This is always one of my favorite topics and sometimes I feel like I beat into the ground, but I guess know it is so important the health of my brain that I’m almost reminding myself. Wil Richardson writes a great technology education blog that recently outlined a trip he had made to a middle school classroom. During the visit, he was showing the students a lot of online applications, and he could see the minds of these boys moving in full speed as he showed them all these things that were available to them. He continues:
And not that the brains of the teachers who I had a chance to speak with weren’t cranking as well, but it was interesting (at a minimum) how differently the body language and reactions were. Much more measured and thoughtful. No wiggling in the seats, for the most part. Not that I expected that, but the difference was brought home by one of my hosts when we went to dinner before an evening presentation to parents. (It was a long day.) At one point, as he was talking about his classroom teaching, he said “I always think like a kid; I want to learn like a kid.” Yeah. Me too. On some level, this is all play, isn’t it? But it’s directed, collaborative, connected play that has learning as a payoff (much of the time at least.) I love the “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” approach that many kids have about technology (and tree branches and skateboards and whatever else they might be pushing the limits of.) And I wish it were easier for adults to take that approach. Not be so thoughtful. Not think so much, just play.
Keeping that curiosity and exploratory nature of children is so hard to hold on to as adults, but it is necessary. Adults are scared to death of making a mistake that anything new is to be feared. Kids do not have that same problem and that is why they make the perfect students. Whatever you are trying to learn has to be approached in a child-like manner, “Hey, it might not work right away and I might not understand it right way and I might not like it, but I’m not going to learn anything without trying it out first.” Easy to say…hard to practice…
