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    A Cup of Friendship                    and 
  A Spoonful of Wisdom

Grab a Warm Cup of Tea and Join Us
     for Some Good Education Conversation

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Pay Attention, Children!

7/8/2016

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Just How Long Do We Expect a "Passive Learner" to Focus Attention on Another Individual?  

Are our expectations Realistic?
According to the evidence, the answers are, "Not Very Long" and "No, They Aren't".

Let's look at this photo of Circle Time in an early childhood classroom.  The Teacher is demonstrating or instructing, One Child is responding or interacting, Four Children are paying attention, or passively learning, and Two Children (that we can see) are inattentive or are not learning.  And we can't be sure how many more are on the rug and have possibly left the lesson mentally, but at least two out of seven aren't learning.  That's almost 30% of the group!

What's wrong with this picture?  Well, we see this virtually every time we form a group and provide learning in this manner.  Show-and-Tell goes this way, Circle Time, Morning Meeting, and any Large Group Instruction or Small Group Instruction that is Teacher-Centered or focused on one individual.

Why aren't we changing this?  Can you see the learning happening?  Not for everyone!  And Everyone Has the Right to Learn, During Every Lesson, Every Day!  So, we need to work on this issue and engage more students until we have all of them!  That's what's wrong.  Take notice of what you aren't doing for the child who is distracted, rather than noticing which child has checked out.  Don't decide that these children don't have a long enough attention span to learn this information; it's not the case.

Working toward a solution, let's start with the math.  The research tells us to take the child's age and add two minutes to that number to determine the total number of minutes that you can expect that individual to remain attentive to one individual speaking or demonstrating.  That means that a 3-year old will give you five minutes of her time, and a 6-year old will give you eight minutes of his time. However, there is another factor to put into the equation.  For a child who has distraction issues, which can vary across a wide range (sensory concerns, possible ADHD, a tooth ache or a cold, hungry or feeling too warm, didn't get enough sleep or even simply missing mom today), the new equation becomes one of subtraction.  Take the child's age, minus two minutes!  Now you have a 3-year old who may willingly give you one minute of full attention, or a 5-year old who can offer you three minutes to get your message across.  This is the formula we are working with in these circumstances.  We need to know it well and set expectations accordingly.  But wait...
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Now look at Sam; look at her build in the blocks center!  She has been there working hard on her town and her tower for about 20 minutes.  Where did that attention span come from?  She's only four years old.  She should be able to sit there and build for about six minutes!  Didn't I just provide a research-based formula to follow?  
Sam is an Active Learner in the blocks center.  Sam is Actively Engaged!  She is applying her own thoughts and ideas, and possibly even using strategies presented to her in a previous 5-minute, teacher-centered demonstration.  Sam is experimenting, designing, solving problems, and using many other brain functions as she plays and learns with the blocks.  The blocks center is a developmentally appropriate learning tool for 4-year old Sam.  Sitting on the rug watching and listening for more than just a few short minutes, is not.

I recently made this connection in my own kindergarten classroom.  I realized that the children who checked out on the rug did so, not because of a lack of developmental readiness, but because of a lack of engagement. Engaging students is my responsibility, not theirs.  We no longer have any passive learners on the rug.  Every individual is very busy working on a task at the same time as the student who is our message reader works on the teacher's message.  The activity on the rug is integrated with the message reader's job, and is a developmentally appropriate activity with room for more or less depth, depending upon the child.    

The Results...
​Engagement:  100% !!!  A Rug Full of Actively Engaged Learners!  We Can See the Learning Happening, For Everyone.  And we don't see any passive learners or disengaged students.  Time for attention to task on the rug has extended dramatically for us, expanding the breadth and depth of the learning!

Keep in mind, also, that there are many factors that play into the limited attention span of a child. Children with sleep issues are often misdiagnosed with ADHD, as are children whose self-regulation skills have not developed at the same pace as peers.  The overstimulation of excess screen time can also lead to inattentive behavior.  Before making judgments about ADHD or development, revisit your strategies for engaging a group of individuals who may be as unique in their attention spans as they are in individual strengths and talents.  Employ strategies that enable success for everyone!
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Good News...Statistics Released from NICHD

6/18/2016

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A July 13th NIH News Release from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development brings Positive Results! 

Having been a high school child development teacher several years back, the headline for this article caught my eye.  Back then there was some concern about a sudden spike in teen pregnancy.  The NICHD now reports that teen pregnancy has continued to decline, along with a number of other encouraging statistics, indicating that programs and efforts that have been developed are making a positive impact.

More Encouraging News:

Binge drinking among high school students has dropped to its lowest since the statistics were first tracked in 1980.

2015 stats show that high school students who reported smoking daily has dropped to an all-time low since data was first collected in 1980.

The number of children who were victims of violent crimes dropped dramatically from the early 1990s to the early 2000s.

95% of children now have health insurance, an increase of 7 points between 2000 and 2014.

There has been a noticeable narrowing in the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in math scores, although math scores overall declined slightly.

