Last year, my P6 class was involved in the Shell Greenpower Goblin Race, where they had to build a battery-operated car to race against schools from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. I am fortunate enough to have taken this class on to P7, where they are getting the chance to compete again.
To prepare for the race, the class will be dismantling the car, cleaning it and rebuilding it and its body kit with the help of Aberdeen Trades Project. When I mentioned this to my colleagues, they highlighted the fact that The TESS had an article on the great value that dismantling objects has for a child’s learning and understanding, based on a Swedish scheme called Flashes of Genius (August 13). I downloaded a document from its website and was inspired. I now plan not only to dismantle and rebuild the class’s Goblin car, but to do the same thing with other everyday items such as hairdryers and printers. Furthermore, P1 children will be working collaboratively with my P7 class during this stage, as a means of shared learning across the stages.
I thought I should let you know the value that the article had on my own and my colleagues’ awareness of teaching for understanding.
Emma Noble, Seaton Primary School, Aberdeen.