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Fellowship Paper
The Use of Essential Questions
in Curriculum Planning and Instruction
Kerry Zagarella
Lynn Community Charter School
Massachusetts Charter School Fellowship
Program
2000
One morning my four-year-old son Henry asked, "Why
do rocks have mouths?" I turned away from my computer to think about
his question. How I could validate his curiosity and encourage his continued
exploration of rocks so that he would come to discover on his own that rocks
do not have mouths? I thought of the many methods of questioning him and
guiding him towards the truth about rocks. But, before I could destroy his
rhythm and interest, he simply said, "Because they do. See?" Henry
then showed me a small gray rock that had a white mineral line stretching
across its middle that looked like a smile.
Henry, happy to have an audience, continued
to pick up objects from his desktop collection and construct questions and
answers. He held up a small lime green plastic fish with long fins on either
side and asked, "Mommy, how do fish grow legs?" I replied, trying
to be a good teacher and loving mother, "Geez, Henry, I don't know?"
Truly I didn't know how that little plastic fish grew legs! Henry answered,
"The fish ran so fast out of the water from the dinosaurs that they
grew legs." Wow, I thought, Henry is very close to explaining how creatures
evolve over time as a result of environmental influences.
What if I had stopped Henry at the first question regarding his rock?
What if I had told him, "Rocks don't have mouths; they just don't."
Many children are told "correct" answers and eventually learn
not to ask questions about things they don't know about. These type questions,
of course, are the most important and relevant for the child to be asking.
I think Henry probably knows that the white line across the middle of his
rock is not a mouth, but he notices it is there and divides his rock, yet
is still part of the rock.
Henry's question and answer could be a wonderful way to introduce rock
study with young children. Henry's questions combined with the many questions
of his classmates could guide the development of a preschool/ kindergarten
class curriculum. They could help create an authentic learning experience
for children.
Asking Questions: The Key to Learning
The idea that children's questions are relevant to curriculum development
is not new. Arthur A. Carin and Robert B. Sund, in their 1971 book, Developing
Questioning Techniques, a Self-Concept Approach describe a growing body
of research indicating that students attain higher levels of thinking when
they develop the skill of asking their own questions.
In 1976, Francis Hunkins, author of Involving Students in Questioning,
wrote, "This book aims at pointing out to teachers, prospective teachers
and eventually students that the question is of paramount importance to
all process models. Without the question there is no processing information.
The absence of the question indicates an absence of learning, for it is
the question that centers the person's attention upon some topic; it is
the question that enables data processing; and it is the questions that
determines whether a conclusion is justified or not" (Hunkins, 1976).
Hunkins, Carin and Sund are not alone. More recently, in 1997, authors of
the Annual Summary of Investigations Relating to Reading clarified
the danger of not facilitating the asking of questions during the learning
process. They write, "Research shows that children who struggle as
readers tend not to ask questions at any time as they read--before, during,
or after" (Keene, Zimmerman, 1997)
Yet in spite of all the research and writing done about the importance of
using children's questions as inspiration for authentic curriculum development,
many schools do not approach subject matter in this way.
The Lynn Community Charter School: Creating an Environment that Supports
the Asking of Questions
Imagine teachers, administrators, and parents confident enough to take direction
from their students. Imagine teachers who start the school year by asking
questions to which they don't know the answers. Imagine every child and
adult strong and secure enough to celebrate each other's individuality.
At the Lynn Community Charter School (LCCS) much of our curriculum is inspired
by children's questions. We also rely on school-wide essential questions
(broad questions that emerge from the fact that most people share common
experiences and have similar concerns and questions about those experiences)
to provide an overall guiding structure for our teaching. By developing
curriculum around essential questions and student generated questions LCCS
makes learning relevant to the lives of children. We are ever aware that
students must care about the pursuit of knowledge in order for them to become
self-motivated learners.
The Lynn Community Charter School is in its third year of operation and
provides 221 students with a unique approach to urban education in the city
of Lynn. Lynn is located 15 miles north of Boston and has a population of
over 81,000. Lynn, once the thriving shoe manufacturing capital of the country,
is substantially economically depressed. 13.9% of the population earn income
below the poverty line. Yet, Lynn is a city rich with diverse cultures.
