"Students who are aware
of themselves as learners and who can name
and monitor their own learning strategies
can more easily apply knowledge in one context to another."
-Make Just One Change. Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
Book Review: Make Just One Change
of themselves as learners and who can name
and monitor their own learning strategies
can more easily apply knowledge in one context to another."
-Make Just One Change. Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
Book Review: Make Just One Change
Previously subtitled: a holiday dinner conversation
by C.J. Westerberg
Here is the scene: One of my relations who just graduated from an highly-ranked university asked if she could visit one evening while we had another couple, also visiting. We didn't think twice and said, of course, we always have room for more at a family dinner, even though her ask was last minute (so what else is new? :) The guests were not family relations, but close friends, like family. She also asked if she could bring her boyfriend, which was NBD - no big deal - and who also graduated from this highly-ranked university. During dinner, it became so apparent how these two recent college graduates, apparently well-educated, one male and one female, well-presented in their appearance, were comfortable answering basic questions.
This was a family dinner, not a job interview. Yet, I noticed after thinking about it more - something strange about the dinner conversation. The grads didn't ask any real or
authentic questions. They weren't curious. When the conversation took a turn about
a few current events, one linking to a columnist in The Washington Post, and another
to The New York Times, both gave the deer-in-the-headlight-look and one murmured
"must've missed it due to finals (exams)." The adults tried to engage more by soliciting
some opinions. Nothing.
Okay. We go on vacations, immerse in a no-distraction mode for long-term projects, barely checking on anything but breakthrough news, but there was a void in this conversation.
Surely, you must have a question, at least asked by Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart?
Little did the grads realize that this dinner was an opportunity to engage in the world around them . . . which is how other things often happen. Little did they also realize that our family friend guests, while dressed in khakis and jeans, talking casually about politics, travel, books and ideas, were well-heeled yet low-key philanthropists, connected to both business and non-profits worlds.
I felt bad that I didn't give these grads a heads-up that this was a couple that could possibly provide them an entree, but I honestly wasn't thinking that way. Should I have, an hour before dinner when they called? (Introductions and "lessons learned" can come from the most unexpected places - which is another point of this post - and from the most unassuming and un-marquee-like people. As a culture, we have under-valued local "service" professionals
on various levels but that is another post).
Now, here were college grads looking for jobs,
and not recognizing
that showing curiosity and asking engaging questions
could show MORE about WHO they were
than reciting some resume paragraph
to interviewers
in a random interview.
and not recognizing
that showing curiosity and asking engaging questions
could show MORE about WHO they were
than reciting some resume paragraph
to interviewers
in a random interview.
-C.J. Westerberg
A couple months ago, one Saturday morning, I started reading a book titled, "Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions," and didn't leave until I finished the entire book. It was that good. This dinner reminded me how important this conversation is for everyone.
From the intro:
Why Didn't I Learn This in School?"
This book makes two simple arguments:
This book makes two simple arguments:
- All students should learn how to formulate their own questions.
- All teachers can easily teach this skill as part of their regular practice.
Make One Change also outlines succinctly and clearly how to do this. Why should we care other than the obvious life skill void narrative above?
An excerpt:
The National Research Council report How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School recognized metacognition as a key factor in learning, and one that systematically and deliberately developed in all students. The committee members highlighted that particularly important role that metacognition plays in the transfer of learning.
"Limited meta-cognitive abilities
can result in inadequate grasp of content
inefficient use of time and attention,
overconfidence in one's knowledge,
and few attempts to learn from new or contradictory information."
can result in inadequate grasp of content
inefficient use of time and attention,
overconfidence in one's knowledge,
and few attempts to learn from new or contradictory information."
One of my theories about this above scenario was not (just?) the lack of the experience of asking questions, but the lack of experience of asking questions to adults, especially those not in one's familiar "circle."
What do you think?
As a parent and/or educator, run . . . don't walk, and read this book.
###
Previously Published: December 2011 The Daily Riff
Related The Daily Riff:
Crossing the Math Chasm
Post a Comment