The Squid Story

...Or how something I already knew was re-enforced in a squishy way.
In one of Naomi's enrichment classes, each pair of children was given a thawed squid from a box of previously frozen ones. Their teacher pointed out the sharp "beak" deep inside the flesh of the squid's body. The class talked about endoskeletons and eventually removed them from their squids. Just for fun, they used the endoskeletons as nib pens along with their squid's "ink." When the formal part of their presentation and dissection appeared to be over, my daughter started mashing hers in her hands, which I thought was a somewhat immature action for an eight year old. With my rule not to inhibit unless something or someone is being damaged or hurt, I watched. No one else stopped her either. And then... her squid flesh began to glow... in colors. It became the most exciting part of the class. I realized that squids display bioluminescence. We then related the phenomenon to the tiny sparkling creatures she brought home in her swimsuit after a day trip to Virginia Beach and I told her about seeing bioluminescence that shone in the ocean under moonlight.
This class was an example of what education should be and could be, for teachers, students and involved parents. Hands directly exploring their world offer the best learning. And tongues bitten at the right time can open doors.