Our school population reflects the city of Lynn. We have many cultures contributing
to our school community, and minority students represent 57% of the student
body. At our school we recognize the varied needs of our students.
At the Lynn Community Charter School student generated questions engage
children in the learning process. Moreover, we provide an authentic learning
environment that facilitates and values the asking of these questions. The
school's underlying philosophy and a number of structures and practices
make this possible.
The Lynn Community Charter School's Charter outlines its mission and philosophy:
"The mission of the Lynn Community Charter School is to build a community
of students, teachers, family members, friends, business owners and other
Lynn community members who will commit to each other's growth on a daily
basis. It is our belief that young people are naturally curious, intelligent
and creative beings, needing only to be reminded of their true nature in
order to excel in learning and to live powerfully and courageously. LCCS
is based on the belief that each young person and adult brings individual,
family and cultural assets to the community and that an atmosphere of co-operation
and celebration, rather than competition, is the most effective way to nurture
these attributes. Our curriculum is an authentic, inquiry-based model which
will foster the habits and skill of mind heart and work which develop independent
learners and thoughtful citizens" (1996, p.4).
The practices in place at LCCS help the school live out its mission. At
LCCS students are encouraged to ask questions, and they are encouraged to
develop academic peer groups to support each other's quest for answers.
Learning is thematic, from early childhood to eighth grade, and students
are actively involved in the process of education. Students set their learning
goals at the beginning of the year and revisit the goals to assess their
progress. Students are also involved in assessment; they are encouraged
to create rubrics and assist each other in identifying what quality work
is. Teachers at the school encourage students to respectfully critique each
other's work, and they teach the students appropriate ways to do so. Moreover,
the work in a student's portfolio is assessed by teacher-created rubrics
that include a student reflection on the process.
In our planning of weekly and daily lessons we try to be concrete about
what skills we want the children to learn and how we will document their
progress, and our assessment of a student's progress is not limited by the
traditional method of a one-letter grade; we enlist a variety of techniques
which measure growth.
"The Lynn Community Charter School Assessment System is based on clear
demonstrations or performance assessments of students' mastery skills. During
the 1999-2000 school year, we continued to use and further develop many
components of our assessment system, including individual STEP forms (Student
Total Education Plans), narrative student reports, student/teacher/family
conferences, Working Classroom Portfolios, Benchmark Assessments in Reading
and Writing, Promotion Portfolios, Exhibition nights and standardized testing
(Lynn Community Charter School Annual Report 1999-2000)". In addition
to the use of essential questions to guide our planning, our strong assessment
system is an effective way to discover how an individual student is learning
and as a result of this discovery we learn how better to teach this child.
Teachers at LCCS support their peers and work together in a variety of ways.
Peer assessment groups provide teachers with an objective opinion of what
constitutes quality student work. Classroom clusters meet weekly to discuss
a variety of topics. A portion of this time is used to examine students'
work. In addition, same grade level teachers get together to share and examine
student work, ensuring consistency in expectations of quality. Peer modeling
and the use of children's questions to develop curriculum are essential
elements of our Charter.
At the Lynn Community Charter School students and teachers are expected
to work beyond their potential, to make use of their own innovative thinking
and questioning. Teachers maintain high expectation for their own learning
and that of students.
The Lynn Community Charter School also strives to connect people to each
other. Twice a year, in the evening, we have a school wide exhibition in
which all the classrooms share their work with the community. These events
allow the children to prove/show their learning. In addition, when projects
are completed, many classes hold mini-exhibitions.
Another way the school works to connect people to one another is by embracing
a counseling technique developed by Harvey Jenkins. This technique focuses
on the power of active listening and its positive effect on the learning
process. In addition, through inquiry-based learning and project based thematic
units, teachers attempt to connect students to each other and to subject
matter. Our Charter describes the great extent of community involvement
expected at the school. "Building community means building relationships
within the classroom, the school and in the larger community" (LCCS
Charter 1996, p.4).
