In today’s world it is no longer enough to simply know information, you need to know how to use that information and be able to constantly build on your own skill set. It takes PQ (passion quotient) and CQ (curiosity quotient) to be successful now and into the future (Friedman, 2013). The infographic below shows how I build student’s PQ and CQ in my classroom and the role my own PQ and CQ plays.
I think this idea of growing PQ and CQ is especially important in the world of education. As educators, we must first bring our passion into the classroom. It is our passion that can get students interested, and make them excited to learn about a new topic. Thinking about my own passions, my biggest is to help students become interested in the sciences- helping them to increase their own PQ. Since I teach such a small snippet of the world of science (introductory chemistry and physics), I try to bring in other sciences throughout the year and connect them to what we are learning. Those students who are passionate about those topics get that time to ask questions and delve deeper into the topic, by connecting it back to what we are learning.
In my class this year we also introduced Hour of Code as well as the Makey Makey to show students that there is more to the sciences than just what we learn in my classroom. The use of these technologies opened up a new world for many of my students. They became curious, increasing their own CQ, from exploring these technologies for themselves. They were able to problem solve on their own and truly innovate.
It is not enough though for me to simply be passionate, I must also increase my own CQ. It is through my own curiosities that I can continue to grow as an educator. Currently, one of my areas of curiosity lies in project-based learning (PBL). I have implemented a few problem based lessons this year and am planning for professional development in the summer and upcoming year to learn more about how to effectively use PBL. My goal is to help students discover passions they may not have known about through solving real-world problems. More than that though, I hope to spark curiosity in students through activities that push their thinking.
As educators, it is our PQ and CQ that helps students to grow their own PQ and CQ. Our passion captures the attention of students and ignites their curiosities. Our own curiosities allow us to develop the skills needed to help students turn their curiosity into passion. At the end of the day, that is what teaching and learning is all about.
References
Friedman, T. L. (2013, January 29). It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html?_r=0
In my class this year we also introduced Hour of Code as well as the Makey Makey to show students that there is more to the sciences than just what we learn in my classroom. The use of these technologies opened up a new world for many of my students. They became curious, increasing their own CQ, from exploring these technologies for themselves. They were able to problem solve on their own and truly innovate.
It is not enough though for me to simply be passionate, I must also increase my own CQ. It is through my own curiosities that I can continue to grow as an educator. Currently, one of my areas of curiosity lies in project-based learning (PBL). I have implemented a few problem based lessons this year and am planning for professional development in the summer and upcoming year to learn more about how to effectively use PBL. My goal is to help students discover passions they may not have known about through solving real-world problems. More than that though, I hope to spark curiosity in students through activities that push their thinking.
As educators, it is our PQ and CQ that helps students to grow their own PQ and CQ. Our passion captures the attention of students and ignites their curiosities. Our own curiosities allow us to develop the skills needed to help students turn their curiosity into passion. At the end of the day, that is what teaching and learning is all about.
References
Friedman, T. L. (2013, January 29). It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html?_r=0