hands-on experiences to make the answers to their questions more thorough, meaningful and long-lasting.
NEVER STOP LEARNING
And remember… experiential learning shouldn’t stop once you become an adult (whenever that happens to be), it’s a lifelong process of learning. Until next time everyone!
Tye and Ann Rustrum Blog
