Phenomenological Approach Anyone?

For any of you non Waldorks out there reading this, the phenomenological approach is one of the teaching methods used by Waldorf schools, and really, is probably used by other forms of education as well. Basically, it is learning by discovery. This does not mean unguided learning like in Montessori (which is stupid), but rather, learning in an environment structured by the teacher to seem as though each student is the first ever to discover whatever is being taught. For example, science experiments are done without the student knowing what the outcome will be. When the experiment is complete, the student has made his or own conclusions about it and thus, had "discovered" something new. What I hate most about my class on museums and technology here in DC, is that museums (and everyone in my class) seem to be under the impression that our population is completely idiotic and incapable of drawing its own conclusions. We are clever people, people! Any idiot can look at a painting and say something like, "Wow, this is clearly about sadness, the painter must have been trying to tell me something about sorrow!" or, "That sky is painted blue!" Seriously, we do not need copious amounts of wall text and computer screens to tell us these things. We have eyes.Anyway, here is my weekly journal entry for my class.

I love material culture (perhaps made clear by my American Studies concentration in it). I think it is amazing what an object can say about a group of people or an individual, and how we can read our past through the study of a solid and touchable thing. I believe that this is the way to teach. I have read Prown multiple times now for several classes, and I think I see why he is so relied upon in the world of artifact study. Not only does he have vividly descriptive language, but he uses those words in reference to specific things. His writing makes the objects he describes tangible. And here in lies my ongoing issue with the modern museum. We have become so reliant on our modern ideas of what is necessary to teach (i.e. technological tools), that we have lost sight of the origins from which we draw our knowledge. I am thinking in particular of the American Indian museum. When I went there last week, I had the expectation that I would experience an artifact-heavy museum, as my perception of Indian culture is based on my memories of objects like arrow heads and corn husk dolls. Instead, I found that I could take a virtual tour, guided by my finger on a touch sensitive computer screen, and see objects not even on display in the museum.

            I learn from examination and close personal study. I want to see an object from all sides, or as is the case of Prown, read about it from all sides. I want to feel the texture of a thing with my eyes and draw conclusions based on my observations. In short, I would rather be presented with an object than bombarded by a screen. I am so excited to see Mt. Vernon, because the house museum is the one place left to the museum world where material culture is regarded with as much respect and space as a work of fine art. In this traditional setting, no curator feels the need to over explain or over digitize. The object is simply waiting to express itself and speak to each viewer in a different way.