Quest for Questions

The act of asking questions and solving problems is good for the brain. Questions wire our brains better and we literally become smarter when we do things that challenge our brains.

Unfortunately, most schools have it backward. They give all the answers first and then they ask the questions. This cheats the student out of a genuine learning experience. The students are quickly bored and the information is soon forgotten.

A good workout for the brain includes the student asking lots of questions first, then finding the answers. Not only is brain power increased, but the process is more enjoyable and the material is remembered for longer.

Let's compare a learner to an athlete. What athlete would be satisfied with a workout for his fingers only? None. They wouldn't feel satisfaction in the work, and their body would not get the exercise it craves. The process would be futile and soon the athlete would lose muscle tone. He would probably even lose interest in the sport. There is no satisfaction and no reason to continue.

The same goes for learning. If the learning process is only superficial, it is unsatisfactory to the learner and the student soon loses interest. Learning becomes burdensome and school is merely tolerated.

It is by allowing the students to be curious, to ask questions and then to find the answers themselves that they will be properly challenged, their brains satisfied, and their interest increased. This way, not only do they learn some great stuff, but they are also maximizing their brain power. This gives the students ownership in the learning and they turn into students who love to learn. They become amazing students and will even choose to work hard on a project just because they want to.

Additionally, the learner enjoys the process and is more likely to want to repeat the experience. The student then knows how to learn on their own, they love to learn, and are likely to become lifelong learners.

To develop a smarter learning brain, the questions are more important than the answers.

Let's make sure that our children have the opportunity to ask questions and let's help them find the answers until they are satisfied. That is, until the next set of questions are asked...!

-Heather Martinson