Online and In-person Professional Development
Here are the concepts that I have continually practiced during my career with school age children. These practices have worked wonderfully, supported the children, their education, the parents, and the entire learning community.
Read MoreThere are many strengths and concerns about how we offer these digital provocations and the impact on young children. So, I have been spending time thinking about a theoretical framework for the digital environment.
Read MoreWe were invited to participate in a group sculpture challenge. What happened when we proposed this idea to the children? What were the challenges of engaging in this type of work? What did we learn by observing the collaboration between children and educators?
Read MoreThe ethos of the maker movement aligns well with constructivist practices. Children in maker spaces are invited to create something from the available materials and to experiment, construct, and iterate, as the work becomes the vehicle for learning.
Read MoreIn the school age learning community there are small interactions each day that are important to the growth of the entire learning community. Each individual interaction is the foundation for our future learning together.
Read MoreIn this time of celebration and gathering of friends and family, it is also time to be thankful and reflect on our other family, our learning community. This is a short story about our role as an educator and how we have so much to be thankful for.
Read MoreAt a recent professional development conference there was much discussion about the challenge of setting priorities when working in an early childhood environment. Looking into this subject further I found some universal suggestions that may help us understand the subject a little more.
Read MoreLately, the children have been playing a game that has been around since I was a child and has stood the test of time. A simple game that brings the children together each afternoon to enjoy each other’s company and play for the joy that it brings to life.
Read MoreThis learning story is about a sunflower, three children, and how an educator engaged in the learning journey. The experience is filled with insight for our practice and challenges us to look how our practice evolves over time.
Read MoreWhat are the origins of children’s creative work? Does all creative work start from scratch? This story is about the introduction of a classic material and how the children explored, adapted, and expanded their creative work.
Read MoreWhat are the benefits of free play? How often do children participate in free play versus organized activities? I discovered an interesting article and study and wanted to share a few thoughts in hope of creating more understanding.
Read MoreThis is a story about an observation, how educators support the ever-changing interests of the children, and what motivates children to keep working on a specific investigation for longer periods of time.
Read MoreThis is a story about one child beginning an investigation of potion making. What were the observations of the educator and the implications of this journey for the other children in the program?
Read MoreA learning story about my observation of children working on discovering images of self through materials. How this observation informs our practice and how offering a variety of materials inspires children to engage deeply with provocations.
Read MoreThis is a story about reflective practice and how engaging in this activity can help educators open possibilities into their work with children. Reflective practice supports the educator in processing the numerous experiences that occur during a typical day, providing insight to our wonderings.
Read MoreOur values, beliefs, and actions when working along side young children, all start with our image of the child. How we see children is at the foundation of all our relationships with children.
Read MoreThis is a story about how the children surprised me with a newfound interest in chess. The surprise was not about the game itself but how the game inspired others in the learning community.
Read MoreThe gathering is a conversation amongst the learning community that is filled with possibilities for the work in the classroom. What makes a good gathering? What are the elements that make the gathering an experience that builds the learning community?
Read MoreAre all projects the children engage in detailed documented investigations? This is a story about recycled cardboard, paint and marbles. How did this work strengthen the learning community?
Read MoreDuring 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.
Read More
