Writing to Learn: An Agent for Exploration and Discovery

As I shared in my last post, I had a crisis of conscience when I returned to the classroom in terms of what I valued versus what I actually implemented. Examining my past practices, I discovered that I honored product over process. However, philosophically I know and believe that the process of learning itself is a means of exploration and discovery.

What Does This Mean?

Exploration is when students are afforded the time to explore in order to create meaning for themselves. I am reminded of my daughter’s infancy and how she perpetually tried to make sense of her environment. As a parent, it meant stepping back and observing as she explored and played with a new rattle rather than showing her how it functioned.

Discovery occurs once the child understands, makes meaning, and is able to connect herself to the world around her. Discovery leads to application. For my daughter it was the discovery that shaking or banging the rattle created noise, and then (much to the chagrin of her parents), applying this knowledge to see if other objects did the same. Discovery is the “Aha!” or the moment when the connection is made and from this point we test and apply.

Shaking the Rattle

In my class I showed students how to shake the rattle. I was the one doing, talking, and thinking. Exploration and discovery were absent. I realized that I needed to step away from the center and move to the perimeter. I needed to provide my students time to think, rather than thinking for them.

Upon this realization, I came across Teaching with Your Mouth Shut by Donald Finkel. Finkel states that educators receive a reputation for being “tellers”. We tell the story providing the information we want our students to know and they rely on us for knowledge and answers. What we need to do is create a learning environment where students engage in purposeful discussions and use writing to explore their learning.

“The process of writing allows students to see what they think as they are thinking.”

Could writing be a tool for students to explore their thinking and discover new learning? In the past, I used writing to demonstrate knowledge or a writing skill. However, I believe we can all agree that the process of writing allows students to see what they think as they are thinking. I needed to do a better job at creating opportunities for my students to see that and to use their writing as a means to think, inquire, and reflect.

Writing to Learn

Writing to learn became the crux of my Teacher Workshop. I investigated using expressive writing (our inner speech) as a way for students to draft tentative ideas and wrestle with newly presented concepts. My hope is if I include more expressive writing to have students push their understanding and thinking, while still supporting the writing that goes along with the discipline (writing to demonstrate), then student writing will act as an agent for exploration and discovery.

Finkel, Donald L. Teaching with Your Mouth Shut. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 2000.