and the carrot came up: November 2015

Saturday, 28 November 2015

Where We Go and What We Know - Part 4

Saejin had the idea to do a pedagogical narration on why we take our children on outings. She completed her PN entitled “Beyond the Field Trip” and after reading it, I knew we had to expand on this. We talk a lot about encouraging the children to take risks in order to develop deeper learning and the same goes for us, as adults. We realize that the easier thing to do would be to stay in one of our yards every day but we have challenged ourselves to provide the children with meaningful experiences outside of the centre and in turn, both us, and the children have benefited. We decided that all four educators in our program would complete a pedagogical narration involving on/off campus outings. We hope you enjoy reading them and finding out more about how your children spend their time with us.

Sincerely,

Mary, Sr. Teacher in the 3-5's room, Saejin, Noeleane and Alex

Pedagogical Narration #4

Where We Go and What We Know

We love being part of our campus community. We go exploring every week and find new and old reasons to be engaged with nature and our local community. Here are the areas we visit the most:

Fern Gully - We know we can run and roll on the green, grassy hills here. One of our favorite games to play is ‘gingerbread cookies.’ In the winter we climb up mountains of snow and have a blast sliding down the hills.

Library Square - We know we can run and play in this wide open space. We also love to climb the trees here, which gives us confidence and the chance to take a risk. We like to sit under the umbrella tree and chat and giggle with our friends while others make mud balls or play chasing games.

Basketball Court - We know we can bring balls, chalk and bubbles here. We can run, play pass, shoot a hoop, play puppies and stomp in puddles on a rainy day.

Horticulture - The horticulture gardens are beautiful! We know we can explore here, run up, run down and roll down the big hill. We can use our imaginations and look for dragons and play superhero’s. We can find a variety of delicious fruit here and a rainbow of flowers. We can look for goldfish in the pond and make crowns our of willow branches. In the winter we slide down the hill on our snow pant bottoms over and over again.

Hike - We know we can walk and walk and walk and run and run and run on our hike behind the trades and technology building. When we find tracks and scat we guess and ponder what animal has passed through here, usually being a deer or a dog. We climb on dead fallen trees and play make believe games. We find special treasures like rocks, charcoal and bark. We have a great view of our city and shout out, “I can see the river! I can see superstore! I can see my house! I love my city!” We know to keep our eye peeled for cactus. Sometimes they jump onto our pants or shoes but our educator quickly removes it and on we go. On our hikes we have the opportunity to be curious about nature.

Science yard - We know we can run here, and in the winter slide down the hill. Our favorite games to play at the science yard is ‘Colored Eggs.’ We learn boundaries here, as we do on all of our outings, to keep us together and safe.

Enchanted forest - We know there is magic here. Small animals and fairies live in this forest. We’ve seen their fairy houses, danced on their stage and found many fairy treasures here. It’s a place to use our imagination and be sharp with our eyes.

Track - We know we can run and be athletes here. At the track we have races, climb in and out of giant tires, have long jump competitions in the sand, play jail in the soccer nets and build in the sand pits. It feels great to be out doors and get exercise.

ELC - We know we can swing, climb, run, ride and play here. We visit with new and old friends, we share and show respect for their space but we feel welcome.

Old Main - We know there are friends we can visit and chat with here. Especially during the school year when the therapy dogs are waiting for our visits. We also like to stop in to say hi to Megan’s mom, Mila, and pop by the adventure office to chat with Greg (Noeleane’s husband). As a little bonus sometime they give us stickers. We also like walking down the art hallway to see interesting pictures the art students have made. A highlight of visiting Old main is taking the glass elevator up to the top to see the view of Kamloops. This really invokes a lot of conversation about what we know about our city.

Trades and Technology building - We know we can see big trucks and machinery getting fixed here. We have been invited into classrooms where we can ask questions and have conversations about what the students learn here. In the past trades students have make projects for our center, like a toy car the children can sit in with real parts, some of our large blocks and a log cabin that’s in the top toddler yard.

Arts and Education building - We know we can play and try different activities at the Children’s Program. Before the program started up again in October we would climb up the stairs all the way to the third floor to spy on the students and have a peek at the classroom. Sometimes we explore the other floors or take the elevator down.

Library - We know we can find lots of books here to look at and read. After running and playing at library square, we put our whispers in to enter the library. There is a little room just for kids where we can choose our own books off the shelf. Here we learn to self-regulate so others can concentrate of their studies.

Gym - On very cold days we know there is a place for us to be active at the gym. We play all kinds of running and chasing games here, throw and kick balls and tumble on mats. We love how welcome we are here.
We are so lucky to be part of the TRU community and to have the campus as part of our play space.

