When I think about the question What do I want to fuel my students? a large list of responses instantly comes to my mind. However, when I reflect on my large list of responses a bit more, there are two overarching themes that seem to focus again and again — curiosity and the sense of giving to the greater good.

Curiosity as Fuel

The learning process can be one giant “mind-blow” experience after another, and it should be. When students are allowed to ask questions that interest them then they find purpose in what they are doing. Deep learning happens when students have freedom to explore what interests them. The learning that is driven by interest and curiosity is the type of learning that sticks with students beyond the next summative assessment. It will stick with them because they own the learning. It will stick with them because they will feel that they can do something with their learning. It will stick with them because it is relevant and meaningful to them and their lives. When students find purpose in what they are doing then they move from complacent learning to engaged learning?. They can then turn that engagement into action.

I hope that I can help students fuel their passion for curiosity. Life is interesting when we ask questions. Questioning and curiosity allows us to make connections that we did not know existed. When a high school student discovers that they are capable of making connections in their thinking, their world is transformed. They go from passive recipients of information and turn into economists, scientists, and mathematicians. When curiosity is sparked, students realize that they can construct meaning to the questions that they crave answers to. When students are fueled by their own curiosity learning and schooling becomes something that they do for themselves, not something that is done to them.

When curiosity acts as a fuel for student learning, then learning becomes the students.

Sense of Contributing to Something Bigger as Fuel

I want students to have opportunities to be part of something bigger — something beyond themselves and their personal goals. I want students to be fueled by the understanding that by working for the good of everyone they are in fact working for their own good.

By looking beyond themselves, student motivations can change. By being part of something that is bigger than themselves students can see how their actions can contribute to a greater good. When they feel that they are part of something that will bring benefit to many students they can begin to dream. They will be able to dream about the difference they can make with both their ideas and their actions.  When students are fueled by a sense of a greater good they will be able to identify needs in their communities and rally groups of their peers to work together to make a difference. In the short run this mentality can create a strong sense of community in our schools. Students will see that by working together to better a community they can make a difference. They will see that their actions matter and while it may not equate to a grade it provides them with different and still very valuable learning experiences. In the long run, when students are fueled by a sense of contributing to something bigger, they will be more inclined to act in altruistic ways. They will not be enticed by short term gains at the expense of others. They will see how the collective good far outweighs wins for individuals.

Putting them Together

I choose these two “fuels” because I think that when put together they can create a powerful tool for a positive global future. When students are able to be curious about the world they can ask the questions that matter. When students see themselves as part of a greater community, their curiosity will focus on asking questions that will make everyone better. I would hope that these two fuels combined will equip students to create solutions that can be used by all, not just by those that can pay for it.  

Planning new units and daily lessons for classes is one of my favorite parts of teaching. I appreciate getting the chance to think creatively on a daily basis. I enjoy thinking about how my teaching should reflect the needs and aspirations of my students. I feel comfortable in my ability to plan. Through my individual decision making and through collaboration with my peers, I feel that I can find meaningful ways for my students to engage with the lesson, content, and curriculum.

Lately, I have had a sinking feeling in my gut. I have felt that even if I put together well thought out lesson plans in accordance to topics and standards, I feel that I am falling short on giving students the opportunity to think deeply about the topics that we are covering. My lessons and unit plans are tailored to content…and lots of it. I am planning to have students engage with content while thinking and making their own meaning at a warp speed. So even if my colleagues and I plan out the unit of our lives, if that unit is concentrated on content rather than thinking, creating, and connecting, we are not setting up our students to be adults ready to succeed in the real world. We are only setting them up to be strong memorizers who have only learned to think about issues on a shallow level and keep their knowledge confined to that unit of study.

I am much more interested in working towards an educational future that I think is better for students rather than lamenting where we are now. To help push myself forward — and maybe some other educators — here are some thought provoking ideas and resources that I have come across that can help create an education where students are given the time and focus to critically think, reflect and engage with ideas and processes that they will be able to apply throughout their academic, professional and civic lives.

BIG THINKING

Students need to be given the chance to think. They should be expected to think all of the time. When we focus too heavily on content, we the teachers become the thinkers. We think about how to transfer all we know to them and they sit back and remember facts. So here is my idea: Let’s allow kids to think more about less. Let’s allow student thinking drive our design, not content. We as teachers can ask what will students think and grapple with, not what facts will they learn.

