Optimising learners’ intellectual curiosity

Optimising learners’ intellectual curiosity

Through brain research more awareness is growing on how our children learn but we are still grappling with the means to really address the value of that research.  We are moving towards a fundamental shift and step up from the traditional way of teaching but more needs to be done. 

Typically, the national curriculum is prescribed by teachers to students with a low level of student involvement. This immediately creates a disconnect from what the teacher prescribes and from what the child can do for learning. This point is critical to consider. 

The gap between what the teacher is thinking and what the student is thinking is a very difficult chasm to cross but we continue to push our students’, often beyond, their capabilities and expect them to cross this gap. One of the consequences of this is that we have many intelligent students falling by the way.  This, of course, plays out on an even deeper level when these students are pushed through assessment after assessment which, we all know, does nothing for the long-term life of a learner and can also be a contributing factor towards behavioural challenges.

The “chasm” exists, we even experience this as adults when we undertake a course or go to university and find ourselves struggling to understand what our lecturer is ultimately aiming for.  It takes a lot of energy, focus, determination to get past this block.  Many times, our students haven’t developed this level of resilience and find themselves struggling with expectations beyond their abilities.  ”

The ‘chasm’ can be changed immediately with the right tools and approach, setting our students on a course of learning which will unlock the potential of their minds and empower them to cross the “chasm”.  By accessing the students’ thinking and developing this through a process of self-assessment, feedback, and collaborative engagement we are well on the way to unleashing the intellectual curiosity that abides within every learner. 

Looking into the mind of a child and figuring out what they are thinking is not a difficult task if you have the tools and mindset for such an adventure.  And, it is an adventure! 

I have experienced and believe time and time again the power to Wonder.  I believe giving our children the ability to “Wonder” becomes the most powerful reason to learn, to formulate ideas, and create a meaningful life. Not only that, by accessing the child's’ mind and intellectual curiosity we are able to unleash the potential that lies within each of these incredible lives.  Learning does not become an external experience with pre-determined outcomes, but rather a journey for change and empowerment.  Schools will become a place of self-discovery, awareness, and the “think tank” of our future.

So how can one possibly achieve this?

Clearly, all over the world, we are making steps towards this type of educational utopia, of course it doesn’t exist! But at least we are trying and succeeding in pockets.  However, the cost to our teachers are too high and there is a better way.

Through technology.

• we must design technology to do those things which we can’t,
• to automate those things that typically take us away from engagement with our students,
• accelerate the mundane, and
• free the minds of our children to think for themselves.

Forgive me for the following spin, but I am so passionate about our children’s voice and I have created technology which does just that. YouPlanIt Classroom.

Looking into the mind of the child and figuring out what they are thinking is not a difficult task when done in YouPlanIt Classroom, on the very outset, YouPlanIt Classroom’s starting point for learning is, in fact, the child’s mind. 

At YouPlanIt Classroom we close the ‘chasm’ connect the dots within the learners’ mind and create the best possible path for dynamic and meaningful learning.  This should and can be driven by the student themselves.

The information of the child’s thinking is grafted into assessment and produces extremely high quality, authentic raw data which has meaning and purpose.   All learning is built on the individuals growing ability to generate questions, make comments, self-assess, collaborate, request feedback, and reflect honestly on their learning.

It is truly, beautiful.

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