Allowing Kinders to Lead a Lesson

This all started out, one Friday morning two avid Pic Collagers asked if they could make a slideshow teaching their friends how to make a Pic Collage. Together, they created an Adobe Voice which would lead their audience through the steps to make a Pic Collage.

Pic Collage creating, using the iPad minis, is always an option during our free exploration play time. Children use the iPads to document learning that is taking place around the room. They then create a Pic Collage with their photographs, added details and text. They often share their collages with our class or on their e-portfolios, using Fresh Grade, with their families.

 

The next week they asked me when they got to share their video, which I explained was a tutorial, to their friends and teach them how to make a Pic Collage. I quickly realized that they were not only wanting to share their video but guide their friends in creating their own Pic Collages. I responded with the question: “Are you wanting to lead a lesson then?” Right away I was met with wide eyes and big smiles responding YES we do!

I explained that a lesson would be a chunk of time where they were in the teacher role of guiding their peers in a few different activities. We briefly chatted about what this might look like and by this point, they were jumping up and down with excitement. They proceeded to use the next forty minutes of their play exploration time to plan and act out their lesson using the screen and our document camera.

When 1:30pm rolled around, they had asked about 10 times when they got to teach their lesson, each time I smiled and pointed to our daily schedule, but I was overjoyed with how excited and passionate they were to lead their peers in learning something new. Reflecting on this now I am floored by their confidence, passion and ability to engage their peers at the age of five years old! These two young learners are incredible leaders.

The lesson went off with great success, their peers were hooked within the first minute and seemed empowered by their two friends leading their learning. The girls had practiced their lesson by opening with showing their video tutorial, then leading their peers through a 5 minute demo of using the app under the document camera. One of them stood at the screen with our magic wand pointing and explaining in a mix of French and English, whilst the other led on the iPad; it was a great example of team teaching! Next, they invited a peer up (who is also an avid Pic Collager) to show one example of her work (inspiration much?!). She proudly shared her work and seemed excited to have been asked to be a part of this. They then had previously organized our name tag magnets into small groups, they explained that each group had to create their own Pic Collage with colours and their names as text (come on, they even unknowingly had come up with criteria for this activity -so neat). The girls walked around during the activity and supported their friends, answered questions and helped them through the different steps. What a success! Their peers were excited and responded well to their video, lesson and activity.

This thirty minute session was a powerful demonstration of how learners can facilitate learning in the same way as educators can. I loved observing their team teaching and patience with one and other. I felt inspired just sitting back and watching them teach. Together we came up with plan to take their lesson to our Kindergarten friends across the hall and they cannot wait until after our break to do so!

How do you provide learners with opportunities to lead learning and guide their peers?

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