Introduction

At University Wales Trinity Saint David Swansea, I am currently studying Education Studies and I have based my blog on four concepts that I have found most interesting throughout my 21^st Century Learning lectures and seminars. The concepts that I have chosen are Steiner Waldorf Education, Learning Outside the Classroom, Philosophy for Children and Montessori Schools. Each of these concepts can be linked through the importance of play for a child’s development during their education.

Steiner Waldorf Education

I have begun this post with a brief background to how Steiner schools were first introduced and later became a worldwide movement. The Steiner school curriculum has also been brought into my blog post to indicate that Steiner believed in a curriculum based on the whole development of a child to help engage in their abilities. I have mentioned the different stages of Steiner schools which include Kindergarten or Early Years (3-7), Lower School (7-14) and Upper School (14-19). These have been mentioned in my blog as I believe they show the development of the curriculum through Steiner schools and how it gradually changes as the children develop.

I decided to talk about Steiner Waldorf Education as it is something that interests me as it has its own curriculum. Although, before I began my research, I did not believe that Steiner Education would be better than the core curricular I am currently use to, I have come to agree with some of Rudolf Steiner’s ideas as I also believe that children learn more effectively when they are given more time to develop socially.

Learning Outside the Classroom

This post explains the importance of enabling children to learn outside the classroom, either through school trips or simply taking the children outside for a lesson. I have mentioned how taking children on a learning experience outside the classroom can develop their social skills as well as attendance. Also, I have spoken about Quality Badges from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom which is a certificate for providers who meet a certain criteria.

I chose Learning Outside the Classroom as I believe that children are more engaged to learn when they are having fun and what they are being taught is put into a more realistic context. For this post, I could also bring my own experience into what I was trying to explain which made it more personal to me.

Philosophy for Children

I opened this post with a brief background to Matthew Lipman who introduced the theory that philosophical inquiry needed to begin early on in childhood. I have then spoken about how Philosophy for Children is taught to children and how often. As well as this, I introduced a table to show what types of thinking ‘Philosophy for Children’ can help a child develop. To finish the blog post, I mentioned about the outcomes, weaknesses and benefits of this programme for children as I thought this would be important in allowing people to come to their own conclusions.

I decided to write about Philosophy for Children as I found it different to the other concepts that I have been taught this semester. This is due to it encouraging children to develop their creative thinking as well as their judgement. This concept is also different as it does not mainly focus on play-based learning, which is a repetitive theme throughout the other concepts that I have mentioned.

Montessori

Similarly to the other three blog posts, I have begun with a brief background about Maria Montessori who introduced Montessori schools. I followed this with a timeline of events which led to the worldwide movement of Montessori schools which we now have in the UK. To conclude my post, I mentioned the role of the teacher and the Montessori settings as I found these equally important to the lead up of the schools due to the fact that they play an important role in Montessori schools then and now.

I chose Montessori schools as one of my blog posts since I knew a little about them before they were mentioned in my lecture. As I began my research, it became clear to me that this was going to be something that I wanted to write about. I believe that Montessori schools enable their children to learn at their own pace and will give them the personal satisfaction and ability to face challenges of everyday life.

To conclude, I believe that each concept is unique in the way that they teach children. Although, they differ in this way, each concept has great outcomes which will benefit children throughout their lives. I favour Philosophy for Children as it helps to engage them into learning through discussions, whereas while they are sat at a desk they can fear getting an answer wrong. The other concepts also help engage children in other ways, such as Learning Outside the Classroom which introduces children to new environments.

Steiner Waldorf Education

Background
In 1861 Rudolf Steiner was born in Austria and his ideas did not only apply to education, but they also applied to medicine, agriculture and social reforms. In 1919 the first Steiner school was opened in Stuttgart for children of workers who were employed at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. EmilMolt was the managing director after donating money to the school and he asked Dr Rudolf Steiner to lead the school during its early stages of development. Steiner had an insight to the work that went on within the school system, and then went on to create a worldwide movement of schools called Steiner schools. These schools today are fully comprehensive and pupils from the age of three to eighteen (recommended) are welcome, as well as children from all faiths and backgrounds (Ltd, 2013).

