Chapter 8:
Technology across the curriculum
“Students
must be problem posers as well as problem solvers and problem posing beings
with asking questions.” (Pg 119 in textbook)
This was one
of the first sentences in our reading for this week, and it really got the
wheels rolling and made me reflect on personal experiences from early on in my education.
Our textbook says, that children are made out to believe knowing the right
answer is highly more important than asking the questions that may deeper in
meaning, relating things to one another, having purpose behind a question; a
derived straightforward answer. When in fact asking questions should hold much
more importance. Reflecting on my education early on I remember being terrified
of the idea of raising my hand when I had a question. I was always worried of
being judged for asking a “dumb question.” What would my peers think of me?
What would my teacher think? Would he or she think I wasn’t paying attention
and get angry at me? I remember my dad always telling me there was no such
thing as stupid question, however, we live in a society where are judged by
every movement, and every statement we make, so how does that make a child feel
when it comes to asking a question?
I think the
importance lies in the teacher’s hands. Each teacher in his or her classroom
has to create a safe environment for students to feel like they can ask a
question without being judged for it. Asking questions is what entices or
enhances children curiosity, and throughout that curiosity they learn and gain
knowledge. Also, one thing I found very interesting and hadn’t thought much
about before was, when teachers express their interests in the classroom in
front of their students, they motivate them. They motivate them to ask
questions, to be curious, to want to learn more, and then to gain the knowledge
throughout their experiences and experiences to come.
This concept
or topic of asking questions has dominated my entire post for this chapter, and
I think it says a lot. I believe this is a very important thing that teachers
and future teachers need to take into consideration when running their own
classrooms. Create an environment where children feel safe to ask questions, no
matter how irrelevant they may be to the subject being taught. Express your
interests in front of your class to motivate them, entice them to want to learn
more, and by doing this, you are making a difference in a student’s life of
learning.
You are very right when it comes to children being afraid to ask questions! Students always think that they need to have the right answer and are afraid. I know from my experience just like yours that I never want to be wrong. Even as a college student it is hard to ask questions especially when everyone else in the class room "understands." I liked how you posted about your dad saying that there is no such thing as a stupid question. That is a great quote to live by! I agree with you that as future teachers it is our jobs to make sure the students feel safe to ask questions and know that they are not going to be shut down if they do not know the correct answer. Students learn through there questions asked and it is our job to make sure they are motivated to ask questions!
ReplyDelete