Learning happens all the time, and kids are learning from everything they do. WonderWild is a space for self-directed learning and unhindered play, a powerful combination that lets children’s curiosity and imagination lead the way.
Our learners choose their own goals and how to spend their time. As a place for adventurous, curious kids, we provide engaging options that let each child follow their passions and fall deeply into learning.
Does that include academics?
In our Focus Room, I set out prepared activities as invitations. These are always optional, and they are inspired by the children’s interests. Maybe during the last class they started a board game late in the day, so I have it out ready to go first thing next time.
Compared to activities the kids initiate themselves, these invitations are more likely to look like “academic” learning. I often base an invitation on what I think the next step of a child’s exploration might be. That isn’t because I’m trying to trick them into learning based on a timeline or agenda. It’s just that as a Wild Grownup, I’ve seen a few more steps along some learning paths, and I have ideas that might enhance what they’re already curious about.
For example, one day the kids set up a pretend store to sell items to one another using money they made. There was some confusion about how to write bigger and bigger dollar amounts on the bills. The next day I set out an activity for learning about place values with large numbers. I didn’t just want them to memorize math facts. I wanted to help them with unlocking the secrets to million dollar bills!
I truly believe that ALL learning is magical, and I bring that energy into everything we do at WonderWild. I don’t have to force academic learning. Language, math, science, culture, and history are woven into many activities and conversations throughout every day. We’re discovering them all the time as part of our world and how we live our lives.
Using Prism to help others see what I see
All of the learning at WonderWild is rich and meaningful, but a lot of it happens in fleeting moments, through play and conversation. This can make it hard to convey to parents in the brief moments we have to talk during pickup time. Understandably, parents are curious about what their kids are up to, and they want to see the bigger picture of what’s emerging over time.
I keep parents in the loop about their child’s activities and projects with a digital portfolio using a new platform called Prism (Android, iOS).
I searched high and low, evaluating many reporting platforms and almost giving up in frustration before finally finding Prism. Here’s what’s unique about it: it’s specifically designed to capture the learning process in environments that aren’t tied to classrooms, curriculums, “standards”, and linear progress. Just like how I had to create WonderWild for kids who don’t fit in traditional learning boxes, Prism was created to track and visualize the learning in spaces like ours.
Every day at WonderWild I see the kids doing amazing things! They play, explore, experiment, create, and wonder, and they’re learning every minute. Prism captures this type of learning that isn’t tied to curriculums or assignments.
I add daily observations, reflections, and photos to the kids’ portfolios. Each recorded “Moment” is tagged with subjects, skills, learning modes, and interests. It shows connections between what the kids are doing and the knowledge that is naturally arising. Prism can also generate various overviews and reports, letting us get a bigger picture of each child’s experiences and growth over time.
Prism is such a unique portfolio solution for microschools, forest schools, co-ops, learning pods, and such! But you don’t have to be enrolled in a learning program to use it. It’s also great for unschoolers or any family embracing a non-traditional learning model.
Each portfolio belongs to the family. Parents can add their own observations of learning happening at home or elsewhere, making it a comprehensive record of their child’s learning, no matter where it’s happening. They can add other children to their account, too, so siblings who aren’t at WonderWild can have their own portfolio. If a child leaves WonderWild, or joins another learning center using Prism, their portfolio travels with them.
Prism is a brand new platform, and I’m proud that WonderWild is an early participant. I can already see how it gets more valuable each week as I add new observation entries. I’ll probably write more about this in the future as WonderWild and Prism both grow alongside each other.
At WonderWild, learning doesn’t happen on worksheets or along a predetermined path. It happens in real time, through curiosity, play, experimentation, and connection. Prism helps make that learning visible without interrupting it. It lets me stay true to our values of trust, autonomy, and wonder, while giving families a clear window into their child’s growth.
In the same way that I don’t see learning as boring or tedious, I don’t see the children’s portfolios as just documentation or paperwork. Prism portfolios are a relationship tool, connecting WonderWild, the learners, their chosen activities, and their families.
Leave a Reply