I just came across this article thanks to a colleague on Twitter and immediately was intrigued by the title: “Curiosity as a Learning Outcome.”
(Read the full article here.)
What’s interesting to me is how the article, I felt, didn’t really address anything new. It’s something I’ve heard being said in the education field for quite some time. Granted, I understand, I am in a rather UNIQUE field in the education sector which makes me quite privileged to spend my time around people who focus on inquiry and hands-on based learning.
I guess it was technically my first professor in college (an older gentleman with a handlebar moustache who could easily have passed for the Monopoly man, but in Hawaiian floral print shirts) who introduced me to the term “poke-n-puke” in regards to how he viewed most teaching styles. While it may not be glamorous, it most certainly addresses the regurgitation issue in the education field. Many times in school, I felt as if I was simply being fed facts on to try to retain as many as possible with the ability to recall them at a moment’s notice. And I realized at a very young age that this was easy for me. I have an peculiar ability to absorb and retain a large amount of mundane information. But my classmates particularly struggled in this area. It simply caused frustration and a distaste for education.
Now, when we had the opportunity to work with teachers who encouraged us to ask questions and find our own answers? Sure, we worked harder, but the reward was so much greater. AND, I feel like the playing field was more even. Anyone who had the ability to think critically could solve the puzzle. It didn’t take a genius to be the top of the class; it took a problem solver. This approach showed students that hard work and CURIOSITY could trump those “brainiacs.”
With the rise of standardized testing, we’re once again telling students that those with the queer predisposition for memorization are the “smart” ones, the most successful ones. And I think it’s high time we changed that.
The questions now rise, “How? How do we teach kids to be inquisitive? To approach learning as a process and thrive in it?”
My answer?
Make it fun.
Learn through play. Learn by doing. Let children ask questions. Don’t always give them the answer. GUIDE them to their answers. That second when the lightbulb comes on, their eyes light up… it’s all worth it in that moment. When you allow them to connect the dots, it gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride, a chance to feel “smart.”
I know this post is a bit “rambly” and lacking in cohesiveness, but. BUT, it’s definitely a topic that I feel very strongly about, and what good is a blog if we educators don’t have an opportunity to write about what we’re thinking? 🙂
Keep learning, Keep curious.
-Jacie
Science Spectrum 