Page 123 - TWO OF A KIND • Erik Renkema

to the three questions in the same small groups. After 5 minutes, the
teacher asks a few students to answer the question in the plenary assembly.
The next element is the reading of a small story about arguing and making up
afterwards. It is read by another teacher. The same three questions are shown on
screen and discussed after the reading is finished. After 5 minutes, the teacher who
read the story asks a few students to answer the question in the plenary assembly.
Then another teacher introduces a film trailer about a child that explores
possibilities to influence the chances for his father to survive a war abroad. 5 The students watch this trailer for 2 minutes and then talk about their answers
to the same three questions that are projected on screen. After 5 minutes, the same teacher asks a few students to answer the question in the plenary assembly. The final element of the celebration is a drawing by every student. The teacher who introduced the trailer also explains that the students are going to draw – individually, in pairs or as a group – their perceptions, their thoughts that reflect one of the fragments that has been shown or read in the celebration. The teacher tells them that they can also write a short story or poem. Then all students work for about 15 minutes. It turns out that almost all students do an individual drawing. After these 15 minutes, some students tell something about their work in the plenary assembly. The teacher who welcomed the students also thanks the students for their contributions and invites them to go to their classroom again.
The whole activity lasts about 70 minutes.
6.3.2. Analysis of the content of the design
In analyzing the content of the design wherein all students meet, we detect three categories, which are similar in some ways to the categories of section 6.2. We interpret these categories as characteristics of the design through which teachers shape a practice based on key values of the school.
a. Students’ experiences
Teachers refer to the possibility for students to reflect on and to express their feelings and thoughts as an objective of the celebration. There must be a connection to daily life and current events. The value of child-centered education is expressed strongly in this objective. During a presentation of our findings to the team, teachers indicated that this development of a personal identity for students is also important for living together with other people and in society. It is interesting to see that the teachers present components of the design without
A PILOT STUDY
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