The preschoolers at Washington Elementary in Molin
The preschoolers at Washington Elementary in Moline, IL became intrigued with making cupcakes when one child, who had been baking at home with his grandmother, acted this out in the dramatic play corner. Picking up on their curiosity, a student teacher asked the group: How do you make cupcakes? “First you need the batter. Stir it. Put it in the oven. Frost it. Then you eat it. That’s how you make cupcakes.” “You have to have cupcake filters for putting the cupcakes in.” “You have to mix it up before you eat it. It has to go in the oven too.” “My mom has to do it.” “First cook some eggs. Then add sugar. Add some flour. Put it in the oven for two minutes. Don’t forget to eat it!” “It’s too hard. I’ll try to draw it.” And this is how their project-based learning experience began. To Prepare: Review Recipes for Learning: A Baking Project. Consider based on what you have learned about engaging and exciting project-based learning experiences and their value to every child’s development and learning. Note: Be sure to click on and read through each section of the project: Phase 1: Beginning the Project; Phase 2: Developing the Project; Phase 3: Concluding the Project; and Teacher Reflection. By Wednesday of Week 6: Post your response to at least 4 of the following. Be sure to include specific examples from Recipes for Learning: A Baking Project to illustrate your points: How is this project child-centered? Where do you see content-area learning coming to life? How does this experience foster growth in each of the developmental domains? Where do you see ways this approach/project could offer inclusive/individualized participation to meet children’s needs and build on their strengths? How does this project meet the criteria of project-based learning? What excited you about this project and this way of learning and teaching?In the “Teacher Reflection” section, the student teacher shares: The most significant challenge in implementing this project was balancing COVID-19 restrictions and the limited timeline for completion of the project during my student teaching. Under more ideal circumstances, children would have had the opportunity to experience off-site field work and invite and interview experts, and families would have had the opportunity for more interaction with the class. During Phase 2 and 3, the students would have had more interaction with the community and the project would have continued until children had exhausted their inquiry. Respond to this quote with ideas you have for off-site fieldwork, experts, and family and community involvement that would honor children’s curiosities, encourage more breadth and depth to the project, and help make content-area learning come to life.
