"The questions which one asks oneself begin, at least, to illuminate the world, and become one's key to the experience of others.” - James Baldwin
Though an occasionally clichéd sentiment, technology has truly revolutionized the ways people connect, communicate and learn. The internet has become a mecca for dynamic, though often mercurial, conversations on popular culture, political issues, and community building. With alarming ease we find ourselves with access to immense content, and knowledge is a Google search away. However, information is a type of power and without the skills to process and analyze, it can be truly overwhelming. Questions are an easy way to pick apart and dissect the overwhelming amount of information we are given everyday. With questions, we can learn what information is truly important to us. We learn about ourselves, in the larger context of our world, when we ask questions.
For example, educator Matt Parrilli used the Rolling Stone cover of Jahar Tsarnaev (the Boston Bombing Suspect), at the start of a unit to get students to question journalism. Parrilli shared that the students questions focused on why Rolling Stone put Jahar Tsarnaev on the cover using this particular picture, and the role of Tsarnaev’s family. Their questions illuminated a clear lens of what is most important to them. They went on to read the piece and annotate it accordingly. The students were able to engage with a larger complicated and highly political topic with their own personal interests. Imagine if we applied that same logic to other headlines we see and soundbites we hear. What if we approached the information we wanted to process through questions?
Question Week is a time for reflecting on the questions we ask, and need to ask. The big questions that color how we locate our identities in the world. Whether a local news story or globally trending topic, with questions our ability to meaningfully process information greatly increases. Imagine if we spent time thinking about our questions, improving them, truly getting them to address what we need.
For example, educator Matt Parrilli used the Rolling Stone cover of Jahar Tsarnaev (the Boston Bombing Suspect), at the start of a unit to get students to question journalism. Parrilli shared that the students questions focused on why Rolling Stone put Jahar Tsarnaev on the cover using this particular picture, and the role of Tsarnaev’s family. Their questions illuminated a clear lens of what is most important to them. They went on to read the piece and annotate it accordingly. The students were able to engage with a larger complicated and highly political topic with their own personal interests. Imagine if we applied that same logic to other headlines we see and soundbites we hear. What if we approached the information we wanted to process through questions?
Question Week is a time for reflecting on the questions we ask, and need to ask. The big questions that color how we locate our identities in the world. Whether a local news story or globally trending topic, with questions our ability to meaningfully process information greatly increases. Imagine if we spent time thinking about our questions, improving them, truly getting them to address what we need.
With the ever expanding swath of information questions can help us navigate what matters to us most.Join us along with Warren Berger and other organizations to encourage questions as a way to learn, innovate, and understand! For more information on how to participate click: here.