The power of Projects

Our body, something all children have experience with and which can generate many questions.  The above web is where this group of children  began, but through the facilitation of a wonderful teacher, look at the vocabulary and knowledge they gained. 

Just consider the vocabulary, knowledge and self awareness they have gained.  And this is just a small sampling of what this group of children did during this project.  The power of projects to differentiate (one  child was very intrigued by his butt and was able to build vocabulary to gluteus maximus) to the knowledge of the structure of our body.  Does this not show the benefits of a non-standardized curriculum and the power of projects.

disruptive wonder, kelli anderson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvI5JuB6ThE

How do we create disruptive wonder in our current educational system, how do we discover the hidden talents in every day things?  I think this is a wonderful question to pose in our current educational environment.  Teachers who engage in project work help children discover the hidden talents in every day things, bu also help us discover the hidden talents in children and in ourselves.  I believe that through curricular approaches like the Project Approach, we push the boundaries of what is expected in education and we reject the normal order of traditional education.  The Project Approach calls for use to expect more than our current reality, a reality most teachers claim doesn't benefit the students or themselves as educators.  So, why do we continue to accept the normal order of things in education?  I would appreciate any comments or feedback because I struggle with this when working with teachers.  While they don't like the norm, they find it so difficult to make the paradigm shift towards discovery.  Thoughts?

The 4C's

Communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity:  The 4C's.  With our fast paced world it is almost impossible to be able to dictate what exact knowledge and skills our children will need in the future.  Curricular approaches like the Project Approach and Emergent Curriculum naturally support the above "standards" or what Sylvia Chard and Lillian Katz (along with others) describe as dispositions.  The 4C's are no longer just a checklist of knowledge and skills, but dispositions (how we approach teaching, learning and problems). 

To generate some thinking about the 4C's I am posting this wonderful story/video created by one of my favorite children's authors, Peter Reynolds called Above and Beyond.  How do you consider the 4C's and how do you respond to this challenge of the 21st centruy.  How do you think schools are or should be supporting the 4C's?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KMM387HNQk&feature=player_embedded