5-6-2010
Observation times:
Cormier 1:30-2:30pm
Last week we went to work with the kindergarteners at Cormier school. We had planned out a play-based lessons on robots using the PicoCrickets. The kindergarteners had been working on a robot unit, so we wanted to use the PicoCrickets to extend what they had already learned about robots. In observing the students I tried to focus on how they were really learning through play. Some things that I noticed were:
1) The children wanted to have their hands on everything and try everything.
- In working with the PicoCrickets there was only so much to go around. The kids made sure that they each got to touch every little thing. They understood things much better as well when they were able to touch and feel it.
2) They love to experiment and try new things.
- They really enjoyed figuring out how things worked. They wanted to try different things and explore the materials which helped them to understand it.
3) The children liked to be challenged with questions and enjoyed getting the chance to figure things out on their own.
- We would often challenge students to come up with their own ideas of things to make and try because that really is the point of play-based learning. They were able to better understand robots through their explorations and they were able to utilize the vocabulary that we were introducing in their own words, which in my mind is the best demonstration of learning.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
4-26-2010
4-26-2010
We were able to go to meet with Mrs. Moran, the kindergarten teacher that we will be working with on Project #2 this week. We are going to be introducing the PicoCrickets to her class as an addition to her robot unit that she did last week. The kindergarteners were going to be building their own robot on Friday and they were doing writing activities and more surrounding their construction. We plan to go in this Thursday in order to help expand one what they have learned. During our brainstorming and planning, we decided that often times a child's conception of a robot is limited to the tradition robots like CP30 from Star Wars or the robot maid from The Jetsons. The latest robot to hit the kid's movie scene is Wall E who again fits a child's traditional schema for what a robot is. We plan to help kids to see how robots are found all around them, focusing on their toys. We really liked how when Krissy taught us about the PicoCrickets she used toys to show how the programming works. We are hoping to use different toys as examples of programming and then assist the kids in creating their own programs on the PicoCricket software to illustrate what happens in their toys. In order to make this more child-centered and play-based we decided to do centers. The students move about the centers in order to complete different challenges (in which they create different programs). We want the children to expand their schemas to include things like toys and other things they will see in their daily lives. I am really excited to see how things go. I really think that this will work great with kindergarteners because they are often so open to challenges and I think we will see a lot of creative thinking on their part. I am excited to get to observe them in their explorations as well.
We were able to go to meet with Mrs. Moran, the kindergarten teacher that we will be working with on Project #2 this week. We are going to be introducing the PicoCrickets to her class as an addition to her robot unit that she did last week. The kindergarteners were going to be building their own robot on Friday and they were doing writing activities and more surrounding their construction. We plan to go in this Thursday in order to help expand one what they have learned. During our brainstorming and planning, we decided that often times a child's conception of a robot is limited to the tradition robots like CP30 from Star Wars or the robot maid from The Jetsons. The latest robot to hit the kid's movie scene is Wall E who again fits a child's traditional schema for what a robot is. We plan to help kids to see how robots are found all around them, focusing on their toys. We really liked how when Krissy taught us about the PicoCrickets she used toys to show how the programming works. We are hoping to use different toys as examples of programming and then assist the kids in creating their own programs on the PicoCricket software to illustrate what happens in their toys. In order to make this more child-centered and play-based we decided to do centers. The students move about the centers in order to complete different challenges (in which they create different programs). We want the children to expand their schemas to include things like toys and other things they will see in their daily lives. I am really excited to see how things go. I really think that this will work great with kindergarteners because they are often so open to challenges and I think we will see a lot of creative thinking on their part. I am excited to get to observe them in their explorations as well.
Monday, April 19, 2010
4-19-2010
4-19-2010
This week I have been paying special attention to what Play=Learning calls "everyday mathematics." I wanted to see how the children use math in their everyday language and how they show math skills in their play. I was actually fairly surprised to see how I was able to hear math talk coming out of the mouths of preschoolers. For example, almost every day at lunch the children compare how many boys to girls there are at the lunch table. I heard a three year old count the three boys, count the two girls, count everyone at the table and then say "three and two makes five." If you asked the child what three plus two is he would probably have no idea how to answer the question, but he had a basic understanding of addition despite his lack of knowledge of math concepts. Another observation I made was during some free play with play dough. Two children were making balls out of the play dough and the one would hold his up to the other and say, "Oh, mine is bigger than yours." This is another math concept that he probably has never been specifically taught but that he has an understanding of. I really was surprised as to how frequently you can hear children using everyday math. I think that the authors are right in saying how children really have a natural ability for math, but often the way it is taught in schools turns kids off. I really feel that in my classroom I would like to have a more play-based approach to math to tune into children's everyday math knowledge and utilize this natural ability for math skills and understanding.