The percentage of young adults who graduate high school remains the same at 92%.

Up from 49% in 1980, we now have 68% of high school graduates going on to a two- or four-year college immediately after high school.  (I'm wondering how the trend toward a "gap year" fits into this statistic.)

On the other end of the spectrum, the statistics show that there are some areas that continue to cry for a stronger impact:

Stats in 2014 show that 21% of all children in the U.S. live in poverty, and the same percentage live in "food-insecure" households.  That percentage held steady from the previous year. 

Obesity rates continue to rise, and during the span of 2011-2014, 19% of children ages 6-17 were obese.

The rate of children who were victims of serious violent crimes did not change significantly, and was at 7 children per 1,000 in 2014.
Information of this nature is important to be aware of, whether it's a simple reality check for those of us who don't deal with these issues in our own lives but deal with children who might, or whether it's  an opportunity to get involved in making positive changes in the lives of our students and the children throughout our country.  

Be In The Know, and Make A Difference!


Click HERE to read the article from the National Institutes of Health News Release.

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Attention Lefties!  Teachers and Parents of Lefties!

6/11/2016

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It's a Dream Come True...

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Click on the Photo to Go To Lefty's: The Left Hand Store
Please be sure to provide your left-handed students with left-handed tools.  We impede the development of skills and create pervasive challenges to learning when lefties have to survive in a right-handed classroom.  Approximately 10% of the world population is left-handed.  Therefore, the rule of thumb (left thumb, that is) is keep left-handed tools in your classroom for at least 10% of the maximum number of children your classroom might hold in a given year.  We strongly recommend true left-handed scissors and left-handed pencil grips for ages four or five and up to begin with.
(30 children max. = 3 sets of left-handed tools.)
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I'm so glad we found and can share this resource! Happy Day to all of our Left-Handed Friends!

We would LOVE some feedback on your experience with left-handed items, as well as this web site we found.
Comments Are Encouraged! :)

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Experiencing Self-Regulation in the Role of the Child

5/15/2016

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New PD Session: Teaching Self-Regulation Skills to Children

  • Did you know that Self-Regulation Skills develop naturally for some children, while others need to learn and practice those skills?
  • Did you know that Self-Regulation occurs with the development of Executive Function Skills in the brain?
  • Did you know that there are three components involved in the development of Self-Regulation?
  • Did you know that children in our technological society have much less opportunity to develop self-regulation skills based on the type of play today's children typically engage in?
  • Did you know that it is never too late to develop Self-Regulation Skills, although the optimal timing for the greatest results is during the early childhood years?
  • Did you know that you may be inhibiting the development of Self-Regulation Skills by regulating your students' behavior and by not offering learning and play activities that foster those skills?
  • Did you know you that you can contact us to come out for a play and learn session with your staff to enable them to teach Self-Regulation Skills to children? 
  • Colleen@BeyondTheStandards.com
  • 267-362-9095
  • Summer and Fall Dates are Available - PAKeys Credit/Act 48 Credit
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Meet Us at the DVAEYC Annual Conference: April 1 & 2, 2016!

3/14/2016

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Click Here to go to DVAEYC to Register!
Meet me on Friday afternoon, 4/1 from 3:00-4:30pm
​Strategies for Teaching Self-Regulation to Children, Session D-9 


Join me on Saturday morning, 4/2 from 8:30-10:00am
Those Challenging Toddlers: Insights and Best Practices, Session E-6
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What a Fun Professional Development Session It Was!

1/18/2016

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STEAM Activities and Strategies for Success in Early Childhood Programs
PD Session held on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at The Anchor Presbyterian Church
Home of The Circle of Friends Nursery School

Lots and Lots of Engineering Play...
How does this translate to STEAM Activities?
The Creative and Critical Thinking was not just STEAMing...It May as Well Have Been Smoking!

Teachers Experiencing the Role of Students:
  • Does melon float?
  • Does the shape of the melon boat matter if we try to sail it?
  • What shape is a sail?
  • How many ways can we make a sail that stays on without any glue or tape?
  • Can we use a blow dryer to see if wind will make it sail?
  • What is the difference in speed when my ramp is lined with foil versus grip shelf liner?
  • How can our students make ramps that stay in place without tape?  I think they need a role of tape in the block area from now on.
  • How can we save our ramps and roadways when it's time to clean up?  Have children draw a diagram to rebuild? Have children help take photos with the ipad or digital camera?
  • What makes the cylinder column hold more books than the traingle or square column? 
  • What is the name of the shape that is a traingle column?  a square column?
  • What is the math we can learn with the straw and bubble blowing activity?
  • How do we incorporate the arts into these activities? (Mrs. Wishy Washy projects???)
  • Is it a Must to have each component of STEAM when we work on a STEAM project?
  • What would this building challenge be like if we had two cubes to support the building instead of only one?
  • How can we make a base of sticks for our tower without any tape or glue?
Thank you to all of our Early Childhood Education Friends who joined us for breakfast and learning through play, the STEAM way!  It was such a pleasure exploring with you!!
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Teaching with Intentionality: Fun and Successful! 

