Data-driven Design
One of our main goals is to tailor the lessons to the specific group dynamics of each participating class. Our collaboration with schools is preceded by lesson observations, trial lessons, individual conversations, and tests. The purpose of the approximately one-month introductory phase is to develop lesson plans and create teaching environments that suit the groups the most.
Museum Education Based on Strengths (Not Weaknesses)
The Threshold project focuses on developing language competencies primarily through the joy of immersive stories and the motivational power of sharing them. We also take advantage of museum spaces and exhibition contents, which activate various skills beyond language competencies, such as logical, visual, motor, musical, or social skills. The task of the introductory phase is to identify stories that are understandable and of interest to the children, forming the basis for the joint activities. During the preliminary assessments, we look for the activities which motivate the children the most and in which they feel competent. In the lessons, we rely on these activities and explore ways to support language competencies through them.
Principle of Small Steps
Once we identify the activity that sparks the students' interest and engages them in the learning process, the next task is to match the level of challenges with their skills. From Mihály Csíkszentmihályi’s flow theory, we know that challenges suited to one's skill level lead to a satisfying feeling, motivating further activities. To maintain motivation, it’s crucial that the challenges are exciting and enjoyable but always demand only a level of effort that the student can surely manage.
Encouraging Task-Engagement
For children who have experienced many failures at school, performance anxiety can be prevalent, leading to avoidance of challenges and even learned helplessness when tackling school tasks: "I won’t succeed, so why bother trying," they often say. To alleviate anxieties, we aim to select motivating activities (e.g., drawing, dramatization, filmmaking) that allow the enjoyment of the activity to keep the children engaged in the joint work for a longer period. In our feedback, we assess the children's activity, rather than evaluating the children themselves. We also emphasize that reflection should be mutual, allowing the students to express how they experienced the joint activities.
Supporting Self-expression and Creating a Metacognitive Environment
Language disadvantage is often linked to rigid role structures and communication patterns in which coordinating individual intentions and feelings is less important. As a result, disadvantaged children may find it unfamiliar to express their thoughts and needs, and it may seem unnecessary for them to reconcile their thoughts and feelings with those of others (see more on language disadvantage). Navigating literary texts and the worlds of characters in these works is an even more alien and unintelligible task for them. The school’s role is to make self-observation, individual self-expression, and mutual respect for each other’s needs comprehensible and familiar to the children, but this can vary depending on the school, teacher, family background, and group dynamics. When planning museum education activities, attention must be paid to what leadership styles the children find familiar and comfortable. The museum educator should also consider how relatable the communication forms typical of open role structures are for the kids (e.g. such as the expression and coordination of different opinions and needs).
A fundamental goal during the activities is to create a linguistic environment that encourages students to express their feelings and thoughts in small steps while providing the frameworks and tools to do so. The children’s feedback and self-expressions must become part of dialogues, allowing them to experience and practice coordination and the establishment of common rules.
The Principle of Togetherness
An individual’s performance and behavior are not determined solely by their skill set, patterns brought from home, or individual socio-cultural position. Equally important are the immediate circumstances that influence the individual in the given situation. Children's development unfolds in a series of social situations, within a microenvironment of expectations and rules, and through the continuity of group habits.
Therefore, when designing our activities, we aim to give group dynamics and social situations a central role. This consideration arises from the recognition of the principle of togetherness: a group represents an added value in terms of shared experiences and collective actions that cannot be reduced to the skills and characteristics of the group members. The surplus effect of togetherness is key to understanding the roles and influence of group members (including the group leader or educator) in a group’s life. Group surplus is also expressed in the creation and solidification of habits and traditions that organize the group’s functioning. These habits regulate communication and emotional climate within the group, and they also help complete the shared tasks. Belonging to the group and the joy of a secure and organized social life will also impact the individual and group performance.