This week I have been paying special attention to what Play=Learning calls "everyday mathematics." I wanted to see how the children use math in their everyday language and how they show math skills in their play. I was actually fairly surprised to see how I was able to hear math talk coming out of the mouths of preschoolers. For example, almost every day at lunch the children compare how many boys to girls there are at the lunch table. I heard a three year old count the three boys, count the two girls, count everyone at the table and then say "three and two makes five." If you asked the child what three plus two is he would probably have no idea how to answer the question, but he had a basic understanding of addition despite his lack of knowledge of math concepts. Another observation I made was during some free play with play dough. Two children were making balls out of the play dough and the one would hold his up to the other and say, "Oh, mine is bigger than yours." This is another math concept that he probably has never been specifically taught but that he has an understanding of. I really was surprised as to how frequently you can hear children using everyday math. I think that the authors are right in saying how children really have a natural ability for math, but often the way it is taught in schools turns kids off. I really feel that in my classroom I would like to have a more play-based approach to math to tune into children's everyday math knowledge and utilize this natural ability for math skills and understanding.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
4-7-2010
4-7-2010
Observation hours @ SNC Children's Center
Thursday 4/1 - 10-11
Tuesday 4/6 - 1-3
Wednesday 4/7 - 2-3
Thursday 4/8 - 10-11
Because we are going to be working in Chelsea Faase's room, I haven't been able to do any observations for project 2 yet. The Power of Play book; however, really sparked me to think about a lot of things and connect them to what I have observed in relation to the book. I was very intrigued by two of the chapters: the one on toys, and the one on overinvolved parents. What really stood out to me about the chapter on toys is how mislead parents are about toys. The media is used to market toys and does a great job. With the amount of commercials during any given television show, one is exposed to sometimes 20 different projects during a 1 hour time slot. Children's shows are no different. Kids are pumped full of information about the newest toys and games. I remember watching shows at my babysitter's house when I was little and at every commercial one of the kids would say "Oh! I want that!" All of the toys were made to look so cool and exciting that we couldn't help but desire them. It is very smart for companies to market this way, but it is doing nothing for our children. The toys that are marketed are often the toys stemming from t.v. shows or the microchip toys discussed in the books. Both of these types of toys are harder for a child to connect with. It is very interesting how the most simple of toys can be beneficial. I do think that the author goes a little far when saying that a child can't make meaningful memories with a toy from a t.v. show or book. The boy that I babysit for has a Curious George stuffed animal that he sleeps with every night. I think that the stuffed animal is great for him because it encourages him to read the Curious George books which gets him reading. When he plays with George he doesn't just act out what he has seen. Although this is an exception, I do see Elkind's point and do agree with him for the most part on this topic. That is just one area that I had a slight disagreement with. The other chapter that really intrigued me was the chapter on parenting. In reading about overinvolved and overprotective parents I felt sorry for the parents because they really are trying to do what is best for their children. Since I obviously do not have children myself I can only imagine what a parent goes through trying to provide the best for their children. What this chapter really shows though is that it is okay for a parent to relax and let their children develop some independence. We can harm them more by trying to run their lives. We do better as guides and role models for our kids instead of taking total control. Easier said than done, I am sure, but as a future teacher and hopefully a future mom, all I can do is keep in mind what I have learned.