12/23/2015

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This is a great example of the concept communicated via a recent Buzz Word in Education: "Intentionality".  Although the word itself has been around longer than you can imagine, it has, in the last decade, become a term to reckon with in the classroom.  More on the concept, after we see just how fun it can be in early childhood!
The children were "Intentionally" taught some basic cookie decorating skills to ensure they could: produce beautiful cookie gifts; keep the mess to a minimum; plan and execute a project; and exercise some fine motor coordination techniques.   A lesson taught with Intentionality, which, in turn, taught the children to approach the project with Intentionality.  They were required to think ahead about colors and design, and we used demonstration and hand-over-hand practice to understand the skills...the technique and the outcome of using the techniques.  There were No Mounds of Icing, there were No Big Spills, there were No Sprinkle-Doused Cookies!  There were a lot of little fingers working hard for the correct positioning, there were many thoughtful pauses prior to taking the next step, and there were happy, proud faces enjoying the holiday music and their own Edible Christmas Masterpieces!
Be enlightened!  Click HERE for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's definition and explanation of "Intentionality".    And make it FUN!! :)
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Keys to Motivation: The Feeling of Belonging

11/29/2015

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Psychological Membership: the feeling of belonging

Psychological Membership is foundational to the success of students in the school environment.  In order to develop the feeling of belonging that every child needs to succeed, teachers need to be intentional in their efforts to build a classroom community.  Every individual must be - and feel - respected and valued within the community.  Teachers can build the classroom community as is typical with morning meetings and greetings and getting-to-know-you activities, but also, teachers must be insightfully focused on individual strengths and needs, in order to ensure that every child feels like a valued member of the community.  Some simple strategies include:

1. Having Class Experts based on strengths, but with young children, we must have expert areas that everyone can fit into, so everyone can be an expert at something.
  • Shoe Tying Experts
  • Buttoning Experts
  • Zipping Experts
  • Insect Experts
  • Animal Experts
  • Block-Building Experts
  • Letter-Writing Experts
  • Letter Sound Experts
2. Positive teacher responses to students' wrong answers:
  • Oh Jesse!  I love the way you are thinking!  The lower case "p" and the lower case "q" both have a circle on the line and a line that goes down into the basement.  You are really getting to know how to write those letters and to identify which letters look similar.  This is great thinking!  The letter we are looking at is actually a lower case "q" not a "p", (go over the way it is written),  but I am so proud of you, Jesse, for knowing so much about these letters already! So many preschool children confuse the "p" and the "q", so we will all continue to work on getting to know "p" and "q".
  • Jimmy, you are actually pointing to your elbows, not your wrists, but I want to thank you for doing that! (Give Jimmy a BIG smile.)  In preschool and even in kindergarten there are some body parts that children continue to forget or confuse, and guess what...the wrist is one of those body parts!  Jimmy, please point here on your body (point to your own wrist), and show the class where they can find their wrists, too.  Everyone find your wrist, please.  Now Jimmy, can you show everyone where their elbows are, please?  Great!  Now the wrists? Let's do it fast!  Jimmy, do you want to lead?  Okay, Wrists-Elbows-Wrists-Elbows-Wrists-Elbows!  Awesome!  Thanks for helping us with that Jimmy.  I hope all of my preschool friends will remember wrists and elbows very soon.
3. Respond to Behavior Issues WITHOUT Embarrassing Children
  • Every Error in Behavior Choice is a Learning Experience for the Child.
  • Trash the Clip Chart and the PBIS Flip Chart!  How Humiliating is that?  As indicated in my original post on motivation, would your  name clipped to this chart in the teacher's lounge motivate you?
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Feeling?
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Humiliated!
  • Public Humiliation DOES NOT WORK, and it is often the cause of the problem worsening.  
  • Many children are Much More Sensitive than we realize about the peer perception and public reprimand.  No matter how kindly you ask a child to "flip their card" or "clip down", they are still experiencing negative feelings inside, and it is embarrassing...even to those who the teacher may have developed judgmental beliefs about their comfort level with undesirable behaviors at school.  Experience and research prove it again and again, so consider revisiting your strategies.
4. Allow Children to Share Their Excitement and Experiences
Make it known in your classroom that this child participates in this activity and that child enjoys doing that, so that the pride of interest and progress are shared with peers.  "Joey, how was that soccer game this weekend?"  "Oh, Jane, you play soccer, too?  Did you have a game this weekend?"  Spare some time in your meeting, at the snack or lunch table or the last 5 minutes before going home to check in with children on their personal interests and activities.  Be sure that everyone has their fair number of opportunities to share throughout the year.  Other ideas...
  • Show and Tell
  • A News Board 
  • Person of the Day/Week Posters or Sharing Time
  • Pet Day
  • Assignments and Activities that give Free Choice of Topics to children and are shared with classmates, even displayed after sharing (easy options: journaling, building, painting, etc.)

