Reflections on Documenting + Linking

Disclaimer: This entry is HUGE! I'm sorry ... Good luck!

When did teaching in early childhood stop being so much about the children and more about the paper work? You know the children’s observations, the daily reflection book, the program and the evaluations that follow? Then we mustn’t forget projects that we “must” do as well as perhaps documentation displays on top of that! Oh, and you must follow-up on what you did before. And don’t forget to link EVERYTHING into EVERTHING else so that you are meeting the requirements that the government has set for you. You’ve been told by so many people that you have to do this that and the other and you are doing them, but it’s just too much! You are drowning. I am drowning. How is that quality?

Tell me, with your nose in a portfolio/journal or your face in a computer, do you understand and know your students better? We are forever stalking the children from one moment to the next and then shoving a camera in their face.

Imagine how you would feel if there were people constantly following you around and taking photos of what you were doing. You don’t have any privacy in the bathroom because there is either someone going to the toilet with you or there are others standing around and watching you. Sometimes standing and staring. They remind you to wipe your bottom. You were going to, but you just hadn’t gotten to that point in the process yet. But there they are, telling you to wipe your bottom.  You were quite content having a quiet and ‘private’ moment to yourself thinking about what you wanted to play next, and someone interrupts you with “wipe your bottom” ...

Imagine how you would feel with people constantly following you around with a camera taking photos of what you are doing. Whether you are trying to read a book or serve yourself a wedge of apple, there are people watching closely with a camera in hand. Private conversations you have are overheard and then documented and either shared with everyone OR they are put into a file with your name on it and the file of all your associates. [I know, I’m starting to sound a bit paranoid – but I am just sharing what I have seen many times over!]

Imagine standing at an easel with a paint brush in hand (and it really doesn’t matter what colour paint nor does it matter what hand you are holding the brush in!). You are watching the paint work its way across the paper and touch the other colours. You notice that when one colour goes into another colour, it changes into a different colour. You are amazed and wondering about this when someone over your shoulder points to one of the colours and asks you “What colour is this?” So you oblige them and you say “blue” ... You wonder why this person, who is much older and more experienced than you is asking you what the colour blue is. Surely they should already know this? You get back into the groove of your painting when they point at your painting and quiz you again about what colour ...and again and again?  You really just wanted to paint. But that unique moment of wonder and magic is gone. The adult got what they wanted from you, and your painting, interrupted, unfinished, is hanging up to dry.

Everything you do is then analysed and picked apart and critiqued. People make assumptions about who you are based upon the information they have gathered and they then come to conclusion about who you are and what they think you should do next. You are then told that you have to engage in this activity, and again, they are there. Always watching. Always listening. With camera in hand. Always judging.

Where is the humanity in this? Where are the relationships? Where is the sense of community? As I started to write this reflection, the more I started to really question what the heck I’ve been doing all these years. Look, I know that just because we do these things, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t wonderful educators who know our children well. It doesn’t mean we don’t have genuine relationships with them. It’s not about that ... I just really started to feel uncomfortable about some aspects of my work that has been part of my practice for a great many years.

And come on you have to admit that really, we are acting a bit like paparazzi when it comes to documenting children’s engagement and learning!

So, why do we do this?

We are told that if we observe children and analyse their actions and development we will have a deeper understanding of children and learning in general. This will apparently then make us better educators, more able to engage with children and provide for their learning and development. We are told that if we can link our observations with theory and quality standards, then we will not only better understand the children in our care, but we will also be achieving a higher standard of care and education.  We are told that by better understanding children and relating their development to theory we will have a positive impact upon the understanding of children and their abilities as a whole. This will make the world a better place, because we can provide better outcomes for children.

I disagree. Strongly.

