My kindergarten class had spent 10 busy and exciting weeks examining how transport has changed to meet the needs of the growing population. This unit of enquiry involved investigating old transport methods and exploring how and why they have evolved.
The final week of the project focused on transport in the mountains of the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland, which is our local area. We considered cable cars and funiculars as well as skis and sledges. The highlight was a class trip to the mountains to go dogsledding - a spectacular conclusion to the topic.
To prepare for the outing, we spent a lot of time watching videos, reading books and talking about huskies. Thankfully, the trip was a resounding success. Pupils demonstrated how far they had come in their learning by asking and answering relevant questions about this exciting mode of transport. They also assured me that they were not frightened of the dogs (although I was aware of an understandable level of anxiety among parents).
The lesson continued back in the classroom as we began evaluating our trip using the internet. We uploaded photos to the class blog along with some short text about the trip. All parents were notified by email and we had our first comment on the blog post within a matter of minutes. Pupils were delighted when they saw their parents’ names and read their messages.
This immediate sharing of learning helped the children to reflect on their experience and to develop digital and literacy skills; it also reassured parents that their offspring had enjoyed themselves. Preparing the blog post was a lot of fun, and it allows the children to relive the experience whenever they choose and share it with friends and family worldwide.
Since this lesson, my class have been avidly sharing learning experiences with their parents using our blog. It is a quick, incredibly simple and highly effective tool for engaging children and adults alike.
Kirstin Adrianne Botter is a kindergarten teacher in SwitzerlandDownload a guide to setting up a blogTell us about your best lessonEmail jon.severs@tes.co.uk
