Our Beginnings To the Wind Project This school year began with a strong focus on some key dispositions that would act as a bridge for each child's growth into kindergarten:
• listening to adults and to peers
• posing questions to peers and adults
• working collaboratively in large and small groups
• speculating and theorizing
• expressing his or her ideas through multi-modalities: writing, inventive writing,
drawing, verbally, etc.
• empowering the child as an advocate of his or her own ideas
• speaking in both small and large groups
• "presenting" and fielding questions in a group
• articulating his or her ideas using a loud clear voice
• listening to and following directions
Each of these key dispositions supports our hope for each child in learning how to learn.
To foster and fuel the child's curiosity and wonder, we tossed to the children "I wonder" questions based on our observations of the children's work and conversations. As an example after observing the children hunting bugs on the playground, we tossed to them at the meeting, "I wonder why the bugs are under the grass and not out?" This moment of group wonder and unpacking became part of our morning rituals.
On August 23, 2009 the children were gathering to come in from the playground to go into the
room for our group meeting, when a strong wind blew. Turning to Ms. Jordan with a look of surprise I. S. exclaimed, "Whoa, what kind of wind was that?" This set the stage for our group meeting as we wondered if the others felt the wind. The question was tossed to the group: "I wonder what kind of wind just blew on us?"
We were in awe as we listened to the responses we received that morning.
J. K. - A tornado wind
Z. O. - Japanese wind
I. S. - Windy-wind
E. F. - Summer wind
C. O. - School wind, which the student shifted his thinking to an
Everywhere/McDonald's Wind
D. W. - Leaf wind
L. Y. - House wind
L. N. - Season-changing wind that she observed at McDonald's, which eventually
became a McDonald's wind
M. T. - Tree wind that blows hard the kites; this became the Kite Wind
J. K. - A mountain wind
B. O. - Winter wind which became the Sea Wind
N. W. - Storm wind
I. A. - Flower wind
M. S. - Pool wind
N. N. - Snow wind
Z. I. - Fire wind
M. W. - Winter wind shifted to a Monster/Ghost Wind
J. P. - Rose wind
A. K. - Air wind
The teachers also had thoughts about the wind and speculated on what was it that captured the children's attention. The teachers began to reflect on what the children revealed to us. We wondered and questioned the winds that each child had named. Were the children making up the winds that they named -- just part of a child's imagination? Or were the winds named based on real observations? What was this all about? The following day we began to probe more and asked each child to share with us the sound that each of their winds made. To our surprise, there were 18 different and distinct sounds that they associated with their wind.
Once again we were in awe.
The winds that each child felt and named held unique qualities. What they were sharing with us was not part of their imagination but from their own personal experiences of wind.
We began to wonder and wanted to know more about what the children knew about not just the wind, but their particular wind.
As we began to unpack each child's thoughts or ideas around their wind, the learning community as a whole began to formulate a new collaborative interest or bond around the winds.
While partnering with the children in this shared dialogue, the teachers began a journey as well -- as co-constructors, co-learners, and co-wonderers -- with the children. This partnership has set the foundation that has allowed the children to take risks in expressing their thoughts, ideas, and theories. Throughout the project each child's work is valued and honored by the teachers and their peers within the learning community.
Project Meeting The children began to draw their theories of each of their individual winds. Each child concentrated on the details and personalities of their wind. Their theory- drawings were made so that others would be able to understand the essence of each wind -- where the wind was found, how if moved and flowed, what effects it had, if any, on objects. We had them wonder about intensity and temperature. The theory- drawings enabled the child's thoughts to be made visible to the children and adults.
We wanted to move the children a step forward through what we began to call a "project meeting." During the project meetings, a protocol was created to help frame a direction that would support the children's thinking.
During the Project Meeting, each child presented his or her theory drawing of the wind. They sat in the presenter's chair in the front of the group. The presenter would "read" their theory-drawing about their wind to the learning-community sharing: wind direction, air flow, speed, location of where one could find their wind, and any other special or unique details about their wind that they wanted to share.