Our observations and what we link them to, sit at a service. They sit in a file or in a portfolio. These then sit inside a magazine box or basket on a shelf at a service for the parents to sometimes look through. Sometimes we give children opportunities to look at them. Sometimes they are individual. Sometimes they are so full of group observations where the child is not particularly visible as an individual because we are under so much pressure to pump out a certain number of “obs” that we start slapping in whatever we can.

At some point, they go home with the child and are sometimes cherished. Sometimes they are lost. Sometimes they held at a service until an account is finalised, and never go home. Sometimes they are even thrown away by families.

A copy is kept at the service that goes into a file and sits there until the child is of a certain age (depending upon your country, state and their particular regulations) ... then it is shredded, recycled and goes back into the paper making system. It might become an egg carton or kitty litter or photocopy paper or even toilet tissue. Your hard work today, might sit around for 24 years, be filed and stored, shredded, recycled and then be used to wipe someone’s nose. Seriously. How is this sustainable? How is this quality? How is this good for the environment? How does this serve children? How does this make us better educators?

This work does not go to a university to be reviewed by philosophical academics. It is not going to be used to design contemporary theories of teaching and learning. So please tell me how all this work ... how all this confused complicated energy goes towards substantiating learning and development theories?

I am not an academic.

I am not interested in substantiating theories.

Theories are also a collection of ideas and beliefs as explainations ... they are NOT 100% proven fact!

I am interested in working with children, families, communities and fellow educators in creating amazing learning spaces for all parties to learn and grow as people. I am interested in making a difference.

I am not belittling the academics among us who love theory and relating it to practice. But, I’m sorry that is simply not me. And you might argue that I am then in the wrong place, but I will argue that I am most definitely in the right place.

Everyone seems to be running around lost and confused as to what they need to do to survive in early childhood in an Australian context today. Yes, I know, *they* are coming! The Assessors! They are going to judge us ... I get that. I really do.

BUT, we seem to be going crazy with this linking! We are being told by someone who was told by someone who was in turn told that we had to link to this that and the other.

The reality is that if you start throwing about theory at people, who are not interested in it, they are going to shut off and disengage. We want engagement! We want an active learning community. The reality is that not every educator is university educated AND even the university educated educators (this includes me) are interested in theory! Confusing isn’t it?

This is already getting too long and its getting a little tiring standing here on top of my soap box ... but seriously ... we are going way over the top. Just like this blog essay of 1,545 words!

I’m currently reading the Standards and the Regs and the EYLF and other bits and pieces and I am planning on working out what we actually have to do. I really don’t want to plan and document according to gossip or misinformation. I will share. When I know what I’m doing!

Exhale.

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

 

Reflection Flashback circa 2009: What Happens if ... You Give A Child A Camera?

Well, I gave the children a camera and answered that question!  It was during rest time while the adults were putting children to sleep.  A, M, and YH were doing quiet activities at the table. YH had used the camera to take a photo of his letters. YH then spread the love and took pictures of M and A. He then shared the camera with them. They posed, took pictures of one another from close up and from far away. They took pictures through the window of outside where the rain was bucketing down. They took abstract photos of objects in the learning environment. My colleague L grabbed our other camera to take pictures of the children using the camera.

 

What prompted this? Well, I had previously been to a conference where a presenter had made the point that we diligently photo document the children’s work. She questioned us as to when do we give the right and responsibility of documentation to the children? When do we give them permission to use the camera so they can share their own perspective? I thought that this was FABULOUS so I tried it with great success.

As my colleague and I looked through the children’s photos we were impressed with their creativity both in posing, almost as characters for the camera, but also in documenting their unique perspectives of the world around them.

The previous story happened way back in 2009. I thought I would just share it with you because it was a beautiful moment that made it into my personal reflections.  It also marked a shift in my professional development as a practicing teacher. It was a moment where I chose to view the children as powerful and capable. It was a moment that created change in our learning environment.

