“I do what I want to” is misunderstood term. Often we get confused what does it mean? How does one defines “child led” learning?
I was discussing open house goal with kids – one of them expressed “I want to play in open house”. Open house is a place where we are evolving government at Aarohi.
I asked do you know what happens in open house?
He expressed “no………..we discuss”.
I offered to explain what it is – he went around and asked few more people about what is open house. By now one more child joined who was not clear of what happens in open house.
At end they came up with their revised goal “we will clean up soft board in open house”.
hmmmmmmmm should I leave here with the thought “it is child’s goal, they have redefined?” I continued………
I looked at some videos to share what government means, tried searching from books/newspaper for them (4 and 6yrs old) – could not find any suitable things at that time.
I asked “what role does a traffic police play?”
One said “wherever you go on the road, they will take money from you”.
Another showed with hands “If one car is going here and another there then they stop one car and they control the traffic”.
We continued from here “who is traffic police at Aarohi?”
They said “we can be traffic police at Aarohi?”.
In between someone came to ask something from me, they objected “do not disturb aunty, we are setting up our goal”.
They once again redefined their roles
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One set the goal – I will be in the sand area and whoever comes I will open blue gate like adults If any child is running out of the blue gate I will stop. I will make my name badge of “traffic police”. I will need sketch pen, safety pin, and card board. I know Aarohi spelling.
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Another set the goal – I will be downstairs of the staircase and control the traffic. I will be standing like a police man and sitting like a police man. I will make my name badge of “traffic police”. I will need sketch pen, safety pin, and card board.
Today, they continued becoming Traffic police at Ocampus too at the barrier.
Are they doing what they wanted to do (play)?
Are they leading their own learning after rejection of one goal (clean soft board in open house)?
This reminds me few lines from an article by Pam Sorooshain “Unschooling is more like a dance between partners who are so perfectly in synch with each other that it is hard to tell who is leading. The partners are sensitive to each others’ little indications, little movements, slight shifts and they respond. Sometimes one leads and sometimes the other”.
And, it’s not Child-led learning.
It’s not hands-off facilitation.
it’s not about waiting for the child to come and ask you to help him/her…
It’s not about not introducing the child to areas other than what he/she is already interested in…
It’s not about the faculty not taking the lead…
Read on
http://learninghappens.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/unschooling-is-not-child-led-learning/