How many of us does it take to build a network? This is the question proposed by the 8th edition of MAC – Arts and Sciences Exhibition at be.Living,
from which our Elementary School children reflected upon the different possibilities of existing “networks”.
They identified that there are networks of connection and integration, networks of help, networks in the collective and in the exchange realms, networks that bind, networks that separate, networks that imprison, networks that inform, networks that misinform, networks that circulate and sustain hope and love in the world.
At our school, we share this huge network of peers, teachers, families and staff members. It is amazing to realize how the same word can have so many different meanings, depending on how we use it and the purpose we give it!
The question, then, further expands: What about us? Who are we and what are the roles we take on within the networks we participate in?
Reflecting on the different relationships we are able to establish with living beings and with our environment, in different situations, contexts, and perspectives, was the investigative focus of the teaching and learning processes in the areas of Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts, which we now share with our entire community at MAC.
Each class prepared a presentation of their research projects with great commitment and dedication, eliciting, through different languages and points of view, a deep reflection on the topic.
coordinator Gabriela Fernandes explains that MAC emerged from a reflexive purpose, rooted in an educational ideal that aims at the development of critical and socially active citizens. “The Arts and Natural and Social Sciences are key for understanding the world and its transformations, enabling human beings to recognize themselves as an essential part of the Universe and to face life as a conscious and participatory individual”.
She states that the whole process experienced at MAC – from the definition of the topic, research, the collective selection of the logo, preparation and rehearsals for the presentations – seeks to develop, above all, the students’ ability to take on a leading attitude towards life. We are providing them with spaces and opportunities to put forward their ideas, to be heard and supported in pursuing their questions, confirming, refuting or reconstructing their hypotheses, as well as providing the necessary hospitality and appreciation for their proposals to transform whatever bothers them. As for MAC, the best part is having been able to build all this collectively, from a meaningful sharing of ideas between children of different age groups, teachers, families, and school staff. It is our network of support, appreciation for knowledge and affection, materialized in action.
