Relationships with
our Minds
Many of my past teachers have conveyed the message “The only dumb question is the question not asked” and it is a phrase that I share with my students, too. Even as a teacher, I find myself seeking information, reflecting on things compulsively, and constantly asking why (a lifelong learners philosophy, I suppose). I’d like for my students to do the same. Just as Uhl, stated, I find that “curiosity acts as a fountain of youth providing life and energy—a healing elixir….” (Uhl, pg. 75). The issue that many educators face is that students are often fearful of answering a question and being embarrassed if it isn’t answered “correctly.” With so many standardized tests, it is easy to see how this concept and fear has become chiseled into the minds of our students. The other challenge is that underachieving students often lack in confidence and feel that school is not for them. The wall of defiance may already be there before the student even walks into the classroom. However, as students find relevance in what we teach, they begin to open up. Through the learning process, my hope is that students can begin to form a relationship with their mind.
When intrigued, students can find passion and break out of what they may feel is a bleak future ahead. Take for instance, the boys from the movie and book “October Sky” which is based on a true story. In the film a group of students from a poor, rural coal mining community begin to thirst for more information pertaining to rockets due to an influential teacher. At some point the star of the movie, Homer, is asked what do you want to know about rockets and he responds by saying “everything.” Later on in movie, the boys set off to figure out how to shoot a rocket on their own. However, it results in a fire and the inability to find the missing rocket. In order to trace and find out where it has landed, they have to use scientific method, hypotheses, trigonometry, and self-guided inquiry. They ponder “What did we do wrong?” Then Homer questions, “Was there wind that day?” Honing their analysis to include the wind leads them to the rocket, taking part in a science fair, and eventually into careers that were much more promising then what the coal mines had to offer. All of the students went on to attend college which was not common in the home town they grew up in. And…spoiler alert…Homer even goes on to become a scientist with NASA! One impactful class taught by one invigorating teacher led students to connect to an authentic learning experience, which lead them to ask questions and be truth seekers. From that point on, their lives were changed. So how can we lead students to be independent learners that ask their own questions, and that thirst for knowledge?
I think there are many ways we can find opportunities to guide students into more philosophical inquiry. Echoing Uhl, I think there is importance in asking the “how and why” questions as opposed to “yes or no” questions. I’ll start by sharing an article called “The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance” by Grant Wiggins. This article has been helpful to me and I feel it contains useful information pertaining to the topic of questioning in the classroom. Wiggins states, “Students cannot possibly learn everything of value by the time they leave school, but we can instill in them the desire to keep questioning throughout their lives” and I couldn’t agree more! Here’s the link to the journal/text that Wiggins’ wrote: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198911_wiggins.pdf
Many of my past teachers have conveyed the message “The only dumb question is the question not asked” and it is a phrase that I share with my students, too. Even as a teacher, I find myself seeking information, reflecting on things compulsively, and constantly asking why (a lifelong learners philosophy, I suppose). I’d like for my students to do the same. Just as Uhl, stated, I find that “curiosity acts as a fountain of youth providing life and energy—a healing elixir….” (Uhl, pg. 75). The issue that many educators face is that students are often fearful of answering a question and being embarrassed if it isn’t answered “correctly.” With so many standardized tests, it is easy to see how this concept and fear has become chiseled into the minds of our students. The other challenge is that underachieving students often lack in confidence and feel that school is not for them. The wall of defiance may already be there before the student even walks into the classroom. However, as students find relevance in what we teach, they begin to open up. Through the learning process, my hope is that students can begin to form a relationship with their mind.
When intrigued, students can find passion and break out of what they may feel is a bleak future ahead. Take for instance, the boys from the movie and book “October Sky” which is based on a true story. In the film a group of students from a poor, rural coal mining community begin to thirst for more information pertaining to rockets due to an influential teacher. At some point the star of the movie, Homer, is asked what do you want to know about rockets and he responds by saying “everything.” Later on in movie, the boys set off to figure out how to shoot a rocket on their own. However, it results in a fire and the inability to find the missing rocket. In order to trace and find out where it has landed, they have to use scientific method, hypotheses, trigonometry, and self-guided inquiry. They ponder “What did we do wrong?” Then Homer questions, “Was there wind that day?” Honing their analysis to include the wind leads them to the rocket, taking part in a science fair, and eventually into careers that were much more promising then what the coal mines had to offer. All of the students went on to attend college which was not common in the home town they grew up in. And…spoiler alert…Homer even goes on to become a scientist with NASA! One impactful class taught by one invigorating teacher led students to connect to an authentic learning experience, which lead them to ask questions and be truth seekers. From that point on, their lives were changed. So how can we lead students to be independent learners that ask their own questions, and that thirst for knowledge?
I think there are many ways we can find opportunities to guide students into more philosophical inquiry. Echoing Uhl, I think there is importance in asking the “how and why” questions as opposed to “yes or no” questions. I’ll start by sharing an article called “The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance” by Grant Wiggins. This article has been helpful to me and I feel it contains useful information pertaining to the topic of questioning in the classroom. Wiggins states, “Students cannot possibly learn everything of value by the time they leave school, but we can instill in them the desire to keep questioning throughout their lives” and I couldn’t agree more! Here’s the link to the journal/text that Wiggins’ wrote: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198911_wiggins.pdf
“Why” Questioning
Lesson Idea:
Rough outline: I would like to try holding a Socratic
seminar in my classroom. Students would observe a work of art that is rich with
context, one that holds unclear meaning (I’m thinking Wyeth’s “Christina’s
World?”). I would next use a big idea to start discussion (possibly one from
Adler’s list of 103 great ideas http://www.thegreatideas.org/gi103.html).
