I’m sure, when I was a classroom teacher, that I caused the parents of my students to, at times, think they were losing their minds. One parent even confronted me and said, “You’re driving me to drink!” (teasing), and one time a parent met me at the door and asked if she could take the “big test” that day to see how SHE would do from all the help she gave her son in preparing and studying. I wanted my students to have fun, but I also wanted them to not accept the menial or sit there and be mere recipients of instruction; I wanted them to be CURIOUS. For example, once when I threw out a question in math class, “What is 1 + 1?”, I called on one student who replied, “Two.”
“Why?”
He hesitated, squirmed, and said, “Um, three?”
“You were right the first time, but tell me why. Prove it.”
The class was on the road to learning how to be curious, to seek, to question, to listen, to delve into topics, and to fly. When we were discussing how Indians planted beans and corn, we went out to do it. When parents were unable to go on field trips with us, I decided to take them at night—fathers preferred. The favorite one was to Colonial Williamsburg’s evening tours, and imagine the thrill everyone had walking through the clearing by the creek, holding up candle lanterns, while a full moon also lit the path! Afterwards, we went for evening snacks at Chowning’s Tavern and got home around 12:30 the next morning. One parent stopped in to see me the next week and shared how his son, while on the way to soccer practice, wanted to stop at the library and check out a book about that era of history. “My son actually touched a BOOK!” Curiosity led to learning!
Technology can also bring curiosity into the classroom. There are many ways:
• Take a virtual field trip from your classroom
• Make a movie. Have your students create a book report and we can green screen the cover in the back!
• Check out web cams. Colonial Williamsburg has some, and you might find some at places around the world: (pyramids), (see the Panda at the Zoo) (Eiffel Tower) or (The London Eye). Wish to travel the United States? How about the Grand Canyon? How about Antarctica? I worked in Brussels–and get this–you can CONTROL and rotate the camera! Grand Place!
• Instead of a worksheet, use Quia. Ask Miss Laughlin and Mrs. Hawkins how nice it is to forego the worksheet and go virtual!
Curiosity will draw the student into a lesson and, when real world context is integrated, as well as technology, you’re going to have a determined and happy student. Exercising the brain should be fun, even if it hurts—no pain, no gain!