After the presenter finished unpacking her thinking about her wind, the floor was then opened up to the group for questions or comments pertaining to the presenter's wind or theory drawing. This process was important for the community because the drawings needed to be readable for the others. The children also gained a greater respect for each wind and its personality or properties.
Animation The preschool teachers began to reflect upon the children's theories that they were presenting to the community. Listening to the children's theories, we realized that although their wind theories were extraordinary and the children's explanations were equally as extraordinary, we could sense the children's frustration in trying to capture the movement and intensity of their winds in a static drawing.
We wondered -- what if we could make their theories move? Would working with a medium that allowed them to put their winds in motion push or scaffold their thinking? Would a fluid medium cause them to re-think their theories? What could we use?
In order to push the children's thinking from their static drawings into something that moved, we began to inquire about making their theories come to life through animation.
From October through November, the preschool worked with the high school technology teacher, Kevin Tokuda, and his students in bringing the children's wind theories to life. The high school students took on each of the preschoolers as their clients. Their task was to meet with each preschool client and translate the child's theory drawing into an animated drawing of their wind.
Throughout this collaboration with the high schoolers, we observed as the children's winds came to life. Not only did the winds come to life, but through the use of animation, the children's theories were now visible and re-visitable. We observed as the animation of the winds caused them to re-think their intentions and theories that were once static. We also noted as we "listened" to the sound of the wind that each child used in their animation. In our revisiting of previous videos at that second group meeting, the same sound that they shared that day was the very one that they embraced as their wind sound in the animations!
The project with the high school was the first time that our young children were able to use animation as a medium to support their thinking.
Link to the children's animations http://www.youtube.com/user/mpitechteacher#p/u
Field/Research Observations 
Using the theory-drawings of the children as reference point as to where the children think or know that their wind is located on the island, we have been traveling to various locations here on the island. On each research outing, the children generate a list of materials that they will need to take to find that particular wind. With each research outing to find and observe particular wind, the children generated a list of materials tailored to that particular wind. For instance, for the Kite Wind, children brought kites. When seeking the Monster Wind and Ghost Wind, the children brought flashlights even though it was the middle of the day so they wouldn't be frightened by the Ghost Wind.
With each research observation, the teachers generated a research question that they wanted to observe or as a provocation in understanding the children's thinking of the wind. For example, when we went to the Pali Lookout in search of the Monster and Ghost Winds, the teachers challenged the children to also find materials that could make the wind visible. This caused the children to rethink and add to the possibilities of what would make the wind visible.
When we went to find the Pool Wind, we wanted to capture the sparkle of the water because this was key in the child's description of the Pool Wind.
A protocol has been generated within our field research observations. The child whose wind it
is that we are going to observe has been acknowledged as the expert.
The experts sit at the front of the bus near the driver monitoring our route to make sure we are going to where their wind is. Upon arrival, the expert leads the group to where the wind is. While there, the children's questions are posed to the expert. This small ritual of protocol deeply engrains the sense of respecting and valuing each child's theories or ideas--the image of the child is epitomized through this ritual.
Due to the children's keen interest in the video that we were capturing, we were able to buy $35 video cameras for the children. When we go to a research site, the child whose wind we are researching now can do his/her documentation of their wind.
Current work We are continuing our travels into the field to research and find where all the winds are located. We have observed about half of them.
The children have now focused their work or research on three areas -- a wind garden, wind catchers, and wind machines.
The Wind Garden-- there are small planters around the preschool outdoor space. We had noted that several children had included in their theory-drawings their particular wind, flowers or plants, which seemed important to the personality or essence of their wind. As a provocation could we have the children think more about what could be planted in the planters to catch the wind?
During a group meeting, the children discussed their ideas about plants that can catch the wind. After we gathered their ideas, a group of children worked in the atelier putting their ideas of plants on paper by drawing the plants. Their drawings were then presented to a group of parents who are helping with the garden. The parents in turn helped the children find their plants in garden books.
