Quality Time continued

I've been pondering yesterday's post, and asking myself what it was about the field trip that made it such a powerful learning experience. In the middle of my pondering I heard this quote by an unknown author, "Education is moving from an unconscious to a conscious awareness of ignorance."

That's it. The students and I were put in a position where we became conscious of our ignorance. That can be a scary place, but the teacher had supports in place so that Fear didn't overtake any of us. I didn't know how to work the GPS device, but I did know how to paddle the canoe and keep us safe from capsizing. They knew enough about the JUNO to know what to ask, and a high school student was available to coach them through the process.

So here's what made it a good learning experience:

A challenge just beyond our reach
Enough background knowledge to know that the task was doable
Supports in place when we needed them
And at the end of the day,
a sense of accomplishment,
and a desire to learn more.

Would love to hear about quality times you are having with your students!