1.

LEARNING TO KNOW
Learning to know implies learning how to learn by developing one's concentration, memory
skills and ability to think.
Every individual has hidden talents such as
1. Memory
2. Reasoning
3. Imagination
4. Physical ability
5. Aesthetic sense
6. Aptitude to communicate

From infancy, young people must learn how to concentrate - on objects and on other people.
This process of improving concentration skills can take different forms and can be aided by the
many different learning opportunities that arise in the course of people's lives (games, work
experience programmes, travel, practical science activities, etc.)

The development of memory skills is an excellent tool for countering the overpowering stream
of instant information put out by the media. It would be dangerous to conclude that there is no
point in people's improving their memory skills because of the vast amount of information
storage and distribution capacity available. While some selectivity is undoubtedly required when
choosing facts to be "learned by heart", there are numerous examples of the human memory's
ability to outperform computers when it comes to establishing connections between memorized
facts that apparently have very little to do with each other. The specifically human ability of
associative memorization is not something that can be reduced to an automatic process; it has to
be carefully cultivated. Furthermore, specialists in this field agree that memory skills have to be
developed from infancy and that it is dangerous to discontinue various traditional exercises in
schools simply because they are considered to be boring.

Thinking is something children learn first from their parents and then from their teachers. The
process should encompass both practical problem-solving and abstract thought. Both education
and research should therefore combine deductive and inductive reasoning, which are often
claimed to be opposing processes. While one form of reasoning may be more appropriate than
the other, depending on the subjects being taught, it is generally impossible to pursue a logical
train of thought without combining the two.

Suggestions : -

Varied Curriculum: Subject matter , library activities , laboratory activities, playground

activities, co-curricular activities

Different methods of teaching

Inductive-Deductive
Problem Solving
Laboratory Work

LEARNING TO DO
 This question is closely associated with the issue of occupational training: how do we adapt
education so that it can equip people to do the types of work needed in the future?

Learning must transform certified skills into personal competence. It is assessed by looking at a
mix of skills and talents, social behaviour, personal initiative and a willingness to work. These
are often referred to as interpersonal skills or peoples skills by employers. Knowledge along
with other qualities like communication, teambuilding and problem solving skills is most
demanded by the service sector these days. Personal Competence includes life skills like :

1. Social behavior
2. Personal initiatives
3. Willingness to take risk
4. Communication skills
5. Problem solving skills
5. Adaptability
6. Social responsibility
7. Leadership skills

LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER

Education should help in inculcating a spirit of empathy in students so that it can have a positive
effect on their social behaviour throughout their lives. Understanding each other, resolving
conflicts through dialogue and discussion should be the essential tools of present day education.

People of the world should accept their differences but start working on the basis of their
commonalties for the survival of humankind.

Values to be developed amongst students

a) Non Violence
b) Cooperation
c) Selfless attitude
d) Developing values
e) Accepting human diversity
f) Instill an awareness of the similarities and interdependence of all people

Learning to be
The aim of development is the complete fulfillment of man and his development in a holistic
way as an individual, member of a family and community and as a responsible citizen.

According to Alvin Toffler

The illiterate of 21st century will not be those who can not read or write but those who can
not learn ,unlearn and relearn

Person's complete development - mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation
and spirituality. All people should receive in their childhood and youth an education that equips
them to develop their own independent, critical way of thinking and judgement so that they can
make up their own minds on the best courses of action in the different circumstances in their
lives.

Individual Family member, Community member, Citizen, Professional, Innovator, Creative

dreamer
Educational Experiences : Aesthetic, Social , Moral, Spiritual, Logic and reasoning
The identification of the pillars of education in the class comprehensiveness in healthcare

Zeyne Alves Pires SchererI; Edson Arthur SchererII

IRN, Ph.D., Professor, Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences Department, University of So Paulo at
Ribeiro Preto College of Nursing; Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, CEP: 14040-902, Ribeiro Preto-SP. Brazil;
(16) 3602-3404; scherer@eerp.usp.br

IIMD, Psychiatrist, Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology, Faculty, Medical Program, Centro Universitrio
Baro de Mau, Assistant Physician, University of So Paulo at Ribeiro Preto Hospital das Clnicas;
eascherer@hcrp.fmrp.usp.br

Correspondence

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present study was to verify, based on the analysis of student portfolio narratives, if
the four pillars of education were approached in the class "Comprehensiveness in health care", part of
the integrated curriculum of the Baccalaureate in Nursing Program of the University of So Paulo at
Ribeiro Preto College of Nursing. A qualitative, documental study was performed using 46 portfolios
constructed during the classes. Data collection was performed using an assessment tool that contained
items addressing cognitive and affective dimensions. The data were submitted to thematic categorical
analysis using the pillars of education as predefined categories. The results show that the pillars of
education were, apparently, included in the class. Despite the present study findings, no evidence was
found that the expected competencies were actually discussed among students and faculty, according
to the records regarding the evaluations of each pedagogical cycle of the studied class.

Descriptors: Education, nursing; Education, higher; Students, nursing; Curriculum; Comprehensive

Health Care

INTRODUCTION

Higher education institutions (HEI), especially in health courses, have attempted to adopt flexibility,
interdisciplinarity, contextualization, unicity of the relation between theory and practice and respect for
ethical, esthetic and political values as part of their curricular proposals. These aspects are considered
essential in the education of competent professionals to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
Therefore, students are expected to be prepared to deal with the complexity of the human being, the
environment they live in and to make feasible resources that permit the construction of critical
awareness about the context they are inserted in themselves. In this perspective, the intention of
teaching is to privilege active, critical-reflexive approaches that permit competency building, covering
political, ethical and technical actions, valuing students as comprehensive beings(1-2).

The challenge for education is to incorporate teaching proposals that that are inserted in the complexity
paradigm, which discusses the reality of globalization and absorbs the construction of future
professionals' subjectivity. Hence, there seems to be a consensus about the need to address values and
skills in students with a view to lifetime learning, instead of learning in school only. Therefore,
pedagogical strategies need to be defined that articulate knowledge with a view to developing the four
pillars of education(3): learning to get to know or to learn, acquiring the instruments or competency to
understand; learning to do to be able to act on the involving context; learning to live or to live together,
in order to participate and cooperate with other people on all human activities; and learning to be,
considered the holistic view of man, i.e. spirit and body, intelligence, sensitivity, esthetic sense, personal
responsibility, spirituality.

In view of the above, in 2005, a new curricular structure for the Nursing Bachelor Program was put in
practice at the University of So Paulo at Ribeiro Preto College of Nursing (EERP/USP). The Political
Pedagogical Project is based on the integrated curriculum and on the competency-based pedagogical
framework. The methods used represent a combination of (dialogical) problemization and significant
(critical-reflexive) learning elements.

The integrated curriculum has been defined as the pedagogical plan and its corresponding institutional
organization that dynamically articulates work and teaching, practice and theory, teaching and
community (4). Thus, according to this author, the teaching process established in that way should be
based on the sociocultural characteristics of the means it is developed in.

The competency-based curricular perspective demands that students be able to mobilize multiple
resources (knowledge, skills and attitudes) to deal with different field of social and individual life (task
accomplishment, interaction with others, management of daily situations, among others)(5-7). In the
dialogical approach, competency building implies the development of (cognitive, psychomotor and
affective) skills or attributes that will be mobilized in students in different ways, with a view to
accomplishing actions in specific situations, in order to reach certain results that are characteristic of
their professional practice(6-7).

In this context, constructive and summative assessments play a fundamental role. Students'
performance is assessed through four instruments: activity simulating nursing practice, cognitive
expression activity, student portfolio and teacher portfolio. The use of portfolios in education and
professional training means represents an education, research and qualitative assessment strategy. It is
a group of works and accumulated notes on activities that demonstrate the continuous acquisition of
roles, knowledge, attitudes, understandings and personal and professional progress. It is both
retrospective and prospective, used as an instrument to evidence the reflexive, collaborative and
interpersonal nature of knowledge construction products and processes. It also permits a summarized
idea of the competency that was built by providing a critical analysis of its contents(8-9).

As a continuous registration instrument of students' experiences, teachers analyze the portfolio in the
middle and at the end of the subject taught, with a view to reflexively seeking means towards a
constructive assessment of students' development. Student progress is analyzed, valuing all of their
productions.

Looking at the trajectory of undergraduate teaching at EERP/USP consequently stimulates us to reflect

on political-pedagogical work and the perspectives and challenges that need to be faced in the current
contexts of education and health. In this study, we aim to verify, systematically and within a context,
whether the four fillars of education were addressed in one of the subjects offered in the integrated
curriculum model, based on the analysis of narratives in the students' portfolios.