David Perkins outlines in his book Future Wise how we can plan for big understandings. For big understandings (and thus big thinking) we need to plan units that are:

1. Big in insight: The understanding helps to reveal how our physical, social, artistic, and other worlds work.
2. Big in action: The understanding empower us to take effective action professionally, socially, politically, or in other ways.
3. Big in ethics: The understanding urges us toward more ethical, humane, caring mind-sets and conduct.
4. Big in opportunity: The understanding is likely to come up in significant ways in varied circumstances.

When we plan for big understandings we are planning for students to think, ponder, and explore. The nature of all of Perkin’s “bigs” will push students to think about themselves, their ability to enact change in the world and to solve problems. The four “bigs” take learning from passive to active. By being a thoughtful participant in their learning process students increase their ability to build empathy, understand perspectives, make meaning of abstract ideas, and solve problems.
SUBJECT AREA THINKING SKILLS

In order for students to connect with the “big” understandings shared by David Perkins, students need to develop the skills and complex thinking traits associated with a discipline. When we plan with an intention of not passing along content, but of passing along a set of thinking skills, we give students tools to use as they grapple with ideas. In our planning we need to give students the opportunity to practice and develop the skills that will allow them to unlock their understandings. I teach Social Studies and I think that we can have students work with primary sources or be responsible for interviewing people that have experienced a significant historical event. When a student is taught how they can utilize skills to create and construct their own understanding allows the the richness of thinking and learning process to shine for the students. Organization such as the Stanford History Education Group provide resources that help teachers begin to teach subject area thinking skills to their students. By mastering subject specific thinking skills, once again, students school and learning experience goes from passive to active as now they are taking control and forming their own meaning, connections, and understandings. 

CONNECTING

The world is complex and ever changing. When many of our students leave high school they will be of voting age. They will be able to be active participants in civic society all over the world. Yet, I can’t help but wonder how many schools prepare students to be active, knowledgeable, contributing members of a global society. I would encourage each teacher all of the time to teach with social justice issues at the center of their curriculum. By teaching with Social Justice in mind we can help students make connections between what we teach, the world around them, and how the two connect. Without planning for letting students make connections and build empathy we could set them up for a future of selfishness or complacency. We educators can promote equality, peace, and sustainable development if we plan with the idea in mind that our lessons and units can inspire students to take action regarding a real world issue that is happening right now. By making the explicit connections we can show how potentially abstract ideas in school can make concrete impacts in the real world. Students will see that their knowledge and ideas are powerful. It is through feeling empowered to take action that we can engage students in their learning experience. We can educators can find inspiration not only from other schools but from real students as well. We can help to make connections so as to keep students connected to what is happening in the real world.

Building community and establishing positive relationships with students is a must for all teachers and schools at the start of each year. The September 2016 addition of Educational Leadership is fully devoted to the importance of establishing relationships. In addition to Educational Leadership, I have been heartened to see Twitter and blogs being flooded by great ideas from educators around the world regarding how they establish positive relationships at the start of the school. While it is amazing to see such a focus on relationships and how they can lead to a successful year, I could not help but wonder, would the same focus on relationship building last once the beginning of the year had passed. What do educators do to continue to nourish relationships as the year goes on? What practices are used to ensure that the relationships that we establish at the start of the year can grow and develop so as to always have a student centered approach to education?

I decided to reach out and ask educational professionals how they continue to build relationships over the course of the entire school year. Here are ways that some teachers around the world continue to build and maintain relationships with their students.

Elsa Baptista–Canadian International School, Singapore

Elsa believes that taking an interest in students lives and activities outside of her classroom helps to build and maintain positive relationships over the course of the year. She makes an intentional effort to ask her students what school activities they are involved in. Taking it a step further, Elsa attends as many school events that her students are involved in as possible. These events range from MYP Personal Project exhibitions, to DP art night, to school concerts and sporting events. By making herself visible at these school activities Elsa is showing that she cares about her student as a whole student, and not just as a class member.

Kyle Dueling–International Community School — Addis Ababa

Kyle had two very interesting reflections regarding maintaining strong relationships. First, Kyle says, “I would say the general classroom environment really fosters these [positive] relationships.  Creating a classroom of inquiry where you are the guide, but students are the center of learning really makes them feel valued and lends to positive relationships.” In addition, Kyle uses a daily routine called “good news”. Kyle takes the first 3-4 minutes of each class to give anyone the opportunity to share “good news” in their lives. Kyle says that as the year goes on students tell him how much they feel appreciated and listened to when they are asked to share about themselves.  

