Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2016 Exhibition.

This year the United Nations 2016 International Year of Pulses became the catalyst for a whole ELC investigation. Our initial aim was to bring the experiences of teachers and children closer together and to inspire them to not only think about the role of pulses (grain legumes) in feeding the world, but to motivate them into playing a more active role in matters affecting the environment. We hoped to bring issues such as health and nutrition, food security, environmental sustainability and sustainability in other ways into our classrooms. Most importantly we wanted the learning to be authentic and worthy of learning.

“When you make learning visible, you make it exist, real, shareable, the starting point for democracy.” Carla Rinaldi

Carla Rinaldi proposes the concept of the “normality of research” which defines research as an attitude and an approach to everyday living in schools and in life…as a way of thinking with others, a way of relating with others, with the world around us and with life.

Several years ago, we, in the E.L.C. started our own research journal. The articles were not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process from each year 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. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation. It also makes visible the teachers’ research and reflections alongside those of the children. These investigations are authentic and purposeful. The documentation reflects the many languages the children use as they describe their theories and make sense of their world i.e. the written, spoken, expressive and digital language.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Kinder 3E    Kinder 3M    Kinder 3R

Kinder 4G    Kinder 4J    Kinder4L    Kinder 4 Cross Class Investigation 

Prep A         Prep K        Prep R

One L          One R        One Z       Year One Cross Class Investigation