Wanting to add another provocation that would provoke the children's thinking about plants, in particular the edible plant, the teachers and parents came up with the idea of dividing the planter box in half.
One half of the planter box would be filled with plants from the children's list (see below). The other half would be filled with with mystery plants!!
You can see from the list that the children had some wonderful ideas for plants that they wanted to add. Some will work; others won't. The adults knew there are also many plants that may be of interest to the children, though the children may not know about them. There are many plants that the children may not have even have thought about. By dividing the planter box with one-half filled with the children's ideas for plants and the other half with mystery plants, we are respecting the children's ideas and theories and allowing us to scaffold their thinking in learning about "new" plants that we (parents) will be planting or adding in the mystery section of the planter box.
They are determined to catch their winds and have spent a lot of time envisioning it.
Plants mentioned include:
Strawberries, carrots, squash, broccoli, mango, parsnip, salad, lettuce, cucumbers,
tomatoes,
mint, basil, apples, grapes, sunflowers, daffodils, "green plants", "red flowers", roses, lavender, hibiscus, daisies, tulips, bougainvillea, "tall orange flowers", and "tall pink flowers."
The children also discussed the need to have varying heights of plants -- and they feel that tall and small plants are needed. Some discussions took place around seedlings that would not be able to catch the wind. The wind garden continues to take shape and form.
What next? We will generate a schematic "map" of the planter boxes and other areas onto a digital page for each child. We will spend a morning "observing" and documenting the plants and the winds effect on the plants to see if their assumptions/theories were correct about the plants. How will their observations change the direction of the wind garden?
Wind Catchers and Wind Machines In observing the children work in the classroom and outdoors, we noted that some of the children were making wind machines. These had two distinct functions -- some caught the wind in order to read what wind it was, while other wind machines were used to tell where the wind came from and measured what wind it was.
After their experiences in the field with various objects, we felt that the children were ready to move into the direction of designing a wind machine. As the children noted or referenced back to when Jessie's Dad had visited the room to share with them about the tsunami in Somalia, the children recalled Pat telling them that engineers make a plan, they then draft a model to test, before they build the real object. The children want to use the process Pat shared with them as they work through making the wind machine.
Currently the children are working in groups of 3 -4 in generating their ideas and placing them into a conceptual drawing for a wind machine.
Noting the dialogue in the planning process the children kept referencing catching the wind and they debated what type of materials would catch the wind in the wind machine.
During our team meeting, the teachers discussed this aspect and wondered if we could provide the children with a mechanism for messing about or experimentation--a pre-step before they commit to a wind machine design. Feeling that this would indeed be a good what next the team decided to have the children create wind catchers.
The wind catchers would allow the children to experiment and observe with various materials and how those materials interacted with the wind. The wind catchers would be designed from found and or recycled materials. Each wind catcher would focus on one or two specific materials and could incorporate some elements of design along with the materials. The wind catchers would be strategically placed outside the classroom window where the children could observer them throughout the day. Once we have all 8 - 10 designed and placed in the experimentation zone --the children begin to observe and note which wind catchers and what materials work best in catching the winds movement etc.
Mega Project-Wind
As our work with the Wind Project continues to unfold we wondered what children across the world know or think about the wind. Would they begin to categorize their winds as our children have or would they find different winds specific to their areas? Could we use the children's wind animations as a springboard for discussions worldwide?
A provocation around this question was posted on the Reggio Listserv. Immediately three schools responded saying they would be interested and from that point on more and more schools are expressing interest. As of this posting, there are 14 schools from across the globe that have begun a dialogue and work around researching what children know using the constructs of wind as their focus.
Our work continues....
From the moment your child entered the world they became "readers" of
the world around. Your child began to "read" images and connect those
images with words spoken. From the moment he/she was born, your child
began decoding facial expressions. This decoding process allowed your child
to interpret your body language and its meaning in relationship to self and others.
