Childreninspiringchildren methodology Children inspiring children to become agents
Children-inspiring-children methodology ‘Children inspiring children to become agents of change for a child-friendly multicultural Europe’ Eurochange Project reference: 2018 -1 -CY 01 -KA 201 -04687
�Definition: The children-inspiring-children approach is a relatively new methodological tool that is mainly used in STEM and STEAM programmes rather than as a tool engaging children in sociological and activist work. The EUROCHANGE project seeks to employ this approach in sociological settings. �Principles, strategies, and practices: - Critical thinking and problem solving. - Collaborative learning, experiential learning, hands-on learning, learning in informal environments, action learning, and project work.
Underpinning construct �Children’s voice is a construct that includes the ways in which young people have the opportunity to meaningfully and actively engage in important decisions that have a considerable impact upon their lives.
The methods �Collaborative art-making �Intercultural online pedagogy �Collaborative art-making and poetry
Collaborative art-making �Collaborative art-making entails children’s collaborative work in order to achieve a common goal within their art group, while learning to share their thoughts (i. e. on stereotypes, diversity and democracy) and emotions, and use critical thought to go into the others’ emotions. �Collaborative art-making may be used as an innovative and more creative research method to examine children’s everyday life, experiences, and social interactions within schools. In such a method, children should become co-interpreters of their art creations by being encouraged to comment upon them.
Intercultural online pedagogy �Intercultural online pedagogy draws upon online intercultural exchange, which in turn, helps to promote intercultural sensitivity. �It is the activity of engaging learners in ‘interaction and collaborative project work with partners from other cultures through the tools of online communication tools such as email, videoconferencing and discussion forums’ (O’Dowd, 2007: 4).
Intercultural online pedagogy: Tools �Tele-teams with other schools to produce projects on intercultural topics (e. g. diversity, social justice, racism, and poverty, and their interconnection to cultural heritage). �Children exchange their views on intercultural issues on e-forums including chat rooms and emailing. �Tele-presentations through video-conferencing (use of photographs, videos, audio narrations, and other means of technology).
Intercultural online pedagogy: Tools �Online critical incident analysis: critical incidents ‘are shorter than case studies and refer to crosscultural misunderstandings, problems and clashes. The incidents do not illustrate the cultural differences of the interacting parties; rather these are discovered as the activity is carried out. The use of critical incidents can bring about pupils’ understanding of their own personal and cultural identity’ (Flowler & Blohm (2004: 37 -84). �Children’s online communication with academic and professional communities that work in the field of intercultural education
Collaborative storytelling and poetry �During collaborative storytelling or poetry, tellers bring different ideas and coordinate with each other trying to create a coherent story or poem. �Collaborative storytelling can be developed in linear and nonlinear approaches. �Linear stories contain exactly one begin, one middle and one end. All children collaborate on a shared story in the form of relay and no branches can be developed. Children deeply rely on evaluating the relationship, continuality and coherence of story path before sequentially participating in building up the story. �Nonlinear stories enable children to link and orchestrate different ideas. Children can thus integrate other’s episodes to develop different branches of stories.
Approach to collaborative storytelling/poetry (1) Collect: ‘All children contribute their ideas to a shared pool from which they can also retrieve ideas developed by their peers. Children may amend or extent and further develop ideas contributed by their peers with personal elements. A shared pool of prompts may also be developed with the teacher’s support so as to mobilise creative storytelling. (2) Orchestrate: From the shared pool, children individually retrieve components which they organise, orchestrate and combine to develop their personal story plots. In this sense, multiple story plots are created which may be however subject to modification by others. The combination of all children’s creations entails a form of remix. (Liu et al. , 2010)
Approach to collaborative storytelling/poetry (3) Narrate: A story that includes orchestrated components may be enriched by children with various vocal or written narratives. Children interpret the story in various ways by using different voices and tones. The process of providing own interpretations to a story entails a form of remix. (4) Publish: Children publish their stories by means of written, web and multimedia tools. Other children become the audience to their published stories. (Liu et al. , 2010)
Approach to collaborative storytelling/poetry �(5) Evaluate: After the final form of the story is published, children receive feedback from other children acting as their audience. Other children’s commentary help children themselves (as individuals or as groups) to reflect on their story. Children in their groups may then amend their published stories according to the received comments and personal (or group) reflections for purposes of improvement. Remix of stories occurs as the outcome of providing and receiving feedback. (Liu et al. , 2010)
Collaborative storytelling/poetry: Tools �“Web 2. 0 applications allow retrieving and remixing data from various sources, ‘including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an architecture of participation’ (O’Reilly, 2007). �Web 2. 0 allows also the implementation of multimedia elements such as texts, pictures, images, music and narration that may be use to mobilise children’s engagement and collaboration. �Web 2. 0 helps children to collaborate in order to create pictures and animations and exchange comments of works so as to collaboratively create stories and poems. �We recommend the use of the following story-telling Web 2. 0 platforms: CBC 4 Kids, Fa. Te 2, and Link. Map.
�Tools: - Use of participatory tools (i. e. mapping, drawings, tables). - Use of creative expression (i. e. drama, songs, poetry, stories). - Use of play (i. e. toys, games, simulations). - Use of multimedia (i. e. movies, videos, computer programmes). �Evaluation skills deployed by children: - Self-evaluation skills and peer-evaluation skills. - Skills in setting criteria and standards for evaluating their own work. - Skills in debriefing. - Skills in monitoring, recording and reporting progress and achievement.
�Evaluation tools that may be used by children: - Children can make effective use of diverse evaluation tools including the analysis of existing reports, interviews, observations, focus group discussions, questionnaires or surveys. - Students’ goal-setting (or success) action plans. - Portfolios, report cards, and self-evaluation rubrics (templates). �Risks in using this approach: - Time-consuming character. - Teacher and children have to be appropriately trained to deploy such methodologies. - Large class sizes make it difficult to implement.
Thank you for your attention!
- Slides: 16