“Learning is the key to human development, but it is not a simple, homogenous process. What to learn, when to learn, and how to learn are arrived at through a conscious and careful study of children as well as a comprehensive understanding of the human being through all stages of human development” (Puckeridge, 2012). – Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf Education (Ed.Brien Masters)

                                                                                            (Brunsvold, 2011)

Curriculum
The curriculum is based on the whole development of a child, which includes spiritual, physical, moral and academic. As a child develops the curriculum engages those abilities of the growing child, for example, in Kindergarten this would be done through guided creative play. A curriculum like this enables Steiner schools to respond to each pupil at their own developing needs (Puckeridge, 2012).
Class trips play an important part throughout Steiner schools and play and learning outside the classroom are also important factors. An example of this is that in Class nine, pupils may go on a language trip abroad (Ltd, 2013).

Kindergarten

In a Steiner Kindergarten, the children are surrounded by a beautiful, truthful and harmonious environment (Puckeridge, 2012). Children are usually enrolled when they are three or over and each of the kindergarten groups have 16 children of mixed ages rising to seven. Reading and writing are not introduced at this stage because Steiner believed that children learn these skills more effectively when they are given plenty of time to develop socially, emotionally and physically (Ltd, 2013). Activities in a Steiner Kindergarten include creative play, baking, drawing, music and gardening. Social skills are also fostered by introducing care taking; an example of this would be setting a table by using napkins, flowers and glasses (Puckeridge, 2012).

Lower School (7-14)

At the age of seven, children formally start school by entering class 1, the first class of lower school. When entering this class they will be introduced to their class teacher, who usually stays with them throughout the next eight years. This curriculum is structured to help children’s imagination and their learning readiness. Core subjects are taught within lower school during 3-4 week block periods in the main lesson. These include English, Mathematics, History, and Geography. Lessons during the rest of the school day differ including lessons in games, land work, Music and Modern Languages (Ltd, 2013).

Upper School (14-19)

The academic challenge now begins as the children leave their class teacher at the end of class eight. In the upper school, the curriculum aims to foster clear independent thinking through the use of questions, discussion and criticism. General subject lessons include Languages, Sports and Religious Studies, as well as main lessons such as English Literature, History of Drama, and Poetry (Ltd, 2013).

Below is a video showing Steiner Education:

(Films, 2012)

References

Brunsvold, D., 2011. Rudolf Steiner Audio. [Art] (Dennis Klocek Site).

  Films, S., 2012. YouTube. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhHQwihcOfY
[Accessed 29 December 2013].

  Ltd, S. W. S. F., 2013. Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship. [Online]
Available at: http://www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk/whatissteinereducation.html
[Accessed 29 December 2013].

Puckeridge, T., 2012. Steiner Education Australia. [Online]
Available at: http://steinereducation.edu.au/steiner-education/
[Accessed 29 December 2013].

Learning Outside the Classroom

Learning outside the classroom enables children to experience new environments in an enjoyable way, as well as raising their self-esteem and self-motivation. Children’s learning can be enhanced through visits which are both memorable and enjoyable, as this heightens their interests and therefore encourages them to progress with their learning (Government, 2008).

In Wales, learning outside the classroom is used in the Foundation Phase and throughout their school education towards higher education (14-19). These learning experiences can take place in a variety of settings, in Wales we have a variety of environments that children can visit, such as nature reserves, beaches, rivers and education establishments. Adventure activities can help children or young adults develop their social skills, such as communication, team work and co-operation, as well as gaining personal fulfilment (Government, 2008).  



                                       (Waterlinks, 2007)



Schools will usually organise visits within curriculum time, however some schools take their students on longer trips within the UK or abroad to develop specific curricular subjects. Learning outside the classroom is also frequently organised outside of school hours, such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award and after school clubs. These give children an extra opportunity to enhance their learning while doing something which they enjoy (Government, 2008).

Learning outside the classroom providers can achieve QualityBadges from The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom once they have met a certain criteria. These include providing accurate information about its offer, meeting the needs of users, and having safety management processes in place to ensure that they can manage any risks effectively (CLOtC, 2011).

                                                                                                          (Council, 2013)

As university students studying Education Studies, a group and I went on a educational visit with Rhydyfro Primary School  to experience an animal tour that children attend in an out of school environment. We decided to go to Plantasia in Swansea as it was interesting to us and there was plenty to see and do. Here, the children were told about extinct animals and endangered species that exist today. They began linking the reasons for the extinction from what they had learnt in school, such as deforestation.

The children made connections with topics that they had already been learning in the classroom, and their experiences in Plantasia could be used as a stimulus for their future learning. At the end of the tour, the children were sat on a carpet in the education room where they recapped on what they had done. The tour guide would ask questions such as ‘what was your favourite part?’ and ‘what did we see?’