This could be a story for the child's portoflio along with the images that they took. It certainly links to the EYLF in many ways although it happened in a time before the EYLF was even published. This story is the child's voice! It shows the children as actively involved in their own learning! The children are sharing their knowledge with each other! They are sharing and negotiating taking turns which in turn is about the relationship that they have with each other! It's the children not only exploring technology, but also using it successfully! They are transfering what they have learned in one context into another. They are learning through play!

There is more than one way to observe and document.

I think in a perfect world, we would have cameras for the children so that they could share their ‘voice’ more readily!

 

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012 All Rights Reserved

Starting From Scratch ...

I'm starting from scratch ... and I'm ruffling feathers ... I might write about this for publishing at a later date ... But I will focus on my work as a teacher and educational leader for this blog!

What I have been working on is a planning cycle ... The NQS says (and correct me if I'm wrong, or something somewhere says, but I'm too tired and weary to look it up, so just pretend we both know what I'm talking about, and that I'm right!) we need to have a cycle ... so I'm drawing up a cycle ... and in that cycle I have arrows that indicate link from one aspect to another  ... A cycle that is clear to understand and can be easily seen on a bulletin board ... I won't put up a "program" so to speak, but I can have a cycle with a link to possibilities!

I'm working in supporting staff to link the daily reflections to the children's portfolios (or journals) ... and then I'm trying to support staff in writing the links from yesterday's events with today's events and then think about where we might go for tomorrow. I'm also encouraging instead of saying LOC 1.2.3 or some such secret code, that we use the words and terminology of the EYLF without being arrogant and elitist about it ... We need to be understood by parents and the community!

I mean it's well and good to know in my head how everything will look ... but how will it look to others?

Being an educational leader is challenging especially when you are trying to not only lead a preschool team, but a whole service as well! What was I thinking??!?!?! I know the challenges will pay off eventually ... its just so exhausting!

Speaking of exhausting, I have a new awesome padded mattress overlay that I really must go and reaquaint myself with quicksmart!

Been lovely seeing you again!

XoXo

Portfolio Ponderings ...

I was flipping through some portfolios at a service I was working in and I made some observations:

Firstly, the portfolios looked the same. There were a few differences, but for the most part, they were copies of group observations all put into the children’s individual books. And by differences I mean, there might have been one or two entries that I could see that were individual – and they were something that the family did, not the services. The other aspects that I noticed were individual were the art works – but they themselves were novelty art (splatter painting etc) which are fun, but really not, in my opinion, a truly artistic practice.  There were no detailed paintings like what my old kids used to create, as the children only had those short fat brushes with only 2 or 3 colour choices.

I read parts of a few of the observations, but they were describing what all the children had done, and there was little or no focus on the individual. I remember years ago working at a service and that was one of the criticisms of some of the educator’s portfolios – little focus on the child/ren, more focus on the larger group or the experience. I believe in a happy medium.

I didn’t bother reading what was written because it was just a narrative. I didn’t even see the educational point of the observation in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, the staff put a great deal of energy and thought into what they were writing, I just didn’t enjoy reading it.

The photos were not very inspiring either – they were photocopies of a print out or the child from a distance. I think that the photos should be really thoughtful – there should be intent behind the image chosen and the child should feature, or the child’s work.  Also, there were so many different boarders themed to whatever the observation was about. It was so visually busy and really detracted from the work of the children.

I know I’m being critical. I’m not questioning their motives or their dedication, merely their focus. It’s easy to make judgements as an outsider, I know this. But I like reflecting upon my own work, as well as others as it encourages me to think and be creative and evolve as a professional. I have also seen some awesome things that have made me feel at a professional loss! I’ve seen some wonderful observations! But this experience of sitting down with the has really led me to think about what I am going to be including in portfolios in the future. I see value in some old practices that I was pushed into doing at a previous service. I can utilise these ideas and weave in more of the EYLF into them...

What do parents and children want to see in the portfolios? The children and their engagement and their relationships!

The children should be a prominent feature in their own portfolio/journal/learning story ...

