IDEAL

I - INTEGRATED

D - DOLPHIN

E - EDUCATION

A - AND

L - LEARNING

English Ideal Dilo.jpg

Education and learning should be connected with joy and easyness for everyone. IDEAL is a concept developed by Dr. Horace Dobbs – scientist, dolphin researcher and visionary – who wanted to share the experiences and amazing discoveries of his research with parents and educationalists. His aim is to show the possibilities of using the positive effect of dolphins on children, by stimulating their learning motivation.

Of course it is not possible or desirable to integrate wild dolphins into regular lessons. However, you can obtain a similar effect by appropriate teaching materials (such as books, pictures, films, etc.). The method developed by Dr. Dobbs has turned out to be especially effective with children with special educational needs and/or learning difficulties.

IDEAL is a concept to support and enrich holistic and inter-disciplinary teaching methods. It is connecting modern tried and tested teaching methods with new subjects and provides an easy and stress-free access to learning. IDEAL can be adapted and integrated within every educational concept.

WHY DOLPHINS?

If you watch dolphins, you will feel that their life is play and fun most of the time.

They show us that life is always connected with joy and fun, no matter how difficult challenges may seem. Dolphins are symbols of enthusiasm, intelligence and playfulness and they learn extremely fast.

The sea is their home, their school and their playground. These three areas of life are not separated. Humans, however, usually create a strong separation between the different areas (home/family, school/work, leisure time). For dolphins, work and play is melted together and not different at all.

Thus the dolphin’s life style shows us in a very impressive and easy way a holistic and integrative teaching and learning method where everyone meets challenges and new subjects with fun, curiosity and playful ease.

Research showed us that dolphins have a very complex social fabric, extraordinary communicative and psychic abilities. Scientists assume that dolphins basically use their right brain hemisphere to survive. This also explains their playful attitude to all things in life and their harmonious relationship with their environment.

Studies show:

Dolphins transmit their joie de vivre to humans and stimulate mental processes. This is caused – among other things – by the emission of endorphines which can have both short and long term effects. Endorphines lift the mood, relax tensions and thus support receptive and learning abilities.


	IDEAL OBJECTIVES


	to stimulate motivation and learning performances by dolphin oriented educational methods to be an alternative and enrichment of present educational methods to develop new creative ways of common learning and growing together (teacher-children-parents) to stimulate the natural motivation for learning and curiosity of children, so that they are able to develop their full potential to use the human’s affinity for dolphins, which has proved positive in supporting the development and stimulation of mental processes (which are essential preconditions for successful learning).

	TEACHING MATERIALS – A GAME FOR EVERYONE

In the centre of the created teaching materials are the adventures of a young curious dolphin named Dilo created by Dr. Horace Dobbs. The Dilo story books support the deep emotional connection between humans and dolphins. Dilo accompanies children and adults during the learning process and motivates reading, writing and drawing. While following the dolphin, the children are stimulated to learn themselves and can develop their own natural desire for knowledge.

Teacher/parents/educationalists function as educational mediators and companions while Dilo and his experiences steer and organise the children’s learning process.

International Dolphin Watch 10 Melton Road, North Ferriby, E.Yorks HU14 3ET. England.
Tel: +44 (0)1482 632650 Fax: +44 (0)1482 634914 E-mail: idw@talk21.com