Curiosity, a tool for learning

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Curiosity a condition for learning?
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The greatest invention in the world is the mind
of a child Thomas Edison
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and every mind is born with the instinct of
Curiosity
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We all come into the world curious
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Curiosity is a natural inquisitive behaviour that
engenders exploration, investigation and learning
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Curiosity is waking up in the morning and wanting
to know more about everything
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Curiosity creates mindful action
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It is where innovation and new ideas emerge
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Curiosity is the driving force behind lifelong
learning
Curiosity is the driving force behind lifelong
learning
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• Curiosity shapes our ABILITIES,
• and our IDENTITIES

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• If you tell me that curiosity killed the cat

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I would say CURIOSITY was framed!
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..because curiosity creates learning
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Curiosity builds upon curiosity, allowing our
minds to open up
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Our students are curious about EVERYTHING
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They have an unrestricted desire to
understand Robert Henman 2009
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Apple.
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...a design company masquerading as a
tech company?
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Steve Jobs- He became so successful because he
was so curious
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...the over-arching secret to his success was his
voracious curiosity
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Throughout human history CURIOSITY has continued
to define great learners
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I have no special talent. I am only passionately
curious Albert Einstein
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• However, curiosity seldom survives into
  adulthood
• Sam Keen Apology for Wonder 1973

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At five years of age 98 of all children have no
problem thinking divergently
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Not surprising really under threes, on
average, ask their parents about 100 questions a
day, every day!
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• By ten to eleven years of age theyve
  pretty much stopped asking

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Sadly, by the age of twenty five
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only 2 can think outside the box
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The CREATIVE ADULT is the CURIOUS CHILD who
survived
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Curiosity is a desire that QUESTIONS for
knowledge
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They say you can judge a man by his questions
rather than his answers Voltaire
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The cutting edge of knowledge is not in the
knowing, it is in the questioning Ralph Thompson
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The important thing is not to stop questioning
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They dont stop asking questions because they
lose interest
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Its the other way around!
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• They lose interest because they stop asking
  questions

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Who has ownership of learning in your classroom?
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As educators we have a direct impact on student
performance
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To what extent do we offer INTENTIONAL
PERSUASIONS NOT TO BE CURIOUS? Robert Henman
2009
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Are we guilty of unintentional neglect?
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Too often missing the opportunity to cultivate
the individuals quest in favour of curriculum
delivery
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More often we need to adopt thinking around
individual learners and active listening
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You are all highly valued knowledge
professionals, you can create incredible learning
for others
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• As young children, we are wonderfully
  curious about many, many things

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• As we grow up, we start believing the answers
  are more important than the questions

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If we want to improve the quality of our
thinking we must learn to improve the quality of
our questions

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Classroom strategy
Hands up... ...only if you have a question to ask

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To be what we can be as educators our primary
role must be to ...
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... maintain, to nourish, and to celebrate each
learners curiosity and sense of wonder
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• Every day we need to let our students know that
  their questions are not only valued, but have an
  important place in our learning environments

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Answers dont change the world QUESTIONS DO
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• Are you driven by the unrestricted desire to
  understand
• because our students are!

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• And when you instill curiosity in our students,
  you further encourage their desire to learn

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• maintaining a genuine attitude of exploration
  and deep interest in everything, ways of thinking
  and being

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CURIOSITY FREE-WHEELING INTELLIGENCE Alistair
Cooke
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A CURIOUS MIND is a GROWING MIND
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• OUR CHALLENGE
• To maintain and further cultivate CURIOSITY

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Thanks for Listening