Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Third Space

      Making the transition from always being at home with family to spending a large part of the day at school can be tough for many children. It is a big change and requires a lot of adaptation to new people and different ways of doing things. Each child in the different case studies had some form of literacy learning at home which they had to reform when entering the classroom. This was hard for some of them, but not quite as much of a challenge for others. Blending home and school experiences introduces the idea of “the third space”, where the two different ways of learning must coincide and create a completely new learning environment. This idea is very important because it is one of the first times children must combine two different worlds and find a way to make them fit together. If children are unable to do this, it could lead to a number of different issues in the future where they must step out of one role and create a new appropriate one. This is a part of growing up and being able to lead a balanced life. Sports, school, social activities and jobs must all somehow fit together and taking lessons that we learn in each aspect and applying them to another one is essential. Learning how to do this during school is a valuable talent because it also pertains to making connections between different subjects which strengthens learning and retention. Being able to create a solid third space in the early years is a key goal to reach in order to produce a strong learning base.

5 comments:

  1. I think you brought up a good point that children who are unable to create a third space between school and home could have problems in the future with making connections between different, important parts of their lives. Teachers can help facilitate the third space by communicating with parents and families to find out how to make a transition easier. This can also help them find out about a child's previous experiences, which they can use to create lessons building on prior knowledge or interests.

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  2. I agree that going to school is a big change that has to be done carefully to make children feel comfortable. Creating “the third space” helps children feel more prepared to learn. When children feel connected to what they are learning and have some previous knowledge, it gives them confidence. I also agree that creating this third space should be a goal for the teachers.

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  3. You brought up some great, valid points about the importance of the third space. I definitely agree that it should be a top priority for teachers. I also really liked that you applied it to children's lives further in the future, with the point: "Sports, school, social activities and jobs must all somehow fit together and taking lessons that we learn in each aspect and applying them to another one is essential." I didn't really consider the implications for their adult life before, but I definitely agree with you about the importance.

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  4. Even though home experiences and school experiences can be different, belnding and combining them together will be really important to children to creat a new environment, "third space." As they creat their new world, schools and teachers should pay attention to children everytime and help them if they need any helps. It will be the teachers' job and shchools' role for children.

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  5. I think you make a great point about the hard transition from home-life to school. Children are scared, and they are looking for the teachers to make the experience comfortable and enjoyable. One way to increase participation is encouraging a great Third Space. As we read in our example in the diversity readings, Third Space helps children and encourages their participation.

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