When I create curriculum, activities, and focuses for my classroom, I always look through things that I have documented that week. I use these documentations and recall things that I recall hearing the children talk about. After all, we are there to spark the interest of children and help them learn. How do you help children grow if they are not interested in what you are trying to teach them? When collecting documentations, how are we collecting it? When I create activities, I have a focus on what I want to get out of it. For example, I am focusing on fine motor skills and bugs in my classroom. I created many art activities and fine motor activities for the children to learn about their interest (bugs) and my objective (fine motor skills).
We see how different it is now from how it used to be in preschool. We now learn that preschool is an important stage and is very important for a child's development. As things are changing at such a fast pace, there are also different procedures that are being added on or changing. How do we all keep up with it? Just today, I had to tell my coworker that he had to cut the banana's in small pieces for the children because it is a choking hazard. He did not know that and said he has been serving the children banana's by just giving them a big piece.
Seeing how they did the documentations was interesting because they captured all the language quickly and in a group of children. I know that it would've been easier with a recorder yet we will have to remember whose voice is whose. With documentation, you see how children build on everyday experiences and use them in things like building a bridge.
Hi Monica,
ReplyDeleteI am envious that you are able to choose the direction of your curriculum for your classroom. The center that I work with has predetermined monthly curriculum themes for the whole school year. All lead teachers have to follow this instruction accordingly, but have free ranged of activities and developmental focuses. Through this method, I have to get very creative with activities to incorporate both the fixed monthly theme as well as the children’s interest. What are your thoughts on predetermined curriculum themes?
Presently, I feel a little anxious about my curriculum planning because majority of my students will be going to kindergarten in 2-3 months time. Does observation and documentation differ amid age groups? If so, how? Many of the parents are beginning to share their concerns of kindergarten readiness for their children. While I am confident in my student’s abilities to be developmental ready for kindergarten, I want my finishing curriculum to completely prepare them. I do find this to be a challenging task, as I have to focus my curriculum on both kindergarten readiness and fixed themes.
I find myself feeling more confident in my children to be kindergarten ready throughout each passing day. I am observing more carefully of their interactions and involvements amidst the classroom. I remark conflicts that arise and their reactions to address these conflicts. I certainly see growth, wherein the children are responding in a more developed approach. At times, I have to remind myself to not help resolve children’s conflict. Instead, I try to provide children opportunities to attempt resolving their own conflicts. I agree with you as you wrote, “Whose voice is whose.” Similarly, whose idea is whose? How do you encourage and help children to resolve their own conflicts?
Monica,
ReplyDeleteWhen i read over this article it was difficult for me to imagine how much time, organization and prep work it must have taken in order to create that article. As a new teacher i find that there is a huge learning curve with effectively documenting and making sure that you are getting the information you need but you are not impeding your own perspective or thoughts?
In your classroom you are able to use your observations towards your curriculum, how do you organize the content if you have a focus for the week already and then your notice the kids like something else. There needs to be a great amount of flexibility in order to make sure the interest align with the objectives. Aside from your objective of fine motor skills that connected with the children's interest in bugs, what are some other ways you have included your documenting with your curriculum?
Hi Monica,
ReplyDeleteIn your post this week you are discussing the idea of reflection in our work documenting and assessing young children and how that leads to new curricular ideas. How do you create a space for those reflections? Does your director give you a time to plan your curriculum, take notes, work on documentation, or is that something you have to do outside of work hours? You talk about how to get children to learn if they are not interested - how would you use the time to reflect to help you build a curriculum that is more in-tune with their interests?
We are starting to move into the topic of collaboration in our work documenting and assessing. As we look at the work Reggio is doing, how does collaboration play a part? How can you and your assistant work together to document and assess? How can you collaborate with the children to document and assess their work? Do you think children are capable of looking at their work critically? Thinking back to the article written by Vivian Paley, what might children be able to teach us about their perspective on their education? Thanks!