I was recently asked about the objectives and values of the \u201cH2O\u201d (or, Help to Ourselves\/Others) educational approach.\u00a0 Here are some of the primary objectives of the H2O for Education approach (Part I) and the values represented by the objectives (Part II):<\/p>\n
Part I: Primary Objectives of the H2O Educational Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n Promote \u201cEducation Excellence.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0 The major objective of the H2O approach is the promotion of \u201ceducation excellence\u201d (or, education that results in an increased ability to live one\u2019s personal and professional visions in life in high-quality ways).\u00a0 For more specifics on how it does so, see Part II below (comments on the values of the H2O approach).<\/p>\n Facilitate the Development of the Whole Person and Entire Community.<\/strong>\u00a0 The H2O approach emphasizes the pursuit of excellence in three areas: (a) self-mastery, (b) interpersonal expertise, and (c) mission connection.\u00a0 The H2O approach focuses on the pursuit of intellectual, physical, and emotional health, which includes the liberation of the mind from ignorance through a commitment to a life-long pursuit of wisdom (including the cultivation of interest, curiosity, and exploration, along with a commitment to the pursuit of validity through the minimization of logical fallacies).\u00a0 For more on how this objective relates to the whole person and the entire community, see Part II below.<\/p>\n Inspire Others to Pursue Education Excellence.<\/strong>\u00a0 The H2O approach emphasizes the development of \u201clearning communities\u201d that focus on the development of relationships that facilitate one\u2019s mental, physical, and emotional health and awareness of\u00a0 how important a healthy individual can be to the health and well-being of others.\u00a0 See Part II below for more specifics on how the H2O approach aligns with this objective.<\/p>\n Part II: The Values of the H2O Educational Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n The H2O approach (featuring \u201cWATER\u201d and \u201cSTEAM\u201d) moves toward the objectives listed above by supporting values that are important to the health and well-being of the individual and the community.\u00a0 Here are a few specifics on how the H2O approach aligns with each of these values, along with more information on what the acronyms WATER and STEAM represent:<\/p>\n Empathic Understanding\/Support.\u00a0<\/strong> This value relates to both the \u201cT\u201d (team-building) in WATER and the \u201cS\u201d (social support) in STEAM.\u00a0 In the H2O paradigm, classrooms are conceptualized as \u201clearning teams\u201d that give and receive effective social support.\u00a0 The H2O approach emphasizes the ability to be mindful of the needs of others in order to cultivate the empathy and deep respect necessary for high-quality teamwork.\u00a0 To view a short article on this value, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mindfulness\/Awareness.\u00a0<\/strong> Mindfulness and openness to experience is rewarding (the \u201cR\u201d in WATER) in so many ways, including more enjoyment (the \u201cE\u201d in STEAM) of life and an increased ability to learn and grow.\u00a0 The H2O approach emphasizes learning that results in an enhanced ability to live one\u2019s values, which can enhance subjective well-being.\u00a0 For more on this value, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Interpersonal Stability.\u00a0<\/strong> Lasting relationships that facilitate the pursuit of wisdom and powerful growth is related to quality execution (the \u201cE\u201d in WATER) of activities that cultivate both interpersonal expertise and education excellence.\u00a0 In the H2O model, people are encouraged to consider the reward (the \u201cR\u201d in WATER) of such execution, which often results in more motivation (the \u201cM\u201d in STEAM) for perseverance toward these goals for a lifetime.\u00a0 For more on how to cultivate stable relationships by utilizing honesty (rather than manipulation and control), click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wisdom-inducing Habits.<\/strong>\u00a0 The acronym STEAM comes from research into what it takes to form habits (e.g., the habit of seeking wisdom and valid information).\u00a0 Because habit change is facilitated by social support, time perception, enjoyment, accessibility, and motivation (and because high-quality execution \u2013 the \u201cE\u201d in WATER \u2013 depends upon good habits), STEAM is a central focus of the H2O approach.\u00a0 For more on how the H2O approach cultivates good habits, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Methodological Integrity.