"What connections can we make from these videos?" or "...this book?"
Thanks to Tiffani's question about how to ask the right question, I have been paying attention to the questions I have been asking. I tend to ask the above question again and again...and again. Or versions like the following:
"What did you learn from this?"
"What strikes you about these videos?"
"What stands out to you?"
As I was rocking my baby while nursing last night, my mind drifted to the question I asked in a recent post: what is the purpose of our education?
One of my goals is to get them to think. I realized, rocking there, that as I ask that question every day of them--in so many ways--whether they answer or not, the idea is placed there that they can make a connection. Some days, we hear crickets. Some days, we compete with each other in the sharing. Phrases like, "that reminds me of a video..." or "that reminds me of a story..." are common. Often, the younger kids will start with comments like "That makes me think of..." or "That makes me feel like..." and we are taught.
Whether the older kids respond or not, the seed is planted that there might be a connection or application and as some of them are opening their minds and hearts more lately in our safer environment (remember Pixar?), I am discovering that all those things we have been discussing over the years has actually been sinking in.
Their minds have been awakened and they know that they can apply what they learned.
This is what I do. I seek to find worth and application in everything I do. Maybe it is born out of a hyper-active desire to do what is worthwhile or validate what I am doing? Whatever the moment, I am seeking to learn from it and apply it. We have had some really cool connective conversations. We have had a lot of quiet, non-answers or distracting situations with kids old and young making noises or being distracting.
But this question, repeated in so many ways, has been planted: what can I take from this? How can this make me better? Why does it matter?
Everything changes us, for good or ill. Maybe if nothing else, my kids are learning this? I don't know! I will ask them today :).
"What did you learn from this?"
"What strikes you about these videos?"
"What stands out to you?"
As I was rocking my baby while nursing last night, my mind drifted to the question I asked in a recent post: what is the purpose of our education?One of my goals is to get them to think. I realized, rocking there, that as I ask that question every day of them--in so many ways--whether they answer or not, the idea is placed there that they can make a connection. Some days, we hear crickets. Some days, we compete with each other in the sharing. Phrases like, "that reminds me of a video..." or "that reminds me of a story..." are common. Often, the younger kids will start with comments like "That makes me think of..." or "That makes me feel like..." and we are taught.
Whether the older kids respond or not, the seed is planted that there might be a connection or application and as some of them are opening their minds and hearts more lately in our safer environment (remember Pixar?), I am discovering that all those things we have been discussing over the years has actually been sinking in.
Their minds have been awakened and they know that they can apply what they learned.This is what I do. I seek to find worth and application in everything I do. Maybe it is born out of a hyper-active desire to do what is worthwhile or validate what I am doing? Whatever the moment, I am seeking to learn from it and apply it. We have had some really cool connective conversations. We have had a lot of quiet, non-answers or distracting situations with kids old and young making noises or being distracting.
But this question, repeated in so many ways, has been planted: what can I take from this? How can this make me better? Why does it matter?
Everything changes us, for good or ill. Maybe if nothing else, my kids are learning this? I don't know! I will ask them today :).
No comments:
Post a Comment