The power of ummmm... | Kath Murdoch | TEDxWestVancouverED

Summary

This script explores the profound impact of children's curiosity on learning and education. It highlights the importance of nurturing wonder and inquiry in classrooms, contrasting the reflective silence of a car ride with the bustling environment of a traditional classroom. The speaker, an educator, shares anecdotes and children's questions that provoke deep thinking about identity, existence, and the world. The narrative calls for a reimagining of educational spaces that foster curiosity and the exploration of big ideas, rather than merely imparting knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🧑‍🏫 The speaker is an educator fascinated by using children's questions as a gateway to deep learning.
• 🚗 The car ride is described as a 'Wonder bubble' where children often ask deep and reflective questions.
• 🤔 The speaker cherishes the 'ums' that signal a moment of pause and reflection, allowing for big ideas to emerge.
• 📝 The importance of capturing children's questions, like the ones collected on post-it notes, is highlighted.
• 🌐 UNESCO's quote is mentioned to emphasize that it's the questions, not the answers, that enlighten.
• 📚 The classroom environment is contrasted with the reflective atmosphere of the car, often being busy and not conducive to wonder.
• 🌟 The idea of classrooms as places where wonder thrives is proposed, where children feel heard and encouraged to ask questions.
• 🌱 The speaker collects children's questions globally, noting they reflect universal big questions about identity, existence, and connection.
• 📖 John Steinbeck's tribute to his teacher is cited, painting a classroom as a place of wonder and exploration.
• 🔍 Inquiry-based teaching is praised for nurturing curiosity and a passion for learning in children.
• 🦗 A specific example of an inquiry-based lesson with a praying mantis is shared to illustrate the process of learning through questions and exploration.

Q & A

What is the significance of children's questions according to the speaker?

The speaker believes that children's questions are a gateway to deep learning and a moment of pause in our busy lives, allowing for reflection and the introduction of big ideas.

Why did the speaker keep Post-it notes in the car?

The speaker kept Post-it notes in the car to jot down her children's insightful questions, which she found valuable and worth remembering.

What does the speaker suggest about the nature of classrooms?

The speaker suggests that classrooms can often be alienating or disconnecting places for children, favoring quick and decisive answers over the nurturing of curiosity and wonder.

How does the speaker describe the atmosphere of the car as a 'Wonder bubble'?

The 'Wonder bubble' refers to the reflective and contemplative atmosphere in the car during long journeys, which often leads to children asking profound and insightful questions.

What does the speaker mean by 'the antithesis of the Wonder bubble' when referring to classrooms?

The speaker means that classrooms are often the opposite of the reflective and open environment of the car, being busy, noisy, and sometimes too focused on immediate answers rather than fostering curiosity.

What is the role of an inquiry teacher according to the script?

An inquiry teacher is one who takes children's questions seriously, celebrates them, and uses them as a starting point for exploration and learning, nurturing their curiosity and passion for discovery.

What is the significance of the praying mantis incident in the classroom?

The praying mantis incident is significant as it demonstrates how an inquiry teacher can turn an unexpected event into an opportunity for learning and exploration, even when the subject of inquiry dies.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of questions in education?

The speaker suggests that questions are vital in education as they can lead to the exploration of big ideas and concepts, and instill a lifelong passion for learning in children.

How does the speaker view the role of a teacher in fostering curiosity?

The speaker views the teacher's role as crucial in fostering curiosity by actively listening to children's questions, ensuring they are comfortable with uncertainty, and guiding them through the process of inquiry.

What is the potential danger the speaker sees in the current educational system?

The speaker fears that if not careful, the educational system might stifle curiosity, following the same path as creativity has been accused of being 'killed' in schools.

What does the speaker mean by 'rethinking education'?

Rethinking education, according to the speaker, involves going back to the core business of engaging children in inquiry, making classrooms places where their questions are heard and their curiosity is nurtured.