We find this process of decoding soon
transferred to their play, as children make a shift into the
symbolic representations of objects such as a stick becomes a cane or a
fishing pole. Or when children use images in their drawings in making
their thinking visible to us. As children develop we find them shifting
from drawing to using the inventive spelling of words, writing words
and short sentences.
Within this whole cycle or process, children
pass through multiple layers of languages -- writing, drawings, symbolic
objects, mediums (e.g.,clay, wire, paper) gestures, movement, etc. Each
layer strengthens the child's pathway to literacy and his/her
understanding of the "written" word.
Too often adults want to
hurry children ahead, moving them quickly to the written word by
pouring words into the children without allowing them to process
meaning through a symbolic hierarchy of thought. In this rush to push children
to the written word, an important layer in the thought process known as
"encoding" isn't allowed to percolate within the child long
enough. One of the most known uses of encoding comes when children
learn to write words. They are given a verbal word and then "taught"
using prescribed lessons or methods on how to internalize or encode the
sounds or knowing how to write the word.
What
happens to the process if we slow it down and provide the child with a
tool for ownership and the time to work in the encoding process?
Research
suggests that all learning methods that proceed by discovery and active
construction must necessarily undergo error. Simply put, children must
and need to make mistakes. Within a learning community, errors are
points for dialogue and exchange of ideas. Errors set the stage for
debate and disequilibrium that causes the child to think and often
rethink their theories and ideas, even around words and symbols. This
in turn pushes them into the realms of meta-cognition or critical
thinking.
One of the purest and most important levels is through the use of symbols. For the child, the world is full of symbols.
Symbols
and the children's use of them provide a level of communication that
transcends cultural and language barriers. It allows for children to
"mess" about with their use and to undergo a transformation of thinking
as the child makes the symbol readable to others. Symbols provide rich
contexts for the children to toss about and edit graphic metaphors for
which they are the authors and owners.
This freedom to invent
symbols provides a rich context for us to see the child's thinking as
it unfolds. It can provide us a graphic record of his/her cognitive
growth.
Working within the context and freedom in the
invention of symbols, the child thinks about his thinking and how it is
readable or understandable to the viewer. He learns how to make a
symbol which makes sense to the child and to the viewer. Our Daily
Plans is a tool in the process that brings all of this together for the
child.
Let us look at some of the children's work with symbols.
Let look as they become authors in the invention of "graphic
metaphors" through the Plan.
Click here to view their work.
During the school year we have the affordance of time in allowing the children's interest to unfold over an extended period. Due to the short timing of the summer program I began to ponder on a hypothesis formulated or framed for a possible inquiry project -- an investigation into city/neighborhoods. This possible direction was formed around observations of children's work in this age.
In the early stages of inquiry work, the teacher will frame planned "provocations." A provocation or experience is often tossed out that would provoke the children's thinking and learning. Once the provocation is tossed, the teacher observes and listens to the children's work as to where to move next in the inquiry.
In inquiry projects there are questions that are formulated and unpacked that the teacher would like to probe around the children's thoughts and knowledge. To begin our summer inquiry, the following questions came to the surface:
What is a city?
What are the elements that make a city a city? Such as houses, stores etc.
How is a neighborhood different from a city?
How can maps help us know how to get around in a city?
We will be adding to and rethinking this list as our inquiry begins to move forward.
Amazingly, a provocation from one of the children on our first day together formed the first steps in our inquiry project.
That morning T., V. and I were talking about Hawaii. T. mentioned something about Aiea. He wondered where it was on the globe. We pulled the globe down and began to look. On the globe, O`ahu was too small for the boys to find Aiea. I asked T. if he could draw the directions on how to get to Aiea. He paused for a moment, and I continued, "I wish I had directions on how to get to Aiea." He beamed and said, "I'll draw you directions." He then began.
As he worked, the teacher began to scaffold his thinking. To help anchor his thoughts in drawing the map, we used MPI as a starting point. He drew the security gate where he said, "You have to pay $5 to get out." We talked about left and right turns, the highway names, how fast you need to travel, whether there were any red lights along the way, etc. He began to think and draw as he visualized the drive to Aiea. Suddenly an awesome map began to form on paper.
