Rebecca’s vision and dedication to her students was inspiring to see! Before visiting her class, I thought that inquiry involved a lot of self-directed learning which would be very challenging to achieve in a kindergarten class room. I didn’t expect that students at that age would be intrinsically motivated enough. Rebecca explained that students aren’t given free liberty to learn whatever they want, but rather guided by her through themes that they are interested in. Rebecca takes the time to get to know her students to find what they are interested in. She then attempts to integrate the kindergarten curriculum within the theme that the students are interested in. This approach engages the students and helps to reinforce important curricular themes in a way that is more tangible to them. Though this method, students learn at a deeper, more meaningful level.
Objects for exploration as part of the “Dinosaur” Inquiry in Rebecca’s class
I was also inspired by what she said about the use of technology in the classroom. Technology in her class is used only to enhance learning rather than to supplement an activity that could be done using pen and paper or face-to-face. This really resonated with me as I have also been a bit sceptical of how much tech should be incorporated into the classroom. This rational made sense to me, and fit well with my values.
Animals made from clay and sea glass as part of the “Animal” inquiry in Rebecca’s class
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Rebecca’s class and listening to her speak. I gained a lot of progressive ideas that I plan on implementing into my own class!
As part of the “Dinosaur” inquiry