tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post427880177373741767..comments2023-08-01T07:56:41.417-05:00Comments on Alison Pearce Stevens: Staying curiousAlison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-25776413000766509872013-03-03T21:11:11.794-06:002013-03-03T21:11:11.794-06:00You raise really good points, Christie. I recently...You raise really good points, Christie. I recently had a meeting with the principal of my son's school, and she made it clear that time is a major issue for them, largely due to testing. It makes me really sad, because rote memorization neither sparks creativity nor helps students remember things. Applying concepts to real-world situations (as in scientific exploration) allows for both of those things. Alison Pearce Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-6307510790404538202013-02-14T13:06:53.634-06:002013-02-14T13:06:53.634-06:00Exciting times. Contributor copies. Yea!!!
As fa...Exciting times. Contributor copies. Yea!!! <br /><br />As far as the teaching goes, I fear it has a lot to do with the amount of TIME a teacher actually has. Most of their hours are spent with math and literacy. Often science and social studies have to share time slots by going back and forth, whether by day, by week or by whole grading periods. <br /><br />With more and more schools becoming Title I schools, they have to adhere to federal guidelines in order to receive the federal funding. This doesn't allow many teachers to be as creative as they'd like. <br /><br />Testing is too strict and the science tests tend to be more fact-oriented than based on curiosity. Kids don't like to take tests. They typically don't like to memorize facts either unless it's a passion of theirs. <br /><br />When school administrators realize that INTEGRATION and self-exploration is the real answer to helping kids learn more (and WANT to learn more), then it will finally become a reality. Until then, teachers will continue to do the best they can with the time and content restraints placed upon them.<br /><br />A couple ways we can help our kids keep their curiosity (whether science-related or not) is to let them read as many books as they want to about things they're interested in. Whatever they like, help them to continue to build up interest. Expose them to NEW things. Help them learn more about their world, and they will become more curious about SOMETHING!Christie Wright Wildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-4457048982384012762013-02-11T10:48:21.340-06:002013-02-11T10:48:21.340-06:00Thanks, Sheri! I wonder, too, if that isn't pa...Thanks, Sheri! I wonder, too, if that isn't part of the equation. In order to be curious about something, you have to spend time watching it, thinking about it. Alison Pearce Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-67870003255439350542013-02-11T08:28:00.876-06:002013-02-11T08:28:00.876-06:00That is so awesome, Alison! And you pose a great q...That is so awesome, Alison! And you pose a great question. I don't really have an answer, just a hunch. A lot of 'science' has to do with living and being outdoors, experiencing nature. SOOOO many kiddos don't do this anymore. There are too many electronic distractions. We need to find a balance between both. Not sure how to do that, either. S.A. Larsenッhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241633272588383935noreply@blogger.com