What is "The Learning Model"?

If you are a student at BYU-Idaho this is a common phrase that you may hear from multiple teachers. I never realized that before even knowing what it was I used it in my life. The learning model is basically a three step process of preparing, teaching one another, and ponder and proving. Applying it to education we are taught to prepare before class by completing pre-assignments and reading. Also we must be prepared to share our thoughts with the class, which is where teaching one another comes into play. Everyone has different experiences and by sharing our thoughts with each other we learn more. The last step is Ponder and Prove, which is done through reviewing the material after class and applying it to your life as well as tests and homework. Now it seems like common knowledge and what I have done since I started going to school, but recognizing the steps helps to apply it in other parts of life. 

Now since this is a Family Relations course, we discussed how the learning model can be applied in our current and future families. Here are some of the things we came up with.

-         We are preparing now as students and taking this class to learn about the family and how we can improve.

-         Our “original” family with our parents is preparing for our “future” family with husband and wife. As a married couple we teach one another because we are both coming from different backgrounds and must come together to decide what works for us. We ponder the things we were taught in our family and prove by creating our own family.

-         We are preparing to teach our children and to be taught by them.

-         We teach through example and prepare our children for when it comes time for them to create their own family.

-         We are preparing here on earth and proving our faith and obedience so that we may return to our Heavenly Father.

-         Another interesting point that was made in class was that we all reach a development age where we don’t ‘learn’ more values, its just a reminder of what we should be doing. Usually around age 14 or 15 we already have our basic ideas of what is right and wrong and the rest of our life we are pondering and proving what we were taught.

-         A good way to ponder and prove on your personal family and the successes and failures is keeping a family journal (possible blog?) for you to reflect on what happens in your family. As well as a source for your children to look back on when they are older.

These are just of the few ways that the learning model can be applied to family.

 One statement that really caught my attention was “Healthy families are intentional, preparing is not accidental”. One thing that has always been important to me is family traditions and it is important that we have traditions to teach our children the right thing to do, as well as to have a happy family. For example, traditions of family dinner, family home evening, family prayer and family activities promote unity and communication between family members.