Now I can fly...

A comment on the REGGIO-L list led me to think about providing opportunities for children who have struggled with many challenges in life reminded me of a video I watched recently & I thought others may appreciate it. It can be found at this site, under the title "Now I Can Fly". http://achildshopefoundation.org/multimedia_videos.html

KWL Charts

A KWL chart is a great way to start out with a project--but what, exactly, is a KWL chart?

K= What you know already W = What you want to know L = What you learned A few examples from our snails & crabs project... K= What we observed & found out prior to intentionally researching. Snails are slimy. Both snails and crabs have shells. Snails eat plants in the garden & ruin them. W= How do crabs grow new skin (molt) What happens when a crab breaks its leg (from a very concerned child, who had just dropped a block on the crab and yes, broke his leg) Why do snails grow shells and crabs find them (after reading a book about this topic) Where do you find crabs? Can they swim? L = We haven't intentionally reviewed what we have learned yet, but so far we've discovered that snails die if you smash their shells in, that you can find "crab doctors" (reptiles & small animal experts) at the pet store--but they can not repair broken legs, some crabs live on the beach in California, and you can eat snails (but NOT our class snails) and some kinds of crabs (mixed responses on whether or not they are "yucky"). Some things are difficult to UNTEACH, unfortunately. After showing a video clip of two fiddler crabs fighting on the beach that was narrated by an annoying guy from the National Geographic films for children, I am still trying to convince Joshua that crabs do NOT talk. He watched the clip at least a dozen times before I finally took it back to the library (2 weeks overdue). We had a lesson on real & make believe this week, but I still don't think he gets it.

Burn out...

It happens, apparently, even to the best of us. This is the first time I've run two sessions of preschool. I was expecting it to be twice as much work, somehow it seems like it's at least three times as much. Not sure how that happens. Frankly, right now I'm pretty much only doing the state standards (while I usually do incorporate standards-based activities in our center time & occasionally in small group, they have never been the basis of my curriculum up until now) & this last week I've fallen back on pulling out my pre-planned units just because I don't have the energy to keep our projects & investigations going. There is little to no authentic documentation going on, dialog with the children is lacking, and parent communication is limited to problem solving parent notes. This is NOT the direction I want to see my program going. Our project topics were leading into studying snails & crabs. In the last few days the kids have killed most of the snails, broken the leg of one of the crabs, and another is wandering around our classroom lost (hopefully still alive). I'm seriously reconsidering studying living animals, for fear of being charged with animal cruelty. Of course, the kids do still have plenty of self-directed time (more than usual, actually, since I don't have a lot of energy to do teacher directed stuff) & I am at least following their interests in some areas (bringing out materials they request, setting up the environment to allow for activities they are interested in, etc.) I actually do still believe they are getting a more developmentally appropriate environment on my bad days than they do on the good days for most teachers in the area. They are still getting quality care. But I want to get back into engaging with the kids, building a community, encouraging the use of the hundred languages, and nurturing that love of learning!!!

Checklists as Assessment vs. Accountability

I have chosen to incorporate state standards into my program. I was initially quite concerned when they announced they were coming out with pre-kindergarten "guidelines", but viewing them I was very pleased with how developmentally appropriate they are. Using the state standards I developed a four month "cycle" in which I intentionally "teach" each standard--checking it off on my master list when it has been covered. After my first year I discovered we were hitting almost every standard via project work, those few we were not I can toss into learning centers in a variety of ways. There is *no* pressure on the children to "live up to" the standards, no "drill and kill", I do occasionally do a "structured" evaluation (at the beginning & end of the year, though it is not mandatory if they choose not to do it) but for the most part can integrate that as well (asking them to name shapes when playing with the blocks, etc). I have created a developmental checklist for each child, as some of you may recall I debated whether or not I was going to use it this year. After serious consideration, I decided to continue using it. For me, the checklists are not about identifying children's deficits, it is about charting progress and identifying strengths. While the checklists may, in part, guide my teaching for the class, when it comes to an individual child my only focus is teaching these "standards" in a way that is ENGAGING and FUN for the kids. My motto--if they are not having fun, they are not learning, period. This method, for me, provides easy accountability & documentation that the children ARE being prepared for kindergarten, with low stress for the children. It does take some time, but not more than a few hours a month. I spend about 15 minutes a class period observing the children & marking the standards I am focusing on, the rest of the time I am focused on the kids & not the standards. At the end of the month it takes me about 10 minutes per child to move the information from my class list to the individual child's checklist. Is it "Reggio Inspired"? Nope. But, for me, it is a way of demonstrating that the children are learning as much, if not more, than children in "typical" programs. Of course, the checklists are not my sole form of assessment, and are by far not the most important. The learning stories give a much more complete view of the learning process, while anecdotal notes & work samples give a "snap shot". The checklists are included in the portfolio, but not the basis of the portfolio.