M., seeing what was going on, came over and asked what was happening. I shared with him that T. was drawing us a map to Aiea. M. offered to join as he said, "I'll draw you a map to my house." He began drawing a map of how to get from MPI to his house. When the boys were finished, we talked about their maps and the different "marks" that they included on their maps.
Later during our reflection meeting M. and T.'s shared their maps. I heard several "WOW'S" and "I want to do that." I asked the children if they had ever seen the map of MPI, and they said no. I asked if they would like to look at the MPI map, and everyone said, "Yes!" The ball had been tossed setting the stage for an inquiry project!
During the week we began to use the MPI campus map as a foundation for our map studies.
As a group we began to unpack the map using the key that identifies thirty-three places on campus! The legend and number codes were used as opportunities for learning. Using the legend, the children were asked to generate a list of places on campus that sounded interesting that they might want to go visit or find. Once they created their list, they began to locate those places on the map.
This small experience provided many learning possibilities. In learning about directions, they will be color-coding the various parts of campus using the legend as a guide. They will have to think about directionality. This experience will incorporate functional numerical work as they learn about our MPI community. This early work with maps provided the children with an entry into an investigation and inquiry work when they broaden their work around what is a city.
As the week unfolded, children brought in maps from home. On Friday V. brought a couple of maps to share with us. One map was of directions from MPI to his house. While reading V's map, K. ran to his backpack to retrieve his map, which had directions to his house. We laid the two maps side-by-side to read. Suddenly one of the children said, "V.ʼs house is farther than Kescherʼs." I asked how did they know that V.ʼs was farther? One child said that there were lots of red lights thatʼs how they knew. However V. refuted this theory saying, "No thereʼs not many red lights to my house." Everyone continued looking intently. The children knew and they were right, but at the moment they werenʼt able to clearly articulate their thoughts. Wanting to see if this was the case, I took my fingers and measured K.ʼs route, then with my fingers I measured V.ʼs. I didnʼt say a word, but this small gesture helped to put their thinking into words as suddenly several said, V.ʼs is longer (the route) than Kescherʼs. See
the line.
Thinking about their new knowledge, I decided to use this later in our morning for when they were planning their walk on campus. For this planning phase, we would use a variety of colors of yarn (one for each place we were going) in plotting our plan. When the fist piece of yarn was placed to the first location we would be going, the children began making the connection about distances, saying, "Wow that's a long way away!"
With each addition the wheels began to click.
Once all the places were mapped out, the children began to study the map. I asked, "What is your plan? Where are we going to go visit today?" There was a great discussion! "Go to the short places first." "No, go to the long places last." "No the pool last." Suddenly K. suggested,"Let's go to some short, some long and then the longest." This idea was quickly embraced by the group.
D. was our secretary recording the numbers of the places that we would go first, second, third and fourth.
The group looked over our plan and all agreed that this would work.
During their work time, T. and I looked at the other big map. I suggested that he draw out the plan for the way we should walk. With great thought and intentionality, he developed the plan for our route.
Our route mapped, we were now ready to go!
With maps in hand, we were off to explore the MPI campus! Our first stop was #15 the Administration Building. Next it was off to #8. We shared with them that # 8 was the presidentʼs office. V. beamed, "Barry OʼBamaʼs!"
Off to one of their long places- --the tennis courts. They rechecked their maps before
heading to our final long destination of the day. After our final destination, we marked the historic event of our first journey in discovering our MPI campus!
On Monday we will finish the last leg of our explorations. We have an appointment at 10:00am to visit and tour the Technology Center. The children peeked in its windows today and are excited at this possibility! We had to smile at the end of the day when the children were talking. Someone mentioned they couldnʼt wait to go out tomorrow and see the rest of the short and long places. Another child corrected them saying tomorrow was a no-school day. I could heard the groans and someone said, "No fair. I want to go again." Another child, "Donʼt forget we need our maps!"
