Now You're Thinking

Growing up my Dad would always challenge me to come up with the answers to the questions that I asked rather than just giving it to me the easy way. Kids ask their Fathers and Mothers questions because at the time we think they are the smartest people around. My Dad is the player you hate to play against in Trivia Pursuit. He is a Jeopardy Snob, no one can answer any of the questions because he doesn't let Alex finish the answer.

When my father and I would go on short or long trips together, I would inevitably ask him questions, I was a curios and nosy child, rather than give me a one word response he would lead me to the answer by challenging me with another question. At the time, I figured he was just giving me a hard time or teasing me. Inevitably what should have been a two minute conversation in the car always wound up taking 10 or 15. Like clockwork when I did come up with the right answer he would always use the line "Now You're Thinking." I think this was from one of his favorite T.V. shows at the time, but right now I can't remember which one. (I would love to learn which show this comes from so I can reference the show in a more appropriate way.)

What I've come to realize is that my Dad has helped me become a problem solver, he has forced me to be a critical thinker so that I can challenge the status qua of what ever career I chose. For 12 years now I have found myself challenging the status qua of an Elementary Title One School, and cutting my hair more often to hide my Grey. Thanks Pop!

I think about my son Nicholas and how quickly he can get information. Google, Wikipedia, Cha Cha etc. etc. What did we do B.G. (Before Google) and who did we ask before Jeeves came along? There is even a new service you can call on your cell phone that you can ask a question and the response will be sent to you via text message in minutes (Cha Cha). All of this is great, and a great resource to our students as learners, but what about problem solving and critical thinking. Are we crippling our minds by the instant access we have to all types of information?

This is why I love our new math program. As I walk from room to room during your math block I feel like I'm in a disco lounge with strobe lights. I see the light bulbs of your students brains going off at such a rapid pace I feel like. I feel as if I need to go get my disco shoes, butterfly collar and gold chains. We are starting to make them critical thinkers, problem solvers, connoisseurs of questions and I love it. Our students need these skills so they can take their technology skills to new heights. If we continue to provide them with the structure of a program that challenges them to think critically and find more than one way to solve a problem, we will undoubtedly experience higher growth results than we have ever seen before.

Why is this important? We are training our students for jobs, that don't even exist. Check out this video which is also on our moodle site right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q75KhAeqJg


Stayin Alive!

Mike