<\/strong>\u00a0 In order to pursue wisdom and validity, one must be clear on methods that decrease threats to validity and minimize logical fallacies (and methods that do not).\u00a0 In other words, methods must be \u201cwell-defined\u201d (the \u201cW\u201d in WATER) and \u201caligned\u201d (the \u201cA\u201d in WATER) with best educational practices.\u00a0 Both of these key components to high-quality execution (the \u201cE\u201d in WATER) are emphasized in the H2O approach.\u00a0 For a short article on well-defined goals (which help facilitate integrity to appropriate methodologies), click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Focus.<\/strong>\u00a0 As mentioned above, STEAM focuses on helping people to change bad habits.\u00a0 The habitual focus on what matters most is a major objective of the H2O approach.\u00a0 For more on how the H2O approach encourages people to focus on what matters most, and how this can enhance meaning and purpose, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rational Humility.<\/strong>\u00a0 The H2O approach emphasizes a clear awareness of one\u2019s strengths and weaknesses in many ways, including how one spends one\u2019s time (the \u201cT\u201d in STEAM) via an exercise called the \u201cCritical Activities Analysis (CAA).\u201d\u00a0 In the CAA, people are asked to clarify their primary objectives in life, then analyze the degree to which they are spending time in ways that promote these objectives.\u00a0 Very often, people find that they have weaknesses in this area; weaknesses that, when addressed, lead to increased time perception for the things that matter most to them.\u00a0 For more on how the H2O approach emphasizes rational humility (and its positive impact on self-esteem), click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meaning and Beauty.<\/strong>\u00a0 Meaning and beauty are common themes when reward (the \u201cR\u201d in WATER) and enjoyment (the \u201cE\u201d in STEAM) are discussed.\u00a0 Many respond to discussions on these topics with a decision to spend more time creatively and\/or exploring the purpose of their lives.\u00a0 The H2O approach includes activities that help people assess how they spend their leisure time; results of these discussions often include decisions to decrease time spent in less important activities (e.g., mindlessly surfing the web or the television, complaining without action, mindless gossiping) in order to spend more time in creative and\/or contemplative activities.\u00a0 For a short article on using leisure time in more satisfying ways, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Respect\/Positive Regard.\u00a0<\/strong> Social support (the \u201cS\u201d in STEAM) for and enjoyment (the \u201cE\u201d in STEAM) of others includes welcoming ideas different from our own (something that is difficult for many \u2013 even those who goal-set to do so and understand the value to being able to hear different viewpoints).\u00a0 People have reported appreciating others more (and even renewing their faith in humanity as a whole) after experiencing the H2O educational approach.\u00a0 The emphasis on honest, respectful, empathic (HRE) communication is often cited as being helpful to the cultivation of respect toward others.\u00a0 For more on how the H2O approach facilitates positive regard, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Community.<\/strong>\u00a0 Community is emphasized in the H2O approach in a variety of ways.\u00a0 As mentioned above, team-building (the \u201cT\u201d in WATER) and social support (the \u201cS\u201d in STEAM) are pillars of the H2O paradigm.\u00a0 Because handling conflict effectively is an essential component of community-building, conflict resolution is emphasized in the H2O approach.\u00a0 For a short article on this topic, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For a list of some of the resources used to develop the H2O for Education approach, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 For more on the components of H2O for Education and how you can use them to facilitate learning in individuals and\/or groups of all kinds, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was recently asked about the objectives and values of the \u201cH2O\u201d (or, Help to Ourselves\/Others) educational approach.\u00a0 Here are some of the primary objectives of the H2O for Education approach (Part I) and the values represented by the objectives (Part II): Part I: Primary Objectives of the H2O Educational Approach Promote \u201cEducation Excellence.\u201d\u00a0 The 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