Break Out C.E1 Making the Learning Environment Inspiring through Visible Thinking Routines

*this break out presentation/workshop will be conducted in English

*本分组演讲/研讨会将以英语进行

Speaker(s): Eileen Boey (Presbyterian Preschool Services)

Topic: C.E1 Making the Learning Environment Inspiring (MEI) through Visible Thinking Routines (Harvard Graduate School of Education) to Celebrate Children’s Thinking and Understanding

Synopsis: All of us think. But how often do we think about our thinking? How well do we understand what it means to think? As educators, we often tell our children to think, but we hardly consider or verbalise just what it is we specifically want our learners to do mentally.

Making the Environment Inspiring (MEI) is an approach that makes the environment a canvas to showcase and celebrate children’s thinking. MEI is not about displaying beautiful things in the classroom but the curation of children's work to tell meaningful stories that are Authentic, Beautiful, Compelling, Diverse and Empowering (ABCDE). Through Visible Thinking Routines, MEI attempts to unpack the child’s Thoughts (Perspective), Actions, (Process), and Work (Product).

We believe an educator is also a craftsman that collects, curates and composes his/her children’s work to take centre stage. In this workshop, participants will learn to use a Visible Thinking Routines to elicit the perspectives of the children and to implement the A-E selection criteria so that the classroom will be a space that inspires learning.