EdEx the education exploration project
Black Creek Pioneer Village | June 2014
EdEx was an exploration into inquiry-based learning including: thinking deeply about how children learn, and how to bring creative and critical thinking skills into the classroom using purposefully curated materials. Also, wonderful opportunities to explore wonder, curiosity and creativity, making learning visible, pedagogical documentation, emergent curriculum, community-building, student engagement, and more.
Conference planning and Pop-Up Labschool powered by: ThinkinEd The Hawkins Exhibit and Pedagogical discussion facilitated by: Louise Jupp Professor, Bachelor of Child Development, Seneca College Diane Kashin Professor, Bachelor of Child Development, Seneca College Rosalba Bortolotti Head of School, Founder, Consultant at Acorn School |
EdEx FamiliesFamilies visiting our Labschool in the morning were invited to bring the changing seasons to life through materials. The room quickly filled with the buzz of activity as parents and children worked side by side to infuse materials with meaning. One child built her creation up the side of a riser – challenging her thinking about gravity and inspiring others to expand on her discoveries. Later, two children unexpectedly created an overhead projector(!) when a mirror they were using caught the room lights from above. Their unintended invention ramped up the sense of wonder in the room and inspired others to test theories of light, shadow, and reflection. We love it when the power of loose parts leads to discovery – especially when messing-about drives inquiry learning in the youngest of theory-builders!
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EdEx EducatorsEducators spent the morning visiting the Hawkins Exhibit, learning about the theory of loose parts, and observing and reflecting on the activity in the Labschool. By the time they visited the labschool in the afternoon, the educators were ready to put theory into practice. This time we changed up the provocation and asked participants to explore their own learning journeys. The resulting creations were a true testament to the versatility of loose parts. The same materials were re-used and re-purposed in complex and thoughtful ways. It was remarkable to witness adults fully engaged and re-imagining the seasonal colour wheel of materials to represent complex social-emotional experiences. Later, our observations of the intricate thinking that emerged pushed our own thinking beyond the learning journey towards the notion of creative journey.
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EdEx MaterialsThis is the curated collection of materials we brought to EdEx. The dance floor lent itself well to creating a distinct colour wheel with 4 tones circling the outside – spring, summer, winter and fall – and neutral-toned materials in the centre. The layout worked beautifully for families exploring the changing seasons in the morning, and for educators building their learning journeys in the afternoon. We also set up a workshop area for lights and utilities, takeaway booklets, and a documentation station for making our learning visible.
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