Strong voices - greener kindergaten...

Preschool teacher’s research days 2016

Flora of Kindergarten Bajka in eyes and hands of children Mosaic approach

Milos Zorica , Preschool teascher

About the research...

• EC Education Specialist research work• Kindergarten Bajka/ EC Center Cukarica• 34 children / preschool teacher and „other’s“• From January to April 2015. • Current discourse and practice in Serbian

kindergartens despite&versus research findings and EC trends abroad

Before we start...

• Kindergarten space, what it is for?• For whom it is intended?• What does it says to its residents? • Who (and how) decides what its going to look

like / what happens inside?• Are changes (and what kind) possible?

Kindergarten Bajka through the eyes of a child...

The theoretical framework of the research

Kindergarten

Urban ethnobotany

Knowledge is complex and corresponds with multicultural

context

The emergence and transmission of knowledge occur spontaneously in

different directions

Knowledge is dynamic - it co-constructed by participants in urban scenarios

Knowledge drives and guide actions

The environment constitutes a kindergarten

as an institution

Kindergarten is a place of

living for children and adults

Аvramović, 2014.

Alsulaivany, 2013.

Fjeld, 2002.

Dudek, 1979.

Hurrell, 2014.

Mosaic approach

• The mosaic is a picture made up of many small parts that need to put together in order to understand / perceive a whole.

• Mosaic approach provides children the opportunity to present their perspectives in many ways, relying on its "hundred languages„ (Clark & Moss, 2005)

General comment (7)

Sommer et al., 2010.CRC (Art 12. & 13.)

Multi-method

Embedded into practice

Reflexive

Participatory

Focused on children’s lived experience

Adaptable

Mosaic approach

Mosaic approach

Research stages with children

Stage 1: Gathering children’s perspectives

Stage 2: Child perspective as starter of change

Stage 3: Change in space from child perspective

Gathering children’s perspectives

Gathering children’s perspectivesMaping and tours Book making

Photo books making and exchange

Conversations and disscusions

Re visiting photos

Consulting literature

Gathering children’s perspectives• FB: And plant serve us to live and to play, and when we would not have

plants we would all die ...• L J: There is a plant that eats a fly, but I do not know her name?• L DJ: We saw those plants, those leaves there, when we go down the

stairs we see the plants ...• MD: Well, maybe they are watered to much, but not ... maybe they water

them all night and day, but we cant do night and day watering ...• ЕЈ: We were in Cyprus, and I picked some flowers and then I poured every

day in a glass of water to the flowers, but it was not nice. Mila was right, sometimes they wither because...

• LN: ...to place it out there as it is sunlight. Let's put out there in the corner so it stands like the sun in the sky to warm, or to put him down?

• DV: ... to make this to prevent pushing and so that we can water the flowers to „not to die yet“ , and that it should grow .

• SA: Miki, one can see how plants produce oxygen in the video ...

Documenting / Reflecting

Learning with"other’s" in our research

Planning changes

Documenting / Reflecting

L.M. Is tracking and documenting process of planning changes in OUR space

Plant growth and child-made „plantholder“

Planning changes

Complexity of approachRely on perspectives (tackle the border between inside and outside)

Transformation of learning environment



Experiences and Perspectives

• We had an opportunity to discuss with children and adults and to learn about the importance of plant life in the kindergarten interior

• An insight into children's perspective on kindergarten Bajka interior (all spaces and their functions)

• Children participation in the research, planning, decision-making and transforming of learning environment

• Change of practices and inclusion of "others„• Challenges in the implementation of different approach• Possible impact of research on policy-makers

Bylaw on Sanitatary supervision.....

For the next generation ...