Filmmaking - post 1

Last week we painted on plastic (I just put a laminate sheet through without paper in between to get a clear plastic sheet) - and used sharpies to create an image of a robot, or something that moves... skateboarders were popular...

We took these on our excursion across town the next day... and produced some short films... which i intend to put together... last weekend felt a bit shorter than usual as I spent the Saturday doing a course on Socratic dialogue..

anyway... this is one of those films

After watching the films on a small screen last week the children thought we needed to worok on a background to do something similar... but film across our own background rather than on the train...

So I felt it could be fun to take building os Stockholm... to help the children get to learn more about the city that they live in.

So today we did a google search of building in Stockholm and the children looked through the small images and found a building they wanted to draw... I printed them out... and as the children got drawing them I found out the location of each of the buildings, some facts and also I could show the children how the building looked like on the inside... the internet is an amazing tool.

We intend to visit all the building they have selected from the screen... so they will be able to discover its location in Stockholm and also get a feel of "their" building.

Afterwards we messed about with the imotion app on the i-pad to create a stop-motion film.
If we are wanting to make a film, then I feel they need to get to know a few different techniques... and to also practice using them... so that they can decide which one they want to use in the final film-making.

It was a lot of fun... and the children need to collaborate, give each other space and have an awareness of where their figure was on the screen... lots to think about... there was not so much thinking about what the purpose of this film was, or what story it was telling... it was just about moving... but there was no director either... so I guess we will have to go into that too...

Afterwards the children felt that this film was about a race... on my app the film plays on a loop, which is much more satisfying for the children... and we can control the speed of the film, which fascinated them...

In the afternoon there was some more film-making, this time with the cubes...

Children from the other groups were interested and came over... and got into the film-making business too... several films were made with the blocks... 4-5 year olds taking control of the i-pad and getting creative. Here is one of those films to check out...

It will be interesting to see how the films develop as the children become more familiar with the technique.

This project is a part of the Leonardo Da Vinci project... the children became intrigued by his robot... and his desire to invent and make... we have seen films of robots... and the idea of film-making has come from that...

Methods

I have often wondered about methods… especially pedagogical methods… about how they help and support the work we do with children but also how they limit us… the need to keep to the method - the "right" way of doing something.

This weekend I attended the first of three 5 hour sessions learning more about philosophy with children - the focus being on Socratic dialogue.

As a teacher that has developed my own approach to philosophy with children I have read various methods and approaches and then done what I have always done, broken them down to understand how they work and then reassemble into a form that suits myself and the children I work with… it has to be interesting and meaningful not only for the children but for myself too… the children have to see that I am enjoying the process, the learning.

I was interested in how P4C and Socratic dialogue differ - and that those who are trained in one method find the alternative "hard" "wierd" and have resisitance… and this was something I saw yesterday and I have seen over time in groups where these philosophical approaches are defended in much the same way as pedagogical methods/approaches are defended… which I have often found has resulted in a lack of listening… if you are defending it is not an open dialogue, you listen only to answer rather than listen to understand.

For me, personally, this is why I fell in love with the Reggio Emilia Approach… it allowed me not to follow a set pedagogical structure but to explore many methods, research, schools, approaches and disciplines to find the information to weave together the fabric most suitable for the context - the children I work with, the setting I work at, the colleagues I work with and my own personal development.

I have found this useful in my philosophical learning journey. For me getting the children to think, to listen to each other, to be respectful of each others ideas, to share ideas, learning how to express their ideas… have been the most important. My understanding of Malaguzzi's 100 languages has given me the incentive to explore philosophy through more than just dialogues… to explore philosophical thinking through artistic expression, through construction, through movement, through theatre and most importantly through play.

Maybe being a pedagogue first and learning to be a philosopher WITH the children has given me the chance to see the power of thinking through many languages… communication is of course more than words… You can check out a blogpost here to read more about communication being more than the spoken language . I have not been trained in a specific method… but read and listened to others with philosophical experience… colleagues (Ellen) and courses (philosophy with children course) - some of these have been with a heavy P4C focus and others with a more Socratic dialogue approach… also meeting up with people like Kate Kennedy White from Australia and Sara Stanley from UK have also helped me understand how we can work philosophically with children and have inspired me greatly.

I think in the end we have to ask ourselves what do we want from these dialogues… what is the purpose… and then find a structure that will help create that…
I like structure… but I also like for that to be flexible enough so I can meet the needs of the children I work with… to be able to take inspiration from these different methods/approaches.

Structure is important… to allow the children to be free to explore their ideas… to feel safe. The structure gives time… to the group and to the individuals, it create the rhythm of respect…
I have written more about structure creating freedom here if you are interested in exploring this idea more.

Now I feel I need more time to reflect and think…

What is play?