Room Arrangement Suggestions...

I'm a couple weeks into the school year & still trying to figure out the best way to set up our room. I was satisfied with the set up for the first week or so, but now am trying to think of more effective ways to manage things! This is long, as usual... Pictures of my intial set up are available here: http://picasaweb.google.com/preschoolteacher/20082009PreschoolSetUp My major questions.... Any suggestions on how to minimize the dumping? My morning class, made up of mostly new 3's, has, for the most part, done fine. However--my afternoon class with older children already familiar with the program, can thrash the room by dumping out EVERY bin in the course of 5 minutes. I want to put out my light table, but can't decide where it should go. I'm open to any ideas. It seems to work better on the floor than on a table, at least it did last year. Entry Way: I love our entry way! We made a coat rack that I think is just wonderful, and I found affordable tote bags at KMart for each of the children (as a bonus, they are organic). I'm trying to decide how best to use the bulletin board in the hall--right now it has pictures & the names of each of the children. I'm not sure whether I'll use it as a documentation panel, art display, or keep their pictures up awhile longer? The parent's board (pink rim) gets a bit cluttered with the items I am required by licensing to post (curriculum outlines, menu, exclusion policies, etc) but is functional. I want to get a calendar with the children's photos instead of the one I have up right now. Still working on that. I do have a door there in the hallway where I have posted our first documentation panel of the year. Still takes a lot of effort to get parents to stop and look at it. Writing Center: This area has actually worked out better than I anticipated. I ended up moving the brown shelf out to open up the classroom more, this helped a lot! The banker boxes have actually been quite sufficent as cubbies, if the children have larger items they simply keep them in their bags. I plan to start on the children's portfolios tomorrow. Blocks area: I only put half my unit blocks out to start with, and ended up taking nearly half of those out within the first week. I probably have about 50-60 blocks out now, and that seems to be plenty for 3-4 children (combined with the other available materials). After the first day I turned the blocks shelf sideways to keep the area seperate from dramatic play more than it was because the children were running wild between the two areas & blocks were getting tossed around without much intentional play. I also moved the tree house into the blocks area since it was getting a lot of use, but kept getting knocked over in the dramatic play area. I also moved our crabs from the science area to the top of the blocks shelf to make the science shelf easier to move for group time. That was, perhaps, one of the best unintentional moves I could make! This triggered the interest in making block cages for the crabs, which grew into garages and castles for the snails & caterpillars. One of my new little ones is also an avid tower builder. My goal for this week is to post pictures of the various structures they have created so they can revisit their work. Dramatic Play: I made a few adjustments to this area before the first day of school. When two of my returning children came for their play group (I hosted an hour-long group with 3-4 children from each class the week before school started) it was apparent their interest in playing "puppies" had carried over from the year before. So I added stuffed dogs & items from the pet store to the pillows in this area. Initially, they were very interested in this "dog bed", but now they seem to be more interested in hiding the dogs under the tables, so it may be time to re-consider the use of this area. They love the play kichen, this is easily one of the most used items in the classroom. However, they are still into dumping & the three baskets of food and dishes end up getting everywhere! I took about half the food out last night, we'll see if that makes a difference. The top of the table is also where I put our parent sign in sheets & notes, which isn't ideal, but I haven't come up with a better idea yet. Science Area: My goal with the science area this year was to position it in a way that it encouraged use of the materials throughout the other centers (particularly blocks and dramatic play). To achieve this, I think I need to add more natural materials for open ended use. We're going on a nature field trip next month & I'm hoping the children can collect materials for this area. Recently we had the chance to shuck corn & we found several corn caterpillars. The children have LOVED these caterpillars (to death, with some of them!) far more than the painted lady caterpillars we had last year (which grew to maturity in a sanitary cup). Literacy Center: I feel like our literacy area is working fine. After trying several arrangements I finally satisfied myself with a nook by the piano. Instead of having the materials against the back wall (where the kids had to pull them out to use them) I replaced these bins with a media shelf full of our lending library materials (my only complaint is the parent's lending library materials are not closer to the door and so far none of the parents have shown interest). I moved the bins to where the book rack is shown now, and added books to the pockets on top. I've tried to incorporate literacy throughout the classroom, of course, but I specifically wanted this to be a cozy area where one or two children could read together or play quietly. I moved the book standto the other side of the area near our open group space, so there is room for more than a couple of children to read. I would like to add a couple child-sized chairs to this area (I love the IKEA child-sized chairs, one of these days...) Art Center: As planned, initially I put out a very simple art area with materials for coloring, cutting, and pasting. The children have shown little to no interest in this area. They love painting, but for the most part are not yet ready for this as an independent activity. I do set up a paint table at least once a week, and any time they request it. I want to set up an easel--but like last year am not sure where to put it. With the drop cloth & all it just takes up so much space! Last week I did a semi-structured collage activity--the children glued tissue paper on tinfoil. They enjoyed this activity & one of the children asked to repeat it. I'm trying to offer one new art experience each week (guided by The Language of Art), but want to see them using this center as a way to communicate meaning more than just a place to color. Any suggestions?