The school's dedication to community building and its belief in the potential
of each person are what attracted me it. These also help make LCCS a place
where children can feel safe asking questions.
Essential Questions and Student Generated Questions: The Nuts and Bolts
of Planning or "Plan Tight and Hang Loose"
At the Lynn Community Charter School, essential
questions are maps used to guide students and teachers in the pursuit of
knowledge. Before the beginning of the school year, teachers, administrators
and other school staff decide on a school-wide essential question for the
upcoming academic year. Essential questions are universal in theme, broad
in scope, allowing for inclusion of all students and a full exploration
of thought. One year a school-wide question was "What is Community?"
The school-wide question provides a common perspective for students and
teachers to consider while they engage in their studies.
One reason for using essential questions to guide a year or a smaller
learning project is precisely because they are essential. Steven Levy, award
winning teacher and author of Starting from Scratch, One Classroom Builds
its Own Curriculum, explains essential questions this way: " We
often find these themes in common objects in our environment. A grain of
wheat, a strand of wool, the shoes we wear, and the name of our town have
all led to exciting learning projects. I feel a special call to mine the
extraordinary out of the everyday. Familiar objects that the children take
for granted are filled with intrigue and meaning when we explore their origins"
(1996).
Finding a school-wide essential question requires a lot of our summer training
time. We return to school three weeks before the students start. It is difficult
to spend the time needed to properly discuss essential questions as a whole
staff. In addition, there is a huge developmental range in the students
attending a school with classes ranging from kindergarten through eighth
grade. The teachers also bring a wide diversity of culture, thought, gender,
and educational and economic background to the discussion table. The school
question must be general/universal enough to allow for various interpretations
and still be intriguing enough to entice students to ask more questions.
All of the questions must affect the lives of the students in order to sustain
the interest of the teachers and the students throughout the year.
During our summer training this year, our kindergarten
cluster decided to plan similar learning experiences in each of the two
classrooms by using the same essential question--How can we help our
community? These questions are posted in each kindergarten classroom.
In addition every grade in the school posts their yearlong essential question
and recent project on a board in the staff room. Teachers are encouraged
to read the board and share resources and ideas with each other. The kindergarten
essential question provides a framework to plan integrated projects and
is referred to throughout the year.
Community involvement is an important part of
our charter and naturally creates an authentic learning experience. During
staff training, the kindergarten teachers thought about a variety of ways
to approach the year. One teacher wanted to do more community service projects.
The year before my kindergarten class had made frequent visits to a residential
home for elders located two blocks from our school. The residential director
of the home and I planned events and activities that would allow the children
and elders to interact in a fun way. We made presents for the elders, performed
poetry, and participated in several arts and crafts sessions. At school,
we read books about grandparents and exchanged our stories of our experiences
with older people. The children had been slightly apprehensive at first,
but they quickly became accustomed to the elders.
In addition to renewing our relationship with the residents down the road,
we thought of other service projects that enable children to see themselves
as a valuable member in the community. We planned to make seasonal tray
favors for Meal on Wheels, My Brothers Table (a local organization that
runs a food pantry and provides free meals to the hungry), and the children's
floor of the local hospital. These projects would be completed during a
"main lesson" time scheduled three to five times a week.
Our curriculum is broken down into five integrated
projects, each lasting six to eight weeks. Each project is guided by a teacher-generated
question (developed during summer planning) which, in turn, is related to
the year-long school-wide question. Once the students arrive, individual
classrooms generate particular questions that will guide them through their
work; we call these "guiding questions." Because the school-wide
question is so general, it is not difficult for individual classrooms to
generate questions that connect to the school wide question. The community
service work is integrated into our plans and related to both our yearlong
essential question and our projects/expeditions.
All our plans are fresh and subject to fine-tuning. We spend crucial
time planning a solid structure that will give us the freedom to be flexible.
In August we plan our weekly and daily lessons. In the words of Steven Levy
we, "Plan tight and hang loose."
One planning session lasting two and a half
hours, a planning session which also generated the community service ideas
mentioned earlier, resulted in the following guide. Once this basic structure
is in place, it is supported by lessons inspired by students' interests
and planned in response to specific questions raised by the students. The
lessons consist of projects and authentic learning experiences.
