Whether we are talking about personal devices, gamification,
favourite books, or hobbies, why are students so hesitant to use their personal
passions in the classroom setting? It
seems that there is a great divide between “school” and “personal” lives and
students are often the ones patrolling the border. More and more teachers understand the need
for relevant, meaningful, authentic tasks to engage learners. They are increasingly fluid in offering
choice, differentiation, and personalization even in traditional learning
environments. Many are starting to
incorporate “Passion-based Learning,” “Genius Hour,” or “20 Percent Learning”
into their instructional time, where students get to pursue a personal passion
and are given support, structure, and time to do so. Yet when offered such
opportunities, only a minority truly run with it. Some begrudgingly go through the motions (but
without real buy-in), some resent the intrusion on their personal domain and
resist, and others shrug it off and wait for the teacher to assign them
something to do next.
There is a perception that most students have personal
passions that schools do not integrate.
Do these students dive into personal learning – LEGO, basketball, rocks,
dance, skiing, camping, anime, trucks, hockey, horses, space, etc.? If they are lucky, their families can foster
their interests in the home environment.
Elementary and secondary classrooms give many free choices in reading
selections, journal ideas, and project topics. Yet looking around at my
elementary-aged children, their friends, and cousins, the majority of young
people skim the surface of their varied interests. There is so much out there
to learn. There is great value in students
having a broad base of knowledge and skills.
And there is constant temptation to emulate the passions of peers. And it is so natural to become bored and lose
interest. The learning for most does not go very deep.
The reality is that most students need to learn how to
sustain and develop a passion. They need
to see depth modeled (by peers, by community members, by teachers, by public
figures):
- I want to learn about/how to ______________.
- How do I learn best?
- Why do I want to learn it?
- What are my options?
- How much time will it take?
- What sacrifices am I willing to make?
- Who can I talk to ?
- Where can I turn?
- What is the history of _______________?
- Who else is learning _______________?
- How can I use _______________ to make a difference?
- … and so on.
Ultimately, if we want young people to know how to learn, we
need to place greater value on metacognitive skills. We need to give students the language and a
voice in the learning process (“this is hard, and I want to give up, but I will
persist,” “this is a personal, and I am not ready to share it,” “I need more
practice,” “I am ready to learn something new,”
“this is necessary even if tedious”). The most important lesson we can
teach to all of our students is to recognize and name their learning and to guide students to become self-aware, honest, and deliberate as learners
and as people.
