Blog entry 8

Chapter 5

I really like the distinction between students as assimilators and students as explorers. I had never thought about this before. Assimilators are those students who use information that is already known to find answers to problems. Explorers find brand new solutions. I think it vital to have both types of students/people in our world.

I also really enjoyed the distinction between convergent and divergent thinking. It is so much easier to fall into a pattern of convergent thinking (getting to the one right answer). It is faster and everyone is on the same track. However, divergent thinking (thinking outside the box) is harder to manage with a classroom of 30 students. But the benefits are also greater. The only question is HOW do we do this without our classrooms becoming a chaotic mass of 30 students doing 30 different things?