Observation hours @ SNC Children's Center
Thursday 4/1 - 10-11
Tuesday 4/6 - 1-3
Wednesday 4/7 - 2-3
Thursday 4/8 - 10-11
Because we are going to be working in Chelsea Faase's room, I haven't been able to do any observations for project 2 yet. The Power of Play book; however, really sparked me to think about a lot of things and connect them to what I have observed in relation to the book. I was very intrigued by two of the chapters: the one on toys, and the one on overinvolved parents. What really stood out to me about the chapter on toys is how mislead parents are about toys. The media is used to market toys and does a great job. With the amount of commercials during any given television show, one is exposed to sometimes 20 different projects during a 1 hour time slot. Children's shows are no different. Kids are pumped full of information about the newest toys and games. I remember watching shows at my babysitter's house when I was little and at every commercial one of the kids would say "Oh! I want that!" All of the toys were made to look so cool and exciting that we couldn't help but desire them. It is very smart for companies to market this way, but it is doing nothing for our children. The toys that are marketed are often the toys stemming from t.v. shows or the microchip toys discussed in the books. Both of these types of toys are harder for a child to connect with. It is very interesting how the most simple of toys can be beneficial. I do think that the author goes a little far when saying that a child can't make meaningful memories with a toy from a t.v. show or book. The boy that I babysit for has a Curious George stuffed animal that he sleeps with every night. I think that the stuffed animal is great for him because it encourages him to read the Curious George books which gets him reading. When he plays with George he doesn't just act out what he has seen. Although this is an exception, I do see Elkind's point and do agree with him for the most part on this topic. That is just one area that I had a slight disagreement with. The other chapter that really intrigued me was the chapter on parenting. In reading about overinvolved and overprotective parents I felt sorry for the parents because they really are trying to do what is best for their children. Since I obviously do not have children myself I can only imagine what a parent goes through trying to provide the best for their children. What this chapter really shows though is that it is okay for a parent to relax and let their children develop some independence. We can harm them more by trying to run their lives. We do better as guides and role models for our kids instead of taking total control. Easier said than done, I am sure, but as a future teacher and hopefully a future mom, all I can do is keep in mind what I have learned.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
3-31-2010
3-31-2010
Observation Hours:
Friday 3/26: 10-11 & 2-3
Monday 3/29: 2-3
Tuesday 3/30: 1-3
Wednesday 3/31: 2-3
This week I was listening to the radio and heard an ad that I found to be extremely relevant to our class. The ad started with a mom and a dad talking about their play as children. The dad talked about when he was a kid he played war and used sticks for guns. The mom talked about how she built a castle out of tin cans. In hearing this it reminded me of how creative children are and how they can do make-believe play using any sort of materials they find. My first impression of the commercial was how they were going to say it was a good thing. Next thing I knew they started discussing how their daughter had drawn a picture of a princess castle and how she wanted to bring it to a company that turns children's drawings into real play houses. The girl called her parents "old school" for using sticks and cans to create and play. Now, the playhouse in itself isn't bad. It gets the kids outside and away from the television and computer and there can be a lot of creative make-believe play that occurs within and surrounding the playhouse. My problem with the commercial is that it undermines kids' creativity by implying that playing with cans and sticks wouldn't be fun or beneficial. I can remember playing in the woods by my house and building really cool forts with the sticks and things we found in nature. I also remember having a plastic play house at my babysitter's house that really wasn't as exciting as our forts in the woods. I think that although the business in itself isn't bad and is encouraging play in children, their ad really demonstrates how today's society doesn't give enough credit to the value of playing with found items. In my opinion, the mother, who built a castle out of cans would have shown an immense amount of creativity and would have learned a lot about construction and it would have been a great learning opportunity. Overall, this 60 second commercial from the radio really encouraged me to think about how things have changed when its comes to play and our views on it.
Observation Hours:
Friday 3/26: 10-11 & 2-3
Monday 3/29: 2-3
Tuesday 3/30: 1-3
Wednesday 3/31: 2-3
This week I was listening to the radio and heard an ad that I found to be extremely relevant to our class. The ad started with a mom and a dad talking about their play as children. The dad talked about when he was a kid he played war and used sticks for guns. The mom talked about how she built a castle out of tin cans. In hearing this it reminded me of how creative children are and how they can do make-believe play using any sort of materials they find. My first impression of the commercial was how they were going to say it was a good thing. Next thing I knew they started discussing how their daughter had drawn a picture of a princess castle and how she wanted to bring it to a company that turns children's drawings into real play houses. The girl called her parents "old school" for using sticks and cans to create and play. Now, the playhouse in itself isn't bad. It gets the kids outside and away from the television and computer and there can be a lot of creative make-believe play that occurs within and surrounding the playhouse. My problem with the commercial is that it undermines kids' creativity by implying that playing with cans and sticks wouldn't be fun or beneficial. I can remember playing in the woods by my house and building really cool forts with the sticks and things we found in nature. I also remember having a plastic play house at my babysitter's house that really wasn't as exciting as our forts in the woods. I think that although the business in itself isn't bad and is encouraging play in children, their ad really demonstrates how today's society doesn't give enough credit to the value of playing with found items. In my opinion, the mother, who built a castle out of cans would have shown an immense amount of creativity and would have learned a lot about construction and it would have been a great learning opportunity. Overall, this 60 second commercial from the radio really encouraged me to think about how things have changed when its comes to play and our views on it.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
3-24-2010
Observation Hours @ SNC Children's Center
Friday 3/12 from 10-11am and 2-3pm
Monday 3/22 from 2-3pm
Tuesday 3/23 from 1-3pm
Wednesday 3/24 from 2-3pm
This week in my observations I really tried to pay attention to how children were learning to cooperate with one another through play. I really saw how much children learned to cooperate through play. While the children were playing, especially out on the playground, they would learn a lot about cooperation when they ran into a conflict. Last semester I had to observe and help out in the preschool for 4 hours a week. There was one boy who would often end up in tears over little conflicts because he really didn't know how to tell others what he was feeling, especially if they were making him unhappy. I noticed this week how while he was playing outside, another child bumped into him and knocked him down during a game. I watched how he went up to the boy and said "You knocked me down and you hurt me." Although as adults we often take this kind of interaction for granted, for kids this can be very difficult. Through play, this child learned that it is important to communicate when working with or playing with others in order to let them know how you are feeling so you can better work or play together. I saw how this child is really developing this interpersonal skills through these playful interactions with other children.
