Learning is INTERESTing

Learning can happen 24/7. Not 24÷7 which is approximately 3.42. Day 342 of a leap year is December 7th, a day that will live in infamy. Infamous is a word that is often misused, so is "penultimate" which sounds really great, but sadly means "next to last." Ford Motor Company used the "built to last" slogan and Built to Last is a book title from author James C. Collins who also wrote Good to Great. Great learning experiences occur in the classroom, but non-traditional learning situations have the potential for powerful connections. Serendipity awaits. Get outside. Get away.

I skipped a day of school in 6th grade. My Dad signed me out of class and took me to the ballpark. Baseball was a passion of mine at the time--24/7. But this outing was not fully about baseball. On the diamond the Chunichi Dragons, league champions from Nagoya, Japan, faced the Detroit Tigers in a Spring Training exhibition contest. The questions flowed. Why do the Japanese hitters lift their front foot so high before they swing? Why does Detroit play in Lakeland, Florida? Where is the Cactus League? Are we friends with Japan? How far? How many? Seventh-inning stretch topic tally: language, religion, international relations, Cooperstown, Tokyo, airline routes, "why do we call it the World Series" and more.

What do your students love? What motivates, inspires or captivates them? Ask. Use. Refine. Repeat.