“That’s too much.” – Max

Our Santa Monica College intern, Isabel, observed the children’s interest in hideouts. They were making them outside and inside all year. She offered some camping stories and the children immediately responded. The East Wingers met to plan and draw designs of a tent-

– and helped choose the best spot for the tent: Front Yard woodchips by the tree.

 

After testing the tent out, there were a few conflicts about maximum occupancy. That day at our reflection meeting, we focused on how many people at a time should go in the tent.

 

Chloe Paloma: Five people could go in: Three girls and two boys, because that makes sense.

Ava: No, if my brother wants to go in and there is already two boys and they say “no”, that’s not going to be fair for my brother.

Zoe K.: Three girls and two boys and other boys might want to come in.

Ren: Or, five girls can go and then five boys can go in there.

Max: That’s too much.

Teacher Flora: I remember Asher saying we needed to think of a way where boys and girls can go in the tent together.

Asher: Wow! How about this, two and two.

Mason: And that’s four.

Maude and Zoe K. : Two boys and two girls.

Ren: No, how about this:  five girls and then five boys and then five girls and then five boys.

Asher: I know what she means. So we take turns, the girls go first and then the boys.

Chloe Paloma: Ladies go first.

Max: Ladies? And then men?

Chloe Paloma: Yeah, that makes so much sense.

Asher: That would be totally, totally fair.

The chlildren have reached a level of learning through collaboration and communication that, “… is determined by the ‘learning subject’ and takes shape in his or her mind through action and reflection, that becomes knowledge and skill through representation and exchange.” -Carlina Rinaldi

Their interest in having a camping spot at New School West is an invitation for meaningful context and accountabilty for their social commitment to their agreements. And then there was all that abstract MATH they did in their heads! Are we ready for kindergarten, or what?    -Flora Toro