T.ink

(c) Teacher's Ink. 2012

The Gifts of Autumn

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

~Elizabeth Lawrence~

I was inspired and reminded by my last block placement at a long day care service of the gifts that autumn has for us. In fact, nature in general gives us gifts each season that we can embrace in our teaching practice.

I've noticed that when I'm not attached to a service or to a group of children (you know, 'shackled' to their portfolios and the daybook: document document DOCUMENT!!!), you are able to just chill out and go along for the ride.

I thought I might play around with some ideas from my past as well as some new ones and put together documentation on leaves and quite possibly with an emphasis on autumn.

Now, this effort will not include any pictures of children, nor pictures I’ve taken at jobs. I am going to have to be creative with images from my collection and my environment. I am also going to have to use my memory from the past 6 years of teaching.

The photo in this blog entry is from the Liquid Ambar that used to live at my grandparents house. Sadly, my parents chose to remove the tree and replace it with a Manchurian Pear tree which is lovely in its own way ... but I do miss that beautiful Liquid Ambar. But unfortunately Liquid Ambars are not very sewer pipe friendly. I personally would have spent heaps of money changing the pipes and kept the tree! But that’s me! I’m a sucker for a gorgeous tree. In fact trees have played such an important part of my childhood:

*  the “oak” tree we used to climb as children and play helicopters (no idea if it was an oak tree, we just thought it looked like it might be one and that was that!)

* the giant sequoia we had growing in our backyard back home that I used to play  under ...

* the Japanese maple we had planted next to our fish pond ...

* the giant copper beech tree our neighbours had which had the most gorgeous plum coloured leaves.

* our fruit trees: apple, plum, apricot, lemon, lime

* the oak grove at the local botanical gardens we’d visit almost every weekend as a family

So as you can see, I'm a nature loving girl who has an affinity for trees.

So, I'm going to play with a mock-up documentation on leaves and see where that goes. I'm not professing that this will be the best documenation out there. I'm not claiming that this is how it should be done ... I'm just going to put together based upon events of my past and ideas that I havent yet followed up on. It's up to you to do your own thing. This documentation just sits within my experience, my personal practice and is part of my own professional development path. When it's complete, I'll turn it into photos and post them on the blog. Afterthat, I can convert it to a PDF and if you'd like a copy I can email it to you. Here goes!

The quote came from: http://www.quotegarden.com/autumn.html

(c) Teachers Ink. 2012 ~ All Rights Reserved

$1 Dinosaurs ...

I found some dinosaurs when I was wandering around BigW one weekend ... $1x4=$4 ... Not a bad investment ... Yeah I know, they're plastic not so fantastic BUT they're durable ... just imagine all the fun that would occur out in a rough patch of garden?

Four Dinosaurs Roar!

This is my favourite dinosaur ... Of all time! Its a stegosaurus! I think that its important that you have a favourite dinosaur. This is the dinosaur that one of my students from a couple of years back, dubbed the one that goes "ching-ching" with its tail ... I just LOVED that and I won't ever forget it. This is the Dino that goes Ching-Ching!

And this is Lukey's dinosaur ... Lukey LOVED the brontosaurus in our room ... it was a light blue ... lighter blue than this one ... it was his. His favourite, and his character when they played. All the kids knew it. They would find it after he'd discarded it, and they would take it to him even if he were playing in the sandpit or on his bed. Now that dinosaur belonged to Lukey, and Lukey belonged to him.

This makes me remember once something I'd wanted to do with the kids and the dinosaurs ... I never finished it mind you - things happened and time passed and the kids lost interest and I didnt have time to complete the project ... But we took the dinosaurs outside to the blushland reserve adjacent to our service. We set them up in different ways and took photos ... then we came "home" to school and we started to write a story using MS Publisher with the pictures ... I made speach bubbles for when the dinosaurs would have something to say ... it was hillarious!

