Exploring Rope
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During my time visiting the schools of La Casa Amarilla, I observed many of the classrooms and collected some learning stories. The following is a story about rope and the opportunity to investigate.
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The Purpose of Education
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I wonder if we have reached a point where the factory model of education needs some updating? Is it possible for education to transform into something that encourages children to learn how to learn, so they can explore different interests over a lifetime?
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Self Portraits
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As a new school year begins. The learning community is forming and part of the work for educators is self-examination. Now is a wonderful time to look where our journey as an educator has traveled and where it is going.
Read MoreLiving Now
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What does it mean to have a calling? Do I need to have a calling? In search of clearer understanding I read more and discovered one idea that made the most sense.
Read MoreA Playground for Marbles
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A wonderful part of the learning community blossoms when a few children create something that captures the imagination of other children, who join in and collaborate on adapting and creating a new version of the original creation.
Read MoreCompetition and Collaboration
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Our words, thoughts, and actions are the tools educators use to guide children along the learning journey. As educators, we have to decide to what degree competition and collaboration fit into our practice.
Read MoreExploring Foil
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One afternoon we embarked on learning journey exploring the properties of foil. We investigated the wonderful possibilities of the material and in the process expressed kindness to others.
Read MoreThrilled to Learn
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Joyful play in children is about engagement. It starts with the children’s interest in a material or an idea. This is a process where children, alone and in collaboration, engage with their interest and take a deep dive into the process of finding answers.
Read MoreThe Process
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In school age care, the children often engage in play with different materials. Ideation is a tool children employ to gain understanding about their investigations.
Read MoreWhere Have All the Children Gone?
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School begins in about a month. After Labor Day, I will again see hundreds of children walk down to the school bus for their first day. For their benefit, I wish they would go outside sooner.
Read MoreSocially Interactive
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When choosing their own work, often children are engaged with other children and much of the process of exploring their wonderings is done in collaboration. The process of discovery and creation then becomes a place for social interaction
Read MoreLight Panel and Crystal Climbers
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Our role as an educator is to scaffold and work alongside the children and support them in their investigation.
Read MoreActive Engagement
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In my experience the children are most happy when they choose their own work. The reason for their happiness is because of being invested in what they are doing.
Read MoreIs It Educational?
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When children are engaged in activities there is often a concern or a conversation among adults if the activity is educational. What does the term educational actually mean?
Read MoreThe Lego Community
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When the children are choosing work and have time to be mindful in their creative process, a collaborative effort blossoms. The collaboration begins with a discussion then turns to action as the ideas expressed are attempted and refined.
Read MoreDry Erase Exploration
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It was interesting to observe the children create the original images on dry erase boards and share the experience with another child. The process invited immediate feedback and a social connection for the children involved.
Read MoreToothpicks and String
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Often we document the success stories in our work with children. Some of the work we do is not as successful. Usually this occurs when we move away from the principals we believe in for the sake of convenience.
Read MoreEmbracing Free Play for Self Care
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As an educator we give time to others. We give selflessly to our schools, community, and the children. The demands of serving others often takes precedent over developing a rejuvenating self-care practice. Incorporating more free play into our lives will support our growth and well being as educators.
Read MoreFinding Your Calling
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I read a quote that said the two most important days in a life is when you are born and when you find your calling. Personally, I am searching for what finding your calling actually means. What does it feel like to find your calling?
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