Behind the Scenes
12/2/2017
Quite often during a project, families of students see only a beautiful finished product...all polished and shiny and clean. The messy, complicated, reflective process that has created that final product is not as evident and is often times hidden away from the public eye. However, at PNA we embrace that process and argue that it is just as important, if not more, than that final product. This was my view much of this week as the second graders worked to get things ready for the annual 2nd Grade Store. While you might think that it looks like a hot mess (and you would be right!), so much learning goes on in these workings of a process...critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration...these are just a few of the skills students need to call upon in order to successfully navigate an authentic learning experience. In times like these, students are thrown off-balance and often pushed right out of their comfort zones, and into a learning disequilibrium. That disequilibrium can take on many forms, whether it's realizing that the commercial that sounded great on paper needed way more work, to figuring out how to successfully achieve the daunting task of picking up a bajillion spilled sequins, to hearing feedback on your first efforts and finding that grit to try again.
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, asked "Are we forming children who are only capable of learning what is already known?" At PNA that answer would be no. We are forming children who can think for themselves, who are intuitive problem solvers and creative collaborators and increasingly confident in their own abilities. We do this by embracing that disequilibrium state and giving them the opportunity and support to really learn and grow. So the next time you see a proud student with their finished project, think about what must have gone into it and all of those messy, but oh so important, behind the scenes moments! Comments are closed.
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Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
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