Observation Hours @ SNC Children's Center
Friday 3/12 from 10-11am and 2-3pm
Monday 3/22 from 2-3pm
Tuesday 3/23 from 1-3pm
Wednesday 3/24 from 2-3pm
This week in my observations I really tried to pay attention to how children were learning to cooperate with one another through play. I really saw how much children learned to cooperate through play. While the children were playing, especially out on the playground, they would learn a lot about cooperation when they ran into a conflict. Last semester I had to observe and help out in the preschool for 4 hours a week. There was one boy who would often end up in tears over little conflicts because he really didn't know how to tell others what he was feeling, especially if they were making him unhappy. I noticed this week how while he was playing outside, another child bumped into him and knocked him down during a game. I watched how he went up to the boy and said "You knocked me down and you hurt me." Although as adults we often take this kind of interaction for granted, for kids this can be very difficult. Through play, this child learned that it is important to communicate when working with or playing with others in order to let them know how you are feeling so you can better work or play together. I saw how this child is really developing this interpersonal skills through these playful interactions with other children.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
3-11-2010
3-11-2010
Observation Hours:
Aldo Leopold School - Friday from 9:45 until 10:45
SNC Children's Center - Friday from 2-3, Monday from 2-3, Tuesday 1-3, Wednesday 2-3, Thursday 10-11
This week I tried to pay attention to how kids played with the toys they had available to them. I was watching the children at the preschool play outside with hula hoops. The hoops were all different sizes. There were times when the kids would use the hula hoops as they were made to be played with, but more often than not the kids would come up with new ways to play with them. They would put the hoop around a friend and pull them along behind them, hang them on things or jump through them. I have many times seen the kids come up with new and interesting ways to play with toys. I think that this shows how kids can really develop creativity through play because they really learn to think outside of the box.
Another thing that I have observed this week is how having free play really helps kids to develop time management skills as well as to become more decisive. In the preschool it is up to the child to decide where they are going to play. They also do not have an organized snack time, the kids can just choose if and when they want to eat. I think that this is good for them because they need to choose to go there if they want a snack. There have been many times when kids have cried after center time because they missed snack and the teachers always just tell them that it is their responsibility to go to the snack table if they want one. I also think kids learn to think for themselves and to become decisive through free center time because they have to make a conscious decision where to go. I do not reallys see many kids who just follow a friend along to centers. Too often kids lives are completely planned out for them and they do not get to make any decisions of thier own. This time is good for them because they can take control of their time and really learn some important skills.
Observation Hours:
Aldo Leopold School - Friday from 9:45 until 10:45
SNC Children's Center - Friday from 2-3, Monday from 2-3, Tuesday 1-3, Wednesday 2-3, Thursday 10-11
This week I tried to pay attention to how kids played with the toys they had available to them. I was watching the children at the preschool play outside with hula hoops. The hoops were all different sizes. There were times when the kids would use the hula hoops as they were made to be played with, but more often than not the kids would come up with new ways to play with them. They would put the hoop around a friend and pull them along behind them, hang them on things or jump through them. I have many times seen the kids come up with new and interesting ways to play with toys. I think that this shows how kids can really develop creativity through play because they really learn to think outside of the box.
Another thing that I have observed this week is how having free play really helps kids to develop time management skills as well as to become more decisive. In the preschool it is up to the child to decide where they are going to play. They also do not have an organized snack time, the kids can just choose if and when they want to eat. I think that this is good for them because they need to choose to go there if they want a snack. There have been many times when kids have cried after center time because they missed snack and the teachers always just tell them that it is their responsibility to go to the snack table if they want one. I also think kids learn to think for themselves and to become decisive through free center time because they have to make a conscious decision where to go. I do not reallys see many kids who just follow a friend along to centers. Too often kids lives are completely planned out for them and they do not get to make any decisions of thier own. This time is good for them because they can take control of their time and really learn some important skills.
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