This webinar was online from 5-6pm. It was conducted by Monica Burns and Kids Discover.
Monica Burns begins the seminar by discussing a “wonder mindset” and how it is so important in the classroom. She emphasizes that students need to be curious and asking questions; one way to foster this within the classroom is by modeling a think aloud, or sharing wonderings that you have. She discusses how it is crucial to give students space to explore their curiosity and questions. Monica specifically mentions the idea of a “wonder wall”; this idea was great! I definitely want to use this in my classroom. It could be something as simple as a poster on the wall where kids can sticky note their questions and wonders or even something more complex like a digital wall where they can post and upload. This webinar also moves into discussing reading on a digital medium. As educators, we have to guide and teach our students how to navigate texts online; and how to find their reading pathways. We want to emphasize how to stay focused on their selected texts and topics. This ties into researching and being able to find authentic, credible texts online. With information so accessible online, it is important to educate children on how to find the texts they need without getting off topic or lost. When students are able to navigate digital texts, they will be able to fulfill their wonders and questions more easily.Monica talks about how it is important to prompt questions in order to push students to talk about what they have read. Posing questions can get students talking, inferring, questioning, and understanding. This is where the “wonder mindset” ties in. By posing questions, you are urging students to think and wonder about their text. It is important to ask questions that will lead to a student successfully achieving a learning goal. She discusses that questions should be centered around the idea of assessing a students success in learning the material. Teachers also need to pose questions that push students in different directions and lead them to explore varying pathways. Finally, the webinar ends with something that was really crucial and impactful: traditional curriculum is not designed to foster curiosity. Traditional learning is fixed, finite, and linear, and does not honor student’s curiosity effectively; digital curriculum is really impacting this because its enabling students to chart their own path and explore their own learning.
Monica Burns begins the seminar by discussing a “wonder mindset” and how it is so important in the classroom. She emphasizes that students need to be curious and asking questions; one way to foster this within the classroom is by modeling a think aloud, or sharing wonderings that you have. She discusses how it is crucial to give students space to explore their curiosity and questions. Monica specifically mentions the idea of a “wonder wall”; this idea was great! I definitely want to use this in my classroom. It could be something as simple as a poster on the wall where kids can sticky note their questions and wonders or even something more complex like a digital wall where they can post and upload. This webinar also moves into discussing reading on a digital medium. As educators, we have to guide and teach our students how to navigate texts online; and how to find their reading pathways. We want to emphasize how to stay focused on their selected texts and topics. This ties into researching and being able to find authentic, credible texts online. With information so accessible online, it is important to educate children on how to find the texts they need without getting off topic or lost. When students are able to navigate digital texts, they will be able to fulfill their wonders and questions more easily.Monica talks about how it is important to prompt questions in order to push students to talk about what they have read. Posing questions can get students talking, inferring, questioning, and understanding. This is where the “wonder mindset” ties in. By posing questions, you are urging students to think and wonder about their text. It is important to ask questions that will lead to a student successfully achieving a learning goal. She discusses that questions should be centered around the idea of assessing a students success in learning the material. Teachers also need to pose questions that push students in different directions and lead them to explore varying pathways. Finally, the webinar ends with something that was really crucial and impactful: traditional curriculum is not designed to foster curiosity. Traditional learning is fixed, finite, and linear, and does not honor student’s curiosity effectively; digital curriculum is really impacting this because its enabling students to chart their own path and explore their own learning.