What strategies do you employ to ensure that each child feels like a valued member of your classroom community?

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Thinking about Thinking...

11/25/2015

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Keys to Motivation: Ownership

11/25/2015

 
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Teach the children the framework within which they can "own" the classroom.  My kindergarten children run our entire morning and afternoon meetings by the beginning of November.  They know their jobs and they know the routine.  I sit back and watch, enjoying the new ways they learn by working with each other and not depending on me to guide every detail, answer every question or solve every problem.  Independence, critical thinking, coooperation and collaboration, excitement!  LEARNING!!!  My morning students asked me this week for the keys to the building and offered for me to sleep in while they run the class!  I'm considering it. LOL - JK

Along the same empowering lines of thinking, let them "own" the work.  Teach the concept, not the details.  Demonstrate and explain when it is absolutely necessary to stay within the lines, but let them "color outside the lines" or "think out of the box" on their own, putting their own spin on the work, based on their own prior knowledge or curiosity.  It's never wrong if they are learning something...even when it's not what we expected them to be learning.  The thinking is what really matters!  Provoke the inquisitive nature and the desire to create that children are blessed with!  They naturally come equipped to learn...let them go for it.  Don't get hung up on "doing it right" and stop giving them the answers!  Let them read their writing to you, let them explain their process to you...allow them to share what is going on in their minds as they explore, and allow them to change it to fit how they perceive it should be - you may learn something new!
​                                                                  It's their process and their outcome...Let Them Feel It!

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation - What Educators MUST Know

11/9/2015

 

Be A Responsible Educator:  Know the Difference and Choose the One that is In The Best Interest of Your Students, Long-Term

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Still using:
  • Marble Jars?
  • Prize Words?
  • Traffic Light Charts?
  • Clip Charts?
It's Time To Throw Them in the Trash!
(IF you are serious about supporting
positive changes for your students.)

What is an Extrinsic Motivator?

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If Jimmy gets a good report card, Dad gives Jimmy $20.
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When Kevin has a great week at school, as indicated by more than three stickers on his good behavior chart, Mom takes him out for ice cream.
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Anyone who stays on green every day this week gets a ticket to go to the teacher's prize box on Friday.

Yes, Even the Grade is an Extrinsic Motivator!

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Suzie is working hard to get an A+ on her book report.
What does all of this mean?  Well, we have been using extrinsic motivators in the classroom (and at work and at home) for many, many years...ever since behavior theories in education were based on animal behaviors in the lab - without the more current knowledge of human behavior and neurological functions.   This is the motivation that we are used to and have been comfortable with..."dangle the carrot;" "offer a reward;" "give a bonus;" "incent them"...
This is also the behavior that creates the response, "What will you give me if I get an A on my report card?"

It starts at a very young age, when, like a puppy in the house-training stage, we incentivize our children with a reward for all of those kind person/good citizen behaviors we expect them to strive for.  "Sit puppy!  Good girl, have a dog biscuit!"  Similar to:  "Your teacher told me that you are so polite in school and that your behavior clip never moves down.  Let's go out for pizza and celebrate!"

What is an Intrinsic Motivator?

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Jenny can't wait to practice riding without her training wheels.
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Shawn reads the pictures in the giraffe book with great enthusiasm.
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Leslie was beaming with pride after shopping with Mom and using the shopping list she wrote all by herself.
Intrinsic Motivation is the simple one!  What is it?  
  • Curiosity
  • Interest
  • Desire
  • Passion
  • Achievement
  • Fulfillment
  • Pride
Intrinsic Motivation is the motivator that comes from within.  It's the "feel good about myself" motivator.  Remember the song, "It's the Climb"?  Intrinsic motivation involves enjoying the process, the experience, and not waiting for an outcome in order to be happy about what we are doing.  This is performing acts of kindness, this is doing a job or a school assignment because you are interested in it and excited to be participating in it; this is finding something that captures you about a content area you aren't generally interested in and embracing the work for the enjoyment of pursuing that  interest.

The Rub:  Extrinsic Motivators Extinguish Intrinsic Motivation
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Like using a Fire Extinguisher to Put It Out
or ​Being Squished by an Elephant!

Providing external motivators stops the internal motivation.  The sticker given to a child for a kind act teaches the child to use the positive behavior as a means to get a reward.  The good feeling the child experiences comes from someone else recognizing the act and providing proof of such with a prize.  The child is not aware of feeling good inside for being a good friend or a good citizen... or for learning! 

Doing the work for the purpose of getting the A takes all of the excitement out of the learning it takes to get to the A and creates a mindset of pushing through the work to get to the desired outcome.  It's about the A, not about the learning  that could be happening.  I wonder how many different ways students may find to get to the A if they are  not embracing the learning process?  ...food for thought.