METHOD

This research was accomplished in the subject comprehensiveness in health care, taught in the Nursing
Bachelor Program at EERP/USP, created in the first semester of 2006 and offered in the second year of
the program. The aims of the subject are to

develop knowledge, skills and attitudes for holistic care delivery to the individual and collective needs of
adults and elderly people, in view of the biological, psychological and social dimensions present in the
health-disease process; and to identify the health needs of health system users, formulate problems,
elaborate, put in practice, register and assess the care plan.

It is based on the active method, a process that, besides concept definition, highlights criticism,
discussion and knowledge exchange. The adopted problemization strategy aims for the integration of
contents and the analysis of real situations through pedagogical cycles that comprise five moments:
insertion in reality, preliminary synthesis, information search, new synthesis and assessment.

The practicum areas for this subject as Primary Health Care Units (PHCU) in the Western District of
Ribeiro Preto (SP), the teaching area of the University of So Paulo. The students' task is to collect data
in order to get to know a given family's life history with a view to identifying its health needs. Therefore,
the teachers receive the help of PHCU nurses who use these services, who represent different phases of
the lifecycle. Students, in turn, play their role through home visits and records, in their portfolios, about
aspects related to the moments of the pedagogical cycle. Thus, they are oriented to write down what
they observe during visits, knowledge gained and reflections about their feelings and personal growth in
their interactions with the families, colleagues, faculty and PHCU professionals.

The methodological approach used in this study was qualitative research, indirectly accomplished
through a documentary study(10). Retrospective primary writings were used, i.e. the records written in
printed portfolios elaborated by students who took the subject comprehensiveness in health care during
the first school semester of 2006.

Out of 94 students enrolled for this subject, 76 signed the Informed Consent Term, agreeing with the
use of their portfolios as analysis documents for research purposes, after the teachers' assessment.

At the end of the subject, the teachers received a letter, explaining about the study aims, and were
asked to transfer these documents. In the end, access was obtained to 46 portfolios.

For the sake of data collection, the portfolios were identified numerically (P1, P2...) and an assessment
script was used, with items that addressed the students' cognitive and affective dimensions. Records
were compiled for the five moments in the pedagogical cycle, experienced during home visits,
interactions at the health services and in the classroom.

Data were submitted to thematic category analysis, applicable to direct and simple discourse, and which
works by dismembering the text into categories according to analogical regrouping(11). In this study, the
four pillars of education were used as predefined categories, as they constitute the guiding axis of the
teaching proposal, based on the integrated curriculum and on the competency-based pedagogical
framework that incorporates knowledge (learning to get to know or to learn) and skills (learning to do)
into personal and social attitudes (learning to live together and learning to be).

The research project was analyzed and approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at
EERP/USP, under protocol No 0648/2006.
RESULTS

The theoretical division of teaching based on the four-pillar model of knowledge-(4) served as the axis
for this study. Thus, the category related to the pillar learning to get to know or to learn, whose
competence is to incorporate knowledge, was verified based on the records that synthesized the
readings (internalization of knowledge) and dismembering of the description about the articulation
between theory and practice. The category learning to do, which joins the competence of incorporating
skills, was observed based on the analysis of the productions that resulted from theoretical-practical
activities, developed critically and conscientiously (overcoming of intuitive and nave understanding
about the activity). The results related to the pillar learning to live together and learning to be, as they
require similar abilities, were grouped in one single category (learning to live together and learning to
be). Therefore, communication, interpersonal relationship, empathy and welcoming skills were
observed, which refer to the competence of incorporating social attitudes (learning to live together) and
facilities and/or difficulties to express their feelings towards the family they visited, the service team,
colleagues, teachers and themselves, with regard to incorporating personal attitudes (learning to be).

Learning to get to know or to learn

This category is defined as the awakening of the pleasure of getting to know, understanding,
discovering, constructing and reconstructing knowledge.

When experiencing real situations during their first day of immersion in the teaching-learning context,
they students observed a range of aspects from a certain excerpt of reality. They understood that, at the
PHCU, with the team and patients, and during home visits, with the families, they would meet the
people who would become the subjects of their practical activities.

We went to know a neighborhood. Walking around the streets, we could observe that this region is
simple. This first moment gave me great perspectives. The presence of a PHCU would grant us more
direct contact with the reality of nursing care. The visits and recognition of the neighborhoods and
micro-areas were very interesting, allowing us to characterize the context and living conditions of the
region that will be an important tool for our learning. (P3)
I found in general that the city is based on a rural structure, many surrounding gardens and plantations.
There are many hills, ascents and descents. I liked the first contact. I would like to learn a lot. I would like
us to be inserted in a more practical than theoretical activity. (P1)

Another fact that called my attention is the large number of overweight and obese people. This reveals
that, besides the lack of physical exercise, the population is not eating adequately, sometimes due to a
disadvantageous economic situation or because they do not know how to use the nutrients in foods.
(P6)

The family's house is very simple, the notion of hygiene was precarious. At this house, there are seven
people surviving on the retirement benefit of "R" and the salary of M. Four people in the family
consume alcoholic beverage. (P10)

The students showed concern with the application of techniques and their interventions in the families
they monitored, complaining about little theoretical support for this purpose.

In view of certain situations we meet in the families we want to intervene, but we get disappointed
because we can't, we don't have the scientific bases for that. (P7)

I participated in a task force at the PHCU. The experience was very fruitful. Learning all techniques for
care delivery or a procedure does not include this contact with the user. It's different when we check
one another's vital signs at the laboratory and when we go into immersion (PHCU and home), we are
confronted with true health needs. (P22)

I observed an auxiliary applying a dressing. Several times she brought her hand close to her face and
that act concerned we, because she could also get contaminated, not to mention the fact that she didn't
wash her hand between one dressing and another. (P9)

The visit was not fruitful, as the family could not answer most questions, which made data collection
rather superficial. I also made a mistake because I didn't check the vital signs, didn't do the physical
examination; but that's justified by the fact that this is the first visit. I didn't know for sure how to
proceed, nor had I learned about vital signs and physical examination. (P16)
In the excerpts below, the students revealed the understanding that they are experiencing a moment of
learning, for which they need to assume a more humble posture, and that they do not possess all
knowledge. They also perceived that, when they position themselves as apprentices, they grant
themselves the possibility of personal growth in the accomplishment of their tasks.

Today was the differential with other classes, it helped me understand what health need really is,
essential for my understanding. I think that, now, I am able to advance in the identification of a client's
health need. (P15)

I got frustrated and sad because I wasn't able to collect blood. But I don't feel discouraged, I'll try again.
Errors also produce learning and I feel driven to try more and more. (P18)

One of the students tried to percuss or auscultate the kidney. At that moment a great discussion started
in the group. The student tried to accomplish a semiotechnique, but has no safe foundations to judge
the data found during the examination. Many students considered this attitude courageous. But one of
the things I've learned and agree with is that, in case of doubt, don't do it. We should be responsible for
our attitudes and for what we say. I've learned in some literature sources that we should take risk
sometimes, but these risks should have a minimum underlying foundation. If our attitudes are impulse,
we are at risk of losing the family's credibility. (P27)

I got scared by the number of details in the "bed bath" procedure. I perceived the need to review the
concepts. I feel frustrated because I didn't do the practical activity on the same day. Perhaps it was
important to seek information in literature in order to fix my knowledge on this topic and have further
arguments for the next theoretical discussion and bed bath practice. (P46)

The students presented considerations on the need to intervene in the population they attended,
reflecting on the possibilities to do this.

Mr. J leads a sedentary life, he's fat, smokes, likes fatty food. It will be important for us to make him
aware of the health risk. (P8)
I like to visit that family. I feel that I have to help with hygiene, education, behavior, recreation issues.
(P14)

We talked with the nurse at the PHCU about the possibility of working at a recovery home where there
are cases of scabies. I find it interesting to study scabies. I think that we want to go to far by presenting
intervention proposals. We have a lot to learn. (P40)

Learning to do

This category is defined as someone's awakening to the creativity and construction of work.

The students in this study understood that they are responsible for their attitudes and that they need
caution and theoretical foundations to execute some procedures involving the people they monitored or
will attend in their future professional activity.

When I talked about the need to go to the PHCU to change the dressing, apparently a simple dressing
and, later, when she received orientation on how to take care of the lesion at home, I felt the need to
learn about the dressing contents as, although I found the lesion simple, I was not able to orient her
about the healing. (P27)

We discussed about how to better systemize our data collection and the interview, so as to make it
more objective and concise. We built a small script for interviews, to remember what should not be left
out. (P21)

You need to preserve independence, privacy and demonstrate respect for the patient. To deliver
individual care, we should ask, for example, about his hygiene habits without ignoring his economic
conditions. We cannot show feelings of disapproval towards his way of living. (P4)

It can be verified in the reports below that the students identified certain problem situations in the
reality, which they were inserted in. They used educative actions and creativity when providing
orientations in family care. They explained and debated contraception methods, oral hygiene, care in
the control of chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes and about the prevention of infectious-
contagious diseases.

