Turtlewings Common

I'm looking forward to another Turtlewings Common Evening tonight. If you are in Brussels, I would love to see you there.

Tonight, the topic is "Encountering Reggio". I'll be sharing about my experiences in Reggio Emilia this past October, and bringing a big pile of resources for people to look at and talk about. I'm looking forward to a discussion with like-minded people!

Writing

How can children communicate messages in writing?

What can writing look like at the age of four?

How do children understand the world of symbols and meaning, especially when they are exposed to multiple languages?

Alderwood House School

I had a wonderful visit with Pamela and her staff in mid-July. I just got my film developed, so I'm having a nice time remembering my summer, including my visit to this lovely school.

I always love reading about the children's learning and explorations at Alderwood House School on the blog, leaves & branches, trunk & roots, which the teachers post on. I think its a wonderful way to share documentation and information with families and teachers around the world.

It made my summer when I got to meet snuggle puppy.

Oops.

It seems that I haven't been in this space for quite sometime. It seems like sometimes you can't quite catch up with yourself - and that has been this week for sure. Teaching, paperwork, presentations, mashed potatoes and apple pie for 12 people, French class, and sleeping (when possible) all came before writing this week.

And although I am here now, writing, it's because I'm telling you to go poke around another website with lovely archives while I'm getting my potato filled life back in order.

The CMA Blog is place for frequent updates from the Children's Museum of the Arts in Manhattan. I still feel so grateful that I did some of my student teaching there. I spent a semester planning and observing in the caregiver and child drop-in programs in the morning. I still vividly remember the giant collage table, and when I arrived with my coffee in the morning, we would be ripping pages out of some of the hundreds of wonderful magazines and donated books and other materials that were available for the children. It is a wonderful space to create in!

I'll be spending some time on their blog for sure, and dropping in next time I'm on the east coast. And if you're in the New York area, make it a point to do something there the next time you're in Manhattan.

There Was An Old Lady

I saw this post over at Book By Its Cover, and I just have to see this book in real life.

There are a few versions of "There Was An Old Lady" that I really like and keep in the classroom, but this new version, There Was an Old Lady by Jeremy Holmes, looks a little darker and takes a new spin on the classic tale. It seems inspired by Lemony Snickett!

Friday

The end of an interesting week.

Next week, on Tuesday, I'll be sharing my thoughts on my Reggio Emilia experience with faculty members here at my school. I'm looking forward to te discussion, and perhaps the changes, that will come out of it. There are teachers from the Early Childhood Center through the high school attending, and that is inspiring to me.

the children think...

Three children's perspective on things to do during rest time that are quiet:

Re: Snuggle up! With a toy - a dinosaur toy.I think a little bit of snuggling...that is quiet.

Al: Something to give me. Um, a play toy. A straight thing. Just play all by yourself. I like to play on my mat!

Me: Stuffed animals. I already have a unicorn that's quiet. She doesn't make any noise! How about colorful pencils? And books. We have books on the shelf, and books in the red cupboard.

I asked these children after rest time, "What can you do on your mat during rest time that is quiet? What can I give you?" The children's answers show that they are a bit confused by the question - and that I am proposing to allow them to play during rest time! I am asking the children with a full understanding of the English langugage to begin this process, also, because it is a bit abstract.

I have come up with my own list of my ideas, but the children's may be different. As more children become involved, and we implement these alternative activities, it will be interesting to see how the children's views change. Will they become more interested? Is this something that would be better to not share with the children in the planning stages? The interest didn't seem too piqued this afternoon when I posed the question.

As a next step, I will have the children in small groups of three, and ask them about rest time. What do they like? What do they not like? What do they like to do that is quiet?

Snore & Guzzle

I mentioned before that we were using Snore and Guzzle naptime radio hours during our rest time. As much as the whole idea of "rest time" is on the brink of complete reinvention in our classroom, those lovely mixes will be a staple.

I happened to put Snore and Guzzle into my google reader so I wouldn't miss the monthly update. My internet is moving at early nineties dial-up speeds right now, but I'm looking forward to hearing Radio Hour #16. The artists range from M. Ward to Danny and the Dreamers and Nina Simone and Bach; and it is described as "sounds good for ushering in hibernation". That sounds about par for the course here in rainy, windy, chilly Belgium.

It has 2 hours left to download here...I hope that your internet is working better wherever you are and you can make a cup of tea and enjoy the music!

Bakers and Astronauts Flickr Pool

Photos are a wonderful way to share about a learning environment. I take more photos than I use in the classroom. For the past 2 weeks, I have been fawning over the photographs that I purchased in Reggio Emilia (because I was so well behaved and I didn't take any!) as if they were photographs of my family.

A learning environment says so much about the educational process and philosophy of a place. The materials that you choose; the way children can move about the space; the things children are inspired to do; and how children and adults interact with the environment.

About a year ago, I started a Flickr Group to link with the content here on the blog. I have really been blown away by the wonderful writing an documentation people have been sharing on their own blogs; and perhaps we can share some photogaphs and discussion together. It's quick and easy to get a flickr membership if you don't have one already...so come over and add some photos to the pool!