Closely looking at different types of learning contexts, I've decided to look at four from a variety and these being;
The Foundation Phase
Outside Play
Montessori Learning
Collaborative Learning
I decided to chose these four in particular, because they're the most interesting in my opinion, and they can clearly show the advantages and benefits of how children learn in that particular context.
I will be discussing what each one involves, and what they offer for children in education. I shall also be showing video clips, links and pictures that express my opinions in more detail and that perhaps give more information on my chosen learning context.
The Foundation Phase is the curriculum for children aged 3 to 7 years in Wales in non-maintained settings and maintained settings.
It stimulates children to have fun whilst learning, make education enjoyable for them and to be creative in what they do.
The Foundation Phase has a great emphasis on children 'doing' whilst learning and gaining at education. This makes learning more interesting for children, and also makes them want to learn.
This phase is made to set frameworks for children to work towards and ensures that children are learning and developing their knowledge and education levels.
It gives children the appropriate knowledge they need to succeed for future education and for later life.
This link of a document by Helen Phillips, explains the Foundation Phase in more depth and outlines what it involves and what it's about.
It discusses the challenges the Foundation Phase gives and what opportunities are outlined for children.
Schools in Wales need to ensure that children are learning cognitively in order to build their knowledge and give them a good understanding of topics and subjects.
It's important that schools keep following the Foundation Phase to provide children with the right education.
Not only is it important to keep the educated by following the Foundation Phase, but it's crucial that children are enjoying learning and are participating all the time because they are involved in activities and are taking a real interest into what they are learning.
Some schools use 'tracking' whilst following The Foundation Phase. This is because they can keep an eye on every single pupil and see how they are progressing.
One school in particular, 'Ysgol Emmanual' in Derbyshire have used this technique, as their standards were falling, but since doing this, they have achieved their goals in their pupils and by keeping up to track with their progress they have been able to recognise where they have gone wrong in teaching and where more training was needed about how to help their pupils be successful and thrive in their learning.
This is a video clip that shows this schools' improvements and how they managed to track their progress and make changes for the better..
To sum up, children learn best by 'doing' activities and by having first hand experience when learning, and The Foundation Phase encourages this in schools in Wales.
It's a fantastic way in getting children involved in gaining an education and a great way to prepare children for what they need to know to succeed at the next level.
The Foundation Phase offers an achievable education for young children, and brings out the fun and enjoyment to learning at school.
3. Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 'Foundation Phase: Framework for Children’s Learning' Consultation Document. January (2007).
There are many ways of learning in education, and in recent years we have noticed that outside play contributes to an important part of learning. The typical way of learning usually is seen as the 'writing and reading' method, where a teacher writes on maybe a blackboard and children sit and listen and then get given writing tasks to do individually. However, this method isn't always the best way in teaching children. Outside play proves to be a very successful way in educating children. For instance, we learn how to grow vegetables outside, we learn about the environment, we learn about sports, nature, animals, and plants, e.t.c. Children need to learn about these interesting facts that take place outside the classroom and need to go and experience it for themselves. Bruce, (1996) also said that learning through first hand experience is one of the best ways in which children learn. Play and learning are closely intertwined with one another. There are many projects wanting primary schools to ensure that outside play is taking place in educating children, and that they are also teaching the right things outside. It is important to have a growth area outside where children can learn to grow food and how that process works, as much as it's important for children to do sports outside and to play freely outside on their own or with peers. The outside environment allows children to get fresh air and not be stuck in a small classroom all day being in a small space. Aronson (2002).
The outside play method also lets children be children. It gives them the opportunity to jump, run, play, discover, explore, yelling, climbing and just being children. As well as the importance of learning in the outside environment, play is just as important for children when learning. Outside play fulfils children's needs for freedom of play and being able to do what they want to, having a sense of adventure and being themselves. Greenman (1993) From previous research from books, authors and teachers have found that outside play can be beneficial for all ages and even teachers too. Getting involved in activities outside and coming together to learn and participate can be fun for everyone in the school environment.
Although children learn the majority of things inside the classroom, it's crucial that they learn outside too. The importance is stressed that children need to be outside and need to play with one another and explore the world for themselves. If education was just about writing, reading and listening it would be a boring place for all children. Outside play brings out the fun opportunities and activities that children can do and freely participate in. To gain a better knowledge of the outside world, children must have the chance and opportunity to be able to play outside and discover in that environment.
References 1. 'Learn and Play Out' Retrieved in April from : (http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415656368/)
2. Community Playthings, 'Outdoor Play' Viewed in April, from : (http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/outdoor-play-for-children) 3. The Outside Play and Learning Book: 'Activities for Young Children'. Karen Miller (1989) Gryphon House,U.S.