Maps are clearly coming to life in the childrenʼs world!
When the line project began nine months ago, little did we know how far this journey was going to take us. We find ourselves pausing now, only because the school year has come to an end. It truly seems as if our "line" project reaches to infinity, or as Jak once said, "Lines can go all the way to the moon!"
This project may never have come into existence if we hadn't stopped to reflect on two key observations of what would appear as ordinary moments in the classroom. One of those moments centered on the work from a small group of children with pipe cleaners coupled by another moment of Nicki's maze game.
The two seemed to be unconnected, but in thinking about both moments, we realized the children were working with lines. Lines seemed like a natural beginning to our year together. Looking at and exploring lines felt manageable to "do" with a new group of three's, something uncomplicated for both the child and the teachers. What a perfect probe to begin group work and perhaps a small "mini project." If we were lucky, this probe would extend into a month-long "project."
To begin our (teacher) thinking about why we should look at lines, we quickly saw how lines were connected to writing, math, science and drawing, all the key domains and disciplines for learning. These domains or disciplines did indeed seem immersed in the concept of lines.
To begin our work with lines, a hypothesis was formulated to help guide the teachers' observations, as well as in framing the environment both in the classroom and atelier. We wondered if by intentionally framing the introduction of lines to the children, this would influence or strengthen their early literacy "skills" with writing, math, and drawing. Would slowing down the children's pace and providing some key provocations for a "brief" concentrated "time" impact future learning in some way?
We asked ourselves:
How would pausing and looking at lines strengthen the children's work now and in the future?
How will our mini-project in lines impact learning?
What is the connection between lines explorations and children's writing and drawing abilities?
How would the children respond to the various invitations of provocations that we were about to toss?
In retrospect, our questions were too simple. Little did we realize that these thoughts merely scratched the surface!
As the children's work progressed, we found that we were on the threshold of learning through the children's work not only about the concept of lines as a foundation for any given discipline, but moreover, we were about to enter into the complex thought processes of children's language as embedded and developed through multi-media.
As the line project began to unfold, it began to epitomize the co-construction of knowledge between the teachers (classroom and the studio teacher) and children. We began to see a shared reference for learning and collaboration that transpired between the classroom and the Atelier.
The Processes of Language through the MediaThroughout the project, the children experienced multiple layers of languages- writing, drawing, symbolic objects, mediums (clay, wire, paper etc) gestures, movement, etc. Each experience in the broadest sense was strengthening the child's pathway to literacy. Each experience in the immediate sense was giving a new meaning to "lines" as a tool for thinking and representing their ideas.
We observed each child cycling through each language as they began to construct their own knowledge and understanding of lines, their graphic representations using lines became building blocks for understanding. Using a variety of media caused the children to construct and deconstruct how the line representations had meaning not only for themselves out also for others. This desire to communicate their ideas made them more aware of how to make representations "readable" to others.
Throughout the project we found the children moving between the decoding (analyzing, interpreting) and encoding (converting information into a visual form) of the various media -- drawing, movement, wire, music, etc. One of the processes or stages that supported or scaffold decoding and encoding was what we had called "to sensitizing the minds eye."
We encouraged the children to observe lines in their world at home, in school, and all points along the way children noticed lines everywhere. As the children progressed through the project, their sensitization to lines was becoming more acute and vivid to them.
Their "visual" and "mental" sensitization of lines became obvious at various phases of our project. For instance, it became apparent during the line game where the children had to draw the subtle placement of a reed/straw in creating and recreating various line composition. This simple game required the child to be visually sensitive to the nuances of change. As the project progressed, this moved into the drawing of their bodies using the essence of lines again. Their eyes began to see the various nuances of their body pose and the poses of their friends.
We scaffolded their sensitization to lines, moving from seeing lines with their eyes to expressing lines with their hands (drawing)to seeing the various nuances of line in their own body lines and poses. Each layer added to the complexity of knowledge and the "language" held in each of the media.
