Integrating Technology & Genius Hour: My Journey as a Teacher & Learner
Find me on
  • My Blog
  • About Me
  • Genius Hour
  • My Other Websites

what is the purpose of school?

7/15/2015

1 Comment

 
A little while ago by friend Oliver Schiinkten sent me a tweet asking: 
Picture
I responded with a quick tweet back:
Picture
And I said that I would probably have to write a blog post to actually explain what I really think. In the mean time, my fantastic friends (and super fast bloggers) Denise Krebs and Joy Kirr responded with their ideas here and here. So now it is finally time for me to sit down and properly reflect on my answer to this question:

What is the purpose of school?

I think school has many purposes--a place for us to learn new things, a place for us to practice new methods of learning, a place for us to ask questions and share our thoughts. A place to play and socialize with others. A place to become more literate, develop a strong number sense and get elbow deep in paint and paper mache once in a while as we test out new ways to express ourselves. A place to be creative thinkers.  School has so many purposes. It is really a complicated thing--because it isn't completely clear and it isn't just one or two things. We get SO much out of school.  

But if I had to zoom in on one aspect that I think is of KEY importance it would be: thinking.

School is where we learn:
how to think. 
how we think. 
how others think. 
what ways of thinking work best for us. 
how to share our thinking.
and what we like to think about. 

It is about learning and learning is about thinking. And there are so many fantastic ways to do this. And the better we plan for opportunities for our students to think & learn the more engaged they will be and the more they will love learning and thinking. And that is really what I want out of all of this whole school thing for them: for them to continue wanting to learn. wanting to think. being curious. AND being life-long learners who LOVE this. 

That is what I think today anyway. What do you think?

1 Comment
Joy Kirr link
7/19/2015 11:46:11 am

Gallit - I LOVE it. Thinking goes right along with communicating! ;) One part of your blog post had me sick, however... Ready for this? --> Paper mache. No thank you. Not since covering a balloon in the stuff in 1st grade and then thrown up have I ever touched the stuff again. As I remember back I'm THINKING I have some tactile issues... Thanks for sharing your thoughts! This was a great question Oliver posed!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    My name is Gallit Zvi and I am an Elementary School Teacher and Vice Principal in Surrey, BC. I am also a blogger and co-author of The Genius Hour Guidebook.
    Click to continue...

    Picture
    Tweet
    what is genius hour?
    My Genius hour posts
    geniushourguide.org
    geniushour.ca
    Picture
    Tweets by @gallit_z
    Gallit on Pinterest

    Archives

    April 2020
    January 2019
    July 2018
    October 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Categories

    All
    Appsmashing
    Assessment
    Blogging
    Byod
    Capp
    Collaboration
    Community
    Cooperation
    Creativity
    Critical Friends
    Cross-curricular Connections
    Differentiation
    Digital Literacy
    Digital Storytelling
    Eportfolios
    #ETMOOC
    Field Study
    Genius Hour
    Hac
    Imovie
    Inquiry
    IPads
    Iste
    Media Literacy
    Mr. Rogers
    Museum Box
    Picture Books
    Place Based Learning
    Powerpoint
    Prezi
    Reflection
    Stations
    Teaching
    Technology
    The Genius Hour Guidebook
    Twitter
    Web 2.0
    Web 2.0
    Wifi
    Youtube

    RSS Feed

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.