The patient complained of discouragement when we talked about the need to walk. So, we invited her
and went for a short walk together. We explained about the importance of associating medication, food
and physical exercise for hypertension control. We count on her daughter's cooperation, who is helping
us, controlling her mother's food and routine. (P5)

We presented a theater play about scabies at a school together with the PHCU nurse. The presentation
was nice and I felt that we managed to transmit the information. (P15)

We took condoms to explain to the women in that family. We asked them to, one by one, put the
condom on a glass bottle. After they did that, we explained how to put it on correctly, as mistakes were
made. We also informed them about correct contraception use and clarified some doubts. (P12)

As A experienced difficulties to take the contraceptive pill regularly, we made marks on her calendar to
indicate the day the display ended. This measure was necessary, as the client cannot read and, hence, it
would not be feasible to write it down on paper. We asked the client to show us and explain about the
marks on the calendar and she managed to say it correctly. (P9)

We delivered explanation folders on how to keep one's teeth healthy and oriented about tooth
brushing, use of dental floss, harmful food for the teeth and the importance of keeping up oral hygiene.
(P28)

Learning to be and learning to live together

This category is defined as the discovery of oneself as an individual (self-esteem, self-determination,

critical thinking) and as a member of society.
The students perceived that the people they attend could pay attention to their attitudes, behaviors and
postures.

The visit today made her reflect on the nurse's true role in the daily reality of users and their
companions. Madam N added details about the history of her daughter's disease and death. She told
that, at the hospital, she observed nurses who liked their work, but that some work because they are
obliged to and in a bad mood. For me, a bad mood can mean a lot, but also discourage the user. In
summary, as nurses, we should always pay attention to our actions and also think well about the
questions we'll ask, as one slip can break the bond, impairing the treatment. (P19)

Two colleagues cried today. According to them, W was apparently testing them. That made me reflect
on our appearance. Were we dressing adequately? Using adequate ornaments? Transmitting the notion
of hygiene (clean, combed hair, clean nails and well taken care of)? Everything patients and families
know about us (behaviors) is based on our appearance, there is no way they can know about our studies
and habits. Are we able to cause good impressions? Sometimes I think that the number of earrings I use
can injure me one day, is that possible? (P25)

The feelings of insecurity, or of feeling confused, or even not knowing how to intervene and be afraid of
offending illustrate the concerns and feelings the students presented.

I felt the need for organization at the home, greater attention to hygiene and clearning for the family's
health, but I feel insecure about giving the orientation, afraid that the family might feel offended. (P2)

I am getting confused during the visits. There are many controversies in what the family members
report. (P12)

I like to visit that family. I feel that I need to help with hygiene, education, behavior, recreation issues. I
feel that B still does not trust us. (P14)

In the excerpts below, the students acknowledged their perceptions of themselves and the context they
were inserted in.
We visited the vaccination room. We observed and talked to the mothers. I observed that I feel less
timid when observing people, which is important for my professional accomplishment. (P25)

The visits are tiresome and demand a lot of our attention. Nevertheless, they have been very productive
with regard to care for C, not only physical but also psychological care. (P42)

The students identified the importance of the presence and relationship with teachers, colleages and
other professionals.

I feel that we managed to reach the expected goal of the subject. The teachers played an important role
in that evolution. (P10)

Even if personal disagreements exist, I believe the way we see one another will change. By the way,
group contact obliges us to forgive many things. (P22)

Being able to spend time in the work environment of a PHCU made be feel satisfied and joyful about
learning to observe and exchange with other professionals. (16)

DISCUSSION

Learning can be understood as an act of knowledge about reality, about the situation the student
experiences, which gaims meaning when it derives from the critical approach to this reality. In this
research, as for the category learning to know or to learn, in the practice scenario, the students
acknowledged characteristics of people and their probable common history, and also perceived
peculiarities in the surrounding context. They appointed aspects the literature(12) considers positive
(balance, satisfaction, organization and others) when they revealed that the city rests on a rural
structure, with many gardens and plantations. Likewise, regarding negative aspects (disequilibrium,
needs, difficulties, disorganization, and others), when they described that there are overweight people
in that reality, that there exists a lack of physical exercise in those people, or that they live in an
unfavorable economic situation. Hence, they managed to apprehend the wealk of first contacts with the
families as part of their practice and that the primary perceptions based on appearances or common
sense are tools that can help them to mobilize more thoughtful concerns and explanations.

Although they concluded that they were going through a phase of learning and personal growth, when
doubts and uncertainties are expected, they showed the desire to intervene in the healthcare of the
people they visited. They frequently presented complaints that they wanted to intervene, but that they
did not know how to proceed. It is difficult for students to think of intervening or changing something in
people, as they do not have a knowledge base yet on clients' social, economic, cultural and psychological
aspects. They neither have the foundations needed to assess the needs of the people they monitor.
Students and teachers are expected to have a clear image of the what, when, how much and how they
should learn. They should observe reality from different related aspects (social, economic, cultural,
psychological, political, ethical, administrative, among others) with a view to extracting the problems
together, at this time of learning. From the perspective of teaching here-and-now (problemization
method), in which the inductive method is central in learning, observation is considered the initial mark
of intellectual inquiry, hypothesis formulation and a whole sequences of reasoning that leads to valid
conclusions(13).

Teachers should clearly know about their observation (seeing, listening and feeling) function in this
subject, and then be able to orient students before they execute the task (data collection). Students will
not use the interview to apply instructions, orientations or perform technical procedures, but to clearly
and comprehensively observe the reality they were confronted with. The interview comprises clear and
subsequent steps. First, observation intervenes, followed by the formulation of hypotheses and, finally,
their verification. One way to observe well is to formulate hypotheses while one observes and to check
and ratify them during the interview itself, in function of subsequent and previous observations.
Observing, thinking and imagining are part of a dialectic process, that is, in all human actions, one
should think about what one is doing(14). Students should learn to register and present what they
observed, besides being made to think, reflect and obtain language instruments that are coherent with
technical or scientific knowledge. Thus, educators are not only responsible for presenting the task, but
for arousing, provoking, instigating and monitoring the students' interest in knowledge. They need to
make efforts to show the meaning of the task as clearly as possible, so that student can value it and face
the challenges in order to get to know it(15).

Therefore, both students and teachers need to understand that education goes beyond technical skills.
That learning from the perspective of constructing, reconstructing, verifying, to be able to intervene and
change, will allow students to act in complexing and challenging situations(16). For this purpose, the
goal is for educators to prepare and sustain the environment and teaching activities compatible with the
job market, and to allow students to feel welcomed with a view to reorientation instead of judgement,
reproof and exclusion(17-18).

In the subject comprehensiveness in healthcare, analyzed in this study, students were inserted in the job
world, obtained experiences in the daily reality of health services and the community. They reflected on
the problems of a given population and perceived that they need to exercise their knowledge
incorporation competency. They perceived that they need to be judicious in learning to learn, be critical
and inquisitive to act in individual and collective health care, as well as in health work organization and
management(15-16). Thus, the students who participated in this research seem to have achieved the
expected competency for the pillar learning to know or to learn.

As observed, the students under analysis were concerned with doing already at the start of their
learning, even before learming to get to know or to learn. In the evolution of the learning process, they
demonstrated that they are moving from the passive position to that of an active subject (learning to
do), indicating the ability to acknowledge that living with correct actions and mistakes is part of this
process.

It should be reminded that it is part of teachers' functions to correct their students. This should be done,
however, without disqualifying the student. Correction serves to redirect, to learn. When a student
makes a mistake, learning can be analyzed, as a result of which educators can reconsider and redo their
procedures. Everyone can make mistakes, even educators(15,17). This posture in the teaching staff is in
accordance with the knowledge construction proposal, like in the care of the new curriculum at
EERP/USP, which implies a pedagogical paradigm change.

The students' approach of the knowledge objects was perceptible in the fragments presented in the
results section, when they describe that they felt the need to learn about the technical procedure to
apply a dressing, that they got concerned with an auxiliary who could get contaminated and that they
perceived differences between checking vital signs at the laboratory and at the primary healthcare unit.
These records represent examples of these students' active bonding with the knowledge objects, which
are related with a need, with an interest deriving from a subject's reality and from the social reality. At
this moment, no direct knowledge transmission occurred to the students, but the flourishing of existing
skills was made easier. People educate themselves when they are open to welcome what is new and use
the knowledge and skills they have to intervene(19). In this sense, learning is active, it results from a
given subject's action on one or more objects or knowledge items.
What is believed and expected is that, in the construction of action plans for care delivery to each client,
knowledge is put in practice according to each person's particular circumstances(20). If, by chance, the
group (students and teachers) needs to construct an academic script to guide the students' actions in
practical activities, then one should actually be created. The use of a guiding script can be useful if
students and teachers reach a consensus after discussing its positive and negative points, its true need
and its meaning in learning. This group work serves as a model for team practice.

