Heavy Duty Problem Solving

I saw some heavy duty problem solving happening in our blocks center last week.

The boys began building the "traditional" arch structure that I've seen over and over in my classrooms. Two tall blocks standing on end and another block across the span at the top.

Then one said, "I wonder if I can fit through here." He slowly inserted his head into the opening...until the structure fell on him. (Sorry - no photo.)

Well, the exploration was on. They tried spacing blocks out as far as possible. They tried moving their heads through the space in different ways. They speculated that if we had longer blocks, they could move the sides apart as far as they needed.

Then one boy decided to try it feet first.

He could get more of his body through the opening. But, alas, it fell on him at some point.

Then we began explorations in balancing.

Could we hold and balance a stack of blocks?

Could we balance a round, rolling block on top of another one?

Could we build a balancing structure?

Could we balance the columns on one another and get them to stay?

I watched this column work for a while. The builder tried several different configurations until he decided that "the square ones on the bottom" was the best foundation.

He would build the fragile structures again and again. A slight bump or move the wrong way and they would tumble. But he built them again.

Through trial and error - and a great deal of persistence - he was able to get this result.

I heard lots of self-talk and encouragement among the boys. I heard interesting speculation on what could be done at all the different stages of play. And I said hardly anything. (Other than "Wow!")

I think I enjoyed the exploration more than the boys did.

Our mishmash of blocks can yield some pretty great learning, I'd say.

Our Wants Vs Our Practice

from "Are We Preparing Students to Be Chefs or Cooks?"

Sometimes when you put out materials to make signs and posters, you get eye patches instead. And that's the way it should be. Kids' spaces should allow for experimentation and exploration if we want creative, innovative kids.

Taking Initiative

One of my favorite things happens when kids decide to fix things or make things better in the classroom.

Recently we were playing with phones and a keyboard. This area was extremely busy. We were talking and taking notes and typing up important information.

It looked like a busy office.

But one of the guys noticed a problem. There was only one keyboard. And not everyone was having opportunities to use it.

He came to me. He explained the situation. He explained what we needed. A waiting list.

I've written about our use of waiting lists before. We use them when something is popular but not readily available. Kids can put their names on the list and then go do other things. When the activity is available, the child is given an opportunity to do it. He can say yes or no. We go down the list in order.

Usually I suggest a waiting list if something seems to be popular and kids begin to stand around to wait. I like to keep all kids busy, so a waiting list is a helpful way to manage "turns" when needed.

But this time, my friend suggested the need for one. I gave him paper and tape. He posted it and added his name.

Problem-solving is more than just figuring out how to build something and so forth. It's taking a situation and determining how to make it better. That's what my friend did.

Kids taking initiative and solving problems. Wow, these kindergartners are getting older and more capable. I guess that means they will be moving on soon. And that makes me happy and sad.

Problem Solving in Action

I've been reading and hearing a lot lately about 21st century skills and what we want kids to learn in schools these days. At the top of the list is problem-solving. We want kids to develop skills to confront problems and work out solutions.

However, kids usually don't develop these skills by only learning facts, completing worksheets, or taking tests. They learn these skills by experimenting and investigating. By playing with different types of materials. By DOING.

Recently I watched a boy work through a problem in his building activity. One end of his structure was shorter than the other. He worked through ideas until he found a solution.

Blocks and other types of play-based activities are available in many preschool classrooms. But many classrooms in elementary school (even kindergarten classrooms) don't have these. Experiential, hands-on learning has been replaced with other academic pursuits. 

I love using blocks and other manipulatives in different ways. Presenting a challenge and watching kids figure out what to do can yield lots of learning. 

I'm finishing up my university studies and looking for what's next. Seeing my friend explore and experiment has confirmed that I want to include that "playing" into my classroom - whatever age I teach. I can see preschoolers or kindergartners or first graders investigating how to solve problems and learning so much in the process. 

I'm not sure yet where I'll be or how this will play out. But I cannot wait to see what these future learning investigators will uncover.

How have you seen problem-solving in action? 

"Guess What's In Here"

I put the farm stuff out and the boys jumped right in.

"Gates! We need gates...so the pigs won't get out!"

I watched some of the play. I moved to other places in the room, and then I heard my name called from the blocks center. I walked back over.

"Mr. Scott, guess what's in here."

"I don't know. What's in there?"

"The goat. He's in here so he won't eat the pigs."

(I wonder where the concept of isolation and timeout came from?)

A little while later, I heard arguing. "No...the sheep don't go in there. They go here."

"But that's a house."

"It's for the sheep."

Then...the appeal. "Mr. Scott, he says the sheep don't go in here. But they do...."

I fell back on my most recent way to deal with this type of thing.

I said, "You need to work it out." And they did.

After a little while, I came upon this.

