Monday, April 15, 2013
Talk Topic 4: Lifelong Learning
Marguerite found a wonderful series of questions on "Professional Development Open Minds, Unlock Potential"website by Zaner-Bloser that will act as a support for part of our book study.
Consider sharing about the following:
1. Define a lifelong learner.
2. How might you support a child who experiences difficulty wondering?
3. Why is it important for students to process HOW to answer questions by themselves?
4. What strategies would you try to help the child who just sees the big picture when observing and sees no details?
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Book study members pondered these questions and had an opportunity to discuss their ideas and experiences with an elbow partner. Members also shared as a group, how the book was impacting their practice and shared ideas for future learning opportunities in their classrooms. Marguerite and Joanne
ReplyDeleteSpecial request: For the benefit of those of us who may be using a kindle app, please include the subtitles that go with those page numbers: we see only a % of document read, not pages. Strange, but true!
ReplyDeleteI think that these questions seem to fit best with the section "one small square" and "a listening walk" because it is there that the students are encouraged by the teachers to really slow down and use their multiple senses to uncover the wonders outside. They reminded the students: "Good observers don't just look with their eyes. They use their ears, their hands, all of their senses." (27%, sorry no pg #)
I think this is a pretty good way to identify a lifelong learner: someone who takes notice of their surroundings, stops to investigate the unknown or the interesting, and someone who ponders all the "I don't knows" they encounter with joy. A lifelong learner is one who can't help but turn over stones to see what might be underneath.
In the book, just after the quote above, they discuss "John" who seems to be lost when set out to look for something worth observing with his "one small square". Jen gave him direction by pointing out what he was already doing: "John, how smart of you to notice all the great grass in your square" and reminded him to think of all the sensory possibilities. I think that this is great modeling: looking together, rephrasing the shared experience, helping students make connections using critical thinking prompts: these are all ways to support a child who may seem to have difficulty expressing their wonder.