The student group under analysis seems to have overcome the intuitive and nave understanding of
theoretical-practical activities, which were developed critical and conscientiously. In this perspective,
the competence of incorporating learning to do skills was addressed in the subject under analysis.

As for the category learning to live and learning to be, self-reflection led these students to
acknowledgement, in a critical and conscientious view of their actions with regard to the context they
were inserted in. They perceived that, when they participated in daily reality at health servicese and in
the community, when they empathetically got involved with others and exercised their internal
availability to deal with their difficulties and limits, they gained new knowledge and enhanced their
personal and professional growth.

The students started to look at themselves as people and future professionals based on observations
from relatives or perceptations that they are assessed in the context of their practice. They issued
reflections that involved the assessment not only of know-how, or the execution of nursing practice
(cognitive aspect), but also appointed aspects related to being and living with the other. For these
aspects, the students' attitudes, subjective and objective skills are taken into account. In summary, the
nursing students showed that they are learning how to relate with patients and themselves, knowing
and unveiling the I, gaining awareness of their skills, i.e. constructing their professional
socialization(13,16).

Besides the characteristics of the teaching environment, this learning process depends on students'
internal and external factors, which can both facilitate and hamper this process and its outcomes(13).
Maturity, motivation, aptitudes, intelligence and previous experience are appointed as internal factors,
including students' knowledge and skills. The physical-environmental and psycho-socio-emotional
dynamic variables of the context-situation in which learning takes place constitute the so-called external
factors. These cover, hence, the component elements of the teaching situation, which includes the
content and method, the teacher's personality and performance, group members (students and
teachers), interpersonal relations and the psychosocial climate of group functioning. Therefore,
knowledge on these factors is fundamental, as students can feel and consider their participation, from
the start of the activity, as an opportunity for personal growth and a challenge to their ability to cope
with and overcome obstacles.

In knowledge construction, teachers, in turn, should understand the students and offer a welcoming and
safe space and satisfactory time to allow them to express what they think, know and feel about the
study problem and about themselves and the moment they experience(15,17,21). The affective burden
plays a fundamental role in the teaching-learning process. In addition, knowing the students' reality
implies surveying their conceptions of the problem, without ignoring that part of their knowledge
derives from the lay domain and that they have little experience in life. Therefore, teachers should heed
their role of welcoming, feeding, sustaining and confronting the students, enabling them to construct
and proceed on their route, with creativity and independence(17).

In this study, the students demonstrated concern with their relationships with colleagues, faculty and
other professionals, in line with the interdisciplinarity perspective. The group is a space not only to learn
how to think, but to observe, listen, relate one's own with other people's opinions, to admit that other
people think differently(14-21). Group work is one of the fundamental routes in students' education, as
it enhances the development of social and ethical skills, which includes living with different opinions and
values and respecting other people without casting aside mutual interaction(15). If the necessary
involvement and opening exist in the presentation of a situation or a problem, students can participate
more spontaneous and authentically in the development of group activities, permitting the elaboration
of the diagnosis for the situation under analysis, as well as the establishment of a care plan(13,15).
Hence, when students share, they discuss what they have learned, plan contents, explore ways to do
this with colleagues, with the faculty responsible for the group and service professionals. They get the
opportunity to experience what interdisciplinary teamwork would be. Thus, the competences of
incorporating personal and social attitudes of learning to be and learning to live seem to have been
addressed in the subject under analysis.

CONCLUSION

In the integrated curriculum and competency-oriented teaching model adopted at EERP/USP, learning is
process-based, that is, it ranges from individual activities to activities that are shared in practice contexts
from the job world. The analysis of the narratives in the students' portfolios revealed that the expected
competences for the subject comprehensiveness in health care were seemingly achieved. The students
managed to relate their theoretical-practical learning with what they met in the real context, in the daily
situations they experienced during their visits to families and services (primary health care units). This
teaching-learning process occurred coherently with the critical-reflexive exercise of reconstructing the
trainees' knowledge. In addition, a space for reflection became possible, which enhanced the
construction of these students' professional socialization, preparing them for their future work in teams.
The theoretical and practical activities in the subject under analysis took place in an integrated and
multidisciplinary manner, as the students interacted mutually, with the teachers and service
professionals. Consequently, the recommended interdisciplinarity in the National Educational Guidelines
was complied with.

Despite the study findings, there were no indications that the expected competences were discussed
among students and faculty in the evaluation records for each pedagogical cycle of the subject under
analysis. Faculty, as facilitators of the teaching-learning process, should clearly realize that the
competences to be achieved during the subject need to be constantly updated. This updating should be
done together with the students as, in the integrated curriculum, assessment is constructive, i.e. the
student's development is analyzed across the duration of the subject. Thus, in the students' portfolios,
notes are expected about discussions they had among them and with the teachers about expected and
achieved knowledge, skills and attitudes (competences).

bibiNovember 29, 2011 at 2:40 PM

Maria Ivelis Padilla Arias

The four pillars of education which are learning to know, leaning to do, learning together and learning to
be ,each one has a different point of view and helps us see things and understand different things.
Learning to know; mainly talks about how we start thinking, we process things, how we concentrate,
and memory skills. As you know since we are small kids we start learning, concentrating and thinking. I
personally think this is the most important pillar of education since its the first one we develop and use
in our live. Learning to do; talks about how can we use education and how can we adapt it to future.
What I understand about this learning is that is for professional persons, who want to improve it all. The
learning to be together; talks about how can we unite the world, how can we teach our students to care
for others and make awareness of what is going on, in the world and in other countries and the last one
learning to be; talks about how can we just be ourselves and succeed and how that can help us in
education letting us be creative and follow our opinions and statements.
Reply

Replies

MArJORIeTYwinssJuly 5, 2016 at 10:37 PM

what are some problems under learning to know that you commonly observed in the family that affects
the child's learning?

Reply

Guadalupe ArtigasNovember 29, 2011 at 4:37 PM

I believe as educators we must combine all the pillars. All make the basis of a good education. We need
to give the students knowledge in order the gain the competencies they need to outstand in their
future. We must give them the tools they need to recognize the world around them, exercise their
memory, attention and thought. If they have the knowledge they learn to do, they materialize what they
have in their brains; each one according to their level and capabilities. They learn to make judgments
about right and wrong so they can think critically. Also we should guide them through the discovery of
who they are, and what do they want in life, we must provide all the possible experiences so they can
reach to those answers. If they know who they are, accept and love themselves they will accept, tolerate
and love others. They will learn the importance of a persons essence; that goes beyond social class,
color, education and culture. All the pillars are part of an integral education that allows us to form
human beings, that will be able to defend themselves in a world of constant change and will make them
part of a better world.

Reply

Yasmin LazoNovember 29, 2011 at 6:15 PM

Four pillars of education

Learning to live together : People should learn to have values since this will help us to live better among
each other , living with peace with each other no matter to what levels of society we belong to accepting
each other as we are . And as I think we all want to have a honest political system in our country. With
the concept of learning to live together is expected to overcome various conflicts that happen in society
as I said before learning to live our differences in many cultures that we may have to deal and learn
about them. Learning to be Have social skills to enable individuals to develop the more we can mentally
and physically getting to be a complete person. Because knowing the weaknesses and strengths to build
us a whole person continuously. Learning to know Acquire all tools we have around us learning
everything we can in the world and provide an appropriate and adequate foundation for future learning.
Learning how to learn, making sure how can we know and learn. Because of the opportunity to work in
specific areas that continue to develop with changes in science and technology. Learning to do having
imagination is very important also having initiative. Is very important to achieve experience practicing
the activity we like to acquire all the knowledge we can.

Reply

Carlos MaldonadoNovember 29, 2011 at 7:06 PM

Actually the world is changing so it is necessary for people to understand with each other. It is important
for people not only to understand with each other, but also to interchange ideas in a peaceful way and
live in harmony. Today is a lack of values that is not permitting human beings to live peacefully and with
joy, so is very important the instruction of the four pillars of education in order to gain it.

The four pillars of education are important and necessary to acquire knowledge and obtain values lost in
society by the uncontrolled enlargement of the world. I agree that the pillar Learning to live together
is fundamental to gain values for living in peace and in harmony, because it develops the understanding
of others and their history, traditions, religion etc. Basically on this pillar people learn to tolerate people
and to respect others doesnt matter their traditions, celebrations, beliefs, and thoughts. But to get this
pillar we need to go through the others three pillars because they sustain the pillar of learning to live
together.

