Now that back-to-school is over and done, and everyone’s back into the school year routine, I’ve been reflecting on what happens outside school. When I was a child, summer meant the chance to engage in things outside the school environment, especially natural environments, and to follow my curiosity. I wonder how many kids are sitting in a room reminiscing about everything they learned, and how we might bring that passion into the classroom.
Have you managed to help bridge a child’s curiosity that may have ignited somewhere else (at home, online, or wherever) and the kind of traditional learning that curriculum designers envision? What worked (or didn’t), and why?