An environment is a living, changing system. More than the physical space, it includes the way time is strucutured and the roles we are expected to play. It conditions how we feel, think, and behave; and it dramatically affects the quality of our lives. The environment either works for us or against us as we conduct our lives.
- Jim Greenman 

Space is an indispensable component in the Reggio Emilia approach towards education. The space or the environment is considered to be the third teacher after parents and facilitators according to the philosophy. Being a Reggio inspired school, space set up is an integral part of our curriculum planning and every element of space is thought through and placed with an intention to enable communication between children, with adults in the system and with the space itself. 

This year as we plan to embarked on another exciting academic journey, we decided to redesign our space by bringing our unique Sparkling Mindz characters to invite children to be part of their inspiring stories of exploration and wonder. We used the glass sliding doors in each classroom as portals to the world of interaction, exploration, imagination and movement. 

Each door holds a scene from the stories of Cloudsy, Braiynee Bee, Flexi Daisy, Treeous, Q.marq, Randall and Animo's adventurous lives painted carefully with an objective to spark thinking and discussions as we eagerly await children to return to school post their summer vacations.

#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#reggioemiliainspired
#designthinkingprocess
​#spacedesign
#21stcenturylearning

"Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless." 

This old adage by Mary Kay Ash is timeless - and rings true especially today when the notions 'Entrepreneurship' and 'Innovation' are receiving wider acceptance and desire. 

At Sparkling Mindz, where children work on Changemaker Missions, we constantly ask ourselves 'what does it take to implement an idea'. 
In one such exploration, we decided to visit @theworkshop_blr , in order to experience first-hand the process of converting ideas into something tangible. 
 
We are all grateful for the wonderful experience that we had to share that space with them, bring out our creative spirits, let go and play with materials, think with our hands and expand our horizons. 

A key part of the experience was understanding the tools and how they are to be leveraged in the creation process, especially with respect to woodworking.

"Which is the right tool to use to remove a nail from the wall? When is the right time to use a circular saw versus a jigsaw saw? When do we use plywood instead of original wood to create something and why? What are a few of the safety mechanisms to be mindful of when using tools?"

Once these questions were explored in detail, we got the opportunity to work in teams, design products and finally - use the tools and materials to really bring these ideas to life! 

Thank you @theworkshop_blr for providing such a space and thank you to the entire team for letting go of inhibitions and 'thinking with your hands'. 
​

Today we started our usual Library Routine with the usual book reading. The Cubs (4 to 5 year olds) started the reading by exploring the book 'The Day The Crayon Quits' cover page,
R: Green color crayon
A: Its Blue color 
N: Pink 
C: Orange 
VR: Red looks like its fighting with someone and angry 
N: Red looks surprised 
VR: Orange is upset 
R: Blue is a holding a board and it's angry 
C: Green is happy 
D: Pink is very upset 
E: pink is holding the board downwards and sad 
 
Their discussion went deeper when they empathized further, 
N: Red fought with its dad so its sad, upset and it was surprised looking at the other color.
VR: Blue is holding a board because it does not like the other crayons so something is written on it.
 
When the reading continued, children were curious on the word ‘quit’, so we explored further.

VR: It means running!

Everybody agreed. So we moved on with the thought of finding it out while we read the book. We then came across the word ‘stack’.
Facilitator (F): What does stack mean?
 
D: It’s stamp 
But Ad clarified with, “Arranging thing on top of others!”, and we continued reading  the book.

The next word that caught the attention ‘letter’ where the crayons had written letters for Duncan, the main character. 

N: It's a cursive letter 
Aa and Aa: It’s alphabet and its vowel 
D added, “Consonants!”
 
It was clear that children understood that word as the English alphabet while also connecting it to, “We write letters.”
 
The next crayon that children explored was the colour ‘red’ where they connected with gas cylinder, tomato, strawberry, dresses, apple, fire engine, heart etc.
 
We went on further discussions on the different letters and colours in book, when they were asked, “How did you all feel when you used different crayons?”
N: I was upset because I would not colour and write with it
D: Because I could not colour it was small – I feel sad
Aa: I cannot write orange crayon is dirty and it was also breaking
Aad: When I took the dirty yellow crayons my paper also become dirty
C: Colour of the crayon are gone and we are not able to use it
R: When I waste the crayon I feel sad, I talk to the crayon and say I will not waste you the next time.
 
Each one of them talked about how they will be more respectful to the crayons. This suddenly probed A to ask, “Why ma’am, you did not give us big and new crayons?” This got everybody else to ask the F why she hadn’t given them new crayons.
 
So the F asked them back, “Why do you think I haven’t given you the big and nice crayons?”
 
Children contemplated for a while and replied,
VR: Because you want us to write and colour with the small one
A: Making use of the small crayon to colour
N: To know how they feel when they break.
 
F: Yes, so that you all can understand how each of the crayons feel.
 
This moved on to empathizing with the crayons and arriving at what they can do to the crayon when they use them-
 
VR: Crayons are angry on us and next time we don't use it properly they will leave us and go
A: I will use all the crayons
D: We should not break it handle with care
Di: I will use it properly
E: I will tell sorry to red crayon because I use it always
Aa: I will not break not take the rapper
S: I will use the colour and be careful, no wasting
Aa: I take care of it and colour it nicely
Ad: No breaking the crayon
 
Stories are powerful mediums to convey messages and learn new things. Any message can be conveyed through a story that can have deeper impacts on the audience, such as this one. Here from reading a book, what could possibly be seen at first look as simply a comical book on anthropomorphised crayons, carried much more than what met the eyes. Children not only explored their feelings when they used multiple crayons but empathized with them too, arriving at ground rules for themselves when using crayons in the future. This story in particular helped them empathize and learn responsibilities. And both are important skills for anybody to develop in their lives.

