Provocations are powerful tools we can use to encourage student learning and thinking. Teachers can design provocations carefully to entice their students into revealing what they know about a topic and to get them creatively thinking and imagining. Play-based Learning and Learning Through Inquiry doesn't mean for teachers to sit back and just let the class run itself. Our role is to listen to the children and help expand, challenge and support their learning. One way we can do this is by setting up provocations in the classroom. Student learning can be provoked by a read aloud, shared reading experience, a video, a mini-lesson, a student-led discussion, a teacher-led discussion, a wondering, a sharing session of work and carefully selecting materials for a learning area. I have experimented with provocation this past year and have learned that when I plan and carefully select materials for a learning area, students are so enticed that they beg to explore the new learning area. For those teachers who are concerned about the "covering" the curriculum, provocations are a great way to get your students to "uncover" the expectations. You can design your provocations to encourage students to show you the curriculum. One thing to remember though, is that if you set up an area to provoke learning, be prepared that your students may take it into a different direction than you had originally thought. If this happens... just observe and listen to the thinking. Don't worry about them not doing/revealing what you hoped. I say this because, more often than not, when I let go I am blown away by the way the students have interpreted and used the materials. Then when asked to explain, their thinking often shows a deeper level of understanding, observation or connection than I could ever have predicted.
Here are a some samples:
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| Daffodil Provocation |
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| Rock Inquiry |
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| Symmetry in Art Provocation |
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| Energy and The Sun Provocation |
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| Exploration of Light and Colour Provocation |
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| Living Vs. Non-Living Provocation |
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| Worm Inquiry |
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| Living Things Provocation |
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