Why do we bet on project-based learning at Flow?

“You just have to learn math, because you can't do anything without it.” Even so, a child can be encouraged to study. But is such motivation understandable and sufficient for him? In Flow, we do it differently. We want to offer the child a broader context and a more tangible reason for how writing, counting, reading and other necessary skills will help him in life. That's why we opted for project-based teaching and output-oriented education.

Which skills are essential for success in the 21st century?

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Using a simple calculation to get back into the water a whale that got stuck on land. Build an advertising campaign for an innovative smartphone. Rehearse a theatre performance, edit a short film, write a poem. Projects in Flow are diverse enough to give children the opportunity to develop their skills across disciplines. We believe in the learning by doing approach. That is, people learn most through practice and when they do something. Either with your hands or with your head.

Study confirm that project-based teaching is one of the most effective ways to develop pupils' skills. He can better prepare children for the future by teaching them to react quickly to unexpected situations and showing them from the beginning how theory can be applied in practice.

‍What thematic pillars are the projects based on?‍

Each project has its own guarantor, who pays for authority in the given field. Top environmentalists help with projects focused on the environment, and well-known actors with dramatic education. That's how kids learn from the best. In addition, project-based teaching supports the child's cognitive growth — if he does not know three at a given moment, is not rated five or dropped, the educator motivates him appropriately with varied activities or critical thinking, and in a few weeks or months the child can be a star in numbers. Children present the outputs of the projects to parents and teachers — at the same time they learn to perform in front of the audience and parents see what their children already know and possibly also participate in projects, for example through thematic workshops.

And why the breadth of topics? We believe it is essential that children try a little bit of everything. Only in this way can they discover the area closest to them and where they can develop their talents to the fullest. Similarly, the teams in which children tackle projects are also diverse. First-graders work with third-graders, but the group also includes children with special educational needs. They can discover their strengths more easily if they don't get the same assignment as everyone else. We encounter otherness in personal life and work, and it can be extremely beneficial. In heterogeneous classrooms, for example, healthy social ties are formed and children pass on experiences better here. That's why we show children the magic of diversity from the beginning.‍

How exactly are the projects running?‍

The projects last about a month and each one has a clearly defined goal, theme and output. For example, the first project Relation to the Environment helps children define their relationship with themselves and their surroundings, such as their classmates, and develops trust in the collective. The theme blends into all subjects, from art education to mathematics. “In art education, children create a self-image under the guidance of a selected educator and an experienced artist, such as an artist from the think tank Society for Creativity in Education. But the project also includes movement, relationship and voice games. The output is a mind map and a self-image that children present to educators and parents. He will also compose his own song about his pet,” says the project lead educator Lenka Němcová, who has extensive experience with project teaching from alternative and state schools focused on project teaching. The theme of the project Relation to the Environment is reflected, for example, in the beginning, where children form a relationship with animals and nature, among other things through a conversation with a dog handler. The topic is also mirrored in mathematics, where children learn to work with space. “We adhere to the School Education Plan and the children acquire all the necessary skills. Within the project, they learn to write, read and count through the given topic,” Lenka adds. At the same time, the project team is made up of children of different ages, pupils of the first to third grade. Thus, they enrich each other and learn to work in diverse groups — third graders help younger classmates, for example, with reading.

Each project involves teamwork, but also tasks in which the child must concentrate as much as possible. Classes are also adapted to this. In collaboration with architects, we have divided the space into zones that promote concentration, exchange of information, movement or creativity. Just as people meet at the coffee machine in offices and spontaneously exchange valuable insights, children also have spaces that stimulate interaction and creation in Flow.‍

How are projects evaluated?‍

Formatively. We evaluate a child's performance not by grades, but by words. We describe his weaknesses and strengths, talk about what the child is doing or, conversely, is not doing well. We give him feedback on a regular basis. Each student also has a portfolio. Educators examine the outputs and adapt according to them a learning plan tailored to each pupil. The outputs of the projects are also available to parents, and they can see what progress their child is making.

Project teaching is in many ways more complex than classical teaching, requires a lot of organization and a personal approach on the part of educators, who must correctly identify the strengths and weaknesses of children, be able to correctly assemble a project team and distribute tasks so that everyone strengthens the skills they need to develop. To maintain a personalized and individualized approach, there are only 6-8 children per teacher. However, contextual and project-based teaching puts more emotions and experiences into learning, thanks to which we learn faster and better. After all, who wouldn't want to save a whale thanks to math?