​The positive emotions that we experience, which build self-esteem and confidence, are not recognized with extrinsic motivators.  A pat on the back and a comment such as, "Wow!  You must feel so good about yourself having done something so nice for a friend!  I'll bet you are really proud of yourself," is the best choice for encouraging positive behaviors and building a solid foundation of confidence.    This encourages the child to recognize the intrinsic motivator; the response directs them to recognize the feeling within and eventually eliminates the need to find the reward on the outside.  Self-Regulation in the Works.

And if you are reluctant to give up the reward system, couple the sticker or prize with a comment such as the Wow statement above.  Provide the child with guidance to find and recognize the internal feelings while recognizing the child with a reward.  This is not optimal, but full resistance to the concept is more harmful.

What about the Publicly Shared Behavior Chart?

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How damaging to a child's self-esteem do you think it could be to have her name clipped to this public announcement that she engaged in a behavior at school that warrants a discussion with her parents to remedy?  


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Would you want your name clipped to a sign in the Faculty Room that indicates you  will need additional training for an expectation that you are struggling to meet?  Hmmm...

How Do We Make The Change to Motivate Appropriately?

Check in periodically for evidence-based Keys to Motivation!
Comments on this posting are encouraged in the interim. :)

Letter Identification, Engage and Excite Them!

11/8/2015

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Don't Let Those 3s and 4s Get Bored or Lost...

Change it up for the little ones!  Letter ID skills can be fun and exciting.  It doesn't have to be all charts, posters, and magenetic letters.  

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Book Search
Send pairs of children/letter detectives to the classroom library to each find a book. Have the pairs sit down and find the desired letter in the words within the book and instruct them to show each other what they find. They can then tell each other (or help each other recall) if it is an upper- or lowercase version of the letter.  Once pairs have helped each other to confirm that they both found the correct letter, and they think they know which case it is, they can bring the book to the teacher or the assistant to show they found it.  Trust me when I say they will want to go back and find lots more!  You will be amazed at the excitement (and sometimes organized chaos in learning) that goes on with this activity.  The more buzz among the children about what they are learning, the more learning you will find happening. You are also teaching that words are made up of letters. :)

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Letter Swat
Hang a wide piece of poster or bulletin board paper on the wall.  Write in wide marker or tape prefabricated large upper and lower case letters on the paper randomly.  Provide a child with a fly swatter and set him or her off to the poster to swat the uppercase letter "k".  Have children take turns swatting letters they've learned, or have a "Letter Swatter" job for a student at your morning meeting!
Create side-by-side posters and have a letter-swatting relay race!  Children can swat-spell their names, their friends' and pets' names, etc.  This activity can also be done with letter sounds or sight words.

A Few More Interactive, Tactile Activities...
Go to PreKinders.com to find Letter Basketball, Candy  Letter Match, and Alpha-Band! These are can't miss activities to engage those little ones in recognizing the letters of the alphabet!


Share Your Favorite Interactive Letter Identification Activities with Us! :)

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Need-To-Know Info for Working with Infants

10/31/2015

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I visit many, many centers where the infant room teachers are concerned that there are not enough trainings to assist them.

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This is a great article for those working with infants!  It provides invaluable insights regarding stress in babies and strategies that combat stress effects and support proper development.  Professionals and parents can benefit from the article and should consider putting these elements of care into practice.  Click on the photo to find the article.

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Embrace It...Love It...Live It!!  Bottom Line: TEACH IT! :)

10/30/2015

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Critical Thinking Defined:

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Defining Critical Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from The Critical Thinking Community
  website: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
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Is Your STEAM Program Fostering Critical Thinking??

10/30/2015

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If you answered, "no" or "I'm not sure"...there's a problem!

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STEM and STEAM have been brought into the education realm, and subsequently the early childhood education sector, to bring about the workforce that is needed for this country's future.  We are not competitive enough in these areas, and the programs, courses, and degrees that have emerged have come about as a means of developing a workforce that is prepared for the needs of tomorrow.

When we combine these individual branches of knowledge into one comprehensive body of knowledge, the tasks involved require a whole new way of thinking.  The STEAM exploration allows for making connections across knowledge areas, it enables us to see the math that is embedded in the science, the science that is behind the engineering and development, the compliment that the Arts bring to the technology we use, etc.  The process fosters higher level thinking skills such as making connections, synthesizing information and ultimately, creating something new.

So how is it that our young children are supported to think in these ways?  We need to pique their curiosity; enable them to explore, discover, and hypothesize on their own; allow them to question and experiment; and encourage the mistakes and retakes along the way as a wonderful learning experience rather than a failure.  

A colleague of mine had 4-year old children examine a paper Chinese lamp made as a Halloween decoration today.  She then encouraged them to work in teams and figure out how to make one.  With minimal support, they worked in partners and then shared whole group with each step that they figured out.  Not only did they make the lamps, but they had a situation that was a life lesson for all!  One friend in the group cut the paper in the wrong direction, noticed it before even opening it up, exclaimed, "Ooops! This won't work!" and asked for another paper to cut in the other direction.  This insightful teacher's response was, "Oops! is good!  That's how we learn and figure things out."  The whole class was all smiles about this project!   They were beaming with pride.  They didn't sit down and get step-by-step directions on how to fold and how to cut and where to tape, etc.  They worked as a team, they figured it out and they created something that was all theirs!  It was so exciting!!!!  This is serious learning.