Project Title: Well Being
Guiding Question: What makes us healthy?
Time Frame: September through November
During planning time we identify the skill standards
that the project will address and the products the students will produce
as a result of authentic learning experiences. This project--What makes
us healthy?--is broken down into smaller subjects. Lessons will focus
on these: nutrition, exercise, emotional stability, good hygiene, and regular
visits to the doctor, dentist and other health professionals. The classroom
experience will clearly reflect the project being studied. There will be
books on related topics in the library and visual evidence of the areas
of focus on the walls. Literacy, math, social science, and science curriculums
will be related to the theme, "What makes us healthy?" Because
being a healthy enables a person to help the community, the subject matter
is related to the year-long inquiry.
Community service projects carried out during this period will relate to
health and nutrition. We will bake bread for the staff and teachers to eat
during a staff meeting. Our class will publish a healthy food cookbook and
will present a culinary treat at a mini-exhibition for parents and our school
community.
Project Title: Attitude of Gratitude (Steven Levy)
Guiding Question: What am I thankful for?
Time Frame: November through December
Some of the products the children will create
as a result of their questions and learning experiences include: thank you
notes, performances of songs and poetry, a classroom book, a paper quilt
for the wall. They'll also do an intergenerational activity consisting of
interviews and an art project. Literacy instruction will focus on the theme
of thanks. A variety of activities will be related to our project, including
guided reading, interactive writing, opportunities for the development of
emergent writing skills, exposure to and identification of common and related
sight words. Students will also create products for their final portfolio.
The activities and focus on skill acquisition will be only a portion of
what this project will highlight.
Project Title: Positive People
Guiding Question: Who helps our community?
Time Frame: January through March
In this project, the children will learn about
the infrastructure of our community and the interdependence of its members.
Visitors from the community, those who provide services to others, will
come to our school and share information about their jobs. We will host
a police officer, our postal worker, the school nurse, principal, janitor,
and others. Prior to the visit and through interactive writing sessions,
children and teachers will generate questions to ask their visitors.
Children will also engage in a pen-pal letter
exchange with a kindergarten class in Seattle, Washington. We will ask the
students in Seattle to tell us about the people who help in their community.
We hope to exchange stories, pictures, artifacts, and perhaps even video
footage of our neighborhoods. Children will publish a book including biographies
of community workers, interviews, and original illustrations by students.
Project Title: Nurturing Nature
Guiding Question: Who helps our environment?
Time Frame: March through May
During this project teachers will plan many
activities that relate to individuals and organizations that help our environment.
From conservation to recycling, children can engage in practical activities
that help the environment. Some of this unit's community service projects
will include litter patrol, hanging popcorn chains on trees for local squirrels,
and the construction of bird feeders.
Project Title: Togetherness
Guiding Question: What have we learned?
Time Frame: May and June
From May to June most teachers find themselves
in the end-of-the-year crunch. We try to write our progress reports, complete
end of the year assessments, prepare for our school wide exhibition night,
make sure each child's portfolio is complete, and we teach. Our last month
of study focuses on thinking about the year in review. Children will create
a classroom book of stories from the year. Each child will contribute a
photo journal of our year. We will think of ways to say goodbye not only
to our classmates but also to the many community friends we have connected
with throughout the year. We will have many questions to think about at
the end of the year, among them: Will we continue these relationships next
year? Is saying goodbye important?
Next Steps:
By the end of summer we have loosely planned our school year. Once the school
year starts we work to draw the guiding question out of the children. Then,
their questions will dictate the routes of study. While planning for our
first guiding question--What makes us healthy?--we thought of the
many influences on our own health. The children may focus on only a few
of those or may bring up a brand new influence that we hadn't considered.
Our curriculum structure is well thought out but allows for a broader or
different focus. If the children become interested in exercise and their
bodies, we will study that first. If the children are interested in good
nutritional practices, our studies and their questions will lead us down
that path.
We know what we have to teach in kindergarten. We know that we will be studying
health. We know that we will make books and have authentic projects. We
are not sure what our first focus in health will be. But the skills we need
to teach in kindergarten do not change according to the subject matter.
