This from his final paragraph speaks to me in so many ways and I wanted to share it out loud here:
I believe that children of all ages are capable of deep thinking. I believe that they can shock us with their wisdom and their insight and their knowledge. But I also believe that they are kids. And as kids, they don't think like adults. Not entirely, at least. So, when you ask a fourth grader to identify the key details in a job application or you ask a second grader (who still can't comprehend the size of the sea) to learn longitude and latitude, it's about as absurd as having an open bar in the cafeteria.
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2 comments:
Lani,
Thank you for introducing me to John Spencer's blog. That was a first visit for me, but will certainly not be the last one.
Part of the quote you shared resonated with me as well:
"I believe that children of all ages are capable of deep thinking. I believe that they can shock us with their wisdom and their insight and their knowledge. But I also believe that they are kids."
This makes me think of all the possibilities there are in working with children and how PBL can bring about those wonderfully shocking moments, but at the same time keep learning authentic and relevant.
Would love to hear what resonated so much with you.
Amy,
My greatest fear is that joy and love of learning are lost when we seek to have our children master learning that is developmentally inappropriate, at least it is to me.
Children should have the opportunity to inquire and experience the world from their perspective at their stage of development.
Amy, thanks much for commenting here--
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