The weaknesses of learning outside the classroom include deciding on a place suitable for the curricular subject, as well as ensuring that the chosen destination does not become a distraction to the educational purpose of the trip. Another weakness is the expense, as many parents may not be able to afford the cost of the trip.

The benefits of learning outside the classroom are far greater than the weaknesses. Taking a child outside can make learning more engaging, whereas maintaining the child indoors can make it difficult to keep them on task. It also encourages learning to be more relevant as you can put them in a more realistic context, as well as nurturing their creativity and imagination. Learning outside the classroom is a good way to improve attendance as the children are more motivated to learn (Education, 2011).

Below is a video showing an example of learning outside the classroom (Lancashireoutdoor, 2012):

 

References

CLOtC, 2011. Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge. [Online]
Available at: http://lotcqualitybadge.org.uk/quality-indicators
[Accessed 28 December 2013].

Council, F. S., 2013. Quality Badge Certificate. [Art] (The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom).

Education, C., 2011. Practical Teaching Advice, Ideas and Opinion. [Online]
Available at: http://www.creativeeducation.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/06/learning-outside-the-classroom/
[Accessed 28 December 2013].

Government, W. A., 2008. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. [Online]
Available at: http://www.npt.gov.uk/PDF/LEA_Educational_visits_a_safety_guide_for_learning_outside_the_classroom01.pdf
[Accessed 28 December 2013].

Lancashireoutdoor, 2012. YouTube. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dh_XE40mj4
[Accessed 28 December 2013].

Waterlinks, 2007. River Tawe. [Art] (Waterlinks).

Philosophy for Children

“Thinking was something that had to be taught much earlier, before thinking habits entrenched, so that by the time a student graduated from High School, skilful, independent thinking would have become a habit” (Fisher, 2003, p. 26). – Matthew Lipman

 

Matthew Lipman taught philosophy at Columbia University. Here he became disappointed with his class as there were many young adults who were unable to reason effectively. Due to this disappointed he decided that philosophical inquiry needed to start early on in their childhood. At Montclair State University, Lipman established the IAPC, Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, in 1972. As well as this he published a book, Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. This book was intended to help adults teach philosophy to their own children or students (Enable Training and Consulting, 2011).   

 

How is Philosophy for Children taught?

These lessons usually start with a recommended two hour session each week, which may include reading an extract from a novel or a video. This will then be followed by questions raised by a majority of the students and discussions of their chosen topic. The teacher usually extends the discussion by asking further questions from a discussion plan (Fisher, 2003). The discussions continue through their own path as children’s thoughts and ideas begin to agree or disagree with one another. The children are also required to give a reason for their point of view (Philosophy4Children, 2013).

 

Creative writing, art-work or mind-mapping may also be included as follow-up activities for the children’s discussion. These activities encourage children to develop their creative thinking and judgement, as well as ‘Community of Inquiry’, which is a special sense of community (Fisher, 2003). 

 

Below is a video showing an example of Philosophy for Children:

                                                                                                      (Trust, 2013)

What types of thinking does Philosophy for Children develop?

“Philosophy applied to education for the purpose of producing students with improved proficiency in reasoning and judgement” (Fisher, 2003).

 

Philosophy for Children aims to move children from the routine to the reflective, as well as helping them move from unconsidered to considered, and everyday thinking to critical thinking (Fisher, 2003).

 

The table below shows the improvements made through Philosophy for Children (Fisher, 2003):

Elements of thinking
Everyday thinking	Critical thinking
Guessing	Estimating
Preferring	Evaluating
Assuming	Justifying
Associating/listing	Classifying
Accepting	Hypothesising
Judging	Analysing
Inferring	Reasoning

Outcomes for Children:

Philosophy for Children teaches children to be able to think before they speak as well as give reasons for what they are saying. They learn to value their views and the views of others; not taking other people’s views or opinions personally. Philosophy for Children also teaches children to respect and negotiate with others, along with learning not to be fearful.  We must take into account that they help improve a child’s independence by enabling them to think and speak for themselves. Philosophy for Children can also impact on other areas of the curriculum, for example, creating stories in English or creating a presentation (Philosophy4Children, 2013).

 

Weaknesses of Philosophy for Children:

Many teachers say the weakness of this programme seems to be that they cannot see a “clearly defined developmental progression within the great number of skills and topics presented in the teacher’s manuals” (Fisher, 2003).  