In my opinion the base for all the pillars is the pillar Learning to know. This pillar basically introduces
all what people need to know in order to grow and live in this world with so many changes and
challenges. The other two pillars Learning to do and Learning to be are also important for the search
of peace and harmony between all the people. The first that is related to work and the second one to
the accomplishment of goals are topics that actually are relevant for having people to have success and
to live peacefully.

In the role as teachers these for pillars are very important because it focus us to teach our students how
to behave with others and to tolerate others. Also the way how goals can be achieve and to accomplish
work as an individual an as a group. I consider that some of these pillars are introduced first of all at
home but can be reinforced at school. So we have a great labor to accomplish with our students wihch is
not easy.
Reply

Loyda RocioNovember 30, 2011 at 12:39 PM

I believe that each one of the four pillars of education is related and that one couldnt happen without
the other. They begin when we are just babies, we need to learn to live with others, starting at home
with our family and as we get older we have the need to learn to live with others in different
circumstances, as we begin school, we spend around 7 hours with our classmates. As we get to know
ourselves we also learn to be, we are able to affront our weaknesses and make our best with our
abilities, if I have trouble with my spelling words I study more and if Im good at math I would probably
just do a couple of exercises , learning how to know and how to learn are really related to learning to be,
I think that is the base of everything, if we are able to learn to be, we will be able to accept ourselves
and others, as Carlos said. As human beings it may take a while for some to have a well establish
foundation of the four pillars, once we have it, it will probably be easier to understand why I understand
better if I read out loud and why my friend needs a quiet room. Experience, maturity and certain
situations that we may go through may help us, our students and everyone we know learn to live with
others, learn to be, learn how to know and how to learn. As teachers we need to guide our students
through the four pillars, we must remember that they will help them through life.

Reply

Patricia GutierrezNovember 30, 2011 at 7:40 PM

The 4 pillars of education are important to take in account in order to give the essential tools to our
students needs to develop and growth in this demanding society. Learning to know is the teaching that
comes from our childhood the teaching from ours parent and us as teacher. Thats why is important that
what we teach is fundamental of the development of its deductive and inductive reasoning and the
increasing of its memory skills. learning to live together is no more than teach tolerance and acceptance
to other culture, races or religion follower to our students and a good way to this this is putting together
to work in a group in order to obtain the goal and at the same time they would learn more about
themselves, its culture, religion. Learning to do in this world that the most important is technology we
have to learn to adapt and apply our knowledge in order to get more benefits of this boom For us more
easily to continue doing the same thing in the same way and not experience to do it in a easily way that
would encourage our ability to experiment and learn more when we affront a unknown thing that is
what we have to teach to our childs no to be to afraid to encourage unknown things. Learning to be this
is important because we have to help each child to develop its own personality, we have to guide and
give the important and essential tools that they are going to use in their development as a professional
person in all aspects
Reply

Lourdes MacasDecember 1, 2011 at 8:21 AM

*Learning to know: First we as teachers need to learn to understand the world around, and feel the
desire to explore more, and research etc. so that our intellectual curiosity starts growing, once curiosity
grows that desire to explore take us to develop our creativity thru the analysis and reasoning and
pondering on a matter or something that we have started to know. How may we develop more these
senses of intellectual curiosity, creativity and analysis in us and in the students, there are many chances
some of which I have experienced as a student, some could be by applying games, visits, trips, practical
works and investigations to enrich our lives as teachers and enlighten and enrich the lives of our
students to help them be well prepared to face the changes of the professional and personal life.
Learning to do: To develop the talent to be competitive which can be in specific areas, this includes learn
to work in teams where we can learn from other teachers skills of communication, teaching,
teambuilding, problem solving, dealing with difficult parents or students, service etc., shaping us better
for the future. *Learning to live together: As teachers we are also responsible to help our students to
develop empathy among them so that they can always show a positive attitude towards others, this will
help them to be prepared for the future to have good interpersonal relations. *Learning to be: Is also
our duty to help students to discover and make them to realize who they are and how important and
special beings they are, so that they will value themselves, they will value other members of their family
and will also be good citizens as they value any person in the society.

As teachers I think we need to be the best examples of living this, at school and wherever we are, not
only when students are in front, we need to learn to be, we are teachers, but sometimes we teach this
kind of things better by example than by theory, what I mean is that we need to live what we teach. As
we try our best in applying this four pillars, which I have found are fundamental for teachers to know, I
think and feel that we will prepare the best citizens, persons and professionals of the world. As we see
the newspaper or whenever we look for a job, we can see that these 4 pillars are consider, not exactly
with the same names, but they are required.

Reply

Replies

AnonymousDecember 15, 2014 at 4:09 AM

It so USEFUL.
Reply

Diana MezaDecember 1, 2011 at 3:09 PM

As educators it is our duty to prepare our students for life, providing them with the skills and tools they
will need to hopefully succeed in everything they do. These skills cannot be narrowed down to the
knowledge they might get from books. We need methods to teach them to encounter different
situations in life, situations that might not be in any lesson the classroom might provide. Our society is
growing into a larger scale, we are a global community, and this community is demanding more from
us than it ever did before. Teach them for life that is what we should be doing and what many
educators believe is the way to go. UNESCO identifies four pillars of education as the key for our young
generation. Children should learn to be, learning to know, to live together and learn to do. By learning to
be students are expected to get to know themselves in a way where they can bring about the best from
within and work their way into becoming better human beings. Learning to know will help us
understand what we need to learn and keep our knowledge up-to-date with such a changing
technology. Learning to live together nowadays is one of the most important aspects in our society; we
need to learn to accept, respect and embrace differences regardless of gender, ethnicity, etc. We also
need to learn to resolve and avoid conflict. Learning to do is the skill that helps us be the best that we
can be at what we do, learning to do it well and to precisely know the steps to make it.

Reply

Martha SandovalDecember 1, 2011 at 3:50 PM

When referring to education it is always important to keep in mind this changing world we live in.
Sometimes we might think that we have learned enough, but there are things we have to keep on
learning throughout our lives. Learning is a continuous process that takes place, I think, for as long as we
live, we never stop learning so it is very important that we know how to learn. This particular aspect of
our education has to do with another pillar of education, learning to know, since laying the foundations
for learning throughout life, gives us the basis for life, knowing that learning is an ongoing process.
Learning to do is also very important because we need to be able to know how to do things, being able
to make difficult decisions, and also being able to work closely with others, and I agree that some of this
aspects we learn as students, it is very hard sometimes to learn them as adults. But for all this to work
we have to learn to be. None of the pillars will have a purpose if we dont learn how to be, know what
we, as individuals are capable of doing. It is important to know how high we can fly. It is also important
to know that this world is made up of different kinds of people and that we need to respect one another
no matter what differences we might have, this also is part of education.
Reply

evelyn suazoDecember 1, 2011 at 7:38 PM

How are these four pillars related to our role as teachers in our attempt to educate others?

The role of the teacher is understanding students needs, and engaging them in their learning
experiences The four pillars talk about the different needs students have in this new century and how
we can help them develop into citizens that can learn to be individuals and still live in a society.

In learning to know let us know that we dont need to forget the basic of learning that is memorisation
and concentration.

In Learning to do students they dont need to have phisical abilities because most of the work is
intelectual and be creative.

In learning to live together well we live in a society that is become very violent. Then we need to start
changing the society from scratch that is with new student. We need to teach them to live in peace and
harmony and respect others individualities.

In learning to be my favorite one because I can still have my own individuality and still live in this new
society without hurting other peoples feeling and be as creative as I wish.

The four pillars I see them basically with some of Confucius way of living in witch you can be yourself
and still live in society as long as you respect other peoples ideas and creativity.

Reply

Gisselle PadillaDecember 1, 2011 at 8:22 PM

As Educators and as part of a society we need to combine these four to be better as teachers as well as
human being. Learning to know means to acquire al instruments or tools for comprehension, it involves
pure knowledge for present and the future application; it implies of knowing your surroundings.

Memory and Concentration are important skills to develop in order to achieve this important pillar of
education. The process of learning to think is one of the most difficult objectives of education since it
involves ones capability intelligence, knowledge, develop skills and environment.

Learning to do is putting into practice what you have learn or pure knowledge in application with your
thinking skills like what you can synthesis, memorize etc. Also is to be able to influence the own
environment, Training the human being to face an amount of interactions and have a team work
attitude. This means that learning to do will develop the professional qualification for the world
competence. Remember that personal competence are based on a body of theoretical and practical
knowledge combined with personal dynamism and good problem-solving, decision-making, innovative
and team skills.

Learning to be together it means to participate and cooperate with others, in this pillar education plays
an important role because it will make the difference between doing the right thing and the wrong,
when the human being is able to understand diversity and to be tolerance with others. This in this point
is where we make the difference, also this approach should make us get involve in social activities like
charity ect. Learning to be it means the development of our own personality, self-criticism and self
control I can say that learning to be is learning how to be a human being. in this pillar I understand that
is the acquisition of skills, knowledge, values ect. With this we get to a complete fulfillment of a human.

