Discovery- Play Based Learning

DISCOVERY

We have recently added a play based Discovery session to our learning programme.  This idea has been around for some time although has become more and more popular in recent years.  Our programme is widely based on the Reggio Emilia programme and the STEM programme.  Reggio Emilia is widely used in the early years classrooms and STEM for Yr 4-8's.  As our year progresses and our children mature and develop their self-management skills our programme moves from Reggio towards the 'Maker Spaces' idea in STEM programmes.


After our session we having sharing time where children share their 'discovery'.  We reflect using a PMI chart (Plus, Minus & Interesting), or we use De Bono's '6 Thinking Hats'.  Parents are welcome to join our sessions; those that do come have been amazed at the children's creations and the discussion during their 'discovery' time.

Below is some background information for you to peruse.

The Reggio Emilia approach
Philosophy
The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was developed after World War II by a psychologist Loris Malaguzzi, and parents in the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy. Following the war, people believed that children were in need of a new way of learning. The assumption of Malaguzzi and the parents was that people form their own personality during early years of development and that children are endowed with "a hundred languages" through which they can express their ideas. The aim of this approach is teaching how to use these symbolic languages (eg., painting, sculpting, drama) in everyday life. The programme is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.
In the classroom
In the Reggio approach, the teacher is considered a co-learner and collaborator with the child and not just an instructor. Teachers are encouraged to facilitate the child's learning by planning activities and lessons based on the child's interests, asking questions to further understanding, and actively engaging in the activities alongside the child, instead of sitting back and observing the child learning. "As partner to the child, the teacher is inside the learning situation" (Hewett, 2001).
Some implementations of the Reggio Emilia approach self-consciously juxtapose their conception of the teacher as autonomous co-learner with other approaches. For example:
Teachers' long-term commitment to enhancing their understanding of children is at the crux of the Reggio Emilia approach. Their resistance to the American use of the term model to describe their program reflects the continuing evolution of their ideas and practices. They compensate for the meagre pre-service training of Italian early childhood teachers by providing extensive staff development opportunities, with goals determined by the teachers themselves. Teacher autonomy is evident in the absence of teacher manuals, curriculum guides, or achievement tests. The lack of externally imposed mandates is joined by the imperative that teachers become skilled observers of children in order to inform their curriculum planning and implementation.
Who it’s best for
Here are three tips to help you determine whether a Reggio Emilia preschool is the best choice for your child.
1. You Want Your Child To Feel Empowered
2. You See the Classroom as a Learning Community
3. You Want to Be Active in Your Child’s Education
For more information
Go to the Reggio Emelia Aotearoa New Zealand website at http://www.reanz.org/ or the Reggio Emelia Provocations website at http://www.reggioemilia.org.nz/.or the New Zealand Council of Educational Research article www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/ECFolio_14_1_2010_018.pdf

STEM: What's it about?
Reference: http://core-ed.org/research-and-innovation/ten-trends/2017/stem/

There’s currently a surge of interest in programmes targeting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM), focusing on educators and others looking at where the jobs are right now and into the future. The critical thing about STEM education is that it is intended to be an interdisciplinary curriculum. Rather than teach these four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates into “interdependent” learning units based on real-world applications
The drivers behind STEM are a significant contributor to the development in New Zealand, of the recently announced Digital Technologies Curriculum and the steady rise in interest and participation in initiatives such as the Maker Movement and Coding programmes in schools.

What's driving this?

Behind the STEM focus is an economic imperative based on ensuring our current and future workforce are prepared for a STEM-based economy in the future. There are two basic drivers behind this approach, both deserving attention, but often the first is emphasised at the expense of the second.
  1. Current skills shortages
    Across the globe, there are reported shortages of workers with the necessary skills to fill positions in tech-based industries. If we are to meet this growing demand, there is an urgent need to ensure young people are given the opportunity to experience and develop an interest in the key areas of science, maths, and technology so that they emerge from school ready to take up roles in these sorts of industries. The response to this driver is often seen in the provision of more STEM subjects as discrete parts of the curriculum.
  2. Future skills shortages
    Considering what skills a future workforce will need leads to a greater focus on the development of integrated or interdisciplinary approaches, and on the development of competencies and transferable skills. Rather than focus purely on specific skill development, the emphasis here is on innovation and design. Purists in the STEM movement argue this is where the focus must be.
The emphasis on innovation leads to some of the counter-arguments being made to a ‘purely’ STEM approach. Innovation is not simply a technical matter but rather one of understanding how people and societies work, what they need and want. It involves a broader set of skills that includes creativity and communication, for example. Innovation is built on the successes and failures of the past, and of the potential impact on society into the future — thus requiring knowledge of history and development of citizenship. No nation will achieve success in the 21st century simply by making cheaper computer chips, but, instead, by constantly reimagining how computers and other new technologies interact with human beings.

What examples of this can I see?

Evidence of the uptake of STEM in New Zealand schools is now apparent in all levels of our schooling system — examples are listed below (see Readings list for further information)
  • Maker spaces — specialist workshop areas where learners are encouraged to pursue ideas for building/creating solutions involving use of a wide range of tools and technologies. These are appearing both within schools and in public places such as libraries.
  • Code clubs — a variety of initiatives such as CodeClub Aotearoa and Code Avengers have emerged to support students learning coding. Most of these operate out of school hours, although, there is a growing amount of resource to support teachers with their in-school programmes.
  • Robotics — whether using kits such as the Lego Mindstorms or building from scratch, having teams of students pool their skills to build robots that they then enter into competitions to test the robustness of their design, is an extremely successful way of engaging learners in STEM subjects.
  • Science Fairs — these have been around for years, but a growing number now are focused more deliberately as events for students to showcase the outcomes of their genuine inquiry and teamwork in STEM areas.

How might we respond?

The focus on STEM is creating opportunities for robust discussion within schools and their communities about what is important for young people to be learning. Some questions to act as a stimulus with your colleagues include:
  • What priority is given to the teaching/learning of science, technology, engineering, and maths in your school? Are these taught as separate subjects or in integrated ways?
  • How could you provide even more integrated approaches to STEM education in your school? Are the learning experiences that you create based in authentic contexts for the learners?
  • How are you engaging with expertise outside of your school to ensure students have access to the best thinking and advice in STEM subjects?
  • What about the other areas of the curriculum such as social sciences, languages, and the arts? What is your school’s position on this? How might they complement the work in STEM and be included in any integrated approaches to learning that you plan?

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