Friday, November 16, 2012

Wonder

Wonder is an amazing trait and it seems to be following me around recently. I’ve heard so many whispers regarding wonder that I just needed to write about it. It started out last month when I shared three of my favorite books with our 7th graders - I did my own Book Talks. One book I shared is an inspiring book called Wonder by R.J. Palacio. If you need an uplifting, touching book to read over the many coming holidays - I would highly recommend this one. It might just change your life.

At home, my youngest son must be going through some sort of developmental phase right now, because his wondering self is back - I haven’t seen him since he was three or so (he’s almost 10). Right now it is question after question. Thankfully they’re deeper than when he was three, but he is curious about EVERYTHING!

To help me out with scratching his wondering itch, I came across an AMAZING website this week called Wonderopolis. “It’s a place where wonder and learning are nurtured through the power of discovery, creativity and imagination.” From avalanches to  helicopters, they do a great job of providing succinct explanations, awesome visuals and videos, key vocabulary, and create connections for you that you may not otherwise think of. You can even nominate your own wonder. This is one of the best sites for creative learning that I have seen in ages. I wonder if junior high kids would like an elective class to explore their own wonders? Hmm...

Here’s to keeping wonder alive!

by Sandra McGonagle, Blach Principal

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