education

Expecting too much of the teacher?

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By the time a young person enters a high school science class, they should be brimming over with curiosity and a desire to learn. Does that describe the average student? No. Most drag themselves to class, disinterested and intimidated by the material they encounter. The teacher is left with immense task of not only communicating the facts, but also trying to stir up some curiosity and instill and develop some basic skills (such as observation of the environment). Is this really the responsibility of the teacher, or are we expecting them to do the very things that should be part of family life?

I believe that education begins at home. I also believe that it should begin early. Developing the natural curiosity of a child is part of the role of the parent. Unfortunately, many parents sit their little ones down in front of the TV, pop in an “educational” dvd, and hope the edutainment on the screen will do their work for them.

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Is it possible to put common sense back where it belongs?

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For many students, something very fundamental is missing from the problem solving process. Many of my students simply couldn’t see the “obvious” as it glared at them from the question paper in front of them. Because they missed the simple sign posts that point the way to the solution in a problem solving activity, they quickly became hopelessly lost, and almost all would give up the moment the hopelessness attacked.

It took a while to realize that many of the students who struggled with the challenges of science or mathematics were not tripped up by a lack of knowledge of the subject. They knew the facts – they just didn’t know how to make the facts evolve into a solution to a fact-related problem. There are a number of reasons for this happening, but from my observation, the most common problem is that the students simply missed the “obvious”. It’s not that the students were rebelling against “common sense” just for the sake of rebelling. Most students simply had no idea that they lacked that vital ingredient to successful problem solving, that simple human quality which previous generations called good, old “common sense”. Sadly, it has become apparent that “common sense” is no longer common.

If common sense is missing, is it possible to put it back where it belongs? As we explore the process of learning, we will try to answer this question.

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Where it all begins…

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Welcome to my blog.  You are invited to journey with me as we explore learning.  Before you decide that this topic has no relevance to you, let me present evidence to the contrary.  You are, after all, able to read this paragraph right now because you learned to read at some earlier time.  You can also tell me how many letters are in the first word of this paragraph, because once upon a time you learned to count.  Just like me, you are an experienced learner.  Learning is something we all do, and have done since we were infants.  As both a scientist and an educator, I derive great pleasure from seeking truth, acquiring knowledge, experimenting with it, and then sharing that knowledge and experience with others. This blog is my way to share what I have learned, and am still learning, with you. Join me as we ask questions, seek answers, digest old angles to the learning debate, explore new ideas that make learning exciting for children and adults alike, and take down the intimidating monsters that have guarded the gates to learning for too long.

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