Friday, December 10, 2021

Reflecting and Relaunching

Amelia Gambetti has been working in association with the schools of Reggio Emilia since 1967.  She worked alongside Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach, who was her mentor.  Since 1992, she has led professional development initiatives in Italy and abroad, primarily in North America.  She has been working with St. John's Preschool for 14 years.  This year, Amelia has been zooming with our faculty from Italy.  Not only has she addressed the whole staff, she has also met virtually with individual teams.   

On Monday, Jordan and Jill spent time with Amelia over zoom.   Based on our interest in group games, Amelia shared a presentation on Ring-Around-the Rosy.  Children were interested in creating a book of games, and therefore needed to explain and draw this game.  The project included many learning opportunities and problems to solve.  Of course the children persisted and developed incredible representations of the game.The presentation inspired us to think about our work and how some everyday experiences can be revisited to extend children's understanding, problem solving, persistence, and collaboration....just to name a few.  ​

One way that we have done this is to ask children to explain or describe how our games are played.  In this way, children are translating an experience from kinsesthetic language to verbal language.  Being able to explain the game demonstrates a child's understanding of the game.  Yesterday, Tucker children wanted to play a game they called "Find the Medicine."  In this game one child coaches a blind-folded child on where to walk to pick up the "medicine" from the floor.

   Lochie - There's one person who can't move their arms (the person offering directions or clues) and one who can't see.  And the one who can see tries to lead the one who can't see to the medicine.   If I say, "Go to the left," you go to the left and if I say, "Go backwards two steps," you backwards two steps.

The next game that we played is the ever-popular "Clean Your Room."  Essentially, there are two teams that try to clean the room by throwing bean bags and balls to the other team's room.
   Sylvie - You just need to listen to the teacher and you need a lot of materials.  Some materials stay on the floor (to divide Blake Hall into two "rooms").  Then you need to throw the other material across the materials on the floor.   The group with the less materials (at the end of the game) is the winner.  

We wondered if children could articulate the techniques and processes involved in other recent work.  We brought back origami, and asked children to share what they knew about the techniques and processes.  Yesterday Janie, Audrey, and Elle worked on origami flowers. 
   Audrey- My grandma makes origami
   Janie - Here, let me show you. (Janie demonstrates the initial folds for the flower.) It looks like a doggy (a similar fold we did last week.)
Janie shows friends the origami garden in middle room.
   Janie: We made these!
   Audrey -  I love them

Today children revisited their work with origami.
   Maxon - First we can make an easy one, then a hard one.
Jack completes the first fold on his own.
    Jack - I first fold it like this (making triangles) then I fold this (in half) and then I make wings.
    Maxon - Oh, I can do it.
    Jack - I make airplanes sometimes at home.  This is the only one I know.  
Giacomo joins the group and he and Jack coach Maxon through the process.
    Giacomo - You fold the corners to the center line.
    Jack - (Assisting Maxon) That's not the center line.  
    Maxon - I can't do it.
    Giacomo - I can help you.
The group also thought of ways that they could help the Rainey Room children with their origami.
    Jack - (We could show them) one of these because I know it better.
    Maxon - A video or teach them how to fold.  they would be with us.
   Giacomo - We can make a video and we can show them how.    

'Tis the Season for Holiday Messages

Children have been enthusiastically making messages with holiday-inspired materials.  We noticed that while Rainey Room preferred to make messages for their families, many Tucker children made extra-special messages for their friends.  Here's a sample of the supportive conversations that we heard while children worked.
   C.C. - I'm going to use glittery (paper).  Jack, are you going to use glittery?
   Jack - (Squeezing the glue bottle) Oh!  This glue is hard (to squeeze).
   C.C. - Jack, you might want to stand up to squeeze the glue.
   Jack - My muscles are stronger when I'm sitting down. 
   Elle - I'm going to make one for my Nonna and Papa.  They are coming today.
   C.C. - I need a long strip of sparkles.  Can I have a scissors?  I need to measure and cut it.
   Reed - (Beginning her second message) Now I'm going to make one for Leigh-Leigh.  What would Leigh-Leigh like?  I know she likes purple.  (She starts drawing with purple on her red message paper.). Wait!  This isn't purple!
    Elle - Well, it is purple, but you're drawing on red, so it turns darker.
    C.C. - Here, I can give you a purple (She tests the purple marker on white paper.) This is a little better.
    Audrey - This is for my family.  mommy, daddy, and T.T.  I know how to spell mom and dad.

A Gift for Gini

The KW program is making a holiday gift for Gini.  This week we learned that her favorite color is purple and that she likes all animals, especially dragonflies.  Although we are not exactly sure how we will use them yet, we started with some dragonfly drawings. 

More Mosaics

We put our finishing touches on our individual mosaics.  Next we will tackle the collaborative mosaics that will be on display in the school's bathrooms.  
   Jordan - This is what we are using today
   Elle - I know this! This is the grout
   Sylvie - It's like cement.
   Jordan - Right! But today is special. Today we are going to add paint so you can make your grout any color you want. 
   Elle - Can mine be pink?
Elle, Janie and Sylvie mix acrylic paint with their grout
   Sylvie: I'm happy with my color.
The children are given the choice of using their hands or tools to put the grout onto their bases.
   Janie - It's so sticky. How do we get it on?
   Elle - I'm going to use my hands
   Sylvie - Me too.
   Janie - No, I want to use a spoon.

Building with Light​

Holiday lights are everywhere!  This week, we added artificial candle lights to our table setting and building experiences.  As they built, children talked about campfires, fire pits, and cozy enclosures. 

Have a wonderful weekend!