Sharon Dvora Design Ecology Spring 2012

Expressive Materials:draw, paint, videomodels, mappingclay, movement

Patterns:activity, movement

feeling, weatherinteractions

Children:constructing knowledge

exploreideate

researchexpress

Outdoor Playscape:Living System — Natural Elements:

seasons, weather, plants, dirtwater, sun, rain, mud, sand

Hardscape Elements:raised beds, grape arbor

sandplay areacovered porch

Teachers:dialogue, document

resource, provocation

Reggio Emiliateaching practices

& pattern language

Me:un-learning& learning

A Systems Exploration of the Outdoor Playscape at Creative Children’s Center

What stories do these places tell?

How does this place mirror who we are?

Where do I feel most alive in this place?

Where are the ‘centers’ of this place?    

the  role  of  the  teacher  is  in  understanding      the  children’s  inten3ons.    

they  are  the  researchers  exploring  the  outside  space.  

par3cipatory  ac3on.  A  ball  toss.  

learning as !" " "ball toss!

“We can make a living city in our play space” Karan

“A journey is an adventure.” Tyler

“Patterns of what goes on” Jaylin

“It should be fun.”

“Ways to figure out the world around you.”

“Some journeys are scary.”

don’t  worry  about  needing  to  know  what  to  do  next.    

truly  ask  the  students  what  they’re  thinking.    

once  I  let  go,  it  will  get  easier.    

     slow  down  the  pace.    

…  and  give  everyone  an  opportunity  to  share.    

it’s  a  very  conscious  effort  to  ask  open  ques3ons…    

Creativity is the daughter of the unexpected Loris Malaguzzi

A system needs access to itself. It needs to understand who it is, where it is,

what it believes, what it knows. Meg Wheatley, a simpler way

           let  go  of  not  knowing  what  is  next.    

   See  it  as  research.    

Documenta3on  leads  the  process.    

revisit  the  intent.    

           act  as  the  memory  of  what  just  occurred.    

ask  provoking  ques3ons  as  the  ideas  move  forward.    

“That’s a good idea” Karan

“All you can see through is the little cracks in the fence.”

“You couldn’t see through it, because it was wood.”

“You can’t see a lot, unless you climbed up onto the deck rail & look over.” Anya

“There’s a crack between the fence & the rail that you can go in.”

“If we had a window, we could see out of there.”

“So we can pretend we’re chopping by air. Bad guys. So we don’t hurt anybody with air swords.” Kegan

“You can see through the metal and hang paintings on it.” Jaylin

you  cannot  do  the  teaching  in  your  own  head.      it’s  social  construc3vism.    

you  bounce  it  off  of  other  teachers  as  well.            challenging  one  another.    

following  the  threads  of  learning,        which  move  and  shiF.    

positive space

roughness