I stopped for a quite a while in the Treehouse Adventure area and read the signs they put up in there and was amazed! It was such a great example of what learning could be for kids. On one of the posters it said: "A provocative question can spark thinking, creativity, and communication in order to reveal connections and relationships between people and ideas." This made me think of Piaget, who, like Dewey, "believed that children learn only when their curiosity is not fully satisfied," but it also made me think of what we're reading in Science and Math. In this case students were asked to design a space where children and adults could read together and their creativity and imagination took off! There were great quotes of what the kids were saying during their thinking process. It was fantastic to get a glimpse in to that process. A designer listened to what they were saying and making out of clay, made a model, then brought it back to the kids. They were able to ask questions and make revisions. It the end they ended up with the awesome Treehouse Adventure story area.
It really struck me that kids have a voice that we need to listen to because it can lead to amazing things. Their imagination became reality for thousands to enjoy.
I didn't stay for story time which they were setting up for. In retrospect I should have. I saw a few kids heading that way with enthusiasm, though. Telling their parents that story time was starting with an excited look on their face to get there. It's great that in the midst of a museum full of amazing things to see and do, kids still want to stop and listen to stories with their family.
I really enjoyed the treehouse was a fantastic display of intentionality. There were multiple levels, soft and calm colors, small spaces and seats, and of course, books. I thought it was very powerful that the exhibit was designed with the students, and that the process was displayed on the posters. I also thought it was very carefully placed in the museum - it was actually quiet back there!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the quotes and enjoyed seeing the progression of ideas on the building of the treehouse story area. I loved that they were so concerned about babies being able to participate safely i.e. no treehouse ladder, steps were used instead. I read many of the dialogue posters throughout the museum. Very interesting!
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