Reply

Marta Leon GomezDecember 1, 2011 at 8:40 PM

After reading this document I got to the conclusion that all four pillars are important none by itself could
make education complete. Each of them complement each other, just like in society everything is
connected or like parents depends on teachers to help them complement their child education. As a
parent and teacher I believe it is responsibility of the parents to stimulate our baby at home and begin
with the process of showing him the world and make him curious about what happens around. This will
help him with its concentration skills and ability to think. On the other hand when a child has the
opportunity of going to school is exposed to interact with other kids and adults, which is very important
for their personal relationships. In this same process children are ask to accomplish different activities
and should be able to follow instruction and make their best effort. As the document said learning to do
will prepare them for different tasks in their future life and will also help them learn from their mistakes.
As parents and teacher we can leave footprints in a child by helping them understand themselves,
promote self confidence, independent thinking in social experience. All this aspects are included in the
process of education and are extremely important to accomplish the goal of learning at a higher level.

Reply

Steph SuazoDecember 1, 2011 at 8:45 PM

The four pillars of education, I think that they all are linked together because as teacher we have to
know our students, their environment, how they learn, knowing how to teach and the most important
thing is to prepare our students for the world outside, that they could have the tools and skills to be
successful in their life. The first pillar is learning to know, is a type of learning that develops ones
concentration, memory skills and the ability to think. The second pillar is learning to do, is to give
meaningful knowledge, skills and tools to equip students to do the best of themselves for their future.
The third pillar is learning to live together, in our present, violence often dominates life. We have to
teach values, humans diversity, respecting difference opinions or ways of thinking and to dialogue for
resolving conflicts. The last pillar is learning to be, education should contribute to every persons
complete development, is personality training; education should be individualized process and making a
balance at the same time with interactive social experience. Concerning in developing imagination and
creativity. To complete fulfillment of a person in all richness of his/her personality as an individual,
member of a family, citizen, producer and creative dreamer.

Reply

Nydia LopezDecember 1, 2011 at 9:04 PM

In todays turmoil of a world, weve come to realize that education needs to evolve in order to face the
challenges of this ever-changing society. Endless issues like the labor market, economy, global-warming,
religion, politics and so forth are just a tidbit of what we are forced to deal with and handle as part of
our daily life. Learning to live together is fundamental due to the prior fact, we need to learn to be
tolerant and to accept differences in any way shape or form, in fact learn to see them as enriching. We
must learn and appreciate our world, our communities, and surroundings, learn from our history and
really attain the message of past glories or ancient conflicts. Why? Because we must never forget which
mistakes have led us to our current triumph or failure. Once I read in the Holocaust Memorial Museum
the following, Never forget, never again. That phrase stuck to me, it made me think that to avoid
making the same mistakes of intolerance we MUST NOT forget about them. Contemporary society is
pushing us to become life-long learners, if we stop looking for knowledge and information we will
eventually be left behind. Surfing the rough waters of the world requires us to grab ahold of everything
we know and apply it to whatever context we are set in. If we dont , the riptides will undoubtedly part
with us. Nothing is exclusive of a subject matter anymore, we need to be ready to walk down any path
we encounter putting every bit we know to make it work to our benefit, but moreover to the benefit of
mankind. We must find that motivation within to explore and strengthen all our potentials and use them
as tools to accomplish success not only as human beings, but as a member of a global community. We
must learn to be. The connection tour teaching role, if we, the adults must comply with all of the above,
it is our duty to enable our students to function in such a world. Provide them with the opportunities to
learn the skills they require to perform successfully in a world that twists and turns dramatically.
Reply

Karen ColomerDecember 1, 2011 at 9:16 PM

In what refers to education we must take into consideration what surrounds us, firs of all The Society
which is becoming hard so we must keep in constant learning day by day. No matter our age or our
condition, we must focus every time on education which is constantly changing, and for that the 4 pillars
of education must go hand by hand because one leads another, but it is important to begin with
ourselves applying the four pillars in our daily life, cause education takes a place in our life in a different
way at a different time, but without the four pillars education wont be complete, it shall be as
everything common sense (which sometimes we dont use) we are Learning to know Learning to do
Learning to live together learning to be we shall apply them in our daily life as teachers, parents
and guide our students through them.

Reply

karla RodriguezDecember 1, 2011 at 9:27 PM

The Four Pillars of the Education

The process of learning really implies several stages in our lives, it all matters, where we live, who do we
live with, and what do we do. It also involves every person around us, teacher, parents, family, etc In
order to successfully integrate everything that is important in education the UNESCO suggests four
pillars; they are: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be.

Though out our lives we can see the importance of memory skill and the ability to think critically
because life is about taking decisions, these skills form the base for learning to know. As teachers, we
can make a difference in our society if we teach these two skills in different ways in order to make
learning an enjoyable process for our students. Whatever we do with our children it endures for life!

Education must be useful to our students in the most practical sense possible. In learning to do we must
teach what is absolutely necessary for success in the current times and elaborate from there when
possible. This means that the teaching curricula and didactics must evolve at the same pace of changes
in society and all of its elements like the economy, politics, etc

The education tasks involve all aspects in our environment. Sometimes we may ask ourselves why other
countries have faster development experiences than others, well the answer is education. In learning to
live together students must learn to understand other cultures, customs, ways of living, needs, etc
Though this pillar in education, people will be more tolerant and avoid conflicts which are two essential
conditions for peace and progress.
I think, we all deserve the opportunity to learn, to enhance our talents, every children and young person
should be offered every opportunity to be artistic, scientific, cultural or for social discovery and
experimentation. The feeling of successful, achievement and development is paramount in the life of a
human being and if we can achieve it through education, this could be a tremendous incentive for
individual achievement and consequently collective progress.

Reply

Ana Valeria GamezDecember 1, 2011 at 10:16 PM

I believe that as educators we must stick to those four pillars as a feedback to our teaching philosophy.
We must consider that the world is constantly changing and new advances are arising, we should
prepare in order we enrich our students needs, Learning to know, is just simply what we learn since we
born, our background knowledge which is important to learn different things in which you make
connections between what you already know and what you are learning, as teachers we must let our
students know the purpose of learning new things and what do we expect them to do, there comes the
Learn to do, which I consider that an essential part of the an educator is to encourage their students to
think how are they going to solve a problem? How to create new things? And making the right decisions
for their lifes which is part of the Learning to be, students must learn that not everybody has the same
abilities and that part of learning being an human is to accept others differences. Teachers should give
their students the feedback and guidance that enables them to develop their abilities in different
situations, such as team work in which they also learn how to deal, listen and respect others opinions in
order they learn to live together, cooperating and willing to help others . As educators we have an
enormous responsibility; teaching for life and preparing the professionals that this world is requiring, so
we must not leave these pillars behind!

Reply

Delmy ValladaresDecember 1, 2011 at 10:38 PM

As educators we are is very important to be aware of the four most important pillars of education for
different forms of skills acquired in learning.

Four levels of education have been trying to adapt the world to be people with the ability to live in a
world with changing trends. EDUCATION treasure within.

To fulfill the mission of education must be structured in four fundamental ways of learning to achieve
significant cognitive development of each person (the four pillars of knowledge).
1.-Learning to know: Each person, understand the world around him, so less likely to acquire domain
knowledge to themselves instruments of knowledge. Stresses the importance of research and suggests
that cooperation is made from. Elaborates on the fact to learning emphasizing issues such as proposed
selective memory and associative, the attention of perception should open and helpful in nature and
thought from his perspective that indicates deductive and inductive (concreteness and abstraction).
Finally note that the acquisition of knowledge is an endless process that remains while experiencing life.

2 .- Learning to be: two questions arise teach how to practice what you learned? And how to adapt
teaching to the new world of work? It is closely linked to vocational training, teaching students how to
implement their knowledge and adapt their teaching to the labor market.

3 .- Learning to live together or live together: This learning is undoubtedly the main premises of
Education through the joint participation of common life projects within the school environment,
community, family and peers.

4 .- Learning to be: I think the best way to summarize this section is literally putting which is the
fundamental principle of this Commission of UNESCO: "Education should contribute to the overall
development of each person: body, mind, intelligence, sensitivity , aesthetic sense, personal
responsibility, spirituality. All human beings must be able, in particular through the education received
in his youth, to acquire an independent and critical thinking and to develop their own views, to
determine for themselves what to do in different circumstances of life .

As education throughout life is based primarily on the four pillars of knowledge: Learning to know,
learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be.

