The Sun Goes Up and Down

Over the past few weeks my daughter has started to notice the sun. That the sun wasn’t a given would never have occurred to me before having a child, but I guess before a certain age (she is 2 and a half) kids just take the sun for granted.  In the mornings she wakes up, lifts up the blind, peeks our and says “sun goes up?” in the evening when I pick her up from pre-school she again inquires “sun goes down?” Sometimes she observes “sun goes up and down”.  At first I thought maybe she learned this at preschool but when I asked they said it wasn’t part of the curriculum.

I started thinking about my daughter’s observations and how they demonstrate the natural curiosity inherent in humans after I read George Couros’ post “You have to” vs. “I want to”. In his post Mr.Couros discusses the lack of enthusiasm some students have for learning that at times is forced upon them.  He also encourages teachers to use video to get students excited about classes they will take.  I think this is a great idea but would also suggest  that teachers find a way to design instruction in such a way as to tap into the inner curiosity that all students have. 

Personally, I can't say the word "excited" could ever have been used to describe how I felt about the classes I took in school.  As an adult however I am constantly investigating, exploring, and learning but not because someone else dictates exactly what I have to learn and repeat but rather because technology has made it easier than ever before to pursue my interests and curiosities.  Clearly students need guidance in their learning but perhaps if we give students some freedom to observe, explore, and create we will continue to foster the excitement for learning that we all start out with.