Room Arrangement Suggestions...

I'm a couple weeks into the school year & still trying to figure out the best way to set up our room. I was satisfied with the set up for the first week or so, but now am trying to think of more effective ways to manage things! This is long, as usual... Pictures of my intial set up are available here: http://picasaweb.google.com/preschoolteacher/20082009PreschoolSetUp My major questions.... Any suggestions on how to minimize the dumping? My morning class, made up of mostly new 3's, has, for the most part, done fine. However--my afternoon class with older children already familiar with the program, can thrash the room by dumping out EVERY bin in the course of 5 minutes. I want to put out my light table, but can't decide where it should go. I'm open to any ideas. It seems to work better on the floor than on a table, at least it did last year. Entry Way: I love our entry way! We made a coat rack that I think is just wonderful, and I found affordable tote bags at KMart for each of the children (as a bonus, they are organic). I'm trying to decide how best to use the bulletin board in the hall--right now it has pictures & the names of each of the children. I'm not sure whether I'll use it as a documentation panel, art display, or keep their pictures up awhile longer? The parent's board (pink rim) gets a bit cluttered with the items I am required by licensing to post (curriculum outlines, menu, exclusion policies, etc) but is functional. I want to get a calendar with the children's photos instead of the one I have up right now. Still working on that. I do have a door there in the hallway where I have posted our first documentation panel of the year. Still takes a lot of effort to get parents to stop and look at it. Writing Center: This area has actually worked out better than I anticipated. I ended up moving the brown shelf out to open up the classroom more, this helped a lot! The banker boxes have actually been quite sufficent as cubbies, if the children have larger items they simply keep them in their bags. I plan to start on the children's portfolios tomorrow. Blocks area: I only put half my unit blocks out to start with, and ended up taking nearly half of those out within the first week. I probably have about 50-60 blocks out now, and that seems to be plenty for 3-4 children (combined with the other available materials). After the first day I turned the blocks shelf sideways to keep the area seperate from dramatic play more than it was because the children were running wild between the two areas & blocks were getting tossed around without much intentional play. I also moved the tree house into the blocks area since it was getting a lot of use, but kept getting knocked over in the dramatic play area. I also moved our crabs from the science area to the top of the blocks shelf to make the science shelf easier to move for group time. That was, perhaps, one of the best unintentional moves I could make! This triggered the interest in making block cages for the crabs, which grew into garages and castles for the snails & caterpillars. One of my new little ones is also an avid tower builder. My goal for this week is to post pictures of the various structures they have created so they can revisit their work. Dramatic Play: I made a few adjustments to this area before the first day of school. When two of my returning children came for their play group (I hosted an hour-long group with 3-4 children from each class the week before school started) it was apparent their interest in playing "puppies" had carried over from the year before. So I added stuffed dogs & items from the pet store to the pillows in this area. Initially, they were very interested in this "dog bed", but now they seem to be more interested in hiding the dogs under the tables, so it may be time to re-consider the use of this area. They love the play kichen, this is easily one of the most used items in the classroom. However, they are still into dumping & the three baskets of food and dishes end up getting everywhere! I took about half the food out last night, we'll see if that makes a difference. The top of the table is also where I put our parent sign in sheets & notes, which isn't ideal, but I haven't come up with a better idea yet. Science Area: My goal with the science area this year was to position it in a way that it encouraged use of the materials throughout the other centers (particularly blocks and dramatic play). To achieve this, I think I need to add more natural materials for open ended use. We're going on a nature field trip next month & I'm hoping the children can collect materials for this area. Recently we had the chance to shuck corn & we found several corn caterpillars. The children have LOVED these caterpillars (to death, with some of them!) far more than the painted lady caterpillars we had last year (which grew to maturity in a sanitary cup). Literacy Center: I feel like our literacy area is working fine. After trying several arrangements I finally satisfied myself with a nook by the piano. Instead of having the materials against the back wall (where the kids had to pull them out to use them) I replaced these bins with a media shelf full of our lending library materials (my only complaint is the parent's lending library materials are not closer to the door and so far none of the parents have shown interest). I moved the bins to where the book rack is shown now, and added books to the pockets on top. I've tried to incorporate literacy throughout the classroom, of course, but I specifically wanted this to be a cozy area where one or two children could read together or play quietly. I moved the book standto the other side of the area near our open group space, so there is room for more than a couple of children to read. I would like to add a couple child-sized chairs to this area (I love the IKEA child-sized chairs, one of these days...) Art Center: As planned, initially I put out a very simple art area with materials for coloring, cutting, and pasting. The children have shown little to no interest in this area. They love painting, but for the most part are not yet ready for this as an independent activity. I do set up a paint table at least once a week, and any time they request it. I want to set up an easel--but like last year am not sure where to put it. With the drop cloth & all it just takes up so much space! Last week I did a semi-structured collage activity--the children glued tissue paper on tinfoil. They enjoyed this activity & one of the children asked to repeat it. I'm trying to offer one new art experience each week (guided by The Language of Art), but want to see them using this center as a way to communicate meaning more than just a place to color. Any suggestions?