-Noeleane

Passenger - Part 3

Sincerely,

Mary Sr. Teacher in the 3-5's, Saejin, Noeleane, Alex

Pedagogical Narration #3

"Passenger" - Mary Bennett

When Saejin told me that she wanted to do a Pedagogical Narration involving conversations that arise on field trips, I thought “what a brilliant idea.” You see, during our outings, we are the only teacher with our group and I have often thought about all the important learning that happens when we bring our children out into our community.

Just recently, on an outing to Pineview Valley, the children were commenting on the people that were coming on the bus after us. “Hey, look. He has a back pack. I think he is a student.” I said, “Many passengers have back packs because they need to carry their stuff with them and they don’t have a car to leave their things in.” The children wanted to know…“What is a passenger?”

We talked about what a passenger is and how it is something that we can all be but not all the time. What a concept to talk about with young children! They had so many questions and wanted soooooo many examples. Every single time someone got on the bus, one of them (or all of them) said “There’s another passenger.” After a while when people left the bus, the children would say, “He’s not a passenger anymore.”

We then talked about how you can be a passenger on the bus but also on the airplane, a vehicle, a train…etc. When we got to Pineview Valley Park, the children naturally continued this newly found fascination into their play. They pretended to be on trains, collecting tickets and used the word “passenger’. This is how children navigate their world - through play. They experimented with this new word and meaning. They took turns being the passengers and then not being passengers. This abstract idea that you can be something and then not be that anymore.

When I got back to the centre and we had all eaten our lunch and the children were all settled into their beds, I sat down to send pictures and had time to reflect on all the learning that had happened while on our outing. I was reminded, once again, that is was during their play that they really grasped what being a passenger was. There is no worksheet that can do this for children. They need life experiences and the opportunity for free play. This is why Saejin called her Pedagogical Narration “Beyond the Field Trip.” - it is so much more than meets the eye.

Bus Outings - Part 2

I work in the toddler room. My co-workers in the 3-5 room have taken on a challenge for themselves and are narrating not only the children's experiences but their own learning experiences as well. This is Alex's story. Alex is a wonderful, loving and newer Early Childhood Educator. I love her honesty and vulnerability as she shares her experience of taking a group of pre-schoolers on bus outings.

Sincerely,

Mary, Sr. Teacher in 3-5's, Saejin, Noeleane and Alex

Pedagogical Narration #2

Bus outings have become a regular occurrence in my planning, but without being mentored from experienced educators and stepping out of my comfort zone, I would have never thought they would be something I genuinely enjoy. Being new to the field of Early Childhood Education, the idea of taking 8 children on a city bus, when I have barely rode a bus in my life, was a little daunting. While in the ECE program I tried to plan many bus trips, knowing I have the support of an experienced educator to learn from and ask questions. Lots of nerves overcame me, but now bus outings are one of my most favorite experiences, and each time I am always so proud of the children. I’ve realized there needs to be a lot of trust and a solid relationship, as they are also stepping outside of their comfort zones so they need to feel that they are safe.

Much like my experience, this is how the “new or less experienced children” become familiar with going on bus outings. Some parents may wonder why there child is asked to go on specific outings. A lot of thought goes into the process of selecting the children based on having a group which is balanced: balanced in the way of having more experienced children to mentor the newer or less experienced ones. The children do learn from the educators but they are always learning from their peers. The experienced children become the mentors by using social ques such as:
“We need to sit and wait until the right number (bus) comes,”
“On the bus we use our whispers, so we don’t scare the bus driver or other passengers,”
“We are allowed to say good morning or hello to the bus driver,”
“When we get on the bus we go to the back, but we don’t push our friends on the way,”
“We don’t pull the yellow string, but if we ask the educator we might be able to,”
“We need to listen to the teacher and find a safe spot to wave goodbye to the bus,”
“We hold hands walking near a busy street.”
The children always mention these things on their outings, which leads to conversations as to why these are important. Then once we arrive to our destination more social ques happen. For example, on an outing to the North Shore Library before going into the library the children mentioned things that were respectful in a library.
“We need to be quiet otherwise the librarian will get upset.”
“We can read books, but we need to return them to the bin.”
“We need to be where a teacher can see us.”
These ideas all came from the children, which they have learned from their own experiences. Although this is just one example, it constantly reminds me the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone. Now that I am in the role of being a mentor to new Early Childhood Education students I think it is important to be honest that I was once nervous. I need to let them know that without trying something new I would have never realized how children mentor their peers, how they learn from real life experiences, that these opportunities entail so much learning and that being active members of our community is ultimately on the educator. We know that encouraging children to take risks leads to more in-depth learning and it is a good reminder that it is the same for adults.
Thank you families for trusting your children’s educators to let them have these rich and meaningful experiences.

Beyond the Field Trip - Part 1

Sincerely,

Mary, Saejin, Noeleane and Alex

Pedagogical Narration #1

Beyond the Field Trip

Sense of Belonging 

Isaac: This is the way to get to my house. 

