Asking Children, "what are you thinking?" Sparking Creativity and Insight

When you ask a child what they are thinking you can get a wide array of answers. Some children will respond "not much", others might list a few items that come to mind while still others may list a massive amount of thoughts that are going through their heads. Above is a photo that was drawn by a nine-year-old girl in response to, "what are you thinking?" She was given 20 minutes to draw a picture of what thoughts came to her mind.

When I look at this picture I can't help but smile as it is full of creativity and imagination simultaneously sprinkled with loads of color and energy. That is the mind of a child that has been given the freedom to explore their thoughts, reflect on their thoughts and let the mind go on an amazing journey. We are all on a learning journey and when learning is approached as a never-ending journey with infinite possibilities it becomes deeper and more meaningful. With purposeful learning knowledge sticks and creativity flourishes. This is the approach to learning that is that lays the groundwork for my educational practices when developing learning plans for children and adults.
Looking at the minds of our learners through drawing and other art forms, we can un-tap a never-ending fountain of information that can aide in developing learning goals and spark self-directed learning.

Comments

Teacher Training and Education and the Need for Individualized Education

Argument for the reform of teachers and their role in the schools and their training. A typical Finnish teacher teaches just under 600 hours a year, whereas the average American teacher teaches students over 1,600 hours annually. According to a recent Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-sponsored study of the teaching profession, U.S. teachers habitually work an average of about 10 hours and 40 minutes a day, with a great deal of time spent teaching and supervising students. Finnish teacher, “Our teachers who teach languages for which many essays have to be graded often have fewer lessons,” Marianna said. “And they can decide on their own where they get that work done. They may teach two lessons one day and then go home or to the gym around noon — and then correct papers or work online with students later in the evening.” With so many ideas and reforms and tests and strategies, it is my belief that teaching is getting more and more away from why many teachers went into teac...

How We Learn Tricks to Help it Stick

Throughout my studies I have read various books that explain how the brain works which parts of the brain focus on certain activities, thoughts and emotions. Applying this information is crucial to helping students learn. Easier said than done. Knowing what sticks for one person may come easily, while trying to understand how to make things stick for another might take several tries. I believe that experience and focus are a learners best assets. Whether it be practicing maths or learning to play the guitar, we all learn at different speeds and in different ways. Focusing on what we are doing is the most important attribute to have when practicing, it is a crucial part of what Anders Ericsson outlines as deliberate practice in his book Peak. Deliberate Practice In order to help others learn, educators must be observant and take the time to see what the individual learner is latching on to and what they are resisting. We all have our own individual strengths, the key to ...

Not Yet and a Growth Mindset

I wanted to share a few superb videos I found via PBS Sesame Street. Catchy, fun and driving the growth mindset message across.

The Sky Is the Limit Learning

Search This Blog