What I noticed:
- The arts were embraced and always incorporated into inquiries.
- Educators mostly observed students and said very little.
- Authentic learning experiences occur in conjunction with the community; students' drawings of "sound machines" actually became real with the help of a local carpenter
- Writing was incorporated in all inquiries in artistic ways; i.e. Students were encouraged to illustrate the sounds and dances.
- They used whole rooms to begin explorations and drew inquiries based on the students' dialogue and interaction in the spaces.
--There was room of columns where they explored movement and created a dance.
--The stairwell was a place to investigate sound
-- Light is explored through an entire room and overhead projectors were used with many different materials.
What I wondered:
- how did educators guide inquiries; how did they move them along and build their vocabulary and understanding?
- - what books they may have read for certain inquiries?
-- what questions did they ask?
-- how could I integrate more French into inquiries with their limited vocabulary?
Possible Next steps:
- Invite parents into the classroom to share experiences, bring more authentic learning and build community
- Create our own overhead projector and workspace to explore light with mirror and various loose parts
- Group art projects:
--large floor canvases of materials to explore prior to using in art
-- provide different materials of same colour and create own art square and then put them all together
-Make more space to allow students to bring in natural objects and create art
--investigate colour and texture by grinding up old leaves in different consistencies to create paint
-- pebble art project - create art outside by building with pebbles then reflect together on what they see in it.
