When the Eye Jumps Over the Wall. By this title they implied that one could see the potential of children and learning only if one were to overcome the wall of traditional educational commonplaces and conceptions.
This is powerful!! I'll have to add this to my book list!
In fact, drawing, p ainting, and the use of all languages are experiences and explorations of life, of the senses, and of meanings.
This quote reminded me of the readings we had in PRL on the role of aesthetics in Reggio and how deeply connected children are to this basic human experience -while adults aren't anymore.
Once a week we would transport the school, (the children and our tools,) to town .... The children were happy. The people saw; they were surprised and they asked questions." (Gandini, 2012, p. 31)
The power of making learning visible is the ability it has to change the lens that families and the community see our capable and competent children.
A Teacher Relaunches a Project
The idea of "relaunching" a project is really appealing to me. In the past when I started a project with children and they didn't respond a certain way my ego would be bruised or if the project fizzled out too soon when I knew there was more learning to be done, I should've simply relaunched the project. Adults view some things in such a linear way, you must do AB before you reach C. But children don't work in that manner, so relaunching or revisiting something is encouraging to me and something I need to remember :)
[I]t is as if we are starting off together on a voyage. It could be short; it could be long. But there is an eagerness in doing it together. (Laura Rubizzi, group discus-sion, October 18, 1990, Diana Preschool)
What contagious excitement about being a learner alongside your students. I wish all educators could feel this way about their curriculum!
The teachers’ task is to notice those knots and help bring them to center stage for further attention—launching points for next activities.
I loved this visual of "knots" as sticking points where the teacher could launch off for future investigations. It was a powerful image for me to see "knots" in children's heads as they are unraveling their truth
The role of teacher as curriculum planner changes to the role of the teacher as a co-constructor of knowledge.• The role of the teacher as program planner emphasizes the role of creator of the environment as a third teacher.• The role of the teacher in facilitating play changes to the role of the teacher as an exchanger of understandings.• The role of providing guidance changes to the role of the teacher as a supporter of the competent child.• The role of the teacher as an observer is extended to documenter andresearcher.• The role of the teacher as parent educator changes to the role of the teacher as a partner with parents.• The role of communicator with outside audiences changes to the role of the teacher as listener, provocateur, and negotiator of meaning.
I was really struck by this list because it is such a shift from a traditional school setting where the teacher is viewed as someone who is "the giver of information" and who "has all the power." What type of shift would we see if we showed this list to other educators?
The authors believe that young children are far more competent than most adults imagine.
This ^^^
"Children have a right to play all da
I've always believed that children have the right to play, but someone once mentioned to me that in some circumstances, "play is a privilege." It made me think of some early learning centers were play was not at the foreground, and weekly themed lessons and "worksheets" were at the center of their day. If more early learning centers thought of play as a right, we could transform these centers.
I've never considered the fact that adults typically only celebrate one form of language achievement (a child's first word) but no other aspects. As this states, if adults use their creativity to listen to the 100 languages that children speak, there would be so much more to celebrate.
experience of over coming setbacks and obstacles -is included to suggest that occasional, real experiences of solving a problem, re-making something that was not successful the first time, and other experiences of overcoming difficulties can strengthen a child's confidence and become a lifelong disposition.
This really resonated with me because throughout my day at BJS sometimes I revert back to thinking "But we are just playing." I am continually reminding myself that within this play, the children are creating an idea, problem-solving how to create it, how to fix it, how to express themselves to their peers. These are skills that should be nurtured, should be given space to develop, and that will lead to a lifelong disposition.
feeling what it is like to understand some things better (or more deeply)
This kind of experience reminds me of how BJS teachers strive for children to have "the right to participate in complex topics and world issues." Tiny humans are capable of understanding big issues.
'ready for school, ready to 'succeed' in school,
I am recoiling because I have definitely said these phrases to families before. What does "ready for school" even mean?
Children should be considered asactive citizens with rights,
Before our summer readings, I never thought of children as active citizens with rights. I was also stuck with thinking of preparing my students to become active citizens. Shifting my mindset to this definitely changes my perspective.
tradition of cooperative work is firmly rooted in the Emilia
This!!!
The results of the effort by all these determined people are publicly-fundedmunicipal as well as national programs for young children that combine theconcept of social services with education.
Ugh, this is what the US is lacking. There is such inequality amongst early childhood settings even though research states its importance. I am wondering if legislature will pass anything soon...