No Idea Is Silly

No Idea Is Silly

by: Ms. Eugene Martin

My first meeting with second year students in their Research Class was very exciting and highly engaging.

Since the class had a different teacher last quarter, I requested the students to fill-in a K-W-L template, (what they Know, Want to Know, what they Learned), so I would have an idea on where to start and on what topics need to be revisited.

One of the students kept on teasing his seatmate about what he had written under the W column and remarked, “Ma’am, Peter (not his real name) would like to know if man could fly”. The whole class blurted in laughter, saying things like, “what a silly idea”, “we knew man can’t fly”, “too simple”, “it’s not related to our subject”, among others.

I got the attention of the class and told them that “no idea is silly”. One student commented, “Ma’am in our other class, there is always one right answer and the teacher didn’t like us to give the wrong answer and they (the class and the teacher) laugh at us if we were wrong. I like this class, ma’am. I will not feel bad even if my answer is wrong.”

I smiled and commented, “Class, you may write in the W column anything you really want to know. Let us see if the topic would be addressed in this subject. Let us respect his idea. You know, the most famous inventions and innovations started with a seemingly “silly idea”, like the ideas of Edison, Graham Bell…. See? Now, what can you say about them?”

After a few seconds, one student remarked, “Ma’am, they’re dead (?!)”. The class again blurted in laughter. I smiled and say, “You’re right!”  “And they are famous, too.”

That day was really unforgettable.  It gave a new perspective on research and started a very engaging class with novel and challenging topics and proposals.   

August 25, 2010