We plan our authentic learning experiences using guiding questions and incorporating
development of the skills the children must learn.
In order for the technique to work teachers need to be so well prepared
that they can feel comfortable taking chances and following a new direction.
At our school we are very lucky to be able to consult with Mr. Steven Levy,
an award winning teacher who played a large role in writing our Charter
and who has used students' questions to design year-long authentic learning
projects. At the end of our summer training, we meet with Mr. Levy and fine
tune our curriculum plans. With years of related teaching experience, he
is an invaluable part of our process.
Some Differences Between Authentic, Question-Based Learning and Traditional
Education
My son returned home from his second grade class last year with a Xeroxed
copy of a science journal entitled, "My Balance Study" by Gus
Zagarella. Inside were ten copied pages of an old textbooka picture of a
girl on a balance beam and written definitions of "torque," "fulcrum,"
and other assorted balance terminology. Why didn't the teacher have the
children try to balance their own bodies? Why not generate questions about
how long one could balance on the edge of a 2x4? Why not engage students
in the experience about which they are to learn, then, through student inquiry
and questions, develop projects that teach the concepts of balance.
When essential questions and student generated questions are at the heart
of the curriculum a number of important things happen. Power and responsibility
are shared in the classroom, and students feel a sense of control over their
learning. Subject matter is integrated, and because student questions are
at the center of the learning experience, motivation is intrinsic. Learning
is a journey shared by teacher and student, a process engaged in together.
What's more, with each response to a child's question, the child learns
that s/he is a legitimate, thinking being worthy of respect.
Empowering students to ask their own questions and take charge of their
own learning provides children with a sense of control they may not have
in other aspects of their life. In addition children's questions provide
a window into their learning style and an individualized learning program
suited to their own interests. "What is essential to realize is that
children learn independently, not in bunches that they learn out of interest
and curiosity, not to please or appease the adults in power: and that they
ought to be in control of their own learning, deciding for themselves what
they want to learn and how they want to learn it" (Holt, 1967).
The classroom guided by essential questions and student-generated questions
is very different than what a student experiences in a traditional classroom.
For one thing, teachers and students seeking answers together is not the
norm in most schools. Often, teachers ask questions to which they already
know the answers. Children become accustomed to this narrow style of teaching
quite quickly. They learn that the teacher has all the information and that
they must learn that information in order to succeed in school. Their job
is to sit, listen, and repeat back the information given by their teacher.
If they can duplicate the answers exactly without tainting any of the information
with their own thoughts or questions, they will excel.
"Teachers are licensed by our society (like policemen, doctors and
lawyers) to ask questions with the expectation that they will receive answers,
even though these (invasive questions) often transgress everyday conventions"
(Wood, 1988). In this type of classroom setting, students play a very inactive
role in their own education. Moreover, in a traditional educational setting,
students' questions and thoughts can often detract from the planned curriculum.
Too often teachers ask questions about facts in order to assess the students'
ability to repeat bits of isolated information. There is no joy in learning,
nor is there any thrill in discovery, because there is no discovery. In
this approach students are considered "empty vessels" or sponges
and are expected to learn information that is deemed important by an all-knowing
teacher. The teacher is probably not invested in discovery because s/he
is probably directed what to teach by the district. In this model teachers
must work hard to motivate students to learn and make the material appear
relevant.
Too often in schools general knowledge is dissected into isolated facts
that are segregated according to subject. Subjects are usually taught at
the same time everyday. Children learn quickly which subjects they will
give their attention to; most often it is their most successful subject.
Of course, we would like children to have the innate desire and courage
to work on their more difficult subjects. That does not happen when students
struggle to acquire what might seem like meaningless knowledge of the teacher.
If curriculum development is based on the use of students' questions, student
motivation to seek out answers will be a natural response to the process.