#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#everychildcanempathize
#reggioemiliainspiredlearning

Contributed by Sheela Peter, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. 

Start small, stay steady, collaborate and grow!

Our Climate Change Mission Group met with an expert today - Mrs Madhuri, creator of Indulge (homemade baked granola bars) and gardening enthusiast -  at school who showed them how the smallest of efforts from each one of us could create an impact. 

How? 
They attended a workshop and learnt that while global warming and climate change is a global problem, it is each of ours to acknowledge and solve. 

Sounds way too big to solve, doesn't it? Somestimes seeing  the small steps don't seem to sovle anything. But every step and action from each one of us counts. 

So our 1st to 8th graders took that 1st step and learnt about bio-enzymes, micro-greens, making completely organic and biodegradable floor cleaners!

And we all realized, "Wow! It isn't a hassle at all. All we need is a little know-how, some discipline, and consistent effort that can get us started and help sustain!"

They smelled, touched, felt, and also made these bio enzymes and planted for micro-greens. 

It was an experience for them to see that we can do something to make a difference, no matter how small. 

What next?
We will continue to take this forward in the form of actually making and using them at our school and at our homes too.

Contributed by Sumati Vinay, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global School.

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#missionclimatechange
#everystepcounts

I wonder why?

Why is it called the periodic table? Have you wondered? I asked a bunch of 9-year-olds who had been introduced to the periodic table recently. Hands went up enthusiastically in the air.

D: Ma'm I think it is because of the time period
S: Yes, like when they were found
Me: You mean like the timeline?
D: Yes, yes, like that
Me: That is an interesting hypothesis of why it is called the 'periodic table'. Anyone else?
I: I think it is because the elements are arranged in the order of their weight
Me: That is partly right. However, they could have called it the 'weight table' or the 'element line' like the number line right? Why is it called 'periodic'?

Since classes are online one of them, P (googles the answer and starts reading it out)
​
Me: P, I know there is an explanation of what is a periodic table is on Google. If you can read and tell me why that makes it periodic I'd like to hear that (she nods). Okay, anyone else?
S: Maybe, they are arranged by their use?
Me: Then it could be called the 'use table' or 'benefits table' why is it called 'periodic'?
(they are all silent and thinking)
Me: Think of the word periodic in the context of a swing or pendulum. What happens?
S: It goes back and forth
D: Again and again
Me: Yes. Ishaan was partly right, the elements were arranged in the order of weight but they realized that after every eight elements the properties seem to repeat and the group of elements seem to be more like each other than other sets. This seemed to be a periodic pattern across and hence, it is called Periodic Table. This way learning about each group gives you a lot of information about the similarities and differences between the same and other groups.

The 'why' of 'what' children are learning is important to them. Not just for a deep understanding of the topic but also to figure out ways to master the content. They learn to establish connections to remember the reason behind what they are learning as well as, in this context, how scientists thought about problems that were beyond them and what led to the discovery of knowledge that we hold so fundamental in today's understanding of science.

Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, CEO of Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool, ​School, and Afterschool.
​
#sparklingmindzglobal
#inspiringstory
#everychilcan
#changemakers

"The child is made of one hundred" - Loris Malaguzzi

This Children's Day our preschool children explored their 100.

It was the end of October, Poetic Soirée was just around the corner and our Pre-schoolers were on course with their practice. They were exploring poems in depth for the first time and were going to be reciting them for the event.

S a 5 year old and her team had chosen a poem called 'War' by Anshuman Dash to present. 

One day post the classes, S sat down to practice her poem by writing it down on a sheet of paper. She went word by word, blending and arriving at their spellings, using different colors for different words, checking with her facilitator when she forgot the lines, completely enjoying the whole process (backstory: S was just learning to write, and was completely inspired to work on it, constantly finding things to put down on the go). When she was done, the facilitator was curious to know how she had connected with the poem, so she presented S a question which led to the following conversation.

F: What did you learn from this poem S?
S: I learnt that they are fighting without reason for water, for bread, for race, for blood, also themselves.

F: Why are they fighting?
S (seeming confident about her opinion): Because there are things that people are not supposed to do, but they still do it. (S continued with a bit of agitation in her tone) Like it's not good to throw garage on the road. In the side of my house there is that water thing no, there a bunch of garage, nobody takes it, every day I see garbage.

F continues, curious to know more: Why do you think they do that? 
S: Because they think it's good to do but it's not! 

F: How is that people think differently? Like, you think it's not okay to throw garage on the road right? Why don't they also think it's not good?
S, thought for a moment, continues: Actually, they know. They are taught, their teachers also taught them. Even if they learnt, maybe they forgot or they didn't learn. 

F: Hmmm... do you have an idea how we can tell these people?
S, now in deep contemplation: I was thinking, give me the paper we wrote (referring to the letters the class had written addressing the people who litter the streets during their discussion on Indian independence) we can show it to them. 

This conversation continued for a bit longer post this.

Capturing this moment, it was beautiful to see how she had connected a deep poem, like War, to her environment. Children are often stolen of opportunities believing they are little and they don't understand. But they have their own way of connecting to the world around them, and are capable of understanding things only if we trust their capabilities.

​As adults working with children, it's our responsibility to make them feel trusted and their opinions valued. By doing this we are creating a future that's inspired and confident.

#reggioemiliainspiredlearning
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
​#inspiringconfidentlearners
#childrenspoetry

Contributed by Yashika CG, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.