 

Benefits of Philosophy for Children:

Below I created a mind-map to show the benefits of the Philosophy for Children sessions (Philosophy4Children, 2013):

                                                                                                         (bubbl.us, 2013)

References

bubbl.us, 2013. bubbl.uk. [Online]
Available at: https://bubbl.us/
[Accessed 27 December 2013].

Enable Training and Consulting, I., 2011. KidsThinkAboutIt. [Online]
Available at: http://kidsthinkaboutit.com/?p=1673
[Accessed 27 December 2013].

Fisher, R., 2003. Philosophy for Children: Teaching children to think. In: Teaching Thinking. Bath: Continuum, p. 26-50.

Philosophy4Children, 2013. Philosophy4Children. [Online]
Available at: http://www.philosophy4children.co.uk/home/p4c/
[Accessed 27 December 2013].

Trust, D. M., 2013. YouTube. [Online]
Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeveNmuEQcU
[Accessed 27 December 2013].

Montessori

Montessori education aims to nurture children’s development into complete adults, to be comfortable with themselves and society, as well as humanity as a whole (Iliffe-Moon, 2012).

Background

Maria Montessori became interested in education after graduating from the University of Rome medical school in 1896 with double honours. She became one of the two first women doctors in Italy, and during the first ten years of this profession she treated children and women in both the hospital of Rome and a private clinic (Isaacs, 2012).

                                                                                   (Rachelle, 2009)

Key Events

In 1906, Montessori established the first Montessori nursery, known as the Casa Dei Bambini in Rome. She was given no money for essential materials such as furniture and teachers. Due to this she had to be creative to ensure that her project would succeed. Toys were donated to the nursery and office furniture were reassembled into chairs and tables suitable for children. Montessori cared for the children’s physical needs, therefore children who attended the nursery were weighed, measured and provided with a balanced diet (Isaacs, 2012).

Montessori learned that manipulation and movement were key factors to learning in the early years, therefore the children became active learners. The children in these nurseries were encouraged to help look after their classroom and environment. She also recognised that children needed freedom, within limits, for self-development to be able to take place. This would encourage them to explore their favourable environment which is specially prepared to meet their developmental and also their individual needs (Isaacs, 2012).

Montessori attracted much attention in the press not only in Italy but also internationally during her discoveries between 1907 and 1908. Participants from Europe, North and South America, and Asia attended the first training course and discussions were made to establish Montessori schools in all four of the continents. In 1912 after the death of her mother, Montessori decided to travel within Italy and abroad to give lectures. The first international course was setup in Rome in 1913 which was attended by ninety students from all over the world (Isaacs, 2012).

Montessori Schools Today

There are around 22, 000 Montessori schools around the world, and the majority provide an education for children aged between two and six. Montessori placed the children at the centre of the education process, similar to other educators such as Froebel (1782-1852). Learning environments need to be child-lead while the adults facilitate and ensure that these interests are held within the curriculum (Isaacs, 2012).

Montessori Teachers
The teacher needs to have detailed knowledge of the child’s preferred learning styles a well as their interests, and use a wide range of resources. It is essential for the teacher’s role and attitudes to change to be able to support a child in their self-construction. They should also be patient, humble and respectful of the children’s efforts and should not control them (Isaacs, 2012).

Montessori Settings
Montessori settings enable children to develop at their own pace which follows the natural rhythm of each individual child. “Most parents still see education as a means to financial success in their child’s adult life” (Isaacs, 2012, p. 98). However, today they do recognise that without the personal satisfaction and the ability to be able to face challenges of everyday life their children will not develop in a healthy way (Isaacs, 2012).

Below is a video showing the brief principles of Montessori schools (321fastdraw, 2011):

References

321fastdraw, 2011. Trevor Eissler "Montessori Madness!" - 321 FastDraw. [Online]
Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcgN0lEh5IA
[Accessed 16 December 2013].

Iliffe-Moon, L., 2012. Absorbent Minds Montessori. [Online]
Available at: http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/acatalog/What_is_Montessori_.html
[Accessed 16 December 2013].

Isaacs, B., 2012. Understanding the Montessori Approach. s.l.:Routledge Ltd.

Rachelle, 2009. My Hero. [Online]
Available at: http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=M_Montessori_whitworth_US_2009_ul
[Accessed 29 December 2013].