I.3 "Festival of Learning", January 31, 2015

8/9/2019 I.3 "Festival of Learning", January 31, 2015

1/7

Inquiry:

Intention:

Innovation:

Cultivating curiosity.We seek to uncover more questions, not just answers.

Planning for problems & complex possibilities.We learn by leaning into tension, paradox (both/and) & debate.

Being together, not the same.We believe diversity & multiple perspectives have the power to propel our future.

21 st CENTURY LEARNINGEducation in the 21 st Century has quickly become centered around ourstudents global abilities to problem solve, critically think, communicate,

collaborate, research, design and to present new ideas - both in the classroomand the world abroad. The First 5 San Francisco Festivals of Learning have been

created, in partnership, to highlight this kind of deeper learning, happeningacross the City in our early learning classrooms and environments.

READY FOR RESEARCH & DESIGNYoung children are born curious, with an endless supply of questions and ideas.The Inquiry, Intention and Innovation [I 3 ] professional learning offered through

First 5 San Franciscos Preschool For All (PFA) Initiative, is using Inquiry-BasedLearning - learning through the art and science of questions - to support early

educators in using questions, research, reflection and planning to designinstruction, provide hands-on experiences and to provoke

concept-rich discussions with children and families.

FESTIVALS OF LEARNING * First 5 recognizes the need to invest in high-quality, professional learning for

early educators in the 21 st Century and is excited to support Inquiry-BasedLearning as an intentional and innovative approach to strengthening School

Readiness across the City. We invite you to explore and enjoy this exhibitshowcasing PFA teachers who are engaging in inquiry-work with children,families (and each other) in an effort to better understand and explore

The changing world around us.

* Festivals of Learning - inspired by C5 Childrens School


2/7

Inquiry In-ProgressPuppets

Inquiry Question: How can children in an early childhoodprogram benefit from the exploration of puppet play?

Teachers: Brittany Kamerschen & Maria TanedoSchool: Utopia, St. Thomas More, PFAAge Range of Children: 3yrs 5.5yrsNumber of Students in Classroom: 34 Zip Code: 94132Dates of Investigation To-Date:October 2014 - Current

LEARNING CONTEXT: Starting in November 2014,teachers began intentionally documenting andcollecting student data (i.e. photos, observations,language samples, student artifacts, drawings,emergent writing, etc.) related to the childrensgrowing interest in puppet use. As children usedpuppets in various areas of the classroom, teachersnoticed an opportunity to deepen storytelling,language use (i.e. technical vocabulary), writtenscripts, and performance/presentation skills - all

critical competencies necessary for later social andacademic success.

PHOTO: Custom-madeTheater Tickets that

correspond to assignedseating; child-directed.

PLANNING FOR INQUIRY, INTENTION &INNOVATION: Using the puppets duringgroup time provides another way for thechildren and teachers to be engaged,providing new learning opportunities andallowing the children to expressthemselves. Teachers reflect on what theirchildrens interests are and plan for self-expression as part of the curriculum.

TEACHER PLANNING:Samples of teacherplanning & inquiry

webbing.

TEACHER REFLECTION: Thereis evidence of childrendeveloping a sense ofcuriosity through their inquiryabout puppets andstorytelling [their] curiositiesencourage a higher level ofthinking as they askquestions and resolve/create their own conclusionsand seek out answers withtheir peers and teachers. Lead Teacher, Brittany Kamerschen

PHOTO: Children arecreating family drawings &

personal puppet sticks.

RESEARCHSAYS:Childrenlearn bestwheninformationis double-coded, orpresentedin morethan oneway. -(T. Wanerman,

2009, p. 29)

PFA Coach: Betty Rapaport


3/7

Inquiry In-ProgressWe Are Makers!

Inquiry Question: How do they make it? Discovering thescience, art and design of how things are made.

Teachers: Bethica Quinn & Rosalina RodriguezSchool: Centro Las Olas, PFAAge Range of Children: 2.9yrs 5.5yrsNumber of Students in Classroom: 16Zip Code: 94110Dates of Investigation To-Date:December 2014 - Current

LEARNING CONTEXT: In December 2014, childrensinterests in Making Things exploded from a singleconversation provoked by the persistent questioning ofone child. His peers eagerly took him up on his invitation toshare theories and make meaning together. Children arenow grappling with the distinction betweenmanufactured things and things that are grown. Herechildren are beginning to use the process of Design andExperimentation to extend and develop their ownunderstanding and ideas; i.e. How To Make Shoes.

