Digging holes at Prairie Creek!

[Allegra Pihlaja]

I was taught in my ZPD a lot when I lived in Turkey during fifth grade. Interestingly, I was home-schooled that year, so nothing that I learned that year came from a formal education/classroom/teacher, but I still managed to learn a lot. I think there was something optimal about me being 10-11 years old during that time, where I was maturing and becoming more capable of being independent. One of the most notable things at that time was how quickly I picked up the Turkish language, especially in comparison to my younger brother and parents, who were also exposed to the same things as I was, but had more trouble picking it up. I was able to learn Turkish words from my peers and other kids, both Turkish and American, and I soaked it all in quickly. I did not have an adult guiding me through Turkish lessons for English speakers, or anything like that (if I had, I am sure that I would have learned even more), but the peers, neighbors, and everyday interactions that I had allowed me to learn a lot just by ear. I was able to translate conversations for my parents because I picked up more of the language in my ZPD. I was in the zone of proximal development where I had moved to a new country, was eager to learn, and was young enough to really remember everything. I know that I would surely not remember as much of a language if I tried to learn it today. The entire year that I spent in Turkey was really formative for the rest of my life, not only because of the language that I picked up, but also because I was at the right age to learn it. My eyes were opened to a new culture and way of living, I was young enough to explore and say yes to everything, but most importantly, I had my parents and other friends to guide me along the way, and I noticed that I became much more independent over the course of that year because of their initial guidance.

At Prairie Creek on Wednesday, I witnessed scaffolding throughout the entire morning that I was there. The Cranes were doing an activity where they dug up holes in the ground with their work crews (groups of four students that change weekly). They dug holes with shovels and other garden tools, aiming to get at least a foot deep, and then were going to put trash in them and leave it until next March, when they will dig it up (I left before they finished the activity, so I am not sure how it turned out). Some of the kids had dug holes at home before and knew how to use these tools, while others did not. I witnessed other kids showing the rest of their work crews how to dig the best hole, and Nancy encouraged them throughout these conversations. Prairie Creek does a really good job of fostering collaboration between the students.

I have witnessed this not only in this activity, but also during recess and other activities where all grade levels and teachers interact. During recess, there were some 4/5s playing with the kindergarteners and holding their hands; I could tell that they were trying to guide the younger students through their recess games. One notable example of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of development was from recess when a group of third graders who were playing in the forts in the woods kept complaining that someone was stealing their corn. A teacher came along while they were complaining and asked them why they thought someone was stealing their corn. She was trying to get them to reason out the situation and realize that maybe it wasn’t a person, but an animal that was interfering with their game. She questioned their reasoning and provided a more mature, logical perspective in the situation, and I could see that the students started to realize that maybe she was right.

In the classroom, I have seen myself, Nancy, and the other adults and teachers serve as MKOs. Nancy does a lot of modeling as she participates in activities that the students do. For example, if we are having our morning meeting and we go around in a circle and say our favorite season or color, even the adults participate. In my head, it is easy to forget that while school is about teaching kids, they learn from others (their MKOs!) and if we don’t model or participate, then there can be a lot lost in the lesson. MKOs serve as the examples and role models, and I have to remind myself of this as I am at Prairie Creek. If I don’t participate in a whole group activity, the students will notice. When they were digging holes, Nancy and I were able to go around and give them tips on how to make it wider or deeper, or how to put more pressure on the shovel. When Nancy was teaching them a finger breathing technique to calm down, both of us demonstrated as she explained it so that the class could see that it was an important activity. Kids don’t hold back on making comments, and I am sure that if I did not participate in a group activity, they would notice and ask why. It’s amazing to see how much of an impact MKOs can have on facilitating focus, good behavior, and learning.

This week was the first week of free recess, which was fascinating to watch. There is so much outdoor space at Prairie Creek! They have the fields for students to play soccer, football, and other field games, a playground, and woods with forts and space to run around. I was glad to have time to ask the Cranes about the games they were playing in the forts, their favorite part of the playground (the monkey bars!), and to meet other students at the school. It seemed like the students really mixed with other classes and grade levels. During recess, I chatted with Nancy and she kept saying to me: “They’re so lucky. I think they know that.” It is incredible to see a school like Prairie Creek, where the teachers instill so many good values in the students by fostering such a collaborative, learning-focused environment. There is never an emphasis on getting answers right or wrong or filling out worksheets, but rather on play, being outside, learning about the environment, and learning to work with peers.

Here is a shell that one of the students dug up in their hole and gave to me!

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