In The Heart of Learning, Spirituality in Education, Steven Glazer
writes, "American education has become grounded in disconnection, the
separation between the spiritual and the material. In our school, we learn
to approach the world as an assortment of separate subjects, rather than
as an interconnected whole. We learn to see things at face value: as in
and of themselvesIn learning to see in this way-and live with this view-we
have developed an entrenched sense of disconnection. We feel apart from
others. We learn to live in abstraction and conception, and to ignore our
intuition and experience. Along the way we have lost our basic appreciation
for ourselves and respect for others" (Glazer, 1999).
Children do not ask questions in isolation. They do not segregate their
knowledge into testable compartments. I know this from professional experience.
Last year, for example, in my kindergarten class, the children became interested
in giants after hearing the story Jack and the Beanstalk. We made
giants out of large newsprint paper, but they were really no bigger than
the children themselves were. How could we make the giants seem big? How
big were giants? These questions guided us toward our next unit of study
about relative size, a unit that developed from the children's interests
and questions.
The next day I brought in several storybooks about giants; Abiyoyo,
retold by Pete Seeger, was a favorite. The children examined the many picture
books and through the illustrations discovered that we needed to add some
small items like houses, people and trees in order to make the giants appear
big. This exploration of relative size lasted two months. We discovered
that we were giants in the eyes of an ant.
Through the use of the children's questions, we developed a unit of study
that arose from authentic questioning. The children were invested in their
own learning and made many connections to other lessons. Uppercase letters
became giant letters. We made a book of giant sounds with the simple text
FE FI FO FUM. This book served as a phonetic resource during our journal
writing time. My fellow teachers and I planned learning experiences that
would relate to this subject of study and address the learning goals set
out for each child. The work and the questions extended across traditional
boundaries of subject matter.
Personal experience also tells me that students' questions are important
and naturally inter-disciplinary. I attended elementary school at St. Hugh's
in Miami, Florida. In 1966, St. Hugh's was somewhat of an experimental school.
Perhaps all of Miami was an experimental place in 1966, but I remember it
being a place where I felt very special. I loved my teachers, and they provided
an exciting environment. I have fond memories of teachers playing guitars
and incorporating theater and dance into many of our academic subjects.
Things were quite different at St. Thomas School, which I attended after
my family moved to Peabody, Massachusetts. In my sixth grade science class
we were learning about the "Big Bang" theory and the evolution
of man. Immediately after that class we went to Sister Martha's religion
class where we studied the story of the seven days of creation and the Adam
and Eve story. The classrooms were directly across from each other, and
in the wall displays students could visually see major contradictions in
our education. In the science room there were detailed posters with diagrams
of apes evolving into man. Across the hall and visible through the window
were illustrations of a St. James Bible God in heaven resting on the seventh
day.
A different nun taught each subject, and each was appalled by my questions:
How could both of the stories could be true? How could we have evolved from
Apes if we were created from Adam and Eve? Many theologians could easily
support the co-existence of these two theories. Yet, in the traditional
setting of my school, the teachers were not ready for any questions or thoughts
generated by students, even if the questions were the most obvious and important
to ask. The reflex answer I received from Sister Martha and Sister Elaine
was that these were two separate subjects. I instantly learned not to ask
questions in school and sadly learned that religion was separate from everything.
That was probably not one of the educational goals of the St. Thomas curriculum.
Conclusion
The practice of using essential questions to fuel the pursuit of knowledge
demands high performance from teachers and students. Participants are actively
involved in the creation of their curriculum. Teachers must respect the
journey the class is taking while accommodating the demands of the Massachusetts
State Frameworks and the importance presently delegated to test scores,
especially MCAS. This is one of the more challenging aspects of this approach.
The literacy and mathematics portion of the MCAS relates to the high expectations
we have for our students. The isolated facts that children are required
to remember for other portions of the exam are troublesome. As teachers
we continually spend time sculpting the celebration of thoughts and questions
of individual students while adhering to the pre-determined route of study
dictated by the Frameworks. Children's questions inform the teacher of what
is relevant in the life of that particular student. We use these questions
to motivate learning. It is difficult work and more time-consuming than
simply fulfilling the requirements of a pre-made set of skills and standards.
Despite the challenges, teachers at the Lynn Community Charter School view
the use of essential questions as a successful educational practice. In
the summer of 2000 I developed a survey for teachers to assess the direct
relationship of academic success and the use of essential and guiding questions.
