5-6-2010

5-6-2010

Observation times:
Cormier 1:30-2:30pm

Last week we went to work with the kindergarteners at Cormier school. We had planned out a play-based lessons on robots using the PicoCrickets. The kindergarteners had been working on a robot unit, so we wanted to use the PicoCrickets to extend what they had already learned about robots. In observing the students I tried to focus on how they were really learning through play. Some things that I noticed were:

1) The children wanted to have their hands on everything and try everything.

- In working with the PicoCrickets there was only so much to go around. The kids made sure that they each got to touch every little thing. They understood things much better as well when they were able to touch and feel it.

2) They love to experiment and try new things.

- They really enjoyed figuring out how things worked. They wanted to try different things and explore the materials which helped them to understand it.

3) The children liked to be challenged with questions and enjoyed getting the chance to figure things out on their own.

- We would often challenge students to come up with their own ideas of things to make and try because that really is the point of play-based learning. They were able to better understand robots through their explorations and they were able to utilize the vocabulary that we were introducing in their own words, which in my mind is the best demonstration of learning.