So I share this idea with you ... Take some critters or creatures, dinosaurs or animals or people - set them up in spaces indoors or out and take photos of them ... Then write a story about it ... print and enjoy! Or you could be more organised than I was, and write the story first, then use the characters to illustrate it ;)

At some point (maybe) ... I will find where specifically this relates to the EYLF ... but just off the top of my head - this would be the children driving the curriculum - making choices, being creative, using technology, literacy and communication, as well as working collaboratively ...

Enjoy!

T.ink.



The Day Book ~ My Style Explained V.2

Like last time ... I've added numbers as reference points ... Numbers 1-4 are explained in my previous post as well as number 7 ... I'm hoping its not too confusing but I didnt want to cut and paste it and add numbers in different orders etc. I'm assuming you have read or will read V.1!

1.       See Previous Post http://teachers-ink.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/day-book-my-style-explained-v1.html

2.       See Previous Post http://teachers-ink.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/day-book-my-style-explained-v1.html

3.       See Previous Post http://teachers-ink.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/day-book-my-style-explained-v1.html

4.       See Previous Post http://teachers-ink.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/day-book-my-style-explained-v1.html

5.       This is where I got clever a couple of years ago when it was suggested that I show the children’s voice more – this was even before the EYLF ... So I would call some children over and simply ask them a few different version of essentially the same questions:

a.       What did you play today?

b.      What did you like playing today?

c.       What did you learn today?

d.      What was the best part of your day at school?

It really depended upon who I was talking to – their language and comprehension skills etc. But you get the idea ... ask an open ended question about their play and then write down what they have to say. This is their voice. Their words or voice reflecting upon their day.

6.       This is where the author of the daybook is acknowledged – and the staff for the day written as well. I’ve also previously written what types of music we’ve listed to, or what we had for lunch so it was all there for parents to read – a one stop shop.

7.       See Previous Post http://teachers-ink.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/day-book-my-style-explained-v1.html

So this is just another version of what my day book entries used to look like ...

Enjoy

T.ink.

You're Programming Wrong!

“You’re doing it wrong” is what they were told about their programming ...

So who is telling them that they are doing it wrong? Well, it wasn’t the previous manager who has 15+ years experience working in children’s services. It wasn’t the “validator” who assessed the service last year and found them to be a service delivering high quality care and education (who liked the system and methods).

It’s the new manager. This is her first job as a manager. She is also young and hasn’t had her degree for very long, nor has she got a great deal of experience in a variety of services. I think they were desperate to hire someone consistent. It certainly doesn’t look good when you can’t find staff for your service. Out of everything she could have done to improve the team, the service, support the transition to the NQS, she chooses to attack the programming and planning and declare that its “wrong”? Really? Is that the best way of managing? Um, no, it’s not. The methods that she has suggested were also bulky, cumbersome, time consuming, not presented professionally and is just going to encourage people to return to scribbling decorations on a blank page to fill the empty spaces because they can’t think of anything substantial to write. If educators can’t fill one page of a daybook with reflections, how are they going to fill double or triple the space? I know that she’s simply getting them to work the way that she is used to, but it’s not about her.

The programming that a service does should be created by the team for that particular service – what works for them? What physical resources do they have available to them? (slide shows on photo frames or computer screens? Printers? Computers? Photocopiers? Time to write?) What is their philosophy? How is that reflected in the interactions with children? How does all this relate to the EYLF? That programming that a service does should not come from ONE person whoever that person is!

What’s wrong with this line: “You’re doing it wrong?”  ... That’s not great management. It’s insensitive and passing judgement upon others. Even if they were doing it wrong, you don’t put it to them like that! You work WITH them as a team and brainstorm ideas – that’s reflection. That ‘reflection’ sits within the EYLF and is what we are required to do. But to tell someone that they are doing it wrong? That’s wrong.