Eileen Rueth— International School of Beijing

Eileen has a great strategy and a great insight that allows for relationships to be maintained over the course of a school year. Eileen says “At the beginning of the year I have students fill out cards with all the basic info, extra curricular, favorite sports, etc. and then ask them some random questions about music or movies or stuff I can use later.  I usually don’t even look at them for 4-6 weeks but when I do (which is when I can actually put a face to a name) I make mental notes of them and then comment.  I will say stuff about their favorite football team, or ask about a latest video game, or inquire about try-outs for a team and I do it privately on their way in or out of class.  They know then that I know something personal and remembered that about them.  If some kid is really trying to fly under the radar screen I work doubly hard to find something to say to them.”

In addition, Eileen shared this thoughtful insight. She says, “Kids are people and they want to feel valued – it’s not rocket surgery.   Making that personal connection so that they see you as a person and that you are interested in them as an individual – and not as a grade – it’s easier to relate to them.”

So why are relationships so important?

I believe educators need to show our students that even when we are all working hard and are in the grind of day to day, we still make the time for relationships. Beyond the often mentioned outcomes of increased positive behaviors and educational gains when trust is built, I feel relationship building taps into the humanistic component of education that is often overlooked. By making this effort we, as educators, can show students that yes, we care about class, but we also care about you as human beings. In addition, by continuing to build relationships with students we can model for them a positive behavior. We can show them what it is like to maintain relationships beyond initial meetings and the create positive correlations between maintained relationships and feeling successful.

So as this school year moves on and you move past your “community building” activities, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions: What can you do to push yourself to keep developing authentic relationships with your students?  What are some unique ways to connect with students in an authentic and meaningful manner?  What are the benefits of investing time and resources into positive student relationships?    

“My creativeness has been maximized. I have nothing left.” I was shocked to hear these words come out of the mouth of one of my students the other day. In my IB History class I push my students to think and share their ideas in a variety of ways. I believe that they expect to be asked to unpack in history in unfamiliar fashions. So, when I thought of creating a Graffiti Wall to reflect the ideologies of Fidel Castro, I believed I had a surefire formative assessment. I was excited because I thought that a graffiti wall would allow students to express their understanding through drawing, words, and be literal or metaphorical. I thought that they would like choice in their creativity. To help them tune in we took a virtual walk down Batman Alley in Sao Paulo for some graffiti inspiration  using Google Streetview. Students were excited and intrigued. I put up a giant butcher paper, rolled out the markers, and got ready for some graffiti magic. It never came.  

Students approached the paper and just started at it. I grabbed a marker and contributed some graffiti in hopes of inspiring my students to create. Slowly tentative contributions began to unfold on the paper. I moved around, asked questions and tried to provoke thinking. Still, not much creation.

As I engaged with my students what was shared in one way or another is that they felt they were not “creative” and “did not know what to put.” My students were afraid that they would create something “lame” or “childish” or “stupid.”  Cue Ken Robinson.

It’s not that I had dismissed Robinson’s idea that schools kill creativity.  However, I was shocked to see it right in front of my face. These particular students are seniors in high school. While on daily basis I am excited about all the good they will bring to the world, I also became saddened thinking of what they might hold back from sharing if they don’t tap into their creative selves. In my class there are students who I think can really do some amazing things. However, will they be able to tackle the world’s problem if they are afraid to think creatively? When they are outside of the structures of IB Paper 1s and Paper 2s, will they think in a way that is still creative, analytical and innovative?

It is up to teachers to break the mold, disrupt the norm, and to encourage creative thinking. While schools systems and administrators play a role in this, teacher’s are the key link. It will be the daily challenge of creative thinking opportunities created by teachers that will help students hone their creative and critical thinking skills. Stacey Goodman provides suggestions on how to help students hone their creativity in his article on Edutopia. Goodman stresses heavily on the development of divergent thinking as creative thinking. Divergent thinking does not have to be combative thinking. Combative thinking is simple. Divergent thinking is complex. Divergent thinking is thinking outside the box to be a creator. Combative thinking is selfish and focuses on consumption  — the me-me-me mentality. 

It is important that we provide students the opportunity to be creative and divergent thinkers. To think in new and different ways takes practice. Students are told to conform so often and to not question. As teachers let’s break that mold. Let’s let students think about things in new ways. Let’s empower them to share their ideas. Let’s be divergent thinkers ourselves. With new thinking comes development academically, socially, and emotionally. If we as educators can consistently provide an opportunity for students to practice their creativity, then we hold hope for future graffiti walls and more importantly, for future societies.