Reply

JJLaraDecember 2, 2011 at 6:08 AM

Following with your discussion and comments, which are very good, by the way, I must admit though, I
ranked them. For me number one is Learning to Be, I think its a tough one. We are all born with a set of
personality traits, talents, abilities, etc and sadly and more often than not, these qualities are lost
because of a lack of fortitude of character, discipline, intrinsic motivation and high moral standards.
Highly talented people, both adults and even children, do not develop their full potential because of it.
How many times have we heard of very intelligent and talented people of whom much is expected, and
suddenly they are caught up in vice and destructive behavior? I think one of my jobs as a teacher is to
nurture my students so they can tap into themselves find their way and go and be the best they can. I
relate this very closely with learning to live together. We have done this since the beginning but it seems
that nowadays, respect and harmony and justice is lacking in our societies, which shows as that mere
knowledge and technology is not the answer to world problems necessarily.

With a sound basis on character and the compassion, then the mastery of learning tools and learning
how to learn (learning to know) and the know how, (learning to do), should become easier.

Am I really nurturing my students to help them develop their full potential? Hmmm, tricky. Am I a
learner and in this process myself? I hope so.

Reply

Ligia AguilarDecember 2, 2011 at 6:20 AM

Well done everybody!! I can see that you are taking the four pillars seriously. Keep it up!

Reply

Janine IriasDecember 2, 2011 at 9:26 AM

The Four Pillars of Education

In my opinion these four pillars are essential in ones life. I am daring to use this word mostly because I
think, and I am sure, that if humans all around the world dare to work, think, and live focusing in the
four pillars of education life and the world would give a drastic change for everyone, in a good way. Life
would be easier if racism stopped, if we could just see each other as a whole, keeping in mind that no
one is better than the other and by working together, once the world is united, things would be better.
If this worked perfectly as described wars would come to an end, and maybe we could even stop global
warming and have the world nice and neat for the upcoming generation. It all starts by learning how to
live together, if we could do this without comparing your life with others this is when it will all begin to
work just right. Once your self-esteem is low and that you cant perform a specific task is when you
begin to fail and every little thing that surrounds you will come to an end as well. If this happened, one
of the pillars of education is not working, Learning to be. Once one of the pillars begins to fail some
other will fail as well and so on until you have no pillars to look out for, and life will be as it is. Life will be
a race, a competition with the rest of the world of who is better in life and not focusing in having a
better world, we will ruin it.
I consider that there should be a balance between the four pillars, once you Learn how to live
together in harmony now you will be able to feel free and show what you can really do in life and fight
for your own goals and help others with their own. When this happens you will feel confident that
nothing is impossible and that you can overpass any obstacle that life brings to you. If you focus on the
four pillars, the last but not least pillar of education, learning to know, helps keep everything straight.
Everything that you have been doing will be an experience; learning experience that will last throughout
a life time.

JANINE IRIAS(0801189808730)

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Anna SabillnDecember 2, 2011 at 10:24 AM

Everybody should take in consideration what UNESCO has to say in this report. Understanding the Four
Pillars of Education can make us become better people as well as improve our lives as teachers. Being
able to learn to know can help us gain a deeper comprehension of the world that surrounds us, by
mastering learning tools, developing concentration, memory skills and the ability to think. Human beings
need all these to solve problems, have abstract thoughts and to be capable of combining deductive and
inductive reasoning, so learning to do wont be so difficult. In these times the more we know the better;
but if we are not qualified to do things, it makes it almost impossible to succeed. Occupational and skill
training, personal competence, social behavior, personal initiative, willingness to take risks and group
work abilities are as important and necessary today. Having the conviction that learning to live together
will leave us a better world is essential and education should be the best weapon for it, we should teach
how to avoid conflict or peacefully resolve it, even tough it is a difficult challenge since competition,
media exposure, the human ability for self destruction and for overestimating our and other abilities
develop into tension between each other, rich and poor , young and adults, black and white, we can
teach empathy, human rights, values to help our new generations discover each other and to encourage
them to get together in common projects for common well. In order to learn to be, we as educators
most ensure personal resources and intellectual tools; although we must also make sure people learn to
enjoy freedom of thought, judgment, feelings and imagination so we can contribute in everybodys
development. Anna Sabilln

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Sandra WeberDecember 2, 2011 at 11:32 AM

Our rapidly dwindling world may seem as an enemy to most of those whose passion is to aid and help
those hungry vassals with as much information, teaching them to learn throughout their own lives. It
has become my biggest ambition to be that individual with the power to lead extraordinary human
beings no matter their race, color, or social status and even their abilities to express themselves.
Nevertheless, there is always a need for a guide to answer those inevitable questions of: Why go to
school every day to gain information from teachers that is available to most individuals with access to
such information through a mere technical apparatus? My personal quest was always to find an answer
to my own purpose which was gained through those individual whom I myself guide. Education is not
just a classroom; it is not just teachers or students. Education is a community in and outside our
classroom and nowadays our city, country and even continent. As an educator I am that guide which will
lead, teach, and open every door to those who gain knowledge from myself and history itself. The pillars
serve as a guide in reaching my goals. They guide in my own philosophy of education that which will
contribute to the society which my students will inevitably confront in the long run. It is important as
educators to not just teach basic knowledge but enhance students curiosity with research and
experimentation. To help them put what is learned into practice in a creative and ingenious manner. The
purpose of my existence in their lives is to aid them in the understanding of themselves. It could be that
my mere existence is to guide my students in learning to live together. Once they have an idea of who
they are and what they are capable they will figure out a way to manage the inevitable conflicts of their
society in a peaceful manner. I believe that only teachers can enjoy the pillar of learning to be for here
is where the fruit of my work is revealed. It is in this pillar where my own guidance shines with the
brightest light. To see my empty vassal filled with its OWN ideas, thoughts, feelings and creativity. As
educators we can never overlook what is placed in our hands. We must have a clear idea of our purpose
that which is the production of effective citizens, individuals with self-respect that contribute to their
family, community and country. The four pillars of education hold everything together and enable
students to learn to know, learn to do, learn to live together and learn to be.

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Alejandra Quesada LuqueDecember 2, 2011 at 1:30 PM

The four pillars are the basics of human knowledge. These pillars are skills which need to be developed.
Our responsibility is to guide young minds through their growth so they can be successful and be all they
can be. If we can teach them down to others correctly and with care, we will become better teachers
and better people as well. No human will know everything but applying each and every one of these
basic skills will provide the tools necessary to live correctly and with respect to others.

Learning to know stands for acquiring the knowledge we need to reach our purpose and have a decent
life. Learning to do is learning to apply that knowledge the right way. Making it work for the benefit of
ourselves and others.
When learning to do we must respect others and that is when learning to live together becomes
important. We must use our skills in what we do but we must also do it as a part of a community. No
one is capable of everything on their own and we all need help.

Finally learning to be is learning how to grow in that community. We must learn how to always keep
cultivating our personalities and our own thoughts and ideas. Having a critic mind and distinguishing
useful knowledge from a useless one is an important part of this.

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Eva SnchezDecember 2, 2011 at 1:30 PM

Teachers should apply the four pillars of education to everything they do. Making students get the tools
to understand and learn about their own world is a must, so they can analyze it and discover its beauty.
Learning to pay attention, use their memory and have a critical thinking will be useful in their life.
Learning to do has a new meaning nowadays, since having interpersonal skills, occupational training,
and social behavior, not just academic knowledge is necessary to achieve goals. Teachers have to
encourage team work, cooperative learning, problem solving abilities, innovation and decision making as
well as scientific knowledge to make sure that students will be capable get in to the work force with all
the tools they will need. By teaching values, morality, discipline, love for their peers and setting a good
example we allow them to learn to live together. If we guide them into understanding each other,
treating them as we would like to be treated and working together towards the same goal they will
learn to be agents of change as they contribute to develop into people who have fair judgements,
critical thinking and a responsible for their own actions as for the world they are living in.

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Edgardo RomeroDecember 2, 2011 at 2:09 PM

Being a teacher is a devotion not just an occupation, having the four pillars of education as a guide for us
to lead students into a more peaceful and understanding world is a tool that we must take advantage of.
To be leaders or guides in childrens life might be a difficult task; but if we manage to encourage them to
think, to analyze to have a better understanding of themselves we can accomplish a lot. Encouraging
students to influence over their own life and the world they live in has to be our duty, to let them realize
that education is not just to get a job; but to become better citizens, better human beings. If we can
succeed in these tasks we will be leaving, for the future to come, new leaders with the ability to
overcome any difficulty, who are fair and have a critical and analytical point of view and are responsible
for their own acts, people who will get really involved in their society and the way it develops. I believe
that education at all levels should be a holistic idea guided by integrity, moral, values and as teachers we
have to lead the way to make these changes possible having the four pillars of education as our guide.

