Empowering Curiosity

Learning Emerges from Curiosity

Davidson explains that her father learned through asking questions about what songs to sing during ceremony, asking for help, and through the process of asking, he gained the know-how to seek his own answers (Davidson, 2018, p. 69). Curiosity supports extending critical thinking to apply knowledge in different contexts. Engaging learners to explore “why” and “how” deepens curiosity-driven discovery. They are not just memorizing facts; they are engaging in a process of discovery that links new information to their existing knowledge and experiences.

“As educators we often feel pressure to have all the answers. As a result, we may guide our students to ask questions that align with our knowledge. But we do not need to have all the answers. We can model curiosity for our students. We can seek answers to our own questions and teach students how to be comfortable with their curiosity and to find answers for themselves. Sometimes, the answers will not be known" (Davidson, p. 70, 2018).

Curiosity is engaged, and learners are able to “explore their interests and passions as they come to know how those interests connect to the wider community and their desire to contribute to that community. A cultural and personal grounding within both the educational institution and the community instills a sense of connection and belonging to both” (LaFever, 2016, p. 414). Learners are able to engage in content that expands their minds and ways of thinking, building their curiosity to learn more and adding to the ability to see themselves within the roles they are practicing for.

Learning Honours the Power of the Mind

Davidson speaks about a reinforced commitment to a visualized outcome, and honouring one’s mind the guide them (Davidson, 2018, p. 72). Reflecting on ideas in depth and creating connections fosters cognitive empowerment. Learners are able to visualize themselves succeeding within the work they are doing, engaging in goal setting, motivation to learn, and seeing their contributions to the larger picture.

“In schools, we must reinforce and encourage students’ strengths so that they too can use the power of their mind to successfully achieve what they set out to do. They must be able to see themselves as successful so they can accomplish these outcomes for themselves. As educators, we also need to support our students to strengthen their minds against adversity and continue to visualize a positive outcome for themselves” (Davidson, 2018, p. 72).

It involves understanding how deep reflection on ideas can enhance cognitive abilities leading to visualizing themselves in the work they are doing: “Visualization is a strong theme in this section of the book. Being able to have the mind lead the body towards a goal, or onwards on a journey relies on being able to see the end goal” (Nichols, n.d.). Bell builds on this concept: “Learning begins with vision – of self, of goals, of the whole, of the direction a task is to go in. It is a process that goes through the stages of ‘seeing’ (vision), ‘relating’ to what it is, ‘figuring it out’ with heart and mind, and ‘acting’ on findings in some way (behavior)” (Bell, p. 93, 2013).

Elaboration is the notion of adding new learning to existing knowledge or learning on a deeper level. We want our learners to not only grasp the concepts we teach, but to be able to master the content and expand on that learning to new settings. By asking learners to add features to existing memory, we can begin the process of helping develop critical thinking skills, where they begin to question what they are studying. To help foster this development, learners are asked ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about the content – which they must answer. In doing so, learners gain a stronger understanding of the content but also work to build greater connections with the material, which can inspire curiosity. As they explore answering these questions, they build up their learning and long-term memory.

To learn about elaboration in video form, see the following:

Leanne Simpson defines Respect as:

“Respect means to re-spect, to look again. Having the courage to stop and look again creates awareness, which is the first step toward change. Anishinaabe peoples understand respect as a reverence for the diversity of life and peoples, for different ways of knowing, and for different ways of being in the world. Anishinaabe families model and mirror respectful interactions with the land and its gifts so their children will learn to hold the natural world in high esteem and recognize the responsibilities they carry as part of creation” (Simpson in Bell, 2013, p. 97).

The concept “to look again” is a trauma-informed approach to understanding a personal experience. Creating a respectful learning environment can enhance student engagement by deepening their curiosity to ask questions and empowering them to visualize their success. When respect is cultivated, learners feel safer asking how and why questions, exploring the underlying principles, and setting personal goals and visions, thereby connecting more profoundly with their discoveries. Respect is also fostered between learners to approach learning with an open mind and respect for new knowledge and other’s experiences.

“I am suggesting that organizations need to be constructed where minority students' lives are celebrated and affirmed throughout the culture of the institution. The point is not simply to have a Native American Studies Center or a course or two devoted to Native peoples. Minority students need institutions that create the conditions where the students not only celebrate their own histories but also are helped to examine critically how their lives are shaped and molded by society's forces. Such a theoretical suggestion has implications for virtually all areas of the organization -- from how we organize student affairs, to the manner in which we construct knowledge, from the role of assessment, to the role of the college president (Tierney in Kirkness, p. 15, 2001).

Continuing to the next level of Bloom’s Taxonomy – learners will begin to apply their knowledge. We cannot apply without understanding, as application asks learners to consider their knowledge, and use it in new contexts (Bloom et al., 1956 & Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001). At this level, learners further involve themselves in the curriculum and take ownership of their own learning, answering the how and why questions. Here, we also ask instructors to encourage this involvement by creating opportunities for learners to show these applications through active learning strategies.