HOL and Connection, Capacity and Meaning

Hands on Learning through the lens of Connection, Capacity, & Meaning

Connection is central to HOL since the success of the method is predicated on the formation of respectful relationships. In HOL respectful relationships are deemed to be long term, high quality relationships that are both enduring and endemic to the students’ normal environment. The structure of the HOL method is intended to establish an environment within the school itself where quality relationships can be formed and maintained between disengaged students, peers, and adults for long periods of time. While schools provide many opportunities for students to form relationships outside of classrooms, many of these are ephemeral - such as excursions, camps, or intra/inter-school sporting competitions. These kinds of events do not typically provide sufficient opportunities for students who already struggle socially to find a reliable point of connection to others, rather they tend to enhance existing quality relationships instead of helping to establish new ones.