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Ada MartinezDecember 2, 2011 at 6:36 PM

First of all I must say that I feel grateful for my education, after reading all the information about
education itself I realized how important it is for us, and I am not talking just about the knowledge we
acquire in school, but that we gain throughout life. All the four learning pillars talk about how we gain
knowledge with experience and that technical definitions and reactions we learn through a teacher; it is
what we do for success as a professional and personal life experience, it is what we are , what we
become after all the knowledge is drop inside our minds.

After going throughout the pillars, I identify myself with Learning to Live, having the ability to have our
knowledge model our character and who we are and how we react to situations that are presents to us.
Daily basis is the most appreciated education we can have, it won`t matter if you have gone through
High school or college, having a master would we abolished just having the adequate way to react to
those situations that represent a challenge in life.

As a teacher I must say, that we need to learn and engage all these pillars as we guide others to find
themselves in the world. And the most important pillar to embrace as teachers must be to teach
Learning to do , we need to make students realize they can do anything they want if they just try.
Once they acquire all the pillars and put them into practice, the world`s doors will be open.

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Kennia FuentesDecember 2, 2011 at 6:42 PM

As educators I believe we have a huge commitment with our students, we are able to touch our
students lives, we can make an impact on them, it is our duty to prepare them to face everyday
challenges, prepare them for life (Learning to be). Here lies the foundation for true learning to take
place, I believe that in order for meaningful acquisition of knowledge, we have to integrate the four
pillars of education, one cant be separated from the other. As humans we are social beings, though at
times we might wander on our own, we need to have people to comfort us, support us, and why not,
even people who inform us of our shortcomings, we need to learn how to accept each other, and
respect the way other people think or feel, when we assign group work this is one skill we are
reinforcing, they might have different opinions, but they need to learn how to compromise (Learning to
live together). We have to instruct children to be able to discriminate information, the media offers an
infinite amount of information, however, not all information is adequate, they must develop their own
ideas and opinions (Learning to know). Students have to use what they know in order to decide how
they will act.

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Elka MoncadaDecember 2, 2011 at 6:59 PM

This article refers specifically to our tasks and the way we learn, I loved this article particularly because it
specifies how we learn from the world, from each other. It also defines how people learn, the skill, the
practicality, the way we interact and the way we learn throughout life as it goes. It also made me think
about the way we teach our children, as educators we have to remember that we all are integral beings;
we have emotional factors that control our learning skills, we have genetics and we also have
personality, which contribute to our daily learning experience.

We also have to have in mind, that everybody learns in different ways and that everything that
surrounds us makes either a positive or a negative impact in our life. The four pillars are based in all of
the aspects mentioned before, but I really think that the most important aspect for a successful
harmonious social relationship with others is getting to know each other and learning to know the
people and every aspect of our environment to understand the world around us. I also think that kids
learn to respect everybody else`s ideas, opinion; and to teach tolerance and respect is a hard thing to
do, especially with teenagers in my personal experience. These type of things need to be taught in a
constant way, in a daily basis, since a very early age; in order to be acquired.

Finally, as teachers we should always have in mind that children explore everything around them, and
that they learn something every day, either because they`ve been taught or by experience.

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Joanna Vides CooperDecember 3, 2011 at 6:13 AM

When I read this article, I thought about the UNESCO did well in establishing the four pillars of education
because, It is important to be detailed of what it means so people can act responsible and can live a
better life. This should be edited for people to see daily so they can get the right picture. To share the
same world will only be easy if people start acting responsibly and help together find solutions to day to
day problems. I find myself agreeing to this because, education shouldnt have a price, and it should be
affordable for everyone and not discriminate people, instead, encourage them to keep educating
themselves. Following these four Pillars of education, we would be ensuring a good education on
children and filled with values which are the base core of all life. This provides an opportunity for people
with few or no formal educational qualifications. Also, there is a growing trend among employers to
evaluate potential employees in terms of their personal competence rather than certified skills which
they see as merely demonstrating the ability to perform specific physical tasks through social behavior,
personal initiative and a willingness to take risks. From early childhood, it should focus on the discovery
of other people in the first stage of education. Learning to do means, education with application, not
theory based.

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Katherine AgeroDecember 3, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Learning to live together means to participate and cooperate with the other people and I could
understand that we need to strength our educational systems around many places, since we live in a
violent world. Learning to do means, to be able to act creatively in ones environment, it is education
with application, not theory based, you do hands on and experiments. Learning to Be is education that
allows students to get to know their abilities, and feel free to be who they want to be without feeling
different among others, as well as letting students to develop their personalities and act with great
autonomy, judgment and personal responsibility. Learning to know is acquiring the instruments of
knowledge, It is important that students can achieve certain skills from each of the pillars that can make
them become better individuals and live in a society. This means teachers, must commit on making
students to get involved on discovering each one as individuals. As teachers we must get and include a
small part of each of the four pillars in our classrooms, to create an environment where children can feel
safe and comfort with their learning. It is in fact important to conclude that no construction can be well
done if the basis or pillars are not strong enough to stand firm for long time. Just as our kids need to
have strong values and learnings on their first stages of life so when they grow up can become better
people for our world.

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Rosa Maria MaciasDecember 3, 2011 at 11:27 AM

Learning through practice .The 20th century had had a lot of changes and increased the knowledge of all
the people who are open to learn and learning had become a way of life, because life is just a workshop
for all of us. This Commission had made an emphasis on four pillars to describe the foundations of
education.

The first pillar is learning to know. Nowadays it is really important the knowledge we get, according to
the challenges life is offering so many ways to progress, but it requires some conditions, one is that we
need to increase our knowledge through a career or studying to learn to know how to do something in a
job

The second is learning to do .through practice or working in groups is a very good chance for students to
learn, especially because human been like competition and they usually try to do their best, as if they
got to win something, in that way they have the chance to try out or develop their abilities and then
they are getting involved in their team at the same time they had become part of it.

The third pillar is learning to be. : Our buried treasure must be left untapped. memory, reasoning power,
imagination, physical ability, an esthetic sense, the aptitude to communicate with others and the natural
charisma of the group leader, which again goes to prove the need for greater self-knowledge, we can
learn to be what we spect from ourselves only if we dig to find our treasure developing or increasing our
knowledge and get our goals done. And even after this, we still need to be firm on the learning process
and open all those doors we still want to open and continue learning every single day

And the fourth is learning to live together: its really important to learn to know the people around us
try to understand them their culture traditions and their spiritual values, it will help us to accept their
way of living and to use to them, face challenges with enthusiasm and courage to get over any situation
.being positive thinking that we can do anything we want with Our Heavenly Fathers help, recognizing
his help in our life.

It is really important that we study to get to the practice and then get the experience to be part of our
life, we need to be able to learn each day of our life and face all the challenges that are in our way. Life
is the better workshop for us but without the knowledge we wont learn as fast as we need. This is the
century of the changes and we need to be prepared for all those changes.

ROSA MARIA MACIAS RAMIREZ Marymac

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Stephanie JalilDecember 4, 2011 at 3:15 PM

These four pillars is the way teaching and learning becomes a complete life lesson experience. How we
as educators should integrate every aspect in life, form values aside from the actual content to be
taught. We can work as guides or model to them for a broad general education to give different learning
opportunities that will help us in the day by day experiences. We help students know and understand
that what we see of our world is not even half of what it actually is. They need to know that this world
has its good and bad times, they need to live this experiences that will help them mature and find their
own way of dealing with this issues. We as teachers can help as a guide but we cant explain this
experience, is a life learning lesson. But we can certainly be there to help and support. They need to
recognize that knowledge is attained but the way its used or put on practice at the end is going to be up
to them. The existence of human diversity and how we need to respect other peoples points of view
and goals, because we all have the same rights and freedom of speech, to know that probably their goal
is the same as someone else and that maybe this person has actually putted more of a fight to obtain it,
work in a collaborative way to succeed, be more humanitarian, enrich their relationships with other
people. We as teachers can help them love and engage their goals in order to obtain them. We mark our
students in every aspect, and by this we are part of their future.

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Marcia JoanDecember 5, 2011 at 4:38 PM

The four pillars of education are related between each other. We as teacher become a very important
part of our students life. We are a role model for them so we have to be a good model for them. The
first pillar talks about learning to know, is about the knoweledge we get through life experiences and
how we react to each one. It helps us grow in a mature way. The second pillar is learning to do, work as
individuals and as a group. Put all our knowledge and share it to make an important influence in our
world. The third pillar learning to be, respect all way of thinking even if we dont support. We have a
variety of opinions and we have to work along. The fourth pillar, learning to live together, is in my
opinion the most problematic of the pillars because of the variety of points of view and goals we all
humans have.We nned to get along and be respectfull, as teachers we can influence in the most positive
way to make a better human beings. We must work along the four pillars and emphasize every day!

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