Tobin
Kindergarten Art Studio: An Individual and Group Simultaneous and
Interdependent Learning Experience
by Joanne Cleary and Betsy
Damian
Introduction
The
Kindergarten Studio is intentionally designed to be a place for ideas
to grow and develop both for individuals and groups. It is inspired by
educational theory and practice from Reggio Emilia, and by the book
"Beautiful Stuff" by Lela Gandini and Cathy Topal. This essay will
document the back and forth sharing of ideas between teachers and
students, students and students, teachers and teachers as they work
together in the Kindergarten Art Studio. This collaboration included
three teachers two volunteer artists, and two English Language support
specialists.
The story documents the development of particular ideas as they emerged
from individual work and spiraled in and out of the classrooms through
the thoughts of all the people and into a final group project. Our
ongoing conversations with the children, and their recorded words along
with their artwork provide essential material for us to study in order
to develop an understanding of the interests of the children. The
artwork also provides a visual representation of their thoughts, and
holds a history of their shared ideas, and common interests. We support
the evolution of ideas, offer enrichment to strengthen the growth of
the idea, and search for a final project that will embody the history
and spirit of the group.
The studio is located in the common space outside our classrooms. It is
a physical representation of the collaboration. It contains shelves for
materials, comfortable workspace and a display area for finished work,
which we call The Museum. The children choose their own materials from
a cmmon collection of recycled materials donated by their families.
They decide when and if they will display their piece. It takes some
time for ideas to evolve from the interests of the children. In this
story we will tell about how multiple ideas began with one instance.
How the idea of one child influenced the ideas of other children, and
how teachers used these ideas to scaffold a complex curriculum.