The students in that class explored the sample lamp to gain some background knowledge, they discussed their questions and ideas together and then tried them out.  They changed their path if it wasn't working and tried a new idea, and they eventually found success.  This is a very basic example of what STEAM thinking should look like.  This particular teacher is easing this group into STEAM, and hats off to her for beginning with encouraging the critical thinking and confidence-building that the team will need to delve into more complicated projects.  Oh, did I mention that the lamps light up?  VERY COOL!


Think about how you are conducting your STEM and STEAM activities.  
  • Are they student-centered rather than teacher-directed, with students leading the learning?
  • Are the students questioning and hypothesizing as they go through the process?
  • Are they making mistakes and finding it comfortable to "go back to the drawing board"?
  • Are they "owning" the project?
  • Are they demonstrating the excitement of new discoveries?
  • Are they connecting the work they are doing with the world outside, past experiences, other work they've done or plan to do, or the adult world around them?

If you answer "YES!" to these questions, then you are creating the foundation for the work these children will do beyond your classroom and into adulthood.  Nice job!

If you answered "NO :(" to any of these questions, then you'll need to "go back to the drawing board" yourself, and in doing so, demonstrate to your students how even adults have to reflect and revise their original plans to find true success!  :)


STEAM on with Full Confidence! :)

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Food for Thought...good to know where students will be going!

Click the Diagram for a Fascinating Article
by Justin Marquis, Ph.D. from OnlineUniversities.com.


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Looking for New STEAM Ideas?

10/25/2015

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Check Out Your Local Community!

We found a GREAT opportunity to begin our school year with STEAM learning objectives plus:
  • Cooperation, Collaboration, and Communication
  • Fine and Gross Motor Skills
  • Literature and Journal Writing
  • Presentation Skills
  • Map Reading
  • Community Interaction
  • ...and more!
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Our Kindergarten Enrichment classes built a giant, STEAM-themed scarecrow and entered it into a local contest!  While on display, we took a class trip to visit our scarecrow and have some fun viewing the other scarecrows in the competition.  It was a fantastic, pride-filled project to propel our students into an exciting year of collaborative, project-based learning!  See what's going on in your local community for your students to participate in... or to create their own school-based spin-off of!
Happy STEAMing! :)
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STEAM+ :  Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math, More

4/19/2015

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Let's Share Some Ideas!

Looking to run some STEAM+ projects in your Early Childhood or School Age classroom?  We have had many requests for ideas and suggestions, subsequent to PD Sessions  on STEAM+.  Here are a few...

Pre-K and K STEAM+

  • The Pizza Parlor
  • The Bakery
  • The Halloween Shop
  • The Grocery Store
  • The Flower Shop
  • The Airport
  • The Veterinary Hospital
  • Santa's Workshop

School-Age STEAM+

  • Race Car Derby (Balloon, Rubberband, etc.)
  • The Carnival
  • The Museum (ever so many choices here!)
  • Tsunami, Earthquake, Tornado, or other Weather System Projects
  • The Science Lab
  • The Newscast
  • Replicate a Location on the Globe (Yellowstone National Park)
  • A Wampanoag* Village, A Mayan Village (or that of any Native Culture)
*Note: The Wampanoag Tribe is the tribe of Native Americans that our English Ancestors, the Pilgrims, encountered when the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in "Plimoth" Massachusetts in 1620.  Here is a great resource for learning about that:    http://www.plimoth.org/

Questions about Implementing?
Positive Outcomes to Share?
Concerns that You are Reflecting On?

Post a Comment Here and Let's Talk About It!

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Healthy Eating is Fun for Kids with National Nutrition Month March 2015

2/25/2015

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Visit MyPlate Kids' Place for tons of great information and fun, including games, recipes, videos, songs and more! Don't forget all of the free materials you can order and/or download like this vegetable race car poster!
My Plate for Kids

March is National Nutrition Month

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Become a MyPlate Champion for National Nutrition Month

Take the Pledge -- Become a MyPlate Champion.
Press the MyPlate Ribbon and have your students  make a pledge to become a MyPlate Champion for National Nutrition Month!  You can download personalized certificates for the children to take home!

Join the Two-Bite Club for National Nutrition Month!

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Click The Two-Bite Club image, and go directly to the USDA's web page to download the materials.  We hang a grid in the hallway with a marker attached to a string.  The dates are across the top and the children's names are listed down the left side.  On any day that a child tries two bites of a new food or a food they usually don't like (and we limit this to healthy foods, of course), they have the freedom to stop at the chart the next morning and put a check mark in their box for that day.  At the end of the month (you can shorten this to a week or two), we tally up how brave each child was with trying new foods, and everyone goes home with some fun nutrition information and a certificate for being a member of the Two-Bite Club.  The kids really enjoy the challenge, there are some great conversations that arise from it, and we have found that several children changed some of their snacking habits.  There is certainly a heightened awareness of "which food is healthier" and "which food gives me energy and which makes me tired" at the lunch table.  Be sure to introduce MyPlate before doing this, and don't forget to set up your lesson so that the kids notice on their own that there is no place on My Plate for junk food!   What an eye opener it is!!