PLANNING FOR INQUIRY, INTENTION & INNOVATION:Teachers and children are working together to research,design, develop and describe how things in theireveryday environment are made. It requires time toreflect on each step of the process and a lot of patience tosort through conflicting theories. Using inquiry and designthinking, teachers are supporting childrens use of questionsto deepen their understanding and to create a road-mapof how childrens thinking is evolving over time.

TEACHER REFLECTION:As a teacher, I can easily see how children areusing social, reasoning, and representationalskills to explore their questions about the worldthey live in. I am also learning as I investigate thebalance between supplying information andanswers and allowing children to struggle withwhat they do not know. I cannot yet say wherethis investigation will take us, but I do know thatit will be worth the trip.

Director & Lead Teacher, Bethica Quinn, M. Ed.

PHOTOS: Examples ofchildren beginning to draw,write & prototype their owndesigns for manufacturing.

PHOTO ABOVE: Vega enthusiasticallyexplains her 1 st wire design

PHOTO BELOW: Santiago lifts his shoecloser to better capture the details of

his shoe design

RESEARCH SAYS: . The teacher creates a space in her mind that is definedby the childs chosen focus of interest. She tries. to imaginativelyconstruct, within this space, an extended picture of the childs ideas and

the relationships among them. In doing so, she asks herself questions aboutthe childs emerging ideas that she in turn poses to the child. (Scheinfeld, Haigh & Schienfeld, 2008, p. 36-37)

PFA Coach: Bethica Quinn


4/7


5/7

Inquiry In-ProgressFamilies

Inquiry Question ? If we chose Families as our initial topic ofinvestigation with children, in what ways will our collective

learning around critical thinking, reflection and academic/social-emotional connections be impacted?

CURRENT INVESTIGATION QUESTION: Who is in your family?PROVOCATION FOCUS: "Creating a Family Graph: Math is fun! By creatingthis graph, children practice the advanced pre-literacy concept ofsymbolic thinking. Each small drawing represents one family member. Thisability to link a symbol to a meaning is a necessary prerequisite to reading.By drawing a family member on each small sticker, the childrendemonstrate precise fine motor control and identity development. Thegraph as a whole provides opportunities to compare and contrast familysize, intentionally linking mathematical thinking to identity-of-self and socialemotional development. Innovative way to build cross-content learning!!!

PLANNING FOR INQUIRY, INTENTION &INNOVATION: As teachers gather evidenceof learning from the children (i.e. photos,observations, work-samples, etc.) they worktogether to develop provocative learningexperiences based on childrens ideas that extend, develop and deepen thelearning opportunities offered every-day

through vocabulary rich conversations anda high-quality early education environment.

TEACHER REFLECTION:"We teachers arechallenging ourselves to take our projectwork to the next level by consistently askingourselves, "What are the children learning?How can we link this learning to ECEresearch? How is this experience preparingthem for academic and social-emotionalsuccess?" - Collaborative reflection developed by the entireteaching team @ TCPGC, PFA

PHOTOS: A range of ways in which

teachers, children and families arecollaboratively investigating theconnections between family, home &

school as well as weaving in academiccontent & social emotional learning.

RESEARCH SAYS: "The challenge with this kind of projectwork is to keep uncovering the children's interests andquestions, rather than rushing in to teach them a bunch ofinformation about the subject. Commit yourself todeveloping curriculum that uncovers more and moreabout the children's ideas rather than shaping it around

your own knowledge and ideas. This helps children seethemselves as thinkers, inventors, and theory makers. -(Carter & Curtis, 2008, p.42)

TEACHER PLANNING:

Beginnings of inquiry &evidence-based planning

Teachers: Victoria Porter, Kathy Funaki, Yolanda Valle,Solitaire Miguel, Brooke Giesen (Director)

School: The Community Preschool @ Grace Cathedral, PFAAge Range of Children: 3yrs 5.5yrs

Number of Students in Classroom: 21 Zip Code: 94108

Dates of Investigation To-Date:September 2014 - CurrentPFA Coach: Michelle Grant-Groves


6/7

Inquiry In-Progress:Transportation

Inquiry Question: What are all of the many ways we get

around? How do they work? How are they made?

