Pedagogical Framework
Science has become synonymous with understanding how the world works. As a result, most science education is about conveying facts to children rather than letting them discover the way the world works. Consequently, the sciences are not introduced at a younger age deferring the introduction of science as a general subject within the framework of formal schooling. The deep connection between the sciences and our everyday lives are lost as a result of this.
At Thinkerables, we combine the curiosity of children in the age group of three to six years with their fascination with imagination and play. We facilitate imaginative scenarios and give the children the role of scientists to resolve the natural conflict that arises within these scenarios. The child becomes a scientist and begins to solve problems, just as we face them in our world.
Our experiences of working with young children coupled with our research that has delved into the depths of multiple pedagogical methods, led us to the creation of a model that combines all aspects of the STEAM framework with engaging narratives, performative experiments and dramatic activities. The narratives form the basis of our STEAM discourse, the experiments become tangible experiences of discovery and the dramatic activities are the manner by which our facilitators engage with children.
DEEP SPACE LAND, NARRATIVES AND IMAGINATION
Deep Space Land is the platform on which we build our scenarios. The children are a part of these scenarios and become young scientists to solve a variety of real-world problems.
The five characters of the Deep Spaceland are associated with each of the elements of the STEAM framework. The scenarios are built around these five friends who, in their quest for life in the Deep Space Land, end up facing various problems and questions. They interact with our young scientists on Earth, develop science process skills and together try to find answers to their questions. Solving their problems and answering the numerous questions that arise in a very scientific way is a skill that is developed at a very early age.
So, who are these characters? Well, let us get introduced to them; Pakhi the Artist, Shakha the Engineer, Zeus the Mathematician, Khukhi the Scientist and Magi the Technologist . These five curious minds work together to solve the problems they encounter in their daily lives.
Thinkerables uses this interesting medium to interact with pre-schoolers and introduce them to science process skills.
PERFORMATIVE EXPERIMENTS
A video of a child demonstrating an experiment and being asked questions by a facilitator could occur here
Our facilitators guide children in performing experiments that motivate discovery, enables the children to make connection between abstract and real-world scenarios by drawing them towards the practice of making careful observations and consequent interpretation.
SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS
The performative experiments focus on the development of science process skills and scientific vocabulary. This approach motivates children to think and act with a science-oriented approach that helps them become critical thinkers.
STEAM PEDAGOGY
The Thinkerables framework is a novel take on the STEAM pedagogical structure. This is how we approach the different components of STEAM.