Nellie Gibson an educator, a learner and an artist.

This blog is on ongoing exploration and sharing of my journey as an educator and a learner. Please scroll down to encounter different aspects of my life as a co-constructor, collaborator and researcher of learning in practice and in connection to theory.

The Environment as the 3rd teacher and the importance of Beauty

The environment, materials and tools can provoke and spark curiosity as well as support continuing building of theories and the co-construction of knowledge.

The important role of documentation in the continuing rhizomatic nature of learning.

Documentation panels and posters are an important part of the process for the teachers and the children as researchers of learning. They synthesise the learning and offer an opportunity to share and communicate the theories and learning undertaken throughout the life of projects or inquiries.

Documentation – Why and How?

It’s important to note that there are a variety of ways and whys when creating a piece of documentation. It could be because of your belief in the democracy of learning and a desire to share children’s thinking and contributions to their world with the wider community, it could be for research and reflection of practice, it could be to ‘gift back’ to the learners and help guide and steer the learning trajectory as it unfolds, it could be as a record to share with families, for reporting growth…. So many whys. The what and how should match the why. Here are some examples of different ways to display or share documentation.

Documentation to tell and share the story of learning.

Documentation by educators and by children to co construct the learning in a rhyzomatic process

Communication through multiple languages and relationships with different materials.

Art, Beauty and the 100 Languages!

Using 100 languages to research – An artist and a learner!

As a practicing artist I deeply understand the need to be able to explore multiple languages and ways to communicate and synthesise and reflect on our learning.