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How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

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Connect: We prepare a space with open-ended materials and natural elements thinking about an inviting and provoking environment, thus aesthetic and pleasing for children. We also use many open-ended materials to prepare choice time materials, such as fitting games, literacy proposals, and so on.

Extended: The way they organize colors and use patterns to create the environment. Also, using different textures to explore, such as when we present different types of paper and drawing tools, which provide them with a rich sensory investigation.

Challenges:

Not enough time to exchange ideas and materials with other groups.

Not enough time to prepare the Choice Time materials.

# data[].attributes.body
How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

# data[].attributes.body
How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

# data[].attributes.body
How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

# data[].attributes.body
How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

# data[].attributes.body
How do they connect to your practices in terms of setting up the environment and preparing choice time materials?

What new ideas and inspirations did you get that extended your teaching practices?

What challenges or questions have come up from the new ideas that have been presented?

# data[].attributes.body
1) Open-ended materials are connected to the Schemas in Play that we constantly use to assess our students and to get to know them. We also use open-ended materials to make Choice Time materials even though Montessori and Reggio Emilia differ when having L.E. We also get inspired by Reggio Emilia when preparing environments to feed children's investigations in play, since PYP is play-based.

2)New ways of displaying materials and different possibilities for each material

3)Is there a sequence for presenting materials (clay, paint, etc...)? How is it presented?

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Connect:

For story workshops, where we can get creative and explore different materials:

Welcome centers might provide a nice opportunity for us to prepare and start the day. They are calmer, which helps enhance students’ ability to focus and create in a more reflective way.

Centers and differentiation connect when students can use their creativity and agency.

Choice time materials can include various textures and open-ended, sensory materials.

The recyclable materials they bring for building their inventions can also be used to set up different environments.

We should decrease the use of plastic by substituting it with natural elements and recycled materials, allowing for creativity in an environmentally friendly way.

Extended:

Creativity time allows students to work with open-ended materials and create their own pieces of work.

Once a week, they need to focus on a specific center to explore throughout the week.

Different colors of natural elements bring awareness of the possibilities found in materials that don't need to be structured toys.

Flowers are very useful for encouraging creativity and imaginative play.

Explore ways to create drawings or paintings without relying on traditional materials.

Challenges:

Students are accustomed to working with Montessori materials, so giving them the freedom to explore open-ended materials might be challenging.

Rethink some Montessori materials to make them more open-ended.

Transition from open-ended to structured activities.

Use measurement tools as provocations for exploration before applying them in structured ways.

Finding balance in time, space, and materials is essential for working with both unstructured and structured materials.

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Connect:

We already incorporate natural materials in our Choice Time, and we use non-structured materials in the classroom.

We use loose parts, leftovers, props on make-believe moments, storytelling and/or atelier.

The aesthetics brings engagement to the children when approaching materials.

Extended:

We started thinking about the color palettes when preparing environments.

Different textures and sensorial explorations.

Use more of clean, natural materials to make the presentations even more appealing.

Challenges:

Time to brainstorm and put ideas into practice, such as setting up environments and materials, and exchanging these ideas with the group.

Having materials available for atelier, classroom engagements, make-believe, playground and to make Choice Time materials as well.

Ordering takes a long time, and we can loose children's interests timing because of that.

Creating an inspiration folder to share our practices and contexts.

Children are still too structured on Montessori materials and it can be challenging for them to be open minded and free when exploring.