Nutrition Resources:

  • Choose MyPlate:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
  • MyPlate for Kids: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/
  • MyPlate Daily Food Plans for Preschoolers:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/health-nutrition-information-preschoolers/daily-food-plan-preschoolers.html
  • USDA's Cookbook for Child Care Centers: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/recipes-healthy-kids-cookbook-child-care-centers-0
  • Federal Nutrition Education Resources:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/USDA-DHHS-ComprehensiveListing-FederalNutritionEducationResources2005-to-Feb2010.pdf
  • The Family Dinner Project:  http://thefamilydinnerproject.org/
  • Food Network's Recipes Kids Can Make: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/recipes-for-kids/cooking-with-kids/recipes-kids-can-make.html

Have Other Nutrition Resources to Share?  Post a Comment!

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The Benefits of Sign Language for Speaking/Hearing Children

2/23/2015

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Sign Language Serves Several Purposes in the Classroom...

  1. Sign Language increases vocabulary and communication, and it relieves frustration due to communication issues.
  2. Sign Language activates additional parts of the brain during learning, and the rule of thumb is that the more parts of the brain we engage during learning, the deeper the learning goes! 
  3. Sign Language provides similar benefits to a child's developing brain as when learning other foreign languages.
  4. Sign Language exposes children to the world of the deaf and hard of hearing, contributing to their cultural competence and understanding of disabilities.

Give American Sign Language a Try in Your Classroom

You can simply begin with Obie Leff's video of The Sounds of the Alphabet, which we use daily in our classroom!  If you would like more information on Sign Language in the Classroom or Classroom Tools for incorporating signing into your lessons, contact us!  We will be happy to assist you and your staff!   Colleen@BeyondTheStandards.com 
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Sign Language Research at Sign2Me
Colleen Mantell is a Certified Sign2Me Instructor
Visit the Sign2Me site for Sign Language Research Articles and
 Contact Colleen at www.BeyondTheStandards.com for Sign2Me Workshops and Materials!
We will have Sign2Me Products Available at our Exhibit Space during the DVAEYC Conference in March!
DVAEYC Registration

    Share Your Experience!

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Questioning Strategies Foster Critical Thinking During STEAM and Science Explorations

2/17/2015

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Sink or Float?  WHY?

Questioning Promotes Learning
"Because it's round."
While enjoying a little free time this morning, I pulled out an issue of NAEYC's Teaching Young Children/Preschool that I had set aside to reference later for some great activities.  There are always many wonderful articles in this publication, but I'd like to quote the authors of this particular article, because I'm sure that many others will find it to be incredibly significant.  The article is about science exploration with children, but the concept crosses all curriculum and teaching in general.  These two paragraphs speak loudly...
Engaging questions stimulate children's inquiry and investigation rather than suggest "correct" answers.  These include questions that help children to describe observations, explain procedures, and make predictions.  Following their investigations, teachers can ask children questions that encourage them to reflect on what they learned.

Asking "Why do you think so?" also supports planning.  Sometimes it leads to surprises.  When one teacher asked a child why he thought a golf ball would sink, he said "Because it's round." She had assumed that he was basing his prediction on the ball's weight.  She decided to facilitate a follow-up investigation of round things rather than heavy things.

What do you think?

Hoisington, C., Chalufour, I., Winokur, J., & Clark-Chiarelli, N. (2014). Science learning through
    water. Teaching Young Children/Preschool, 8(1), 30-31.

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Who Else Wants to Stomp Out Bullying?

2/16/2015

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In response to a blog post by seasoned educator and well-known blogger, Jill Jenkins, let's talk about creating a bully-proof environment in your classroom.
To read Jill's post, "Reduce Bullying by Creating a Community", click on the image below.

Reduce Bullying
Jill talks about reducing bullying by creating a community within the classroom, and this, no doubt, is the best path to take.  With a sense of community, students can feel comfortable, secure, and most of all...valued.  With this, they learn to value each other, and they value their own role within the group. There are many strategies and programs available to educators to work toward developing a community within the classroom, and Jill offers great ideas and examples, but the concern that I feel compelled to add to the discussion is the issue of educators latching on to programs and tools offered to improve classroom community, without any focus or possibly even awareness of the underlying psychological piece that they are responsible to personally manage.

For example, kindergarten teachers love the morning meeting concept.  It is truly a great way to start the day, and it's all about community building.  Students greet each other as they begin, touch base on what is going on in their classroom for the day, share personal experiences with each other, celebrate birthdays, and much more.  This is a wonderful community-building framework.  In order for these ideas and programs that we adopt to truly be effective, though, the adults involved must consistently promote the psychological components of that desired community.  

