Diffraction of Light Rather than Refraction: Why Change is Better (Part 2)

Reflection, abrupt change in the direction of a wave that strikes the boundary between different mediums. Refraction is the change in direction of waves that occurs when waves travel from one medium to another. Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles and openings. -Webster's Dictionary

Waves of Ingenuity

To me students are waves. Waves of ingenuity. Waves of energy and persistence. Waves of determination and eagerness. They have a deep seeded desire, to learn and grow and they are both flexible and ductile. They peak and trough, expand their minds and slow their thoughts. Their perspectives change, their ideas bend and alter direction. Most importantly, they gather momentum and influence those around them. They can brighten any room. To me they are light waves, reflecting, refracting and diffracting between, around, and off of, every surface around them. They are the energy in the room. The impetus of progress. They simply need a smooth, conducive, surface from which, to bounce off of. The continuous, even, stable guidance of both parent and teacher.

Light behaves as a wave - it undergoes reflection, refraction, and diffraction just like any wave would. Water is a reflective surface. It generates life, it is the information that is shared between individuals and debated, agreed upon and dismissed. When the water in a lake or sea is very still, the reflection of the landscape is perfect, because the reflecting surface is very flat. A calmness comes from this certainty and clarity. This allows students to absorb new knowledge and form their own opinions. However, it is temporary. Students must be prepared to ride the upsurge and lean in to the tide of new information.

Ripples to the Smooth

If there are ripples or waves in the water, the reflection becomes distorted. This is because the reflecting surface is no longer flat and may have humps and troughs, caused by the wind. This wind, whether an opposing view or simply false information, causes a disruption in thinking. A halt in comprehension. All waves are known to undergo reflection or the bouncing off of an obstacle. It is our job, as educators and parents, to be ready with a flotation device, with the life vest, that will keep their head above water. Disruption can be a very good thing. It challenges our way of thinking, it presents alternative points of view. But, it can be detrimental if children do not have the skills to decipher fact from fiction.

By giving students opportunities to debate with vigor, argue using research and to challenge the status quo, we are preparing them for the real world. Let them have their own vision, their own conceptual framework. We do this by not teaching from a textbook but presenting options and alternative routes, to reach similar conclusions. In science there is an answer for many things, but the interpretation of the details and evidence makes all the difference. New theories and scientific research does not emerge from interpreting the solution, but from investigation of the hypothesis. Recognizing that if we change one variable, we can get a completely different outcome. This is strategy number one, let students manipulate the details, read various testimony and corroborate their own findings. This makes learning personal and pliant, like a light wave. Extensible and persistent.

Letting The Wave Bend

We can’t control every aspect of our children's lives. As a teacher or a parent, it is ignorant to believe otherwise. However, through open-dialogue at home and in the classroom, we can help steer the wave in the right direction. We can place mirrors and reflective surfaces to help the circulation of information stay productive, relevant and safe. We must not remove their freedom to explore and debunk. Discover and perceive. Be pioneers in their own schema of learning. We must let them determine the variables and the process, on their own and then choose how to tackle it.

I believe that real 21st-century learning means preparing students for a world that we can’t even imagine yet. I can’t even imagine yet. There will be jobs for them, not even realized as necessary, at this time. We won’t be with them when they face that world, so the most important 21st-century skill we can teach our students, is how to think for themselves. In the next post, posting tomorrow, I will discuss these five strategies I use to help my students be independent learners.

1.    Let students know that you don’t have all the answers.

2.    Question everything and encourage them to do the same.

3.    Force students to make their own choices.

4.    Avoid content specific tests, especially multiple-choice, whenever possible.

5.    Push students to try new things.