Eleanor Duckworth's Analysis

Jean Piaget has been mentioned posthumously by Eleanor Duckworth in the first chapter of her “The Having of Wonderful Ideas” hence, I see it befitting to add a few words of his in my opening. Jean Piaget once said that “The teacher-organizer should know not only his own science but also be well versed in the details of the development of the child’s or adolescent’s mind” (Mooney, 2013, p. 77).

I for one agree wholeheartedly that learning, development and experience is lifelong, and it is indeed the “The Having of Wonderful Ideas” that fosters and facilitates this. As Duckworth
(2006) passionately stated “we want schools in which students come to feel the power of their own minds and their creative capacities” (p. xi), and it
is with this in mind that I find her essays invigorating both as a former after school teacher and a present student. The first quote that resonated with my ideas about learning was that “the having of wonderful ideas is what I consider the essence of intellectual development” (Duckworth, 2006, p. 1). It is fascinating to watch children in motion, whether in class or at play; they have their own ideas about how things work and of course their explanation. At first, it may not seem logical to an adult, but after ‘careful’ explanation as it so often leaves us adults at a loss for words of just what a child is capable of thinking – the having of their own wonderful ideas. This to most of us is an “awe” moment. We all have ideas, what makes our ideas great is how well they translate practically and or visually. I am a visual learner and so I excel tremendously in practical subject areas. I have the innate ability to reason and apply myself to different situation. With that said, I do better in Math as oppose to English. Intellectually new and original ideas set us apart from others.

As Piaget posited, learning is neither intrinsic nor extrinsic, but of the child’s interaction with his environment that creates learning and wonderful ideas. They give meaning to the people, places, and things in their world. Seeing my four-year old God child creating images from his building blocks, or sticking leaves on a stick to resemble a tree is a constant reminder that children learn at their own pace, and when they are given the opportunity to express themselves openly, they explain and conjure their own ideas of how things should be. Hearing their explanation makes me really wonder the limit of their intellectual capacity. Piaget believed that children learn only when their curiosity is not fully satisfied. Therefore, it reasons that curiosity leads to exploration and the intellectual development of having wonderful ideas.

Being in the classroom was an experience that taught me a lot about myself as an after school teacher.
It was profound how the students had helped me to see that I needed them just as much as they needed me, which leads me to my second quote: “it is just as necessary for teachers as for children to feel confidence in their own ideas” (Duckworth, 2006, p. 8). It is not enough to just have an idea, but also to be confident that your idea is worthwhile. It is this confidence that will fuel the energy needed to turn that idea into a reality and further foster the teaching-learning environment. Duckworth stated that this is important for them as people and for them to feel free to acknowledge the children’s idea. In fact, “teachers themselves must learn in the way that the children in their classes will be learning” (Duckworth, 2006, p. 9). Mooney (2012), supports this belief and stated that in order to build such confidence it “requires changing the image of teacher into someone who nurtures inquiry and supports the child’s own search for answers” (p. 80) as opposed to the notion that a teacher is someone who merely shares information. Acknowledging children’s ideas help to encourage self - confidence and class participation. It makes children feel like their contributions and ideas are valued. This forces children to constantly think and search for new ideas in problem solving situations. I remember as a child in school I was very good artistically. My art teacher would
constantly put down my designs by dismissing my ideas before they came to fruition. As a child I felt that I was not good enough for this subject area. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong and so I gave up. It wasn’t until I was given the opportunity to teach that I realized that most teachers judge children based on their personal ability and experience rather than the child’s developing ability. Therefore, this ability goes un-nurtured and undeveloped. Learning goes both ways from teachers to students and from students to teachers. As a teacher, I understand that no two students think alike and therefore special consideration should be given to each child in the development of their ideas.

My third quote comes from page fourteen, and of which I am inclined to agree to great extent that “intelligence cannot develop without matter to think about” (Duckworth, 2006, p.
14). There must be an ‘ahh?’ before there can be an ‘ohh! – eureka!’ moment is my reasoning. As Duckworth puts it quite aptly that “making new connections depends on knowing enough about something in the first place to provide a basis for thinking of other things to do…The more ideas about something people already have at their disposal, the more new ideas occur and the more they can coordinate to build still more complicated schemes” (Duckworth, 2006, p. 14). Personally, I can relate to this quote because most of our lives are dependent on what came before. We tend to come up with new ideas based on the platform of previous or similar ideas and or events. Everything around us is derived from a continuation of trends. I once had the opportunity to take a communication design course and was impressed by the process of how designers came up with new ideas. At the start of any new design, the designer would start by researching similar products or company to see their approach to solving design problem. After gathering the information, they begin to sketch and create comps of their own ideas. Similar designs are referenced to maintain a sense of realism. This eventually translates into something new and more powerful than those ideas before. This leads me to believe that ideas are continuous in
perception. Everything now from fashion, education to technology is derivative as opposed to be an original concept.

Piaget, Duckworth’s mentor, believed that children form ideas from their direct experiences in life, that is, the matter that is given to them to think about. As an after school teacher and learner, I am cognizant that when planning a lesson the children’s previous knowledge is taken into consideration, and which often forms the basis from which that lesson will commence. Duckworth has given me food for thought and I will definitely continue to explore and see what will result from “the having of wonderful ideas.”