Friday, April 12, 2019

We started out with the intention of having an outside day in KW, but the rain had other plans. Fortunately we were able to get through most of lunch outside, enjoying a change of scenery and some fresh air before the rain began. 

Creating Our Own Dice Game

Last week we began playing a dice game with our art journals in which the number rolled determines the step taken in your art journal. For example, if you roll a number one you put paint on your page. It became immediately apparent how dependent the children were on us adults when we played the game this way. So the idea emerged to have children design the dice game with their own drawings and words so they can "read" the game independently.

Today we began working on this idea with a cube block and some paper. The children agreed to continue with the same steps previously decided on: paint, tear paper and glue it down, draw something, add a picture (image), make a print, and trace or make marks.

Using abstract and symbolic thinking is a challenge when deciding how to portray an idea everyone can understand. The first choices seemed fairly simple for the children: paint and draw, but as we continued with the abstract concepts, we all had to really think about how to show the ideas. We worked together to talk about what it is we are doing during these journal steps. Such as "draw" which seemed easy enough, Tommy drew a book with colored marks on the pages and Cate drew a marker. It was decided that the two ideas could be combined into one as how could you decipher the drawing of a book from adding paint to the page? Tommy also came up with a clever idea of how to portray "print." Using a few images and arrows he showed how you can put paint on one side of a page, press the pages together, and end up with a mirror-image print on both pages. 

Another concept we had to wrestle with, and one we have been discussing since coming up with journal steps and prompts, is open-ended ideas. Cate and Lily wanted to draw Hatchimals and specific animals as those are the things they would want to draw in their journals. So Cate started by drawing several drawings  to represent images that  could be collaged into the journal. Cate appeared to have gained confidence in representing the abstract concept and then quickly knew how she could represent a torn piece of paper for the next side of the die. 

As the children started to get their ideas flowing, they began coming up with more steps than the six sides the block would allow. At this point Tommy became determined on filling two blocks: "Eleven because six plus six is...(he paused as if adding in his mind) eleven, yeah, eleven." A second block was brought in. The children added the ideas they knew off the top of their head and then we began reflecting on what other steps have we taken in our journals. We even had to do some research looking into our friends' journals for other ideas to add. We then had to debate the range of open-ended ideas such as when Lily asked for clarification on why we might not have the step "draw a tiger" but we might add "write or draw your favorite thing," (suggested by James.) Lily pointed out that we already had "draw something." So we decided to make it "write," but when it came to Tommy wanting to add a prompt about feelings, it was decided to make it "write  or draw how you feel." 

A few other concepts we worked with in coming up with the designs for our dice game were new vocabulary, literacy in writing and noticing similarities between words, ("Print and paint are almost the same," said Lily,) math, and ways of working together collaboratively. Creating the game brought up some inspiration as well such as when Tommy was looking through Hugh's journal and saw the flaps Hugh had added. Tommy decided we had to add this to the dice and, as he created the design to represent the idea, he said, "I want to add flaps to my journal." It seems the dice are already working for us and we can't wait to really play with them next week!

The final selection for the dice are:
paint
tear and glue
draw 
image
print
trace
sew in book 
yarn
glue things
​write
(draw or) write your feelings
make flaps​

Combining Wood and Wire

As we've been mentioning, our explorations in various workshops tends to loop around and layer the knowledge gained from each language onto one another. So as we've been discussing and thinking about where we're going in our wood workshop it becomes natural to think about combining wood with wire and beads (a workshop we've yet to do with two we've already worked with.) Today the children began building bases to combine these languages and possibly others as we go. As you can see in some of the notes from the experience, children bring along what is already known and test it in this experience. Abby also became so engaged with her work that she continued forward in including the wire and beads! When she was finished she proudly showed her work to the rest of the group. 
​

Building, Books, and Being with One Another

Also today, children had the opportunity to build together at the light table. Through this experience and others, the children were eager and content  to take moments of simply being together.  One example is Lily and Cate who are seen below reading together and making a plan for the walkie talkies they will try communicating through over the weekend. We hope your weekend is fabulous and filled with moments like these of being with one another. See you next week!