One of the most important contributions a teacher can make to their students is the ability to get them to think for themselves. Essentially that involves giving them the tools to ask the important questions and make their own conclusions. Just simply filling students up with facts is hardly good enough. For our students to thrive we have to nurture their inquiring minds.
Academy-award-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam is now a member of the British House of Lords, whose policy focus is on improving education standards. In a recent television interview, Lord Puttnam called for teachers to make inquiry in the classroom a priority.
“The most important thing I think teachers can do for young people is to make them inquiring, is to ensure that they know how to gather information, that they check information and they take their information from a multiplicity of sources.
If you can get a child to do that and then become interested in the whole process of information gathering, you’re halfway towards becoming a learner. And once you’re a learner, you’re a learner for life. That’s certainly been my experience.”
It’s certainly something to consider when reflecting about how well we are teaching our kids.
Tags: Children, Education, Family, kids, News, Parenting, School
Topical Teaching 
November 22, 2010 at 8:13 pm |
You might find this interesting – I did! Very relevant to kids’ enquiring minds and ability to think laterally. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
November 23, 2010 at 12:31 pm |
Brilliant clip! Something to share with my colleagues. Thank you!
December 1, 2010 at 4:03 am |
Great post and I will continue posting on the “thinking mind”.
December 4, 2010 at 10:50 pm |
Thank you very much