Eli: Where is Megan’s mom’s house? 

Mason: I live in Kamloops. 

Chloe. S: I see ice cream store. Me and Maya go there. 

Garrett: There is a fire station.  

This is one of example of conversations that arise while on the bus with the children. Looking out the window, the children talk about where they live, where they like to go and simply chat about what they see at the moment. We learn to talk quietly on the bus, feel a sense of belonging in our community, when we talk about places we visit. 

 Learning from Real Circumstances 

Isaac: Look at that tree. It has no leaves. What happened to that tree?  

Oliver: Maybe, there was no water? If there is no water, tree can die. 

Isaac: Actually, too much water also can kill the tree. 

Me: It sounds like water is very important. Why the water is so important? 

Dionte: I want water when I am thirsty.  

Me: All the plants and animals need water for living like we need. If there is no water, plants cannot live and animals have nothing to eat. If they have nothing to eat, they cannot live. If so, what are we going to eat? 

Oliver: No water means no shower.  

Eli: If we are not washing hands, we get sick. 

Me: That is so true. Water can make us clean and alive. So, it is very important not to waste water.  

Everybody agreed to save water especially when we are washing hands. 

Like above, we love to chat about what we see at the moment. We learn from what we see, what we feel and the most importantly, we learn from our peers and our surrounding world. After noticing one dead tree and lots of discussion, we concluded not to waste water. 

 Questioning 

The children noticed new signs on the bus. 

Georgia: What is that meaning? 

Dionte: I see pictures! 

Me: Those are the messages that bus driver wants to let passengers know about manners on the bus. That is for not smoking, not eating and being loud on a bus. 

Dionte: Look! That lady is drinking coffee on a bus! 

Most of children are interested in signs, like traffic signs. They like to find them and they are curious about them. We have books about signs, but it is more meaningful for them to see and experience them, like finding signs on a walk or seeing them on a public transit. Maybe it is the similar context with me being interested in ‘Deer signs’ on a road when I was in Canada first time. I saw it back home in books and TV, but it came more meaningfully to me when I saw it in real life. It is simply fun for the children finding signs and it is natural for the children to question about them. And most importantly, their learning is derived from questioning questions! 

 Peer Learning 

Dionte: I like speed bump, because it makes my body, bump, bump, bump. (doing motions bouncing his body on the bus.) 

Me: Do you know what speed bump is for? 

Dionte: (after thinking for a while) I don’t know. 

James: Yes, I do!  

Dionte: What? 

James: Speed bumps are for cars to stop for slowing down. The most important is when cars go fast, like really fast on a highway, I mean, going down really fast, driver stops the car to slow down.  

Me: You are right. It is actually not for stopping cars to slow down, but it is slow down cars for not to bump underneath of cars. If they don’t slow down, the bump can hit underneath of cars, so speed bump is for cars to speed down, like James said. Do you remember stopping sign for cars to stop, James? 

James: Yes, I do! Speed bumps are for slow down! 

Dionte: Speed bumps are for slow down. 

This is a good example of peer learning happening among the children on the bus outing. Perhaps, the best teachers for the children are their friends! 

 Meaningful Learning: Community Based Field Trips 

Let’s assume that there are two people. One learned about Eiffel Tower from books and TV. The other one learned about the Eiffel Tower by travelling. Which learning experience was more meaningfully? Probably the one who learned it by experienced its own. You, of course, can learn it from books enough, but you cannot compare how meaningfully you can learn it by experience.  

We all believe our children are our future and we want them to feel a sense of belonging and safe in our society. However, how are we going to accomplish this without experiencing? This is why we believe field trips are so important to our children. Nowadays, our children learn their surrounding world from a little box such as television, smart phone and tablet, without touching, smelling, feeling, seeing it as real. Their brain seems to be trained to chase fast moving, like TV shows. However, real learning is derived from experience.  

Recently, our children learned about the meaning of ‘passengers’, being passengers and looking at other passengers on the bus. They do hear ‘this word’ from books and songs a lot, but now the children truly learned about what ‘passengers’ mean in a meaningful way. And there is another example: noticing a dead tree, they concluded to save water after having a long discussion. In these learnings, the children lead the learning, and the educator’s role was to support the children’s ideas and their discussion.   

They learn where to cross the street by looking at the signs, and listening to the adults’ directions. They learn to hold their friends’ hands when we walk as a group, walk on a side walk, stay in a group, use manners in the public areas, such as on the bus, library, and etc. They learn the seasons by being outside, noticing looking at the little sprouts coming out, beautiful flowers everywhere, falling leaves, and frost on the branches. 

They have millions of questions about their surrounding world. Our job is to support and guide them to find answers by themselves. This is type of learning is rewarding, both for the children and the adults in their lives.

-Saejin