Deepening and Refining

More children are becoming engaged in the Perler bead project. 

Their designs are become more complex and planned, and with practice the speed is picking up. 

We are starting to experiment with different shapes to see if they work. (This one below didn't). But even when they fail, the children are learning to test hypotheses, observe results, and plan for refinements. 

I asked many of them: "Did you have any problems while you were making this art?"

Invariably the answer was "Yes...it kept breaking but I tried again and again and then it worked." Several children used the word perseverance to describe what they were learning. Jack referred to our learning goals, saying "It's kind of like being an artist and a builder at the same time. I have to pay attention and make something beautiful like an artist, but I have to solve problems and work in a team like a builder." Wise words!

Here are some proud faces from today:

Thanks to Nolan's family for getting us going on this project. If you're a class parent with some Perler or Fuse-Art beads gathering dust at home, we'd love to use them!