Lead Teacher: Tracy Loh & Thuy Van DoSchool: Wah Mei School, PFA

Age Range of Children: 3yrs 5.5yrs Number of Students in Classroom: 14

Zip Code: 94122Dates of Investigation To-Date:

October 2014 - Current

LEARNING CONTEXT: Children are always brining their own ideas andcreativity, based on experiences in the past and with their families. Weare focusing on asking children to share those experiences and ideasand that is where the topic of Transportation emerged. In this project,we are encouraging children to reflect on their experiences andexplore with creative thinking; combining old and new experiences tofoster analysis and social-self development. Together, we arebecoming a Community of Inquiry, celebrating each others learning.

PLANNING FOR INQUIRY, INTENTION &INNOVATION: Together we are growing as ateam, alongside of our students. These long-termprojects support children to develop importantsocial and collaboration skills AND to becomemore academically involved in early literacy andmath because they want to. Together, we areintentionally planning for culturally andlinguistically responsive opportunities linked to ourproject and investigation.

TEACHER REFLECTION: I really appreciate having the opportunity toshare my knowledge and to learn from the children as well. This kindof work is supporting not just childrens thinking (and my own) butalso their language development, both in Chinese and in English. It isincredible to watch. I am going to keep asking questions that peektheir interests and keep researching myself about our topic; learningabout them and myself along the way. Tracy Loh & Thuy Van Do

PHOTO: Custom-madeTheater Tickets that

correspond to assignedseating; child-directed.

PHOTO:Children arebeginning tocreate theirown designs

based ontheir

research

RESEARCH SAYS: Youngchildrens entire life is aboutlearningits not justexperiences that childrenneed in order to learn, butalso reflection on thoseexperiences that bringsabout the deepestlearning. - (Carter & Curtis,

2008, p. 118)

TEACHER PLANNING: Here youcan see how teachers arebeginning to document &

develop childrens ideas aboutvarious forms of Transportation.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Homelanguage is honored &

encouraged.

PFA Coach: Cynthia Fong

TEACHERPLANNING:Samples of

teacher planning& inquiry prompts

with children.


7/7

Inquiry In-ProgressCastles & Ice

Inquiry Questions: In what ways will using questions withchildren and in our planning process, effect the learning

outcomes and depth/length of our investigations?

Teachers: Ashely Gully, Ed Garvilla, Tina King,Jean Wilkinson, Nancy GalesSchool: Stonestown YMCA,St. Francis Location, PFAAge Range of Children: 2.9yrs 5.5yrsNumber of Students in Each Classroom: 24 Zip Code: 94127Dates of Investigation To-Date:November 2014 - Current

LEARNING CONTEXT: Starting in November of 2014, bothclassrooms at St. Francis YMCA, PFA Child DevelopmentCenter began to plan and explore long-term projects basedon childrens expressed interests and ideas (Castles and Ice).Using Inquiry as their frame, teachers are supporting childrento create their own challenges and work as a team to solvethem. Teachers are learning that students are able to explorea topic of inquiry in a very deep and involved way.

TEACHER REFLECTION:We as teachers are learning rightalong with our kids, not only on this investigation but onothers to come. Its important for teachers to just be able torelease and let go. To trust that your kids after youveintroduced the inquiry question and provocation will beable to explore and learn together as a team and thatteachers will learn along side with them too. Koalas, ICEThis allows teachers to appreciate how invested studentsare in their work and gives us motivation, Pandas, CASTLES

PHOTOS: Creating& recreating

ideas in multipleways builds strongneural pathways

for futureacademiclearning.

RESEARCH SAYS:Children constructtheir own intelligence.The adult must provideactivities and context,but most of all must beable to listen. Childrenneed proof that adultsbelieve in them. Theirthree great desires areto be listened to, tounderstand, and todemonstrate that theyare exactly what weexpect. - Loris Malaguzzi(Lewin, 2006, p. 12)

PLANNING FOR INQUIRY,INTENTION & INNOVATION:CASTLES: Our students arelearning to identify the physical

components of a castle, using books and digitalmaterials, and then transferring that knowledgeinto a trial and error process of building a groupcastle with recycled materials.ICE: Playing and exploring with ice opens up theopportunity to talk about and use describingwords to communicate what is beingexperienced and to further investigate WHYthose experiences are important. By planningintentionally with inquiry at the center of our work,everyone is interested and engaged!

PFA Coach:Michelle Grant-Groves

Documents

I.3 "Festival of Learning", January 31, 2015