think about water

Thinking about water means thinking about mud, paste, floating, spraying, flowing...

expanding on work by reflecting

The same materials from my documentation conundrum were on a table today, along with photographs from T's work.  When I asked her what she was doing in the photos with the cylinders and the rubber bands she said, "putting it together".  She did not come back to the materials, but the children who did used the photos as a jumping off point for their constructions.  Some paired in colors, like T; others made new combinations.  No one had much to say, but their actions spoke loudly.

cameras in the children's hands

I took some time today to watch a child use materials in a new way.  This was important for me to see from a teacher perspective because I think I have become more flexible with materials.  It was also important in the perspective that I saw T active and engaged in this.  Even though she did not have any words to go along with it, she said so much with her actions.  I hope I'm on the road to more meaningful documentation.

Water and bubble solution in the sensory table have been an interesting science prompt. The children blow bubbles until they are out of breath, choose something new, and then return to the sensory table to blow more bubbles.  Here, A explored making noise through the straw as he blew bubbles.

documentation and making it meaningful

This post at Beyond the classroom has me thinking today.  How do I document?  How do I respect not only the children's communication through words and visuals, but also through movement?  How can I make a continuing record to show what is valued by the children and the teachers in the environment?

For me, lately, it has been more than that, even.  How can I follow through with the children's interests?  How can I support them as they bring their explorations to the next level?  I begin the documentation, but then it falls short.

 

For example, weeks ago, I brought in a variety of things from m kitchen that may or may not grow.  Dried garbanzo beans, caraway seed, fennel, lentils, sesame seeds, and more.  I put them on a table with lots of containers and magnifying glasses.  I was there from time to time, talking to the children about sorting.  There were also small cards on the table and black pens, and I occasionally prompted the children to draw their predictions of what different seeds might look like when they grow.

Reflecting on the experience now, I do understand what I could have done differently.  This could have been separated over more days; it could have been in a format where it was facilitated by an adult with small groups of children - an atelier type setting, really.  I did not write down any words, and no one drew a picture.  After this day, the children helped to plant the seeds, but I did not have them follow up in any way besides the obvious watering and using the plants for observational drawings as they grow.

Every moment is not going to be recorded, and I see a beauty in that.  But I do see how I need to improve on my practice of documentation.

I can never get enough of the storytelling. Every child brings something new to the process, and tells a story I never could have imagined.

Holistic Education

I've spent some time today on the Summa Institute website.  The idea of "Natural Learning Relationships" is new to me (like Place-Based Education), but both make me think about the core values that I have as a teacher.  Label or no label, we have to be able to articulate our ideas about children and education, and the more we learn, the more our practice can benefit.

There are some conferences coming up this summer that I'm hoping to attend - to hear people speak about new ideas.  The founders of the Summa Institute are speaking at the Northwest Holistic Education Conference on Orcas Island. 

What do you think of "holistic education"?  Is it new to you?  Is there a reason to label it?

 

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