Why are we doing what we are doing?
These questions all lead to the idea of communication for me. In the end it is getting the word out to the people of children.
To get the children's voices heard
To get the understanding of children out
To get people to know children
To get people not to underestimate them
To get the word out that children are capable
Two examples of communication from Making Learning Visible and Seeing Children With New Eyes are:
Daily Sheets
Long Distance Communication
Daily sheets on the one hand communicates with parents directly, the ideas and the explanation of teachers and their ways of teaching. Through the stories that the teacher describes each day explains to parents what the children are doing and in that why it was important, that there was teaching within the playing.
Long distance communication is a bit more complex since it takes cooperation from two parties to communicate. But in doing this children are exposed, different parts of the world is exposed, children are seen, support from parents and the whole school is added in the mix, and learning is exercised. There is so much to learn from long distance communication and so much can be done. Pictures, phone calls, mailing, faxing, and nowadays there is video chats, which are all ways of communication, which ideas and teachings can be used. The expansion of "the child" is expressed in the child, the parents and families, school, and it opens the doors for the community, even people across the world.
What will you do to communicate?
Why is communication important to you?
Why will you use communication?
What are other ways to communicate?
What do you use for communication?
What do you say when you communicate?
Is getting the word out about "the child" ever the focus?
By: Jadelynn Davis
Hi Jadelynn,
ReplyDeleteIn what way might you imagine the daily plans for the fax project? What might you imagine as the large questions and conversations the teachers had while planning and engaging in the fax project?
In the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the teachers often refer to teaching as "playing catch" with the children. This metaphor of tossing a ball back and forth, begins with the teachers listening, leads to the dialogue between teachers as they develop a response, and then the actual response -- the process repeats over and over throughout the time spent with the children.
If you consider the metaphor of "playing catch", how might your own practice reflect this metaphor? In what way does the view of the child as capable contribute to practicing this metaphor? Imagine a previous project/actions in your own classroom, is there a way you might be able to rethink this project in terms of the metaphor, the view of the child as capable, listening, and responding?
Cheers,
Jeanne