This is so important!! I feel like it is easy to not update tools because they arent "necessary" or arent "made for kids" but it is so crucial to their development to be engaged with updated tech and tools.

this is such a great idea, I love the way it connects the children to their community as well. the children are aware of their value because of this

important to have teachers who understand the 100 languages

The idea of working together with the children to create an environment is so interesting, I love the way this levels the playing field and really acknowledges the children as capable and independent beings who are valued and respected.

one of the reasons documentation is so important when it comes to children. It allows for the interpretation of many parties, often bridging the gap between home and school

documentation as an important key to understanding

I think it is important to note that as children possess 100 languages to communicate in, it only matters if we are able to listen to their 100 languages.

this is a complicated concept for even some adults to understand! I am impressed that they are doing figure drawing at such a young age. Its a great way to teach perspective and conceptual skills about dimensionality, etc.

hmmm, I feel like this often times would not work but perhaps this is a unique solution to this age group.

I just read a great article on entry into the child's world and when and how to jump into a teaching opportunity. One suggestion that I liked was imitation as a tool to understand what the child is doing, how they might be learning, and imitation makes sure they feel recognized and important. From imitation the teacher can then see when a learning opportunity best arises.

when there is no set regimen or strict curriculum to learning, you have to trust that the process of co-creation will create a successful learning experience for both child and teacher

I love the concept of the child and the teacher as equals, or partners, working together to create a rich environment, stimulate learning, and investigate the world. This is the best model for the teacher to connect to the child and the child to remain interested while also feeling supported.

this is something they, and all humans, are constantly discovering as they grow and connect and move through life.

teaching evolves as a connection between student and teacher by listening and respecting one another

this is a very interesting idea, that teachers should aid children who are nonverbal or nonmobile in their exploration of the world.

always one of the biggest struggles in the classroom seems to be time, patience, etc. like we discussed last week I think a lot of this has to do with the anxieties of an adult. Adults are over-obsessed with time. In a child's world, this is not a priority and they should not be forced into the time related anxieties that adults have.

I totally agree with this and have been amazed at all of the information you can gather from watching children interact in imaginative play situations.

Teaching is so much about how to make myself the most sensitive listener I can be to better understand my students

already breaking down the barriers of gender roles

This is hilarious. Children are so curious sometimes. I want to hear more about this.

Love this complex, democratic discussion on a very "adult" topic. Speaks to the competence of children to understand difficult topics.

love this idea to describe a school. for some reason I think of the movie/book Matilda and the rigid, scary, pre-programmed school the Trunchbull created and the more alive, bright, interesting classroom space Ms. Honey created.

positive reinforcement always a key to children feeling confident and supported in their efforts

I am taking another course on observation and documentation of children and read an article recently about how very young children can pick up on bias from parents and other adults in the tiniest of ways from subtle body language to minor facial expressions.

this reminds me of what we have learned about letting the child guide the learning and curriculum. In order to allow this to happen, you must have a relationship with the child that allows this flow of ideas and interests to be passed from the child to the teacher and to the environment

I will be curious to learn more about some examples of projects, even a couple of days seems like a long time for a 3-4 year old to be invested in a project for.

So many things happen every day in a young child's life and documentation seems like such a great way to help the kids remember all of the things they did/learned to share with their families and continue thinking about after the school day ends.

I love this way to describe school. Rather than an "institution" as we commonly refer to schools, I think a "system" speaks to the way education crosses the physical boundaries of the building itself and is more about the relationships within all parts of a child's world.

Having not worked in a preschool, this makes me wonder the extent that US parents are involved in their children's education

I'm pretty sure this is shockingly about 3x as many as those enrolled in the US. I wonder what about the societal/social structures in Italy v. US causes this significant difference.

Such as that comics is derived from comical, or containing humor, which can extend well beyond pictures.

I disagree with this view. I think that often times, a comic effective in portraying its message (strong pictorial thesis) relies on words and involves a photo sequence rather than the other way around.

What, then, distinguishes particular images or cartoons as comics rather than simply a drawing or computer-generated animation?