Over the years I have watched children play... sometimes it has been obvious to see what their play is, other times it has been more complicated to understand what part of their actions has been play...

I have seen children standing at the sidelines that look like they are just watching... but when asked they say they are playing... and other times the child on the sideline feels excluded. So getting to know and understand each child is so important to be able to work out why they are on the side looking in...

Then there is play where the children are playing and it is just so obvious. The play is ozzing out of every pore and fills the room. It is easy to see and understand.

Then there is play that looks like work but is perceived as play... like my group of children this week that scraped all the ice and sand off a slide and kept exclaiming how much fun it was... despite it being obviously hard work... when I asked them about their activities they described it as work and play, but mostly play.

One child could not see the play in this ice-scraping activity... and kept asking if the three children scraping "wanted to play" - and presented various ideas like tag and their favourite role-play games based on TV programmes they watch. This child could not comprehend how the others could answer "but we are playing". I saw confusion on the face of the child.

Play is really rather complex... and we need to take a step back from how we adults define play and explore how children define play.



A bit more about the ice scraping...

It started with the children enjoying the new sound of going down the slide with a coating of ice... (rain/sleet that had frozen during the night). It made the slide fairly fast, but not as fast as it is when rainy.
One child decided to experiment by putting sand at the top of the slide and then sliding down with the sand... a new sound was created... all the children wanted to test it out... but soon discovered that it made the slide very slow... so they started the process of scraping off the ice and sand so that the slide would be fast again. As they scraped they discovered that this was fun too... not only the noise, but wathcing the ice fly off and also the patterns with shiney metal coming through. They even scraped off the ice and sand by sliding down with a spade at an angle... the ice/sand looking like fireworks as they scraped it off downwards.

Draw-bots

(på svenska i blå... Swedish in blue)
The draw-bot idea came not only from the fact that we are doing a robot project/exploration (as a part of the Leonardo Da Vinci project) but also about how to include everyone in my group when doing an art session. I have a child at the moment struggling with perfection and therefore choosing not to participate when it comes to group sessions... despite knowing this child is more than capable AND enjoys drawing and painting...

So I figured the draw-bots would entice the child back into the group art session... and I was right... and active happy memeber of the draw-bot art... from start to finish... and it ended up being just over an hour long... longer than I expected as the children developed the robotidea themselves...
I will explain.

The children selected three coloured pens and stuck them onto the battery-driven massager with sticky-tack.

Sometimes the pens fell off, or one did, or two.. and it was part of the excitement... and also influenced the finish project... sometimes a child put the pen too high so that it did not reach the paper... all moments to learn.

Rit-bot tanken kom inte bara från det faktum att vi hålla på med ett robotprojekt/utforskning (som en del av Leonardo Da Vinci-projektet) men också om hur man ska inkludera alla i min grupp när man gör en konst-aktivitet. Jag har ett barn för närvarande som kämpar med perfektion och väljer därför att inte delta när det gäller grupp aktiviteter kring konst osv ... trots att jag vet att det här barnet är mer än skickligt och tycker om att rita och måla ...

Så jag tänkte att rit-botsarna skulle locka barnet tillbaka till grupp-arbete ... och jag hade rätt ... hen blev en aktiv och glad deltagare av rit-bot konst ... från början till slut ... och vi höll på i drygt en timme... längre än vad jag förväntade mig 

Barnen valde tre färgade pennor och fastnade dem på en batteridriven massager med kludd.

Ibland föll alla pennor av, eller en eller två .. och det var en del av spänningen ... som påverkade slutprodukten ... Ibland lade ett barn pennan för högt så att den inte nådde papperet. . många delmoment att lära sig från.

The children talked about what they could see a whole load... someimes they went off topic, but you could really see how it was the art that lead them there... sometimes it was completely off-topic, and more about making plans to play in the snow later. This is natural when the children are taking turns... but there was no problem waiting... the first three drawing grabbed all the children's full attention, and then after that it drifted in and out of various conversations. There was one dialogue about what sort of words that should be used to describe the art... as the children thought that some choices were a bit rude, and that the same thing could be said in a more pleasant way... I won't go into details here, but it was interesting... and I agreed, I often feel slang words for body parts are not always totally positive, even if they are not offensive.

