Time to wonder with wonderopolis

Introduction

As of right now, teaching has gone online. Teachers are using many E-learning tools to teach their students and get them engaged while at home. Wonderopolis is one of those sites created by The National Center for Families Learning. It is a web-based learning platform for all students, young and old. It's a "place where natural curiosity and imagination lead to exploration and discovery in learners of all ages" (What Are You Wondering, 2010). This site's designed to have children curious, which leads to them being excited about learning, whether in math, science, history, or English. Wonderopolis is there to get the students engaged.

Authentic Learning

Wonderopolis asks real-world wonders from "Who was Muhammad Ali?" to "How is the Human Body Like Planet Earth?". "The basic idea is that students are more likely to be interested in what they are learning, more motivated to learn new concepts and skills, and better prepared to succeed in college, careers, and adulthood" (Authentic Learning Definition, 2013). This website allows students to search for what they're wondering or use it to search for wonders that deal with what is taught at school. Teachers can also use wonder to jumpstart their students' critical thinking; they can also use it to search for content related to student interests. "Learning activities that are either carried out in real-world contexts or have a high transfer to a real-world setting, learning activities should have both personal and cultural relevance." (Hayden Galindo). Wonderopolis is used as a hands-on activity; a teacher could ask their students to find a particular wonder that resonates with them and have them talk about it in class. "Their primary role then is in helping students explore the learning task themselves" (Hayden Galindo).

Curiosity

Wonderopolis is curiosity incarnate. Keller and Deimann (2018) identify curiosity as one of the five principles to increase student motivation. "A neurological study has shown that curiosity makes our brains more receptive to learning and that as we learn, we enjoy the sensation learning" (Stenger, 2014). Wonderopolis allows students of all ages to come and discover wonders, form people in history, to understanding science and math, to finding interest in technology and arts/culture. "Researchers found curiosity had been sparked, there were increases not only activity in the hippocampus but also the brain circuit that is related to reward and pleasure" (Stenger, 2014). When students find interest in what they are learning, it will likely stay in their brain instead of going in one ear and out the other. This is precisely what Wonderopoplis provides for its learners by using images and videos to show the learner and give a written explanation of the wonder.

Exploration Based Learning

Wonderopolis helps students learn through curiosity and inquiry, "The visually and intellectually compelling storylines within the environment challenge each student to leverage their own curiosity and passion to solve complex problems using data and evidence to form arguments and reach conclusions" (McGarth, 2015). Wonderopolis allows the students to search for the why's and how's of subjects. It also has WonderGround for teachers, which enables them to bring in high interest, inquiry-based learning. "Ideas and concepts learned in this manner stay with them for life, and students also develop the habit of inquiry-based learning by constantly engaging in questions like why and how" (Verma, 2019). While students use Wonderopolis, it will help reduce boredom and stress; because of this experience, students will build there confidence and creativity, improving their performance and motivation to learn. "Exploration and discovery, in search of answers, lead students to be active participants and help them become lifelong learners" (Verma, 2019).

Conclusion

Wonderopolis is a highly effective E-learning website in opening a student's mind to the why's and how's. It can show new information relating to a topic in class, or the teacher can use it to connect to there students. Wonderopolis gives the means for students to always ask questions no matter how old you get.

References

What Are You Wondering? (2010). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://wonderopolis.org/

McGrath, K. (2015, September 25). A Vision for Every Student: Exploration-Based Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/09/a-vision-for-every-student-exploration-based-learning/

Stenger, M. (2014, December 17). Why Curiosity Enhances Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-curiosity-enhances-learning-marianne-stenger

Verma, G. (2019, September 12). Exploration-Based Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/exploration-based-learning-geeta-verma/

Authentic Learning Definition. (2013, September 16). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.edglossary.org/authentic-learning/

Hayden Galindo, J. (n.d.). Authentic Learning (Simulations, Lab, Field). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://ablconnect.harvard.edu/authentic-learning

Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2018). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (4th ed.). Vital Source Bookshelf. https://doi.org/https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134237039/