The World Becomes What We Teach
I just finished reading a book by Zoe Weil called The World Becomes What You Teach. Zoe Weil is director of the Institute for Humane Education. Both the title of the book and of the institute drew may interest.
I just finished reading a book by Zoe Weil called The World Becomes What You Teach. Zoe Weil is director of the Institute for Humane Education. Both the title of the book and of the institute drew may interest.
In the formal classrooms of the 21st Century, children rarely have the opportunity to explore the natural world, and they rarely have the opportunity to let their curiosity guide their explorations. This time when we are all asked to be healthy at home seems a perfect opportunity to rekindle the spark of curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world. I see adults posting on social media things they have never before noticed about the world around them, but in this time of slowing down, they have once again begun to notice.
Read more “Inquiry, Divergent Thinking, and Indigenous Knowing”
Here’s a simple game to play with your family. Choose any object around your house— the simpler, the better. Perhaps you pick up an ink pen. Each of you take a turn sharing whatever you can imagine that object could be used for. You can imagine it far larger than it actually is, or far smaller, or just the same size. For example, pens have long been used as paper shooters—but what about as straws? Or maybe it could be a bridge for ants. Or a baton for someone leading a parade. Or if it was much larger, perhaps it could be a water pipe. You get the idea…Keep going until you absolutely run out of ideas and then pick another simple object, say…a paper clip, then start again.
What questions did your family ask last week, as you went out and explored the natural world? How did you go about finding answers—and then going even deeper into the topic? As last week’s blog post shared, following your natural curiosity leads to some of the most authentic learning there is. Sometimes it takes a spark to rekindle curiosity that lives right at the surface of most children, but sometimes gets buried deep inside later in life.
As many parents are now faced with helping their children learn at home,I want to share some information about something that could make your lives a whole lot easier: help your children (and yourselves!) rekindle the spark of your natural curiosity.