How can children navigate in different languages during the process of interaction and learning?” Provocations to build a responsive curriculum based on my learning process through this course. by Cristiene Carvalho

Why did I choose this question?

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:15:27 UTC

The question “How can children navigate in different languages during the process of interaction and learning?” challenged me to think about the relationship between interaction and expression in the process of learning in Childhood. I chose this question because, after this Unit, I understood the importance of children using different languages to express, interact, and learn in all moments of their development process.

My responsive curriculum includes challenging children to express themselves in One Hundred languages, Offering opportunities for playing and interacting, Exercising democracy having a voice in decisions making and feeling included in a curriculum that contemplates diversity.

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:17:00 UTC

Educators must build a responsive curriculum by observing children’s interests, abilities and needs. To explore children’s interactions and expression, I would plan activities that challenge children to use their One Hundred languages (based on the ideas proposed by Malaguzzi), thinking about the classroom as a place of experimentation of expression, and interests with unlimited possibilities. See some examples in my list of provocations and my reflections about this curriculum.

Provocations into practice

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:20:32 UTC

- Include a box with many scarves, hats and accessories that allow them to combine in many ways to create costumes in their imaginary and fantasy play. It will challenge them to use and produce stories, expressing themselves in many ways.

- Promote some collective games with balls and obstacles to challenge children to take turns and work collaboratively while doing physical activity.

- Set up activities outside and inside that use sensory play with water, mud, sand, and natural elements to promote negotiation and cooperation and create a welcoming socialisation and expression environment.

- Set up mini studios for creative art plays like painting, modelling, and drawing. These spaces will be open for collective work, and children will have opportunities to express themselves using different languages while interacting with peers.

- Include the music as a part of children’s expression, reserving a box with musical instruments and challenging children to play in many ways. In that way, music will be a possibility of expression and communication for them, and they can exercise autonomy about when and how to play.

- Create opportunities for children to express themselves using their bodies. For example, the corporal expression could be challenged by fun games, collective performances based on their moves and using objects to challenge their movements, such as scarves, feathers, instruments and all materials that communicate with their bodies.

Children in the centre of learning process and Feminist Pedagogy

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:23:28 UTC

These are some possibilities of provocations/activities that I could create with the intention of challenging children to express themselves in many languages and interact with each other in the learning process. To put children in the centre of the learning process, it is vital to ask them before making decisions about routines and projects and validate their opinions. It could be more potent if I construct corners/areas based on their interests and observations without gender bias, allowing children to explore different roles without target activities for boys or girls, following the Feminist pedagogy described by Pacini(2015). These activities also can generate discussions, and I will be alert to mediate and observe how children are organizing their knowledge about it.

Pedagogy of Listening and Reflective cycle process

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:24:14 UTC

For that, in the process, I will exercise the Pedagogy of Listening (Quintero, 2010), observing children in all their complex ways of expression without making assumptions about their preferences. After these observations, I will create/change activities considering the critical reflection and reflective cycle process. Creating questions to guide my modifications. How are children using these resources? Is it challenging them in the process of learning? What areas/topics are they showing that are in need? How can I create new activities that help them to learn new skills, work collaboratively and express themselves? These questions will guide me through building a cycle of work planning, observing, reflecting, acting, and planning.

Open-ended questions, Scaffolding and democracy

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:25:47 UTC

For that, my observations will give me material to provoke children by asking them open-ended questions related to what they are experiencing doing these activities. These questions will be one opportunity to know how children organise their knowledge and what is necessary to scaffold their understanding following what Jerome Bruner wrote about “collaborative process of creating shared meanings” (Nolan and Raban, 2015, p.33). The provocations will also be possible if I include children in the learning process by giving them a voice to participate in decisions and exercise their democracy. They can choose the topic/activity/set up and be asked about decisions related to excursions/routine/projects.

Holistic Approach

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 09:26:53 UTC

Also, I will plan activities that challenge children to exercise their communication, motor, and social skills and challenge different abilities. This vision based on the holistic approach will help me to look at them, considering their diverse possibilities/capabilities. In that way, I can support children in their varied aspect of abilities.

Diversity and Inclusion

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-21 10:46:19 UTC

Thinking about diversity in organising my curriculum and practices, I will include activities enhancing all children’s cultures/backgrounds. For this, we could create a calendar with families and invite them to share with us special celebrations. Also, I will invite parents/family to share with us about their traditional food. I will ask them to help us connect their culture with all children, for example, by teaching children how to cook traditional recipes. According to Outcome 2 from EYLF Australia (2009) it will give children the perspective of belonging in the space and being respectful of diversity.

Changes in my view after this Unit, contemporary issues and impact on my practice

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:15:10 UTC

To construct these ideas in my curriculum, the process of learning in the Unit "Practice in Partnership – Industry" was crucial for building the knowledge related to Images of childhood, Contemporary issues in childhood, Theories related to childhood, Documentation and planning, Pedagogical documentation, Children as capable and Pedagogy of listening. Some concepts I had the opportunity to learn before, for example, the theories of childhood and general types of documentation. But how we could connect these theories with the contemporary issues in childhood settings changed my view. The readings and the opportunity to talk with my colleagues gave me a practical perception. These issues are part of significant societal problems like lack of values, excess of technology and decreased time for children with families and in nature. For this, in that Unit, I could associate my previous learning about children's development with strategies to support them in facing these challenges.

How children 3-5 years old are learning?