Barnen pratade mycket om vad de kunde se... ibland gick de av ämnet, men man kunde verkligen se hur det var konsten som ledde dom dit ... ibland var det helt off-topic och mer om att göra planer att leka i snön senare. Det här är naturligt när barnen turas om... men det var inget problem att vänta ... de tre första ritningarna tog alla barns fulla uppmärksamhet och sedan drev barnen in och ut ur olika samtal. Det fanns en dialog om vilka slags ord som skulle användas för att beskriva konsten ... som barnen tyckte att vissa val var lite oförskämda och att samma sak kunde sägas på ett trevligare sätt ... Jag går inte in i detaljer här, men det var intressant ... och jag var överens med barnen, jag känner ofta slangord för kroppsdelar är inte alltid helt positiva, även om de inte är stötande. På det här vist kan vi diskutera med barnen hur vi kan samtala med varandra, hur vissa ord påverka andra på ett sätt man hade inte förväntat - konst-aktiviteten skapade utrymme för samtal.

The children experimented with light -
it was interesting to listen to their dialogue... as some were talking about what they could see on the paper, while other interpreted it as what they could see in the room...
I asked if the could see the colours in the same way... and the children replied in the same way... those focussing on the paper could see the pen colours were no longer as bright, but those focussing on the room could still see colours, as there was light coming in from the windows across the room...

I had taken two "robots" with me... the massager and also a bug... the bug was harder... as it did not vibrate, the wheels meant the pens did not work when attached to them, and there were too many on the sides not to put a pen on the side...

Eventually one of the children suggested that a pen should be attached to the front of the bug... it was one the could reverse... but it did not do so much of that, maybe the pen was a bit heavy, but also I think the batteries were not 100% and seriously affected the  bug movement... but the children were delighted...

Barnen experimenterade med ljus -
Det var intressant att lyssna på deras dialog ... eftersom några pratade om vad de kunde se på pappret, medan andra tolkade det som vad de kunde se i rummet ... (pga det var nu mörkt)
Jag frågade om dom kunde se färgerna på samma sätt ... och barnen svarade på samma sätt ... dom som fokuserade på pappret kunde se att pennfärgerna inte längre var ljusa, men dom som fokuserade på rummet kunde fortfarande se färger, eftersom det fanns lite ljus som kom in från fönstren vid andra sidan av rummet ...

Jag hade tagit två "robotar" med mig hemifrån... massagern och även en insekt ... robotinsekten (hexbug) var svårare ... eftersom den inte vibrerade, hjulen gjorde att pennorna inte fungerade när de fästes på dem, och det fanns för många på sidorna att inte sätta en penna på varje sida...

Så småningom föreslog ett barn att en penna skulle fästas på framsidan... det var en som kunde vända sig ... men det hade svårt att ändra rikining, kanske var penna lite tung, men jag också tror att batterierna inte var 100% och  påverkade rörelsen ... men barnen var glada ...

The children worked in pairs to create and bugbot art... first making sure the bugbot did not escape the paper, and then colouring in the art... I really had not expected the children to do the colouring in...  I thought they would be ready to move and play outside in the snow... but they were enthusiastic to the end and colured in their art...

Barnen arbetade i par för att skapa en hexbug konst ... först och främst se till att hexbug inte flydde från papperet och sedan färglägga i konstverket ... Jag hade verkligen inte förväntat att barnen skulle färglägga... Jag trodde de skulle vara beredda att leka ute i snön ... men de var entusiastiska till slutet och färgade i sin konst ...

Här kan du se vårt robot konstgalleri

Here you can see our robot art gallery

More portraits

This portrait used the painting we did as part of our Christmas art... we first talked about how we made the art - you can check it out here.

The aim was to get the children thinking about creating a portrait based on how they feel rather than how they look... so no mirrors were used this time... they had to draw themselves as they felt... so when I was aksed "can I be square" I answered well if you feel square expresses how you feel right now about yourself then you should draw yourself square...


The large painting was cut into 8 pieces... one for each child. I placed them randomly on the floor and the children walked round and chose the background they felt suited them best... all the children were satisfied with their choice.

They got to choose one colour to draw with... this turned out to be quite difficult for a few of the children who really wanted to use many colours... but this was supposed to be a challenge... there are and will continue to be plenty of chances to use many colours and multi-colours on other occasions. The idea was for the child to focus on the form and design of the portrait, rather than on colouring in the portrait in various colours... this is not to say that we will not return to these portraits and add more colour... we might just do that.

It was also interesting to see how the children looked at each other's art, complimented each other and told each other how they were inspired to do something similar... so in the end there were small fishes on most, eyes and other body parts could be seen as inspiration sources. The children were teaching each other... sharing their techniques freely with each other... and also sharing the stories behind their choice of image... one child drew herself as a rabbit, another as a fish, there were robots and one child had a self protrait that was motion... lines across the page representing the child climbing a ladder...


I love creating big works of art with the children... I also want to work sustainably and combining one project with another helps me meet that... and also gives the children a new way to see their art... that maybe its not always finished, maybe it can be added to over time...


This connects with our Da Vinci project as part of portraits... Da Vinci the artist.

