Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Yesterday, January 4th, marked the first day back from the holiday break and the beginning of the new semester.   In the tradition of Lasallian schools, we begin each class with prayer.  Quite often, I use the website, Praying Each Day, http://www.prayingeachday.org/reflect.html for the prayer of the day.

The prayer for yesterday focused on Sir Isaac Newton.  Who else would be a more appropriate focus for a prayer for the beginning of a science class?  However, it is in this prayer that we can see how all educators and their students should approach both teaching and learning.  I can not find a better way to articulate what the focus of education should be. 

Isaac Newton was born on January 4th 1643. What is Newton remembered for?

He developed Calculus, a branch of mathematics.

In studies of light, he showed via a prism that sunlight is made of a spectrum of

colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

Newton formulated Three Laws of Motion, which led to his theory of Universal Gravitation

(often remembered in the incident of the falling apple).

Newton’s work was a turning point in science, but he acknowledged that his progress and success were built on the hard work and achievements of people before him:

“If I have seen further,

it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

 

There is so much that I don’t know, and I ask you to inspire me with a thirst for knowledge.

I pray, too, for wisdom and understanding that I may use my knowledge well.

I give thanks for many people I have never met whose knowledge and understanding have been passed on to me.

I ask that I may benefit from their work and experience and may contribute, in turn, to the

well-being of others.

Socrates, Learning and Knowledge

The Socratic Legend

A young man approached Socrates and made the request, "I want to know everything you know."

Socrates responded by inviting the young man down to the river bank and said, "If this is your desire, kneel down at the river's edge. Gaze into the river and tell me what you see."

"I do not see anything," the young man said.

Bend near to the surface and take a closer look," replied Socrates.

As the man stared intently into the water, leaning as close to the surface as he could without falling in, Socrates grabbed the back of the young man's head and thrust it under the water. As the young man flailed and tried to escape Socrates kept a firm grip and held him under the surface of the water. As the man grew weaker and began to give up, Socrates pulled him from the water and laid him on the bank.

As the man gasped and coughed, he gathered himself and he yelled out, "What are you trying to do you crazy old man? Kill me!"

Socrates calmly asked, "As I held you under water, what did you want? what was most important to you?"

"I wanted to breathe. I wanted air!" he screamed at Socrates.

Socrates responded, "Don't ever make the mistake of believing that wisdom comes easily. When you want to fill your life with the knowledge you asked for as badly as you wanted the air to fill your lungs, then and only then should you come to me again."

Without, bringing the students to the brink of death, how can we instill in them a thirst for learning and knowledge?  How can we as educators get the students of today to understand that learning is a process? How do we get them to understand that everything comes with a price that must be paid? The price for knowledge is the experience of the process, putting in the time, developing understanding, asking questions and seeking solutions, while seeing the possible outcomes of the knowledge gained.

Too often our students misunderstand finding answers with learning. They have been led to believe that algorithmic problem solving is critical thinking.  And worst of all, have been brainwashed into believing that grades equal knowledge.

The process of learning must be returned to the forefront of education.  Students must be encouraged to understand that knowledge comes through time and effort.  But most importantly they must grow to appreciate the journey not the destination. To truly embrace learning as a skill to be utilized rather than simply a means of getting answers in order to receive a grade. 

The work however, does not fall solely on the students, but demands that teachers seek out new methods to encourage student learning, to evaluate students for the steps along the path rather than only the final product. We as educators must challenge ourselves to step away from the comfort of the algorithmic processes that are easy to evaluate and justify.  We too must embrace and value learning as the ultimate goal within our classroom.

The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.

                                          -   Socrates  - 

Revisiting Confucius

More than 2500 years ago Confucius has been credited for stating the following words concerning how we learn:

I hear and I forget...

I see and I remember...

I do and I understand.

Not that I would even compare myself as an intellectual equal to Confucius, but I would like to make an addition to his words.

I hear and I forget...

I see and I remember...

I do and I understand...

I teach others and make it my own.

It is in the ability of one person to share knowledge with another that the knowledge truly becomes their own to share.  When the information reaches that point of synthesis that it truly becomes clear enough in one's own mind that there is comfort in passing it on to another.  It is in that act that true ownership of the concept is understood and confirmed.

How can we as educators provide the opportunities for our students to gain ownership of the knowledge?

Remind Students To Pick Up Pebbles

A man was out walking in the desert when a voice said to him, "Pick up some pebbles and put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will be both happy and sad."

The man obeyed. He stooped down and picked up a handful of pebbles and put them in his pocket. The next morning he reached into his pocket and found diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

And he was both happy and sad.

Happy he had taken some - sad that he hadn't taken more.

I share this parable with my students and remind them of the importance of each and everyday they have in school.  How often are we as teachers faced with the question, "When am I going to need to know this?" 
The best answer of course, "In summer school."

If we could get students to understand that each day presents them the opportunity to fill their backpack for life with items that they may not ever need, but will be so happy to have when the situation presents itself.