"All of the animals are together," I said.

"They are safe here."

"Safe?"

"Safe from the flood."

These buildings were built just for the flood. A few minutes after I snapped this, I heard, "The flood!" and all buildings crashed to the floor and the "flood" (one of the boys) swept through the buildings.

Then the rebuilders came in and new constructions arose.

Imaginative play, problem solving, conflict and resolution, fun. This farm yielded a great crop.

"So We Wouldn't Fight"

Boys were working with paper strips and stickers. One boy was creating his name with the stickers. A few stickers were too long for what he wanted. He tried to fold the sticker.

"You could use the scissors," I suggested. I pointed to the scissors that are always available. He walked over and took a pair, cut the sticker to his desired length, and kept working.

Other kids came to work at the table too. The kids enjoyed using all the different kinds of stickers.

The stars were particularly popular. The three boys handed the sheet back and forth to get what they wanted. I think I even heard some negotiations regarding who got which star.

Ms. Cindy and I were talking at one point and looked over at the sticker table. The boy with the scissors was cutting a sheet of stickers into thirds.

"Did you give him scissors?" Cindy asked me.

"He wanted to trim a sticker," I said. "I didn't think he would cut up the sheets."

Before we could say or do anything else, the boy handed the pieces to the other boys, taking one for himself. He turned to us. "I cut the stickers apart," he said, "so we wouldn't fight."

I think I was beaming. Such great thinking and problem-solving. No fighting had happened. But the boy saw that he could solve the sticker issue...helping create a better situation...by cutting the sticker sheet into smaller pieces.

Again...sometimes it's best to do nothing at all.

Taking Care of It Themselves

This week we were using the dry erase board on the easel. We use it often, and usually there are 2 or 3 kids using it at the same time.

A couple of boys were drawing on the board at the same time. I heard some discussion at one point but that's not unusual. I looked over at the board and say this.

Intrigued, I walked over and watched for a few minutes. "Tell me about what you are doing," I said. The boy talked about what he is drawing.

I pointed to the large dark rectangle. "Tell me about this," I said.

"That's the line to divide the board," he said.

Often kids will divide the board...especially when one seems to encroach on the other's space (or drawing). What struck me about this was the size (and intensity) of the line. I wondered about it. Did the jockeying for space become a little too frustrating or aggressive? Was one boy having trouble staying within narrower boundaries? Was this the first line or the result of successive lines?

Ultimately it didn't matter. The boys took care of the situation themselves. Quietly. Cooperatively. Succinctly.

Sometimes it's nice not to be needed.

Green Chicken Logic

This week we had the farm animal counters out in the blocks center. (More about that activity here.) The boys were calling out the colors and animals as they played with them.

"A green chicken!" one boy called.

"Do you have a green chicken?" I asked. I often ask "odd" questions, to engage their thinking and initiate conversations based on what they are doing.

The boy looked at me with...well...almost pity. "Uh, I don't live on a farm," he said. His voice had that almost "Duh" sound to it.

Young children's thinking and understanding always intrigue me. I could think of lots of reasons for him not to have a green chicken. Where he lived didn't even dawn on me.

This exchange reminds me that kids think and reason within their own experiences, development, and level of understanding. His thinking? Chickens live on farms. I don't live on a farm. Therefore I don't have a chicken. Some great logic here - even if it is different from what I would have employed. (Well, maybe not. My wife says I think like a 5-year-old!)

Last week I had another moment with this same boy. We were cleaning up our blocks on sticky paper activity. "Hey," he said, "my shirt stuck to the paper."

I turned to see what he was talking about. He pulled the back of his shirt away from his body. "Like this," he said. "I turned around and my shirt stuck to the paper."

I figured out that while cleaning up, he moved close enough to the sticky board for his shirt to brush against it and stick. The paper pulled the shirt away from his body as he moved away. He was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised. Then I thought - maybe he thought about the paper sticking only to things he put on it...not that it would stick to anything that was close. Again, he was thinking from his own experiences - things stick when I put them on - not from a general understanding - the paper is sticky and will stick to anything.

When we talk about things, I must keep in mind the child's experiences and his own view of the world. He doesn't see things like I do. My experiences (not to mention my number of experiences) are so different from his. That's why it's better to ask questions and make simple observations about what the kids are doing and let them fill in the gaps...let them reveal what they are thinking and how they are thinking. Then I can build on that understanding...or ask questions to stretch that thinking...or just smile at the thought of a farm full of green chickens.

If It's Not What You Want, Change It

This week we were using our doll "house" and furnishings. I watched the play throughout the morning.

The play began as it usually does. Kids began deciding where furniture should go and played out typical scenarios.

Then I noticed something else had happened. Some block building had been happening near the house. But then the blocks became part of the house.

 There are no outside walls with my set so the boys created the walls themselves. I think it is pretty genius.