One of my previous interview questions related to this ... and my answer was – I tend to be quite reflective and have lots of ideas. I’m however not going to walk into a new space and start changing things just because I have a new idea. I don’t know what happened before in this space – I don’t know the history of the room or program. I need to work with the team and the children and in consultation make changes. Yes, there are changes that MUST be made at times, but there are also changes that can occur over time. So, yes, you get what you want as a professional, but you do it in a way that everyone comes on board with you, and together you create change. In the meantime, I’ll just write my ideas down and wait for a good time!

You certainly don’t tell people they’re doing it wrong. People will be invested in their way of “doing it” and if you tell them it’s wrong – well you are going to put noses out of joint and upset people. Not a smart move.

I'd also like to add, that from what I've seen on  visits to quality services, at previous work places, and on the internet about how different people are programming - there are so many different ways it can be done, and as long as you can show an understanding of what your system is, and it meets the requirements - then you are doing it right. You are doing it right for you!

End of rant.

Stepping off soap box.

T.ink

~*~ My Philosophy ~*~

I've been thinking about my philosophy ... changing jobs will do that to ya! What is often one of the things that they ask you? Tell us about your philosophy!

When I was at Univeristy so many many years ago I had to write a philosophy and present it to the class ... I had an ingenious idea - to make a story book! So I did ... I used photos from the internet, my own photos, quotes, ideas etc and put them into an "old fashioned" scrap book (this is before the days of scrapbook popularity!). I then read the "story" to the class.

So I've been thinking about my philosophy today and how would I present it?

I came up with a montage of images that I've taken, resources I've made and I am creating a sort of picture book philosophy circa 2012 ...

So far I have two pages completed ...

I am going to do more ... adding to it ... I've just realised that the bottom image has a fault ... I'll fix it later ... its somewhat difficult with a 5kg kitten-cat sleeping on the desk in front of you leaning on the mouse and the keyboard ... I might even leave it there (fix it in another post) as homage to the little furry beast I love so much.

Play Dough Rainbow Style!

So, two things are happening here ... one is I wanted some colourful playdough to photograph to use in my portfolio formats and I am looking after my neice next week after day care so I thought why not make some dough that won't go to waste! So I've made the dough using essentially the cream of tartar recipe on the back of the container. Instead of cooking it in a saucepan, I just use freshly boiled water and mix it with a woden spoon, then with my hands wearing gloves (helps with the heat!). It turns out pretty much the same. I've been making it this way for 8 years now. If you need to refresh it, just add a little boiling water and it comes good again. 

The materials I used - just inexpensive no-name stuff where I could

The finished product!

So after I was finished with the dough, I cut it into wedges ... 8 to be exact.

Then I added drops of food colouring to each section and mixed them individually.

This is blue + red + yellow to make dark green ...

I wore gloves because ... well, you can see what the gloves look like, I really didnt want my fingers to be the same!

So we have red, orange, yellow, light green, aqua, dark green, blue, purple, and plain ...

So, here is the dough in a dumpling tray that I'm re-using before I recycle it. I love using small containers from the kitchen at the playdough table. The kids always seem to cut up dough, make cookies, form balls or snakes etc. and this gives them a means of storing or displaying their efforts.

Actually, this reminds me of all the awesome things I once bought to use at the dough table ... I found them all at a discount store ... I'll have to hunt around and see if I have the photos ... That can be another post!

I love making. I love creating. I love colour.

T.ink

Where T.ink is At!

butterflies make me think of change and transformation ...

Now, where I’m at ...

I have resigned from my position as a teacher and now that I have some time on my hands I am really pondering where I wanted to go with the EYLF and my documentation practice. I have also been creating some resources in order to make this possible. I have been using my resource collection, borrowing a friends, purchasing inexpensive items and the like in order to make this idea of mine a possibility. This is what is going to take some time.

When I return to work, I will be doing casual teaching in a variety of settings and services.

