Kenni Smith's picture

"Eyeballs in the Fridge"

Submitted by Kenni Smith on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 5:08pm
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This new federally funded (and fabulously titled) study shows that many scientists trace their interest in science to pre–middle-school experiences. (More details on the study here.) I can say, speaking as a parent, that it goes back much further than that!
 
Kids know intuitively that the entire world is one giant venue for scientific inquiry. I've seen my three-year-old learn about friction (trucks roll much better on the hardwood floor than on the carpet), levers (I can't pry open that cocoa can with my fingers, but I can do it with a spoon), and density (a piece of bagel floats in a glass of water; a grape doesn't). He's continually testing and refining his hypotheses and is delighted and further engaged by his discoveries. When he asks questions, I do my best to explain in terms he can understand, but the hands-on part is what he's all about.
 
It seems to me that exposing elementary-level kids to science in a way that taps into their built-in curiosity and drive to make sense of the world around them can build a bridge between the ebullient exploration of early childhood and the more focused fascination of adolescence. I remember when the whole staff at DSC had a chance to do the bubble experiments from AfterSchool KidzScience,™ how absorbed were the participants, how surprising and intellectually provocative the results. I remember how working in pairs and groups helped our accumulating knowledge take shape. I especially remember how much fun we had, a bunch of adults making a mess in the conference room in the middle of our workday.
 
I can only imagine how engaging such an experience would be for eight- to ten-year-olds. Looking ahead, I can see my own son smiling, laughing, up to his elbows in soap solution, and, much in the way his younger self would have, learning about surface tension.

Comments

I am happy to see this blog

Submitted by Kelly Stuart on Sat, 03/13/2010 - 12:01pm.

I am happy to see this blog up as so much of what i have been talking about today in class is learning through inquiry and hands-on opportunities. Specifically, in science and math children have limited time in the subject compared to reading, and rarely have the opportunities to actually experience or build curiosity.  The long term effects of this lack of curiousness because of access is stifling the learning for children in profound ways and I am hopeful for changes in the coming years!

  Thanks for sharing your

Submitted by Kenni Smith on Sun, 03/14/2010 - 12:01pm.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and your observations, Kelly. As it happens, President Obama offered some ESEA teasers regarding science and math in his weekly address on the very day you wrote your comment. 

In Obama's own words, "states [will] compete for funding... by emphasizing math and science to help prepare children for college and careers." While the "compete for funding" and the "prepare children for college and careers" are to me problematic (that requires its own blog), the "emphasizing math and science" can be viewed as a glimmer of opportunity, I suppose.

In the words of EdWeek, the administration would "permit states to expand the subjects tested beyond reading and mathematics." While the "tested" part is to me problematic (that requires its own blog), the "expand the subjects" in combination with the alleged shift away from using grade level proficiency as the benchmark of school performance can be viewed as a glimmer opportunity, I suppose, too.

I'm hoping we can handwrite some of the kind of learning we're talking in the margins of that blueprint. We'll know more tomorrow...

 

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