Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/one-persons-junk-is-a-teachers-treasure-learning-with-loose-parts/5024683/
About one year ago I heard Bruce Rodrigues, Ontario’s deputy minister of education, speak about education and learning in the 21st century. One thing that Rodrigues spoke about that resonated with me was that as teachers we are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist. Consequently, we are not able to predict the exact skill sets students will need as they grow; however, we do know that in order to navigate the rapidly changing world, students will need to leave our classrooms as innovative, creative and open-minded individuals.
Laying the foundation for such characteristics begins in early education and the experiences children are provided with frame the type of thinkers they become. Each day, children’s experiences are impacted by their environments. Specifically, the materials within the classroom and the ways in which they are arranged play key roles in the development of experiences.
Take a moment to think about the types of materials you provide for children in your classroom or the types of materials you typically see in the classrooms you visit. Are they natural or manufactured? Are they open or close ended? How are these materials selected? Here in Ontario, many classrooms that I visit as ...