DESIGN PRINCIPLE 4
Wired for Learning: Put Children in Charge. for Learning. Giving children a voice and cultivating agency through experiential learning, project-based learning, and civic engagement.
SOLUTION EXAMPLE:
TRIVSELSPROGRAM (WELLBEING PROGRAM) SCANDINAVIA
Kjartan founded TL given concern that the once spirited playground have become a haven for discord, misconduct, and malaise. By encouraging young people to engage in physical activity and serve as role models for their classmates, Trivselsprogram (TL) is an activities program that creates recess systems for active play in elementary and junior high schools. The program instills regular practice of personal leadership, active play, and teamwork, enabling children to create a school environment that is free from verbal and physical bullying, gossip, and ostracism. As a part of the program, Activity Leaders are elected twice a year by their fellow students according to how well they model compassionate behavior. With over 50,000 TL leaders in Norway alone, Activity Leaders receive are responsible for creating weekly recess plans and acting as facilitators of inclusive recess activities. Such program design allows teachers to focus on teaching, while cultivating empathy, inclusion, and leadership among youth. As the program makes plans to expand into other countries, it also developing a classroom curriculum for playful learning, making it easy for teachers to teach mathematics, history, and science through outdoors activities, as well as exploring a model that is specifically targeted for kindergartners.
Kjartan Eide | trivselsleder.no
“TL has tens of thousands of student leaders every year throughout Scandanvia who lead play during recess and are elected by fellow pupils based on certain values including being nice, kind and inclusive towards all students.”
IMPACT: > 97% of TL staff note increased physical activity at recess; 69% feel that student conflict has decreased; and 90% feel that the program is highly effective. > Since its founding in 2009, TL has grown to reach over 1,000 schools21 in Scandinavia including 900 schools in Norway, 100 in Sweden, and pilot programs in Iceland and Denmark. > It also reaches 400 teachers through an annual conference in Oslo. > NTC is partnering with States and school districts across America to reach more new teachers and expand its impact. NTC is also a partner of the Ministry of Education in Singapore..
Additional Patterns: *“Whole child” development is undervalued (Barrier A)
“For kids, play is actually kids’ first meeting with democracy. During play kids need to adjust towards others, they have to agree on certain rules, they have to develop problem solving and they have to interact with other pupils, other human beings actually.”
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