Generative Curriculum & Our Essential Question West Dalhousie

What is our image of a child?

“working with children means walking - -- to use Bateson’s wonderful metaphor - with angels. The certainties are few, the uncertainties are many.”

What is the role of school?

“The object of the school is to start from the children, to let them know that they are the ones who give shape to things and are not just destined to submit to things.” Loris Malaguzzi

How is knowledge born?

To learn, to play, to process - part of being human, and part of the process of learning. - Carla Rinaldi To learn, to play, to process - part of being human, and part of the process of learning. - Carla Rinaldi

Does learning arrive in answers or questions?

Beauty is a quality of relationship of all intellects. - Rinaldi

To educate is not simply to inform or train, but to bring out the value of a person to value others. As teachers or adults we accept vulnerability, doubts, fears, and feel passionate.

We would like children to shape places not places shape children. - Sandra Puccini

If we conceive that children have the capacity to generate and apply their own theories, the most important verb in teaching is not to talk, demonstrate, model, transmit, but rather to listen… - Rinaldi

How do we listen to children?

Children’s potential needs to be respected and we need to trust them.

We see the child as a human being who is the author of himself/herself in relation to the world….

Adults do not have less importance, but their role is that of listening, defining, seeing, guiding to new possibilities…

What is Generativity?

Key Understandings Focus on Inquiry Focus on Inquiry On-going Dialogue On-going Dialogue Learning will be transformative Learning will be transformative Social construction of knowledge Social construction of knowledge Critical Thinking Critical Thinking Generate (Questions), Generational (builds on knowledge over time), Generosity (multiple entry points), Engender (model of adulthood) Generate (Questions), Generational (builds on knowledge over time), Generosity (multiple entry points), Engender (model of adulthood)

Curriculum Possibilities – W. Doll Relational – connections and interconnections Rigor – problems, perturbations, and possibilities Recursion – loop back on previous ideas - Ongoing interaction Rich – multiple layers of interpretation -Varied realms of meaning

Key Understandings Knowledge should have practical application and be worth understanding Knowledge should have practical application and be worth understanding All about connections All about connections Engage students in rich, meaningful, complex questions Engage students in rich, meaningful, complex questions Both children and teachers become learners together Both children and teachers become learners together

Best Practices that are Generative Time Voice The Individual

We work to honor the individual in our practice We work to honor the individual in our practice The classrooms are permeable to the experiences and cultures that individuals bring The classrooms are permeable to the experiences and cultures that individuals bring Cultivate empathy for the members of our school, community and the world, thus opening a space for others to be individuals. Cultivate empathy for the members of our school, community and the world, thus opening a space for others to be individuals.

Time is Valued Time is used flexibly Time is used flexibly Large blocks of time which allows us to explore in depth topics Large blocks of time which allows us to explore in depth topics The use of time allows us to respond to the individuality of the learners and their needs. The use of time allows us to respond to the individuality of the learners and their needs.

Voice As teachers our professional responsibility is to know the curriculum goal, we value and encourage children’s voices in the shaping of the journey. As teachers our professional responsibility is to know the curriculum goal, we value and encourage children’s voices in the shaping of the journey. We guide and support children in expressing their ideas and opinions thus encouraging them to be risk takers. We guide and support children in expressing their ideas and opinions thus encouraging them to be risk takers. We value dissonant voices which help us to re- examine our work. We value dissonant voices which help us to re- examine our work. We work to nurture a communal voice that binds us as a learning community and cultivates a common understanding. We work to nurture a communal voice that binds us as a learning community and cultivates a common understanding.

Generativity is not… Stand and deliver Stand and deliver One truth One truth A method A method Narrow and not limited Narrow and not limited Finishing a topic Finishing a topic Not unity planning Not unity planning Not ruled by SLE’s Not ruled by SLE’s Not “covering material” or a checklist Not “covering material” or a checklist Not compartmentalized Not compartmentalized Not isolated Not isolated Not linear Not linear Doesn’t have a set starting point Doesn’t have a set starting point Doesn’t always move forward Doesn’t always move forward Not age appropriate Not age appropriate Subject specific Subject specific Not busy work/activity mania Not busy work/activity mania Packagable Packagable Not top down Not top down Recreatable Recreatable Easy Easy Predictable Predictable Individual Individual

Generativity is not… In a box In a box Single text Single text Monologue Monologue Disconnected Disconnected One practice One practice One voice One voice Final answer Final answer Right or wrong Right or wrong Decisive Decisive One way One way Teacher directed Teacher directed Rigid Rigid Provincial achievement tests Provincial achievement tests Always measureable Always measureable Boxed into time frame Boxed into time frame Predetermined outcomes Predetermined outcomes Easy for students, parents and teachers Easy for students, parents and teachers Neat and tidy Neat and tidy Safe Safe Surface and simplistic Surface and simplistic

“Learners enter into the process of learning not by acquiring facts, but by constructing their reality in social exchanges with others.” - Friere, 1977

What is an Essential Question?

arise from people's attempts, throughout human history, to learn more about the world(s) we live in. arise from people's attempts, throughout human history, to learn more about the world(s) we live in. compelling and invite perspective compelling and invite perspective allow us to explore what knowledge is, how it came to be, and how it has changed through human history. allow us to explore what knowledge is, how it came to be, and how it has changed through human history.

poised at the boundary of the known and the unknown poised at the boundary of the known and the unknown Essential questions arise from an implicit commitment to human efficacy: to a belief that individuals can make a difference, that knowledge can both be acquired and changed. Essential questions arise from an implicit commitment to human efficacy: to a belief that individuals can make a difference, that knowledge can both be acquired and changed.

An essential question engages the imagination in significant ways. People can know only a limited amount about the world through direct experience. We are most intrigued, puzzled and enchanted by experience that comes to us imaginatively. An essential question engages the imagination in significant ways. People can know only a limited amount about the world through direct experience. We are most intrigued, puzzled and enchanted by experience that comes to us imaginatively. Galileo Educational Network html Galileo Educational Network html html html

West Dalhousie’s Essential Question – What does it mean to be part of Culture?