Making the learning Visible : Kids are the experts!

Needless to say, we all are at our innovative best during the online teaching learning phase. Early childhood Education is no exception. On a Saturday evening, when Shivangi Santosh, Prep 2 child in my early childhood setting, Sakalya Prep, called me up, I did not know that this will lead to a pedagogical activity which I just learnt in a CEEL (Harvard Graduate School of Education) course module “Teaching for cognitive Growth”. During her enthusiastic energy packed conversation, she shared her plans to make chapati (Indian Bread) with her mom. The educator in me wore the innovator’s cap in no time.

I asked her about the procedure of making this chapati, and the five-year-old was excited in sharing her expertise with me. In the “Teaching for cognitive Growth”, there is concept of “making the learning visible”, where children are encouraged to document their expertise so that others can learn from it. I asked her whether she would like to share the recipe with other children. I knew that she isn’t as enthusiastic about writing as she is in discussion, imagination, yoga, art etc., but she graciously accepted the request. I expected more pictorial representation with few lines in between, but she surprised me with a one-page recipe and couple of videos of her making chapati.

What can be a better learning experience than this. In the school pedagogical documentation, I had various domains to add against this spontaneous activity. It is huge for a child who learnt alphabets a year ago to come this long way that too during pandemic. And there she is “making learning visible”. Classic case of “ unbounded learning”. With right kind of guidance, parental encouragement, kids can do wonders in any situation even during pandemic. Kids are the experts!

About the author: Lt Col Bincy K Thomas (Retd) is the Co-founder and Director of Sakalya Wisdom Foundation, an organisation committed to design and offer meaningful educational services and activities. She is the Director of Sakalya Prep, The Holistic Preschool, Whitefield Bangalore. She is the Trainer and Pedagogy Expert in Sakalya Centre for Professional Development, training Centre for Teachers Professional Development, School Leaders Development Programs and Parenting Programs. She is researching into creating a dynamic holistic early childhood pedagogy. Presently She is pursuing Certificate in Early Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA. Other areas of her interests are world mythologies, philosophy, social, emotional and spiritual development, leadership, gardening etc.