At one point, this was described to me as a prison. I guess because you couldn't get out. There was a prison bench and a movie room. (Don't ask me; I don't know.) A small block served as the TV...then was replaced by a larger one since it was a movie room. I guess guys like big screens even in their play.

Later still, play developed in a new direction. Apparently the boys decided they wanted a two-story house instead of just one level. Here's what I found.

This great house even comes with a slide so you can get from the top floor to the bottom one. (I guess you climb up the slide to get to the top floor.)

This project developed without any input from an adult. Sometimes I would make observations about what I saw happening (like Teacher Tom's narration). But all of the ideas in these pictures are direct results of the kids and their play. The activity was fully collaborative most of the time; at least, I assume so. There were at least 3 boys involved in what was happening at all times. I didn't hear any of the discussions - and apparently didn't need to hear any of it.

I don't know why but I am continually amazed by the ideas these kids have and the things they accomplish. I would never have thought to create a two-story house with this set.

I like the fact that they adapted and created just what they wanted. They had a few ideas and developed them fully. Exploration...critical thinking...problem solving. I hope they don't lose those skills as they grow older.

Here are a couple of previous posts about our house and furniture set.
Tornado
Expecting Them to Be Boys

I got my set at Kaplan but they don't have it anymore. I'm sad. I just wonder what they would create with more walls and stuff!

Working It Out on Their Own

We like to use the dry erase board and we often use it when we're not painting at the easel.

This week, two boys went to the board. (They asked, "Can two work here?" Of course, I said yes.)

They worked together to draw, alternating drawing and erasing. Draw. Erase. Draw. Erase. Some fun designs were created.

When I returned to the boys drawing, I found something new.

"It's a volcano, with lots and lots of lava."

"This way we don't need to erase," one boy explained to me.

I was pleased that the boys recognized that something wasn't working, at least not working as they wanted it to do. So, they created a solution. All on their own. No adult helped them think it through. No outside "judge" imposed a decision. They figured out what to do to make things work better for them.

I enjoyed watching them draw and erase, working hard to keep the line intact. Of course, if part of the line was erased, they just redrew the line and continued on.

Problem-solving is an important life skill. The classroom provides a place to practice and work out these skills. I see kids do it every week - when they want the same blocks or the last seat at the art table. I see them work out ideas in dramatic play, offering ideas and incorporating others' thoughts.

Facts and knowledge are important things, but some of these "softer" skills (problem-solving, creativity, caring for others, and so forth) are key to living in a community. I'm glad to see these kids are working to master all the skills they need for future success.

Let's Try It

What is your reaction to new challenges or new things? One thing that continues to amaze me about young kids is their "fearlessness" in trying something new. I don't mean something dangerous. Just something that they've never done before. 

The exact level of eagerness (vs. hesitance) varies among children. But most kids will at least watch someone do something new...and try it after seeing what happens. Some just jump right in and try it.

This week I enjoyed the techniques and attempts to use chopsticks. Some just picked up the chopsticks and began to move the pom-poms, with varying degrees of success.

Some tried and asked for some pointers.

Some watched and formed ideas before trying it out.

Some asked for a tutorial before beginning.

Some let their friends help direct their efforts.

But almost all the kids attempted to use them. 

I loved the comments I heard: "I used these to eat in a restaurant." "I learned from Kung Fu Panda." "I didn't practice. I just picked them up and did it." "Look, my fingers can be chopsticks."

I like offering some challenges to the kids and encouraging them to try it. And their willingness to try reminds me to do the same. Be willing to try something new in the classroom (and in life). Be willing to wade into a new challenge and give it a go. 

Use all your resources as you try--ask your friends, watch others do it, try one way and then another, think of when you may have done something like it. 

I think I'll go out today and find a challenge to try. And, if I fail, I can always move onto something else.

"Play Is the Work of Childhood"

While skimming through my Twitter feed and Facebook wall, I ran across a post from The Grass Stain Guru. The post about play was terrific, and embedded in it was this video. It's around 12 minutes, but worth the viewing.

There are some great quotes in that video. The one that Bethe highlights on her blog is "In order to succeed in the real world, you have to be able to fail." I love that one, too. But echoing in my head was Dr. Ginsburg's summarizing comment: "Trust in childhood. Understand that play is the work of childhood. Understand that children are able to find a lot of solutions themselves." 

That's why offering a classroom full of opportunities to play and explore is so important to me. When I lead conferences with other teachers, I usually give them a handout that gives reasons for play. 

Through play, children...

explore their world.

try out their skills.

hear and experiment with language.

practice using muscles, both large and small.

test new ideas and activities. (And maybe fail)

question.

problem solve. (Practice creativity)

discover how to get along with others.

Through play kids can grow into confident and competent individuals.