In the History classroom we often ask ourselves how we can make the content come alive so as to engage our students. In some schools students have the opportunity to travel to historically important locations. Via their school sponsored travels students are able to make a personal connection with history that they would not normally be able to make within the confines of a classroom. When students are able to travel to historical locations they can begin to experience what history looked like, felt like, and sounded like. In a wonderful interview with Stephan Anagnost on the Ed Tech Coop Podcast, he speaks to a trip that he organized for his students to the Auschwitz concentration camp. In the description of this trip, Anagnost describes how the experience becomes more of an educational journey, rather than a really big field trip. Anagnost speaks to how the idea of a journey comes about in the pre trip planning, the trip experience, and in the learning and debrief that occurs after. He says that because the trip becomes a chance for students to make real and intimate connections with their learning via this journey, they end up learning and thinking in a much more complex way. For the purpose of this post I want to think about and focus on the idea of creating a journey in the experience of student learning and understanding.

Unlike Anagnost, I have not been provided many opportunities to take students to a location to experience, to feel, to see, and hear history. However, after reflecting on this podcast, my thinking was provoked about how I can, or have, done my best to try to create learning experiences that become more than lessons and become journeys of learning within the classroom walls. When I think about a learning journey, I think not only about a student totally engaging with a topic or concept, but I also think about that journey leading towards developing empathy and a deeper understanding of a topic.

I have experimented with a variety of technologies that can help bring learning alive and make it a journey that allows students to connect with the history. In reality it is not devices that support the student journey but it is web based tools that build the connection for students. The web based experiences can transport students from the classroom to an alternate place and a time. These web based tools allow students to see places all over the world and hear voices that they normally would never get to connect with. Here are some examples of resources that I have used in the past, and or plan to use in the future. These resources I hope will facilitate an educational journey for students and help them make relevant connections to today’s world and through a lens of empathy.

Oral History Databases

A variety of organizations have spent lots of time interviewing people who have first person accounts of history. Students are able to access these oral history databases that contain stories as told by people who have intimately experienced an event. By listening to and/or viewing the stories students can key into the emotions that are embedded into the stories by their tellers. Through the emotions of the interviewees students can make connections that may not have been made if the student is just reading about something or listening to a lecture.  This is the intended hope of a journey and a crucial step in developing empathy and understanding.

An oral History interview with my 1st grade teacher, Aki Kurose.

Google Earth and other Interactive Exhibits

Google Earth is another powerful tool that can transport students to places all around the world. One of my favorite ways that I have used Google Earth is creating a tour for my students to take. With the creation of a Google Earth Tour I can take students on a journey. The tour allow us — as a class — to “fly” to locations all over the world. At each location I can embed information, primary sources, songs, and other medias that will spark thinking. As the creator of a particular tour, I can share with students information that can help them build a deeper understanding of the topic. I have also had students create their own tours to reflect their understanding of a topic and to demonstrate a deeper connection. I love this tool because I think that it mixes geography and learning with a sense of a journey as students zip around the world.

Other Interactive Media Exhibits

Depending on what you are teaching there are all kinds of other interactive exhibits on the internet that allow students to take a virtual journey to new places. An example that I have used in the past is an exhibit called The Places we Live.

This particular tool allows students to visit different cities around the world and to step into the houses of residents of particular communities. I found this to be an incredibly powerful tool. Since students travel to locations all around the world — from Caracas to Jakarta — they definitely are on an adventurous journey. However, this exhibit — and others like it — take students on an emotional journey, as well. Programs such as this connect students with real people in their real environments. In their studies students can examine statistics or analyze text.  However, when students have a chance to see the faces and hear the voices of real people they have experienced a different kind of journey — a journey of connecting more with their learning and develop empathy.

Taking time to explore virtual resources so as to create a journey for students is well worth the time. If we, as teachers, want to help create future global citizens that are aware of the greater world around them then a journey is a good place to start. By creating these journeys for our students we can help to connect them to real people and real places. Journeys have the opportunity to take the obscure and make it real. Journeys can put a human face on a story and can convey emotions that textbooks and lectures cannot. I think also important is that journeys are student centered. Through educational journeys students are allow to make meaning on their own. The connections that students make to what they are experiencing via their journey are unique to each student. An emotion, or a story, or a place that resonates highly with one student may impact another student in a different way. In the end hopefully these journeys can facilitate thinking, conversation, and most importantly, empathy.