I would like to focus on the big idea of “courage.” I am asking myself the
following questions:
1) Why does this big idea or issue have value in my classroom?I want my students to have strength and courage when times get tough. I want them to understand that life comes with struggles, but it doesn’t mean that they have to give up. Also, I want them to become less afraid of the “unknowns” in this world.
2) What multiple viewpoints or opinions could possibly stem from the investigation of this big idea? If I pose the question “What does courage mean?”, I expect that I will get various responses from students. Courage means different things to different people. It should make for an interesting conversation.
3) Why is this topic interesting to me and how might it strike curiosity in my students? Many of my students deal with anxiety, physical limitations, bullying, etc. I think the topic of courage is intriguing because I feel that through the use of art, we can find ways to persevere and become brave individuals despite any obstacles that may stand in our way. I think students will enjoy seeing how various artists have used courage as a big idea or theme in their work (for ex. we may even explore the film the Wizard of Oz or Norman Rockwell’s image of Ruby Bridges?) Ultimately, I believe it is a topic that they can relate to.
Discussion ideas for my students as they view “Christina’s World:”
*After looking at the artwork, please rank these pairs of emotions according to their relevance to the work: Courage v. Despair, Love v. Fear, and Respect v. Pity.”
1) Why does this big idea or issue have value in my classroom?I want my students to have strength and courage when times get tough. I want them to understand that life comes with struggles, but it doesn’t mean that they have to give up. Also, I want them to become less afraid of the “unknowns” in this world.
2) What multiple viewpoints or opinions could possibly stem from the investigation of this big idea? If I pose the question “What does courage mean?”, I expect that I will get various responses from students. Courage means different things to different people. It should make for an interesting conversation.
3) Why is this topic interesting to me and how might it strike curiosity in my students? Many of my students deal with anxiety, physical limitations, bullying, etc. I think the topic of courage is intriguing because I feel that through the use of art, we can find ways to persevere and become brave individuals despite any obstacles that may stand in our way. I think students will enjoy seeing how various artists have used courage as a big idea or theme in their work (for ex. we may even explore the film the Wizard of Oz or Norman Rockwell’s image of Ruby Bridges?) Ultimately, I believe it is a topic that they can relate to.
Discussion ideas for my students as they view “Christina’s World:”
*After looking at the artwork, please rank these pairs of emotions according to their relevance to the work: Courage v. Despair, Love v. Fear, and Respect v. Pity.”
*Answer the following questions:
Why is Christina laying in an open field?
How would you describe this woman’s posture and body language?
Why do you think Wyeth chose to use this type of perspective (spatial
illusion)? How could that be representative of a bigger idea?
What kind of day is this….does it create a mood?
How might items, objects, and surroundings, tell us about Christina’s life?
How might items, objects, and surroundings, tell us about Christina’s life?
*Form a hypothesis about this artwork
*What other things are worth discussing?
Hi Annette!
ReplyDeleteWas so lovely to meet you last week. :) I hope you enjoyed the rest of the NAEA!
I love the great ideas website! What a fabulous resource! Thank you for sharing.
You point about standardized testing establishing a climate of yes and no, right and wrong answers is important. I doubt that students are actually aware (and likely some educators) of just how much this impacts learning and curiosity. Be an interesting discussion to have with students.
Sounds like you have a good rough outline. Socratic Seminar! Awesome! What group do imagine doing this with? Might be interesting to try it with an Art 1 and an advanced group, paying attention to similarities and differences between them. You may also consider using VTS (although if you are looking for the theme "courage", then it would be VTesque' since it would stray from the formal technique) as a way to initially speak about the artwork.
Or if you are speaking about courage, have them each locate an image that embodies that feeling for them and have a discussion originating from the visual . Either way, it's a wonderful big idea and certainly a relevant one for teens.
Why Christina's World? What if you have two exceedingly different pieces, both displaying acts of courage, both very different? So much possibility! How might your own ideas about courage flow into the discussion? I will be excited to hear how it goes!
I remember that painting! I recall seeing "Christina's World" and having a similar discussion in that class about the feelings it evoked. I think it was an art appreciation class in high school. So long ago, I can barely remember it, but I do remember that painting. I had to look up "Socratic seminar": Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate. Socratic seminars acknowledge the highly social nature of learning and align with the work of John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Friere.
ReplyDeleteI like Amy's suggestion about having your students bring an example of an image that they each feel embodies the idea of "courage" and then having a "Why" session about their choices and reasoning. The thing about a "why" session - particularly of the "annoying child" technique, it's difficult if not impossible to anticipate in advance where the questions will lead and which ones to ask next. While that's a GOOD thing, it also makes me nervous to imagine doing such a lesson and running into a brick wall or drawing a complete blank on what to ask. I suppose some backup questions or best-guesses can be prepared in advance, but this may also be a trust issue. Maybe I'm fearful that the students cannot be trusted to put enough effort into it or give rich enough responses to build from. But from the sound of it, those of you with experience have mostly encountered the opposite.
Hi Annette! First of all, I’ve already bookmarked the 103 great ideas link for future reference – thanks for sharing! I love the big idea of COURAGE…and I especially like its pairing with a lesson inspired by curiosity. Because of the standardized testing effects you mentioned in your reflection, sometimes it takes courage from our students to embrace curiosity and not be afraid to question. I thought that was a really powerful pairing. I was also drawn to Amy’s thoughts about having a discussion about the effects of standardized testing…to see how students feel about it. It may be an interesting tie-in to this courage/curiosity feel you have in this lesson. I’m looking forward to hearing about your lesson in action!
ReplyDelete