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:18:27 UTC

Some readings moved my thinking about childhood, especially for children 3 to 5 years. Modesto Junior (n.d) and his ideas about the learning process in children were essential to guide my interpretations in my pedagogical narrations. "Children learn at different rates. The learning rate does not necessarily indicate intelligence, for some slow learners understand concepts more thoroughly than quick learners. (…) Like personality and temperament, learning style characteristics exist on a continuum." (Modesto Junior, s.d. p.2). Understanding the difference in learning styles is important for educators not to label students and try to interpret each child considering their uniqueness. Sometimes we can be blinded to checking the Developmental milestones and forget to consider each child's stories and particularities. It also does not consider cases in which children were affected by elements like coming from a different background or a violent/refugee situation, which could directly impact the expected developmental milestones timings.

Play and learning an integrated approach from children's nature and the support given by teachers

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:19:03 UTC

After this Unit, I saw the importance of understanding how children 3 to 5 years learn and develop to challenge them. Considering the importance of play was the aspect that came to me as crucial to develop my practice. After my contact with Brooker, Blaise and Edwards (2014) article, my studies about play resonate in that Unit. Then, I could understand this activity as the basis of children's learning process. "Play is a central activity for children's development, uniquely promoting their problem-solving abilities, their theory of mind, their creativity, their social skills, their language and communication skills and their discovery and consolidation of knowledge." (Brooker, Blaise and Edwards, 2014, p.13). It helped me think about how to prepare the environment for playing, how to interpret it, and how to interpret our Early Years Learning Framework Australia, which is constructed by play-based learning. Play is not only one leisure activity for children; it is how they express, learn, create meaning and interact with the World. If I have a solid comprehension of play, I can be a teacher connected with my children's universe.

Links between: One hundred languages pedagogy of listening, observation as an exercise of research

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:21:32 UTC

Studying the concept of One Hundred Languages that we have been discussing in other units, I could (re)think about it connecting my pedagogical practices and also how to explore it through my observation process. The article of Parnel (2011) inspired me to find extraordinary moments in everyday moments. I challenged myself to look at the children using my research eyes, opening every little interaction to see the possibilities. The Phenomenology approach inspired my pedagogical documentation giving me fresh/detailed, and non-biased looks. When analysing the importance of interaction in the learning process, I tried, for example, to see each detail that could be just interpreted as an everyday interaction in children and pay attention to this as a cue of the child's learning and development process. I saw details and could use them to (re) think about my teaching practice and look at myself as an educator and researcher, following what Pacini (2014) wrote about the educator as a researcher being able to understand the complexity of each child.

Children as competent learners

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:22:34 UTC

The idea that Quintero (2010) said about children gave me insights into theoretical connections. "Children have something to say. Children are consummate communicators. Through story, they weave their webs of connection to others in their families, communities, and worlds. They do not live or grow in a bubble and do not sit in school and "study" to be adults, focusing only on what "will be" when they are adults. They are experts at being in the moment." (Quintero, 2010, p. 372). This concept was essential to understand the nature of child development and the strategies I will use as an educator. Also, it challenges my view of children because listening respectfully is possible when we consider them capable learners. For this, the idea of Malaguzzi that "children as rich in potential, rather than an empty vessel to be filled" (Nolan and Raban, 2015, p.38) was fundamental in my perception. I need to look at them as capable and support their full potential. Connected to this, the idea of the image of the Child is tied to the Emerging Images of the Child that we learned in the Unit "Engaging with place through play". This concept constructed by Sorin (2005) said the image of a child affects our practice, and we have to consider it when we are observing, planning and reflecting on each Child's development.

Pedagogy of listening with me forever

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:23:23 UTC

The unit's elements were well connected with our challenges in our practical actions as educators. In particular, the concept of Pedagogy of Listening developed by Rinaldi (2001) challenged me to look at the children during the documentation process opening my perception to see their learning holistically. Furthermore, listening as a deep connection with others was an invitation to listen more and use this information to reorganize my perspectives and recognize individual differences. It was powerful and inspired me. I am sure the Pedagogy of Listening will come with me in my journey as a teacher.

cristienecarvalho — 2023-05-22 04:24:05 UTC

Brooker, L, Blaise, M & Edwards, S 2014, The SAGE handbook of play and learning in early childhood, Sage, Los Angeles.

ISBN: 9781473907850

Council of Australian Governments 2009, Belonging, being and becoming - the early years learning framework for Australia, Department of Education and Training, Canberra.

Modesto Junior College n.d., Observing, recording, and reporting children’s development, Modesto Junior College, pp. 99–133.

Nolan, A & Raban, B 2015, Theories into practice: understanding and rethinking our work with young children and the EYLF, Teaching Solutions, Blairgowrie, VIC.

ISBN: 9781925145045

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Nxumalo, F, Kocher, L, Elliot, E & Sanchez, A 2015, Journeys: Reconceptualizing early childhood practices through pedagogical narration, University of Toronto Press.

ISBN: 9781442609440

Parnell, W 2011, ‘Teacher collaboration experiences: finding the extraordinary in the everyday moments’, Early Childhood Research & Practice, vol. 13, no. 2, ERIC, viewed .

EISSN: 1524-5039

Quintero, E 2010, ‘Something to say: children learning through story’, Early Education and Development, vol. 21, no. 3, Psychology Press, pp. 372–391, viewed .

ISSN: 1040-9289

Rinaldi, C 2001, ‘The pedagogy of listening: the listening perspective from Reggio Emilia’, Innovations in early childhood: the international Reggio exchange, Merrill-Palmer Institute: Wayne State University, pp. 1–4,
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