are we making the correct questions? (sequel)

In a previous post I was focusing myself on one specific question. However, today, while preparing my lecture on mobile learning I read an inspiring post from Cameron D. NormanAsking if Technology Can Reinvent Education is the Wrong Question. I recommend to read the post!

Questions are fundamental for comprehend a phenomena or a situation. Questions help us to think. To make the proper questions is not easy. For me, the question experts are 3 years old, who are passionately discovering and researching our world, learning from it. However, due to different reasons, which I will not reflect upon right now, our capability to make questions is greatly diminished.

Once in grad-school, I heard that a fundamental characteristic in research is to make questions. I see it as re-connecting with my 3 years old me, but surrounded by considerable more information.

Now, I assume that a difference between a 3-years old (I am fan of them) and an ‘adult’  should be to promote  a critical question process. A process involving reflection and thinking. Perhaps, making questions might be more difficult than to find the answers, however enriching.

Questions help to think. Thinking is fun, as it is time demanding and energy taking. 🙂

Now a cartoon, which matches my mini-reflection of today. If someone who does not read Spanish read this post, the translation of the cartoon is bellow.

Intelligence....

Intelligence....

Up-left: Intelligent buildings
Up-middle:Intelligent mobile phones
Up-right: Intelligent autos
Down-left: Intelligent appliances
Down-middle: I say…. Wouldn’t be better to invest more in education….
Down-left: …. and have more intelligent people?

3 thoughts on “are we making the correct questions? (sequel)

  1. Cameron Norman

    Thanks for the kind words and reference to my post. And thanks for the great post. Indeed, asking the right question at the outset is such an important and overlooked point in the journey towards understanding and knowledge. Einstein famously declared that if he had an hour to address a problem he would spend at least 55 minutes of that hour defining the problem (asking the question). Asking the right question, a good and true question, is something we take for granted and often take the easy and rather unimportant queries without challenge instead of looking deeper.

    I really like your matching of the images to different technologies, which don’t always provide the educational return on intellectual investment that people expect.

  2. cislas Post author

    Wow! :O
    It was a pleasant surprised to see your comment, and thank you for enriching the post. 🙂

    Questioning, as you well said, is relevant in our journey of understanding and gaining knowledge. Questions help us to grow up as persons. Unfortunately questioning is not promoted, at least that is my impression. Instead, it is encourage to consume everything without questioning. Paradoxically, we need to questioning ourselves to keep evolving…. interesting! 🙂

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