The expanded classroom – how do we foster more work outside the prescribed learning centres and develop responsiveness to place? Spatial thinking in practice / response to site and learning on country.
This session acknowledges and celebrates that children learn in spaces beyond the classroom.
We will look at ways of engaging learning within the built and natural environment that allow children to be present to the complexities of the spaces we inhabit.
Some of the provocations for discussion are:
• What spaces provide the spark of curiosity to action children’s imagination?
• What and where are these spaces? How do we access them?
• What are the some of the logistical issues?
• What’s the historical lineage and context of ideas around the expanded classroom?
• Offering ideas on engaging in public spaces that offer non-traditional learning opportunities.
• Why is it important? What are the implications and benefits?
This session will take place in the Banksia Room at The Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens and will feature some provocateur presentations, some hands'-on elements outdoors and a shared picnic.
PROGRAM The Expanded Classroom
9.15 - 9.30 Introduction
9.30 - 11 Provocateur: David Gilkes
David Gilkes has been in early years education for over 25 years, the majority of this time working as a teacher alongside 4 and 5 year old children and their families in both Hobart and Canberra. David’s leadership roles include Director of an Early Learning Centre and an Early Years Network Leader in the Tasmanian Department of Education. The Reggio Emilia educational project and its provocation for the Australian context has inspired and challenged David for many years. He is currently the convener of the Tasmanian Reggio Emilia Network. In 2014 David was awarded a National Excellence in Teaching Award for Innovation in Early Childhood. David has published several articles and spoken at a number of conferences. He now works full-time as an Education Consultant, supporting individuals and teams of people around the country.
“David Gilkes – Beyond the Gate,
Notes, quotes, and thoughts…
David’s provocation was dense and inspiring so pulling out a few details is hard.
Two of the extraordinary projects with children that he shared, The Empty Shop and the Giraffe in the City particularly resonated with me as strong examples of what happens when educators embrace learning beyond the classroom – ‘getting outside as authentic, pleasurable, emotional, aesthetic (and providing) interconnected ways of understanding and making sense of the world.”
They began with an inquiry of ‘how can we make children more visible in our community? and let this grow by documenting and listening attentively to the kids.
David shared his favourite question, ‘how can you show me your thinking’? and reflected that it was a “richer inquiry because we listened and were responsive”.
Two quotes from those projects struck me and propelled my thinking. Sam offered that the city is “for grown ups because grown ups can go to the city and eat there and have good silence. Kids can wreck things”.
Loris Malaguzzi (1970) wrote that “Cities, in the emblematic sense of the world, continue to grow to an exclusively adult measure. They are built for individuals of working age; homes, streets, squares, workshops, cinemas, theatres, cars, motorways are built for them…The truth is children are excluded… However the fact is that if cities and houses are not made for children, then neither are they made for mankind”.
For me David’s commitment to the Reggio Emilia approach and embodied delivery of it was particularly inspiring. “Our image in Reggio Emillia, part of our theory, views children as strong, powerful, and rich in potential and resources, right from the moment of birth”. Reggio holds a strong image of the child as capable, competent, creative, collaborative, and an active citizens, for me David extended this by offering that if we see children in this light it in turn urges us to see adults in this light, which in turn urges us to hold a strong image of community.
During the provocation there were so many shared wisdoms for planning, some being….
Thinking of ‘design’ rather than ‘plan’. Design is non-linear and allows for learning to go in unexpected ways.
“Potential is stunted when an endpoint is formulated in advance” Rinaldi
What if we think of:
process v’s product
listening v’s telling
questions v’s answers
depth v’s bredth
TRUST the kids will take an inquiry somewhere, and trust in ourselves as artists. Trust your idea. In overly directing participants we are not trusting them.
Bringing people along with us, use kids and parents as documenters – with notepads, pens, camera or ipad. The investigation becomes the journey.
”
Morning tea 11- 11.30
11.30 - 1.00 Shared Practice: Sheree Martin, ArTELER artist will share her recent project in the Botannical Gardens, 'Nature Framed'.
Sheree will lead a creative encounter similar to that which she did during her project. Her invitation to families was : 'We will wander and wonder in the gardens, collect nature curiosities, create a family collaborative artwork, capture the moment via a polaroid for you to take home and gift back our curious collections to Mother Nature. An ephemeral ARTplayful experience'.
Following the creative encounter we will have a guided discussion about the project, intended as a debrief on the nitty gritty working, planning and reflective aspects of this project.
It is intended that this will be a two way process of interrogation of the project and from this we will develop a structure for the ArTELIER 'shared practice' sessions, along with a toolkit for safe and positive strategies for peer critique of projects.
Lunch 1 - 1.45 BRING SOMETHING TO SHARE FOR LUNCH
The afternoon session will consist of interrogating a couple of case studies presented by ArTELIER artists and others.
1.45 - 2.45 Shared Knowledge
A group discussion on our encounters and understandings of learning within the an expanded classroom. Please share your thoughts and experinences.
2.45 - 3.00 Encounters with a Classroom' A 10 minute video of the New Horizons preschoolers inquiries from 2019 around the city of Hobart.
Bush Kinder - Jenny Dudgeon at the Sustainabilty Centre, a 5 minute video.
The Art Play Backyard : Simon Spain
3.00 - 4.00 A snap shot of projects related to the theme
The Seed Garden Project: Bec Stevens, in collaboration with Kris Schaffer, New Horizons Pre School for Salamanca Arts Centre
