Children need to have the ability to choose, name and pursue topics of their own interest. Like Ayers says, “there are things that demand to be known” (p.102). Teachers taking the lead from student’s interests and offering their classrooms opportunities for discovery can work as a springboard for related learning. Is class work linked to the students questions and interests? What better way to engage students than by providing extensive information and providing outlets to find the answers to the questions they have about subjects. Do we pursue things far enough? Or do we provide the bare minimum? Ayers talks about ‘skimming the surface’ (p.105), and my experience has shown me that the more you get to know about something the more interesting it becomes, the more you care about it, and the more you want to learn about it. Shouldn’t we, as teachers, be encouraging students to dig a little deeper? Shouldn’t we,as teachers, be providing more than just a glimpse of the subjects we teach? If we expect thoughtful consideration and critical thinking about subjects, we must provide thoughtfully considered and well thought out presentations of material that engage and ‘hook’ the learner.
As educators, we need to model enthusiasm for learning in both the subjects we are familiar and those that are new to us. Students need to learn how to approach new subjects with fresh eyes, willingness, and open minds. Creating learners who keep learning...what could be better?
"As educators, we need to model enthusiasm for learning in both the subjects we are familiar and those that are new to us"
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I really enjoyed it. I think the more interest we show in a topic, whether it is new to us or not, will be reflected in our lesson to the children. Similarly researching together as a class can be an opportunity to model for students how to get excited about learning- or make it relevant to one's life (Such as the traffic light example).
I discussed in my journal for the week that I would love to choose a new topic for the year and explore it with my class. Ayers suggests this on p.106 in discussion of another teacher. Even if the student does not find the same passion for the topic, how can we ensure he/she learns the skills to pursue the topics they are passionate about?