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Dec. 24, 2004 New Year's Wish List for Children around the World Hillel Weintraub, Future University - Hakodate

A few weeks ago I was asked by a local kindergarten to play Santa at their Christmas party. I put on a Santa Costume over 3 zabuton (Japanese pillows) strapped to my stomach, and gave out many presents to the 3-5 year old children and their older siblings who also joined the party. I thought that it might be good to put in a word about how lucky children were in Japan because they don't need to worry about many things that other children in many countries have to worry about: for example, having enough food, having a place to sleep, having a peaceful life, receiving good health care and education. The important thing about Christmas is not getting for ourselves, but giving to others. Let's not forget to share something, I asked them. Thinking about this point, of course our priority is for good health and peace for all children in the world, but this is not a problem for the majority of children in Japan so I'd like to focus a bit today on another wish I have for Japanese children relating to education. So much of what children are given in schools is "baby food" that seems to have been pre-chewed by their teachers. The usual situation in classrooms is that questions are asked to which the answer is already known, and the method for solving has already been given. There's little mystery or engagement in finding an answer to an interesting problem. There is a lot of engagement in speed and perfection, but little relating to thinking and creativity. I'd like to propose something called "Engaging Confusion" for the classrooms of the future. In this Engaging Confusion, teachers and students will work together to solve interesting problems by a variety of ways. No answers will be seen as stupid or worthless, but will show the thinking style of the students and will be treated with respect and shared with others. Teachers will have responsibility for creating environments with challenging questions and space for sharing a variety of answers, rather than trying to pre-chew all possible problems to the point that one method is given to students to memorize and practice. I'm presently working at the college level. Most of my students come to my class with very little experience in solving problems or giving value to finding answers on their own or knowing how to do basic research to discover unknown things. It's my hope that children will start to experience these things from elementary school on! Best wishes for a healthy and challenging and peaceful 2005! Let's Talk!

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