Learn by Cooing: Empathy Lessons From Little Tykes

News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Feb 5, 2008 11:55 AM EST

Article Source: Wall Street Journal

I love this. It's brilliant and cute.

Incidentally, I'm trying to limit myself to five seeds a day for the week. You have permission to thwack me with a fish if I go over five and if I go over 10 in 24 hours you can take away my chocolate and green tea.

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Scott (Scoop) Butki's Column, All of Newsvine
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2.4

{"commentId":1437578,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

It's just Nolan Winecka's second time teaching a class of fifth graders at Emerald Park Elementary School in this Seattle suburb, and it shows as he stares nervously at the two dozen kids surrounding him.

He burps. And the class erupts in giggles.

Nolan is 6 months old and hasn't had any formal pedagogical training. But to the group that put him in the classroom, he has everything he needs to help teach children an unconventional subject. A Canadian nonprofit group, Roots of Empathy, is now bringing to the U.S. a decade-old program designed to reduce bullying by exposing classrooms to "empathy babies" for a whole school year.

{"commentId":1437578,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

4 votes

#1 - Tue Feb 5, 2008 11:56 AM EST

{"commentId":2306887,"authorDomain":"play"}

play

That was a great lead in by Nick.
Scott I've got my fish ready - it's a tuna, about 300 pounds...

{"commentId":2306887,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"play"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:42 AM EDT

{"commentId":2308112,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Now i'm hungry for tuna fish!

{"commentId":2308112,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#1.2 - Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:25 AM EDT

{"commentId":1439304,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}

gladbutterfly

What an excellent program. As for it taking time away from academics, so does bullying and violence; which would we rather spend time with?

{"commentId":1439304,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}

4 votes

#2 - Tue Feb 5, 2008 7:29 PM EST

{"commentId":1440312,"authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

Carole R

What a wonderful idea and a great seed thank you Scott. You can have some white green tea extra for such a nice story.

{"commentId":1440312,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Wed Feb 6, 2008 5:31 AM EST

{"commentId":1440557,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

You can have some white green tea extra for such a nice story.

woo hoo.

So here's something to ponder my wise sister pointed out. Well, two things.

more in a minute

{"commentId":1440557,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Wed Feb 6, 2008 8:53 AM EST

{"commentId":1440583,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

My sister had an interesting reaction: She wonders if one reason why this is needed now is because there are fewer complete extended families (i.e. several generations under the same house) but also noted if she had to choose between her daughters spending school time with a baby or, as with an earlier seed, learning a foreign language at a super early age, she'd choose the latter.

{"commentId":1440583,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

4 votes

#2.3 - Wed Feb 6, 2008 9:06 AM EST

{"commentId":1441927,"authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

Carole R

It's a little like bring your pet to school day too I think. All jokes aside I think that you have hit the nail on the head Scott, and I would like the idea to also extend to grannies (mums and dads). The trouble here with that idea would be finding any grannies who had time to hang around at school...lol. Institutions have their place but real life would be better in the long run. We have moved away from the home for everything (just about) except sleeping.

{"commentId":1441927,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

3 votes

#2.4 - Wed Feb 6, 2008 3:54 PM EST

{"commentId":1446614,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Thanks. I think it's sort of sad that they have to resort to such theatrics to try to teach people to have more empathy but, as I seeded about here, some just don't have enough of it.

{"commentId":1446614,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#2.5 - Thu Feb 7, 2008 7:17 PM EST

{"commentId":2303289,"authorDomain":"MightyMait"}

MightyMait

She wonders if one reason why this is needed now is because there are fewer complete extended families (i.e. several generations under the same house)

That, and the one-room schoolhouse with students of varying ages has fallen out of favor. I've wondered about the benefits we've lost by having students around mostly other students of the same age.

{"commentId":2303289,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"MightyMait"}

2 votes

#2.6 - Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":2305921,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

That, and the one-room schoolhouse with students of varying ages has fallen out of favor. I've wondered about the benefits we've lost by having students around mostly other students of the same age.

Agreed.

{"commentId":2305921,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#2.7 - Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:51 PM EDT

{"commentId":1447179,"authorDomain":"firsty"}

firsty

great article, scott. i've clipped it to my column and i may if you dont mind see what it might inspire for me towards my new writing spot about fatherhood.

i've been on the lookout for volunteer opportunities for our kids. i think spending time on empathy while raising kids is something that we almost all overlook, and for no good reason, but it needs to take a front seat.

{"commentId":1447179,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"firsty"}

2 votes

#3 - Thu Feb 7, 2008 10:51 PM EST

{"commentId":1449168,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Yes, it's quite important, especially with kids. I'm glad you liked it. How old is your child?

{"commentId":1449168,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Fri Feb 8, 2008 2:28 PM EST

{"commentId":1449510,"authorDomain":"firsty"}

firsty

they're 4 & 7.

{"commentId":1449510,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"firsty"}

1 vote

#3.2 - Fri Feb 8, 2008 3:51 PM EST

{"commentId":1453418,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

They're still fun at those ages.

I went to a cool event today which might interest you: Baby Loves Disco. I plan to write up my report by Friday.

{"commentId":1453418,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3.3 - Sat Feb 9, 2008 9:31 PM EST

{"commentId":1483897,"authorDomain":"firsty"}

firsty

i wrote a bit here that you might enjoy — it didnt end where i expected it to, but i think it ended well. lemme know what you think.

{"commentId":1483897,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"firsty"}

1 vote

#3.4 - Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:50 PM EST

{"commentId":1501007,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I'll check it out. Sorry I'm slow in responding but I've had much less net time lately.

{"commentId":1501007,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#3.5 - Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:20 PM EST

{"commentId":1501040,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Wow, that was excellent. You should seriously publish that here. I'm going to email you in case you don't see this response.

{"commentId":1501040,"threadId":"214358","contentId":"1279688","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#3.6 - Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:31 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"214358","isPrivate":false}

SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI

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Learn by Cooing: Empathy Lessons From Little Tykes

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