Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments: A Case for Authentic Education

Nick Hylla

WFREA

TPA Article 3/07

Fluctuating gas prices and reoccurring wars in the Middle East have helped bring the US to a teachable moment about our energy use. For the last year, the forestry community has been abuzz with discussion of biofuels and more specifically the forest biorefinery. Yet, the question remains, “How do we take advantage of the elevated public interest to advance what we believe to be a more sustainable energy solution?” In this article, I hope to make the case that teaching people how to learn (i.e., authentic education) is more effective then teaching people what to learn.

A teachable moment is a point in time defined by curiosity and open-mindedness when a person or group of people is striving to make sense of a problem and willing to accept new ideas and disregard old ones. We all have the experience that understanding comes in spurts, often coinciding with personal emotion and times of great change (think about a first kiss or the death of a loved one). When our assumptions are challenged, our personal lives affected, and our old ways of thinking do not provide answers, we often become more willing to learn.

A teachable moment does not automatically mean that we will learn anything of value. If, for example, a person’s teachable moment is met with disinformation, over-abundant information, or information that is not relevant to their level of knowledge, then what will they ultimately learn?

In short, presenting facts and figures is not enough to make use of a teachable moment. As an example, I present you with the following facts related to transportation fuels:

1. Wisconsin residents use 61,128,000 barrels of oil each year for transportation fuel. The U.S. is on track to consume 290 billion gallons of gasoline for transportation in 2050.
2. Ethanol satisfied 3 percent of U.S. gasoline consumption in 2006. If all the corn currently grown in the U.S. were turned into ethanol, it would replace 15 percent of our annual gasoline demand.
3. Over its lifetime, pure biodiesel emits about 78 percent less CO2 than conventional diesel. If the entire American soybean crop were diverted to biodiesel, that fuel would satisfy about 3 percent of U.S. diesel demand.
4. 100 million acres of cropland and pasture would need to be devoted to switchgrass to produce enough cellulosic ethanol to offset 25 percent of U.S. petroleum use.
5. Corn-based ethanol provides 26 percent more energy than is required for its production, while cellulosic ethanol currently provides 80 percent more energy.

What do we learn from looking at these facts? I am sure that the answer depends on the person responding. Even if you accept that the facts are true, to fully understand their implications would require an understanding of organic chemistry, thermodynamics, ecology, agricultural production, land use, politics, behavioral psychology, and economics. What percentage of the population do you think has an understanding of all of these subjects?

Even if you do have a rudimentary understanding of the concepts and applications behind the facts, you also need to be able to identify the information that is missing. For example, missing is any mention of conservation measures. Take fact #2 and add the following: The U.S. could eliminate 15 percent of its gasoline demand by increasing average fuel efficiency of U.S. cars by just 4 miles per gallon. Oh, and for good humor add: The U.S. average fuel economy is 21 mpg (a 1908 Ford Model T got 25 mpg).

By simply adding context to a set of facts, we have created a choice. We are on our way to taking the first step towards making use of a teachable moment - Empower the student.

I know of no statistic that will help us understand how often teachable moments are missed and the cause(s) of the loss, but I am willing to hypothesize that the answer lies in the learner’s sense of empowerment. Empowerment is the difference between teaching a person what to think and teaching a person how to think (i.e., creating a lifetime believer or a lifetime learner). An empowered individual has the skills to analyze an issue, engage in reasoned discussion, participate in solutions, and reflect on their actions. By empowering students, we are ensuring that society can take advantage of teachable moments and make progress.

As we respond to concerns of oil supply shortages, political instability, global climate change, and stagnant rural economies, biofuels are emerging as the issue of our time – an issue of great importance to the forestry community. The opportunity for education is great, and I hope WFREA can help promote public understanding. To do this, it is necessary that we not only focus on education about bio-energy, but also work to create lifetime learners in our K-12 schools.

For questions, comments, or suggestions contact Nick Hylla at nick@wfrea.org or 715-295-0458.