Obama & Education

I've given up on listening to the political speeches, but I reviewed Obama's outline for ECE thoroughly, and at least he HAS a plan for early intervention. He does intend to "reform" NCLB so teachers are not required to teach to the test. I'd be interested in a link to the speech Sydney mentioned--anyone? From his website... "Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them" Also, "He will work to create assessment models that provide educators and students with timely feedback about how it improves student learning, that measure readiness for college and success in an information-age workplace; and that indicate whether individual students are making progress toward reaching high standards. This will include funds for states to implement a boarder range of assessments that can evaluate higher-order skills, including students' abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, solve problems, present and defend their ideas. These assessments will provide immediate feedback so that teachers can begin improving student learning right away". Of course, he doesn't say exactly what forms these assessments will take, nor where the funding for these assessment models will come from. He does recognize the importance for intervention from zero to five, and it sounds as though he will support programs that work with parents in the home, which I am in favor of. He also is in favor of voluntary universal pre-kindergarten, it sounds as if he is willing to support existing programs and "invest more in those programs and ensure they are using high-quality, evidence-based models of instruction that have been proven to work" rather than pressuring states to create new programs. If his idea of "evidence-based" models is focused more on developmentally appropriate practice and research-supported approaches (such as RI, High/Scope, CC, etc), I'm supportive of that, but of course he doesn't say whose research he is supporting. He also supports providing further funding for child care for low income families--if that actually happens I would be incredibly impressed. I'm not holding my breath. McCain, on the other hand, concerns me more in the area of standardized testing & inappropriate educational standards. While he doesn't have anywhere near the well presented outline Obama has, his website states "John McCain Will Build On The Lessons Of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). There should be an emphasis on standards and accountability. However, our goal cannot be group averages. Instead, our focus should be to inspire every child to strive to reach his or her potential. While NCLB has been invaluable in providing a clear picture of which schools and students are struggling, it is only the beginning of education reform.". He has yet to convince me exactly how NCLB has been "invaluable". His focus seems to be primarily on ensuring children are meeting standards & giving parents freedom of choice, rather than improving the educational system as a whole. Personally, if I was voting based on education alone I would probably vote for Obama, just because he DOES have some form of an outline, though I'm sure it is far from perfect. As the entire thing stands, I'm not sure I'll even bother standing in line to vote this year.