Welcome to the 2020 ‘Windows Into Children’s Thinking’ Exhibition
“Children can give us the strength of doubt and the courage of error. They can transmit to us the joy of searching and researching…the value of research, as an openness toward others and toward everything new that is produced by the encounter with others.” Carla Rinaldi
The idea behind the whole ELC immersing themselves into one overarching research question is because of a willingness to create relationships and connections amongst the staff; to develop an even stronger community where everyone has a sense of belonging. It is also to recognise school wide research as professional development.
Our ELC investigation this year “Crossing Boundaries” was chosen at the end of 2019 long before the challenges of 2020.
During this Covid-19 pandemic, there will always be a before and after. This experience has strengthened our awareness of how deeply we value relationships, of the jobs that are now recognised as essential, and of how we can come together to act in the best interests of all.
The professional development for educators, which results from the reflective practice of observation and documentation, provides the possibility for critical thinking and constructing new knowledge.
We have had to consider what is different? Are some of the processes we would have commonly used before, now calling for reflection? What changes are we noticing among the children, other educators, and families? Are we noticing things that were not evident before that we might want to investigate further? Are we documenting with different questions in mind?
As the context of teaching and learning changed with Digital Bialik, teachers had to rethink processes, and, in kindergarten, teachers learnt to accommodate changing groups and COVID safe protocols.
This journal, one of a series which started in 2006, is highlighting the voices of the teachers in the Kindergartens and Creche during the changes which occurred while under lockdown. Each article covers a different perspective – teachers, children and the environment. The articles from the Prep and Year One classes are not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process, from each level as well as cross-class groups. One investigation may have spanned a few weeks, whilst another may have continued over many months and may still be ongoing. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, through photographs and other ‘languages’. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation.
The words of Malaguzzi resonate when he said “when ideas and feelings turned towards the future, seemed so much stronger than those that called one to halt and focus on the present. It seemed that difficulties did not exist and that there were no insurmountable obstacles to overcome”.
As we move out of lockdown we feel optimism and a sense of hope. In publishing this journal we have given a voice to our educators and children in the ELC.
Click on the links below to access the classes:
Creche Aleph Creche Bet Creche Gimmel Creche Dalet
Kinder 3 Aleph Kinder 3 Bet Kinder 3 Gimmel
Kinder 4 Aleph Kinder 4 Bet Kinder 4 Gimmel
Prep Aleph Prep Bet Prep Gimmel Prep Cross Class