Why publishing matters...even if you get it "wrong."As we were researching the leaf insect we saw on Day 11, we came across an amazing quote from Antonio Pigafetta in his article "The First Voyage Round the World, by Magellan" about Magellan's trip from 1519- 1522 across the globe and his an encounter with a leaf insect on an island.
It seems absurd to us today, but that's because we know more about the "animated leaf" now. I can imagine scientists reading Antonio's account of a "walking leaf" and deciding to verify the claim for themselves! Eventually, more observations of the peculiar leaves would have led to the discovery that they weren't leaves at all. They were insects mimicking a leaves! Watching children grow and develop their understanding of the world is a lot like witnessing the scientific process in miniature again and again. Each failed life test or misconception can broaden a child's understanding of the world. Over time, a child's understanding of events and phenomena gains accuracy because they are blending their own prior knowledge with new information.
Publishing is powerful because it allows us to share hard-found information so that others don't have to start from scratch, they can continue to build on what is already known. From the technology we use to the worlds we can explore, we owe our advances not only to our own efforts, but to all those who came before us. Clearly, all those who came before did not have it all figured out, but the fact that they shared what they did know helped advance the knowledge base. We encourage you to support your children in sharing their knowledge too. It may not be perfect, but that's OK! They're helping build greater understanding for themselves AND others!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Meet Beth and Curtis!Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop fanatic, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! Beth is fascinated by engineering challenges, technology, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world! Archives
May 2021
Categories
All
|