Learning how to LearnEvery child experienced all the various media.. This provided us a view in seeing more of each child's thinking and in finding each child's strength. We began to observe a universal process in each child's use of the media.
What we observed was as each media was tossed to the children: straw/reeds, movement, music, drawing, wire, etc. The children would begin with a goal. They were thinking about their ideas. They began to express their ideas either verbally or through their work within the medium or from a plan or drawing. We observed as they moved towards their goal or idea using various strategies on how to make their ideas or goals visible and re-visitable. Revisiting caused the child to rethink. They began editing their ideas by either refining, abandoning, or building from their thinking. Over and over we observed this cycle unfold through the various mediums. The children were learning how to cycle through this process-- an underlying process for present and future learning!
The process deserves our careful attention and understanding.
In January the children shared a "line" by drawing it. For example, they may have created a squiggle line or mountain line. Each child shared a line and some even more!
When they began to use the medium of movement, the children were shown the lines they had drawn in January. How would they make that line with their body? Their goal, for example, was to make the mountain line. Their strategy became, "I need to move myself into this mental image (translating the drawing into what it looks like "drawn" through their body) in order to look like a mountain line." They then interpreted this by moving their bodies into position (strategies to reach goal), then the line was captured by the camera. After they made the line using their body, the children revisited the line/pose by looking into the camera's LCD screen. They were asked if this is how a mountain line looks. The children considered the image in the camera and what they they had drawn, then decided to accept it or not. If the child expressed it wasn't right, the child would rethink the mountain line and how he needed to move differently in order to become a mountain line (reflection, revisit & edit), abandon or continue or start the process/cycle again.
Every child was at a different place in this cycle using each medium. The child's work in movement may be at different place in wire. In movement, the child may have been in a messing-about-with-ideas stage. However, in wire, the child may already have an idea and is work and move and edit her thoughts and strategies. All of this is part of the learning process.
As every child experienced all the languages of each medium, each found her own "voice," his own language that spoke to him.
Continue reading "Our journey..." »
room for our group meeting, when a strong wind blew. Turning to Ms. Jordan with a look of surprise I. S. exclaimed, "Whoa, what kind of wind was that?" This set the stage for our group meeting as we wondered if the others felt the wind. The question was tossed to the group: "I wonder what kind of wind just blew on us?"
We wanted to move the children a step forward through what we began to call a "project meeting." During the project meetings, a protocol was created to help frame a direction that would support the children's thinking.
From October through November, the preschool worked with the high school technology teacher, Kevin Tokuda, and his students in bringing the children's wind theories to life. The high school students took on each of the preschoolers as their clients. Their task was to meet with each preschool client and translate the child's theory drawing into an animated drawing of their wind. 
Using the theory-drawings of the children as reference point as to where the children think or know that their wind is located on the island, we have been traveling to various locations here on the island. On each research outing, the children generate a list of materials that they will need to take to find that particular wind. With each research outing to find and observe particular wind, the children generated a list of materials tailored to that particular wind. For instance, for the Kite Wind, children brought kites. When seeking the Monster Wind and Ghost Wind, the children brought flashlights even though it was the middle of the day so they wouldn't be frightened by the Ghost Wind.
is that we are going to observe has been acknowledged as the expert.
The Wind Garden-- there are small planters around the preschool outdoor space. We had noted that several children had included in their theory-drawings their particular wind, flowers or plants, which seemed important to the personality or essence of their wind. As a provocation could we have the children think more about what could be planted in the planters to catch the wind?
mint, basil, apples, grapes, sunflowers, daffodils, "green plants", "red flowers", roses, lavender, hibiscus, daisies, tulips, bougainvillea, "tall orange flowers", and "tall pink flowers."
The children also discussed the need to have varying heights of plants -- and they feel that tall and small plants are needed. Some discussions took place around seedlings that would not be able to catch the wind. The wind garden continues to take shape and form.
Noting the dialogue in the planning process the children kept referencing catching the wind and they debated what type of materials would catch the wind in the wind machine.
