...the antidote is to take a few risks...

“First hand experience is perhaps the most important foundation stone in discovering who you really are, and what you might become. Without huge dollops of it, encouraged and nurtured, but rarely directed, we can never become more than the sum of other peoples lives, experienced at second hand…the antidote is to take a few risks, and let the mud squidge through your toes from time to time.”(Tim Smit)

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Children as Researchers.

Gearies Poetry Researchers.
Will a focus on increased first hand experiences of poetry and performances improve overall literacy attainment? Can this idea be developed through a child autonomous research project? In a nutshell, can we as adults scaffold a research process that allows children to unveil possible answers to the questions we would like to try and solve?


If as adults we believe that sustained thinking, possibility thinking, questioning, interaction and the ability to adapt/respond to constant change within the world are key skills that ultimately allow children to become great learners (moving on from being better at learning). Shouldn’t we allow for some part our children the opportunity of having complete autonomy over their learning experiences, nurturing their own passions, rarely directing but scaffolding their observations, realisations and learning rehearsals, observing how they apply and display their understanding of the skills we teach and model to them, in their own unique ways?
Would working in this way give us as practitioners an insight into: 1. what really matters to our children, what they really want to know about/enthused by, and 2. how they view the learning process, how they interact within it, how they think they learn and what would help them become better learners.

Project Leader: Dan

Child initated and created Role Play/ Learning spaces.

This project focuses on the skills associated with getting young children involved in both the planning and creation of role play/creative learning areas. Using child initiated ideas to create creative learning spaces. Using effective AFL pedagogy to develop pupil voice. Developing personal provision planning maps. Collecting evidence to then review and evaluate impact and implications on team practice, instigating any necessary changes to practice.

Project leader: Serena, St Bedes.

CSI- The Great Fire.

To investigate the skills and knowledge associated with improving writing experiences through themed/cross curricular projects. This project should support the child as a developing writer, looking at writing as a life skill, not literacy content, with an emphasis on learning dispositions and engagement, ensuring that skills are used purposefully and that children develop an enthusiasm towards writing.
Project contact: Dan Lea.

Exploring children’s responses to outdoor spaces.

How do we bring children back to nature?
Exploring children’s responses to outdoor spaces.

This project will give the children an opportunity to explore the outdoor world through interactions; self initiated play and construction of their own learning environments. Getting the children away from, “Adult created” resources and into truly autonomous learning environments. Letting the children make their own decisions about how they interact with the outdoors. As practitioners we will be observing and recording these events and looking at their implications in terms of our planning, assessment and provision relating to the EYF and KUW.

Project Leader: Amy, Woodlands Infants.

With cold weather on its way....

Making Ice Mobiles with my Nan on PhotoPeach

muddytoes's posterous