Dr Maria Montessori first started teaching children and beginning her educational journey by teaching in mental institutions believing that she could make a difference. Montessori was later assigned as a director of a nursery in 1907 for children ages three to six in Rome. She set it up originally to keep children off the streets and educate them.
From reading 'A Visit to a Montessori Children's House' the atmosphere of how children learn in this way proves to be a stress-free education. Children are able to come into the 'house' and pick and choose what to play with and what to do when they please. There are children size furniture and appliances for children to play with and work with. This makes things easier for the children, as they can use things their 'size' and can work efficiently to learn and educate themselves. This is a perfect example of a montessori classroom environment.
Children are able to work with their size tools and toys to make it easier for them to work with. The montessori method is available and open to anyone or any school who wants to teach in this particular way or having a passion for giving children the best possible way to learn and retrieve an education, whilst participating in their learning. Children can gain a sense of being in control of their learning. Tina Bruce (1998). They also get the opportunity to learn through first hand experience in their education. Bruce (1996). In the Montessori environment, it differences very much from the normal classroom environment. For instance, the teacher in a montessori classroom will not lead the children. She/He will be there to assist the children and suggest ideas to the children regarding what to do and what to learn. For example, a teacher will say to a child "David, I think this table needs a clean, it looks very dirty." Almost hinting for the child to respond and think for themselves to clean the table and collect the things they will need to clean the table. This enables children to think for themselves and be independent in their learning. This short video clip gives an idea of what the teacher's role involves in the montessori classroom and what happens in this environment.
This video clip shows that not only the children are learning, but the teachers are learning too. This benefits both pupils and teachers in the classroom, and enables them to learn freely. Children are not pressurised by teachers and are not being told what to do. By giving them this freedom to learn they do it effectively and learn more by being responsible for what they challenge themselves with in the classroom.
References 1. Absorbent Minds Montessori Retrieved on 18th April from : (http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/acatalog/What_is_Montessori_.html)
2. Susan Feez (2010) 'A Visit to a Montessori Children's House'. Montessori and Early Childhood. Sage. London. 3. Montessori Centre International Retrieved in April from : (http://distancelearning.montessori.org.uk)
Collaborative learning is when two or more people attempt to work and learn something together. Dillenbourg, P (1999). Collaborative learning can involve two or more people working together on a project or learning a certain subject whilst discussing it with one another.
This type of learning is based on the fact that socialising when learning is natural in education and when trying to learn something new. One of the main characteristics of collaborative learning is working together in small groups to get a task or project done. Legeune, (1999). Collaborative learning has many advantages that promote this type of learning and benefit children in learning something new. One of the benefits of collaborative learning is assimilating different peoples views and ideas and combining them all together to create lots of different opinions and bring them together as one.
Collaborative learning has been involved in primary schools for over thirty years, proving that it is a successful way of learning for children and that it's an interesting way of educating children in schools. Teachers are trying to bring collaborative learning into the classroom more often, as it's something different and more fun for children to learn topics when they can work with other children and discuss ideas and views. It's also great for children working together, as it educates them on different people's opinions and it teaches them to accept and appreciate their peers' opinions and look at different perspectives. However, as well as acknowledging other people's ideas when working together they have to learn to also defend their own ideas and opinions and articulate them too. Another extraordinary advantage of collaborative learning which Dylan Wiliam strongly agrees with, is that group goals with individual accountability doubles the speed of pupils' learning. From this video, he explains and shows how children double their learning speed when working with groups of children and learning from socialising.
The main aim of collaborative learning, is to reach an end goal at the end of discussing and working together as a group. When working in small groups, pupils are responsible for not only their own learning but for others too. Collaborative learning makes a significant change to the normal way of children learning in a classroom, and it gives them the chance to speak for themselves and talk about what they've learnt. Proven to be one of the main ways to help children to learn, this context of learning is a successful one and a useful way in educating children. References
1. Curtin Teaching and Learning Retrieved on 17th April from : (http://otl.curtin.edu.au/learning_teaching/philosophy_teaching/student_centred/collaborative.cfm)
2. Collaborative Learning Project Retrieved on 18th April from: (http://www.collaborativelearning.org) 3. Collaborative Learning - Dylan Wiliams Retrieved on 18th April from: (http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/collaborativelearningdylanwiliam.asp)
4. Constructing Knowledge Together (21-45). Extract from Telecollaborative Language Learning. A guidebook to
moderating intercultural collaboration online. M. Dooly (ed.). (2008) Bern: Peter Lang.
