Part 1: Citation
Berliner, Wendy. “‘Schools Are Killing Curiosity’: Why We Need to Stop Telling Children to Shut up and Learn.” The Guardian, 28 Jan. 2020. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jan/28/schools-killing-curiosity-learn.
Part 2: summary
In her piece “School Kills Curiosity,” Wendy Berliner makes the case that conventional educational methods frequently suppress kids’ innate curiosity by placing more emphasis on regimented curriculum, standardized testing, and controlled learning than on inquiry and discovery. Berliner emphasizes how young children are naturally curious and full of questions when they first start school, but the educational system eventually stifles their curiosity. She emphasizes how important it is to cultivate curiosity for cognitive growth, problem-solving skills, and lifetime learning. Berliner is a promoter of an approach to education that is more flexible, inquiry-based, and encourages students to be inquisitive, pose questions, and go further into issues. Berliner also makes the point that while schools typically place more emphasis on right answers and rote memorization than on encouraging curiosity, curiosity is a major factor in academic performance, creativity, and innovation. She cites studies that demonstrate how kids become less and less curious as they go through the education system, with many giving up on asking questions out of a fear of being incorrect. Berliner advocates for a change in teaching methods that foster curiosity. Rather of focusing just on helping students achieve requirements set by the outside world, teachers should foster an atmosphere where students feel free to ask questions and explore their interests.
Part 3: Rhetorical analysis
In her book “School Kills Curiosity,” Wendy Berliner makes the case that rote learning and standardized testing are the main ways in which conventional educational institutions stifle kids’ innate curiosity. Instead of placing more emphasis on memorizing and strict curriculum, she thinks schools should stress encouraging creative thinking and inquiring thinking. Berliner cites University of Michigan data to bolster her findings, demonstrating that while youngsters who ask more questions generally do better academically, as students get older, institutions frequently discourage this curiosity. Her tone is critical, drawing attention to the system’s shortcomings and advocating for change. She also challenges parents, and educators to reevaluate the way that education is set up. She evokes readers’ emotions by reminding them of the innate curiosity that all children possess and by making the case that schools need to do a better job of promoting curiosity and learning through reasoned arguments and reliable information. In the end, Berliner supports a learning environment that encourages inquiry and discovery in order to support students in becoming innovative, self-sufficient thinkers.
Part 4: Notable Quotes
- “Children are born curious, and they are naturally driven to learn through their questions, but the way we structure education often stifles this natural inquisitiveness.”
- “Schools have become places where the emphasis is on finding the right answers, rather than encouraging the right questions.”
- “The focus on standardized testing has created an environment where creativity and curiosity are pushed aside in favor of conformity and memorization.”