Play for Peace

I am not talking about going out and using play for children/people to learn about peace... but about the fact that PLAY is so incredibely important and valuable that it should be a priority all over the world... that children are given the time to play, the time to play alone, the time to play together, with peers and across the age groups... to play in many different ways... role-play, teacher lead play, free play etc etc etc


As I learned more about listening last year I saw how the children could apply the listening skills to their play... their play became richer and deeper and even more creative... so I am not talking about a free for all sort of play... but a supported play... that takes in the child perspective AND the child's perspective. It needs both.

It needs us as teachers to support an empathic play where the children can take care of each other...

I have seen with my own group of children how at the start of the year they look to me, the adult, to fix their problems... if children argue, if a friend falls over... they froze, looked at me and waited for it to be fixed...
I took a conscious step back and let the children fix it... of course with support... helping them find the words and actions that could ease the situation, until my suppoert was no longer needed,  they had the tools to manage it all themselves.
I was always watching... if the fall was too hard, or the argument too heated then I would step in... it meant I needed to be observant ALL the time... watching their play, understanding their play and trusting their competence... and also knowing them so well that stepping in would not be stepping on their toes... of course I don't get it right all the time... its a process for me too.

The thing is their free play has needed structure for it to be free... for them to learn strategies and tools to apply to their play to enable them to play longer, more fairly and with greater equality.

Children need play... humanity needs play... and far too often play is being seen as something that is getting in the way of learning... rather than an important part of learning, an important part of development.

My post... Structure For Freedom explained my understanding of how an adult imposed structure can support children's play to be free... by giving them a safe play to play where they understand that rules are there to enable their play rather than restrict their play... in the post there are links to posts about lining up and scaffolding children's play and learning. While I value the adult role of supporting children in their play and learning I do think it requires a great deal of listening... to listen to the children... to their perspective, but also to listen to research, to experience etc to be able to guide them in a way that will enable them as the people they are... that play and learning is a part of the lifelong process and not just a temporary feeling fulfillment.

My post ... Play and Learning shares previous posts about play... something I have written about often since I first started my blog in late 2012. This post is a good way to find those posts that might interest you the most... from are children playing enoug... to does free play actually exist...

So this year is not so much a campaign to go out and heal... play as a plaster/bandaid to create peace... but PLAY as a preventative for such remedies...

could it be possible if children around the world played more... had the time, space to play more... to learn through play... for adults to support the social learning happening through play and that activities and lessons were designed to enable this play to be richer, even better socially, more creative and open for further learning and research... and the tha lessons and the play supported each other rather than being at opposite ends where learning has a higher status than play?

Could it be possible for children to collaborate more, to be open to other perspectives, to listen with respect so that barriers come down and open the world for more peaceful interactions...

Yes.. I dream big.

But I believe in play

I believe in children.

and I believe in all the people out there that view PLAY as important and are meeting each other, inspiring each other and reaching out to the world to value play as it should be.

This is the first post of many exploring PLAY again...

through play we can embrace the imagination... problem solving, creativity...

as teachers we can expose the children to new experiences... to awaken joy, to be playful... to enable play to be enriched

Reflecting on a Year of listening

I started 2015 with the aim to become a better listener... to learn more about what listening is... and

"Not just your everyday listening, but real listening. Not just listening to answer, but listening to understand Not just listening to the words, but to the silence, the pauses Not just listening with my ears, but with the whole of me... Not just hearing but listening - an active verb - that I want to actively explore this year."

and now is the time to reflect... have I done what I have set out to do?

Well yes... but I am still not finished with this journey. I still need to be continuously aware of how I am as a listener... and also to be aware how others are as listeners. Communication is always a two way thing of where the one expressing ideas (verbally, artistically, physically etc) is connected with the one listening (to the words, meanings, interpreting the art, the actions etc).

I have seen my group become much better at listening to each other... taking the words of their peers with the same  seriousness as they take those of adults... as I often found that the children tuned out of dialogues when their peers talked... and often felt like a series of monologues... but these days there are amazing dialogues... where I can take a back seat and just listen to the ideas, problem solving and supportive nature of the children...

This was my aim... to empower the children through listening... and I really feel like we are on the right path.

Games, activities, philosophy sessions, excursions, free play... all have been woven together to create a fabric to support listening - the kind that could act like a trampoline to bounce ideas on, the kind that was snuggly to comfort each other with, the kind that was for den building to create fantasic play with... so many listening fabrics have been woven.

I am looking forward to continuing this journey of listening... to weave more fabrics... ones that I don't even know I need yet...

But I am also wanting to learn more about play... and this listening has enriched the play... and I see a connection.

I have mentioned it a few times during the year that I believe through play we can achieve peace... not over night... its a process like anything else... but I will save those reflections on my 2016 learning journey challenge for another post...