Apps for Holistic Learning

Technology to Promote Holistic Education

For the purpose of this project, the Wood team decided to work with Rogers’ derived theory of whole-person learning that emphasizes “the integration of cognitions, emotions, and skills, based on the actualizing tendency” (Rogers, 1961).  Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. Emotions are defined as a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. A skill is a particular ability.

As discussed in Lugenbehl's  (2003) article on deeper learning, the Wood Team took a constructivist approach to the creation of the Holistic Apps for Busy Teachers website. Throughout the CTL5011 course, a rich knowledge of resources such as books, articles, websites, and apps were shared in the C2C online discussion forum at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). This inspired the Wood Team to ponder the connectedness of technology and the whole person. The team reflected at the end of the journey and endeavoured on a collaborative experience that has allowed for deeper learning for a holistic approach to technology. This is what Carl Rogers (1961, p. 280) calls significant learning: "By significant learning, I mean learning which is more than an accumulation of facts. It is learning which makes a difference - in the individual's behavior, in the course of action he chooses in the future, in his attitudes, and in his personality. It is a pervasive learning which is not just an accretion...[of facts or theories], but which interpenetrates with every portion of his existence." (Lugenbehl, 2003, p.351). We hope you will view these apps with a critical lens; one that looks for their connections to cognitions, emotions and skills.

Holistic philosophy includes perspectives, individual interpretations and social justice perspectives. As a result, we acknowledge the fact that this definition may have limitations.

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