Children Create Collections to Build Knowledge and Ideas
Children’s collections are their way of building knowledge. Sometimes those are things like pine cones and sometimes they are answers to their questions about specific topics. As children get older they begin to narrow what they are curious about. That narrowing of curiosity is essential to their ability to build ideas, says developmental psychologist Susan Engel, Ph.D.
More Videos Featuring Susan Engel, Ph.D.
Susan Engel, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Psychology & Director of the Program in Teaching at Williams College. She is also the author of the Intellectual Lives of Children (2021) and The End of the Rainbow (2016), among other books. She joined us at a Seedlings Facilitator gathering to share with us the many possibilities for engaging students in cultivating their natural inclinations for inquiry, invention and ideas.
Cultivate Student Curiosity and Ingenuity In Small Ways Everyday
Curiosity and Invention come together to form ideas. How can we, in small ways, encourage both curiosity and invention in our classrooms? Author and educational psychologist Susan Engel, Ph.D., talks about creating space for conversation and questions in every day learning.
Creating Spaces for Ideas to Blossom in the Classroom
Ideas take time to develop, but everyone, including young people, has ideas–they just need the knowledge, space and encouragement to share them and put them into action. Schools can be essential settings for children to learn how to have ideas and grow them.
The Three I’s: Inquiry, Invention and Ideas for Improved Learning Experiences
Educational psychologist and author Susan Engel, Ph.D., shares her vision for schools: replace the three R’s with the three I’s. Inquiry, invention, and ideas are at the root of developing inquisitive, reflective and engaged life-long learners–and making school more fun for students and teachers alike.
Modeling Questions Shows Children How to Use their Curiosity to Explore and Learn
Developmental psychologist and author Susan Engel, Ph.D., talks about the role of adults in modeling curiosity and question asking.
Asking Questions is a Powerful Tool for Building Knowledge
Early on, children begin to develop epistemic curiosity–the desire to know how and why. By age two, most children’s inquiry gains a powerful tool: the ability to talk, and therefore ask questions. In schools, we need to encourage inquiry to continue building a love of learning and intellectual curiosity. Child development expert Susan Engel, Ph.D., tells us why and how.
Encouraging Curiosity in the Classroom: Small Changes for Big Impact
There is no one answer or method to teaching our students, says educational psychologist Susan Engel, Ph.D. There are small, transferable techniques that any teacher can bring into their classroom to encourage curiosity.
