collaboration in art

I see learning as a collaborative process; it happens in a social setting. To children, just to be near another person is very important when learning. When a child learns, he learns as a whole, so the cognitive and social aspects are inseparable.

The best relationship at early childhood is among two or three children. Working with children with clay has given me some fabulous examples. The kindy only has three clay boards, so at most three children can work together. They talk and listen, thereby helping each other think and build on ideas. The small group size allows fruitful exchange and dialogue, as they do not need to compete for a turn to speak. Collaborative learning is less likely to appear when children are in the whole group of 40.

Amy announced that she would make a clay bird, Brianna offered the ideas of eggs and nests. So three girls at the clay table worked out how to flatten clay for creating the base for bird nests, then shaping and constructing the birds with a sharp beak, tail and eyes. I believe the children are learning together, sharing ideas, strategies and individual strengths rather than 'copying' what each other is doing.

I believe the kindergarten is a learning community. Children share the same goals. They comment on each other's work. When children are working towards the same goals and confronting the same problems, they form a bond, and they persevere until they achieve.

Also, learning is about the relationship with the teacher as well. The teacher staying with the children is a way to help them to face and solve a problem. For example, I just need to listen when the children are discussing about the technical problem to join clay pieces securely. I encourage them to experiment with every solution they come up with. They found that what they do are considered important and valuable by the teachers. Eventually, they solved their own problem. Children appreciate the opportunities to talk with, listen to and watch a teacher. This makes their interest grow. We have to make a call when to be present or to be absent, in order to capture the right moments to intervene.

Somethings to ponder: As teachers of young children, how can we facilitate children learning through interaction with other children? What's the role of teacher in con-constructing knowledge with children?