Questioning For Life

For years I have been listening to podcasts while I drive to work or do housework. A few years ago I thought it would be fun to try creating a podcast with a small group of friends, but our schedules never seemed to align. Now I have the opportunity to try my hand at creating a podcast.

Frequently I find that my passions and curiosities line up with each other in my classroom. The program I work in has allowed me to build lessons around my personal interests. In the last few years I started using board games (Risk, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, and 7 Wonders) to teach strategic thinking and problem solving. I built a role playing game lesson where students controlled a character in a campaign similar to a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. And with each student having access to an iPad has allowed me to record my lessons so that students can access them at any time. I have begun finding ways to incorporate my passions into my teaching, and it makes me wonder how I can better incorporate my students’ passions into their learning.

Berger, in his book A More Beautiful Question, explains how technology makes us aware of how little we know. And recognizing how little I know has driven me to ask more questions. My goal as a teacher is to ensure that my students learn as much as possible in the time that they are with me, but that looks different for every teacher. I have to figure out what that looks like for me personally. I think including my personal interests and questions into my teaching

I am not the only teacher interested in tying my interests, and those of my students, into the classroom. Websites like Breakout EDU provide a community of educators creating educational escape rooms and a set of resources to borrow and build from. After searching some I came across a doctoral students dissertation focused on role playing games in the classroom. Technology has given me access to other teachers interested in the same things I am.

Below you will find my first attempt at creating a podcast. This year I begin a new job, and I am wondering how I might be able to incorporate podcasts into my teaching.

 

Reference:

Berger, W. (2014). A More Beautiful Question: The Power Of Inquiry To Spark Breakthrough Ideas. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.