All teachers who returned the survey were able to positively document the
successful use of essential questions in their classes. Many affirmed that
they could "prove" students' academic growth as a result of the
use of essential and guiding questions. Teachers' assessment sources included
student-generated rubrics, portfolios, observations and conversations.
Each year at Lynn Community Charter School the search for the essential
question becomes more refined and successful. It is a dynamic process, and
every obstacle encountered provides an opportunity for learning. At LCCS
teachers play a major role in the development of the school. As the institution
develops its practice, so too do teachers. As a kindergarten teacher and
an Early Childhood Educator, I have always believed that the key to success
is in preparation and planning. At first, using essential questions seemed
too unstructured. I was worried that if the children's interests took an
exit from the well-paved curriculum I had painstakingly planned, and headed
off to an unknown, unseen trail in the brush, I would be lost. What I discovered
was that a well-planned curriculum could follow the children down any path.
I truly believe that the use of essential questions could successfully be
transferred to other public schools. It is a practice that can start out
simply and grow. Like the tiny flower under the sidewalk that taps on the
cement until it breaks through and reaches for the sun, children's questions
are inevitable. Utilizing that power of inquiry should be at the heart of
every educational journey. It is a practice many teachers probably already
use without the label. Using the questions that children ask is a natural
way to motivate students to learn. They of course care about the answer,
which is why they ask the question.
"The demands of the final decades of this century dictate that we educate
a new kind of citizen who is active rather than passive, who seriously questions
rather than passively accepts, who is politically active rather than passive,
and who is cosmopolitan rather than ethnocentric and culturally encapsulated.
Planet Earth and its inhabitants will be seriously imperiled if the various
peoples who inhabit it do not cooperatively solve their momentous problems
within the next few decades" (Hunkins, 1976). Twenty-five years ago
James Banks wrote these words in the forward of the book, Involving Students
in Questioning, and still most public schools practice traditional forms
of education.
More parents, teachers and administrators need to view education and schooling
differently. It should not be a place that only dispenses knowledge. It
should be a place where good citizens are made, citizens who know how to
ask questions, who work together to seek solutions, and who value themselves
and others. We must fight for a quality education for our children.
About the Author
The field of Early Childhood Education has always been more than just a
career choice. For me, working for children is a lifestyle choice. I am
fortunate to be a kindergarten teacher. This position has allowed me to
easily integrate my interests and abilities as an actor, visual artist,
poet, athlete, environmental advocate, and an enthusiastic yet mediocre
singer of children's songs.
Though there is not one specific event in my life that caused this union
of professional and personal life, there is a series of influences that
have given my life direction. My studies at the University of Massachusetts
contributed to my growing dedication to the field of Education. Meg Cline,
Sonia Nieto, David Day and George Forman were all excellent professors,
actively contributing through their own publications to the growing field
of research and theory in education. I feel quite fortunate to have studied
with them. I was again fortunate to study with an excellent teacher/mentor
at the Boston Children's Museum, Diane Willow. Diane taught me the power
of my own questions and never once did she let on that she knew the answers.
My two years studying interactive science projects at the Boston Children's
Museum reclaimed my preschool interest in science.
In 1998, I received my Masters of Education from Lesley College in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. My particular course of study in the Creative Arts and Learning
Program highlights the benefits of using the arts to teach academic subject
matter. At the Lynn Community Charter School we integrate the arts in academic
subjects to provide all learning types with more options. I am happy to
be working for educational change.
Glazer, S., (Editor). (1999). The heart of learning, spirituality in
education. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.
Holt, J., (1967). How children learn. NewYork: Pitman.
Hunkins, F.P., (1976). Involving students in questioning. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
Keene, E. O. & Zimmerman S., (1997). Mosaic of thought. New Hampshire:
Heinemann.
Levy, S., (1996). Starting from scratch, one classroom builds its own
curriculum. New Hampshire: Heinemann.
Lynn Community Charter School Charter. (1996). Lynn, Massachusetts.
Wood, D., (1988). How children think and learn. Great Britain: Blackwell.
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