This choice resulted from a number of different motivations. One of which was unpredictable travel towards the city. I want a better work/life balance and I can’t achieve that if I am sitting in a car for 3 hours a day. This took away precious time which could have been spent enjoying life or even simply taking care of my home and garden and pets.

I have also been at the service for a few years and it just felt it was time to move on. Sure, I could have stayed and explored some curriculum ideas I had in the works, but, really ... my heart wasn’t in it any longer. I want to explore my own ideas and OWN them as my own. They come from my brain, my thinking, my education (which I paid for!), my background and life experience as well as my own time spent at courses I chose or from reading books I purchased.

So I took a leap of faith and assumed that there would be a safety net at the bottom! Thankfully, it was a wise leap of faith and I've flown instead of fallen!

When you aren’t meant to be following a certain path it is difficult. There are just too many challenges and roadblocks along the way. When you stop fighting it, and you give up and decide to go off the path that you were familiar with, well, sometimes things just fall into place ... you find a gentler path. You see some beauty along the way. You find sustenance to nourish your body, your heart and your spirit. You start to realise that the path you thought was the =sensible= one was in fact the wrong one for you ... And now that you have finally made the choice, you have found the right place and the right time.

So gradually, this blog will evolve and my work will evolve and my ideas will come together in my reflective journal.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and for reading what I just plonked onto the net over a year ago. It is much appreciated.

T.ink

Ideas I've Been Playing with ...

This is what I've been playing with ...

Rainbow Table Skittles! I drank A LOT of soda water (being a perfectionista, the bottles had to match and be the same brand.) Water was filled to the line at the bottom, soap added along with food colouring. Tops were glued with my handy hot-glue-gun. I've used dogs tennis balls because they were colourful and cheap at the dollar store!

I love how the sun just shines through them! This experiences is great for wet weather - just make sure you don't have anything breakable behind the table (like a window) as some children can throw alot better than we think they might be able to! I had plans to put coloured labels on the bottles with numbers on them so the kids could keep score by counting the numbers and having the word of the colour for literacy, but I like being able to see the bubbles! So I have held off for now...

If you were to make these with the children as an experience you are doing more than  just filling bottles with water, soap and food colouring (use the small bottles that can be found in the baking section of the supermarket). By involving the children you are facilitating so much learning!

You and the children are exploring:
* numeracy: count the bottles , the other materials etc. i.e. how many colours do we need to choose?
* numeracy: counting out the numbers of drops that are needed
* problem solving: who decides which colours? who has a turn? (one can hold the bottle, another can do the colour drops, everyone can count!) 1:1 correspondence - how many colours for how many bottles?
* literacy - reading the directions on the chart at the back
* literacy: extending children's vocabulary - labelling other colours such as aqua and orchid
* fine-motor: getting those drops into the tiny hole of the soda water bottles!
* gross-motor: playing the game when its done!
* social-skills: taking turns, having 3 balls means three throws for each person - fair, and easily accounted for (i.e. no sneaky "I'll just throw one more because there are 5 balls in the basket!), cheering on your peers as they succeed or encouraging them to try again.

So there you have it!

 

Handy little tote from Kmart in a shopping bag! Everything fits in perfectly which means you can grab it and use it easily!

More to come later! Lots of edititing and reflecting to do!

T.ink

Updated Content Coming Soon!

The good news is that I will be more actively working on this blog, and adding more and more to it in the next coming months. I have made some decisions around employment which means I can more actively pursue these ideas and maintain ownership of them.

The way my brain and creativity work is though a balancing act of reflection and distance with active engagement. I am however pleased with the results! So, shortly there will be updates.

I am busily taking photos and putting images together for the formats that I was planning on using in 2012! I am also working through meanings in my head and documenting them.

I am also hoping to put together mock-portfolios for a 0-2 year old and a 2-3 year old. So situation permitting, I’ll be able to put those together.

I am excited about freedom and creativity!

Updates soon!!!

XoXo