Do you see this happening in your classroom?

Bullying

"Psychological Membership" is the Key to Community-Building

The feeling of belonging fosters respect and collaboration 
across the classroom and the school.

Valued Members
Psychological Membership is the feeling of belonging, a term coined by Carol Goodenow of Tufts University in 1993.  When one feels that they belong, he knows that he can take risks.  This means asking questions because the question will never be laughed at or deemed a "stupid question" by anyone in the room.  This means that he knows that every other person in the room is a friend during the time that is spent together.  This means that he knows that his time, ideas, work and talents are valued by everyone around him.  He knows that no one is going to tease or  make fun of him.  He feels safe to ask questions, make suggestions, share ideas, and to make a mistake in front of any one or all of the group.

What Does the Research Tell Us About Belonging?

  • Walker and Green (2009) tell us that with regard to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the basic human needs of food and shelter are the only precursors  to the need for love and belonging within the context of personal growth and development.
  • Johnson's findings (2009) indicate that both teacher support and classroom belongingness have a significant impact on student achievement, particularly in the areas of student autonomy, investment in learning, and school safety.
  • Sutton and Wheatley (2003) studied secondary students and shared that they place great value on teachers who care about them.  They also presented a connection between a teacher's sense of humor and high content mastery in the classroom.
  • Those who Shaw (2010) labeled as "slow learners" are demonstrated to require close relationships with their teachers in order to develop academic skills and successes.
Bully-Free

Fostering the Caring Among Kids

The classroom environment created by the morning meeting routine is ideal.  We love to see this routine at work.  It is a thing of beauty.  However, does it carry through the day?  Only if identical expectations and modeling carry through the day.  When a student gives a wrong answer, do you say "No, that's not it."? I hope you don't say, "Wrong!"  We can learn to say, "I  like the way you are thinking, and I can see where your answer came from, but I'm looking for an answer that ....(add a clue here)."  The "No" knocked that student down, and when a teacher knocks down students, then students feel comfortable knocking down students.  The "I like the way" answer demonstrated an understanding of the student and his way of thinking.  He can easily recover from having the wrong answer and can even respond to the clue to come up with the correct answer.  No respect lost here...from others or with self.

Do you use sarcasm in your classroom?  Do you call kids out?  Do you respond to an inappropriate or sarcastic answer from a student with the same type of behavior?  Reflect.  It matters.  Did you know that psychologically, saracasm is one of the most damaging forms of communication?  In order to model good citizenship and treating others kindly, we must make it a moment-to-moment effort to demonstrate what kindness, friendship, and understanding look like.  Children will emulate what they see you do.

Lead by Example

"It is the idea that what a leader does and how a leader behaves has a direct influence on how everyone else in the organization acts."  Interestingly, this statement from The Press Enterprise's article, From Top-Down to Trickle-Down Management  fits every classroom, every school, and every workplace.  A happy, caring, considerate leader imposes those virtues upon those who follow her, by interacting with the group according to those virtues.  On the contrary, a leader who is unhappy, insensitive or sarcastic sets the tone for a negative environment.   What tone are you setting in your classroom on a daily, or even an hourly basis?  What tone is your director (principal) or team imposing on you?

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A 6-year old made a silly suggestion to me today.  I thanked him and described a way in which I might be able to use the idea he recommended.  His reaction was this:  "Oh good!  That means that my idea was valuable!"  I experienced a feeling of shock and concern when I realized his assessment of our conversation.  I wonder how often children judge themselves by our responses but don't express it and walk away feeling less than valued.  

Provide Self-Regulation Techniques

The "class clown" or "funny guy" isn't working toward a spot at the Improv!

They are overcoming insecurity, anxiety, or discomfort by creating laughter and peer attention that mask the issue.    Note that the class clown act is a clear indicator that you don't yet have a fully embraced sense of community...someone in your class feels anxious about how he is being viewed or judged by his peers.   Do you laugh or do you demonstrate disapproval?  A great choice is to demonstrate understanding and then offer an alternative behavior that enables the funny guy to stay focused or to ask a question when feeling uncertain.  I had a self-proclaimed class clown in my 5th grade class.  I soon realized that he was insecure about his academic abilities.  I had him work on projects with a group of high-academic students.  It was a scary transition for him at first, which I monitored and stayed involved with, but coupling that experience with the repeated offer of a "quiet place at the table over there" to work so that he was not distracted or getting into trouble for disrupting, worked beautifully.  He soon expressed his amazement that he could work with and socialize with his new group, and he took many opportunities to move himself to the "quiet table over there" in order to stay focused during large group discussions, when he would have historically been disruptive.  It wasn't long before his class clown days were history!

Offer Developmentally Appropriate Problem-Solving Strategies

A Bug and A Wish
In the early childhood classroom, we use the strategy, Give A Bug and A Wish.
We explain it at the start of the school year, we model, practice, and encourage it.  

Jane pushed me when I got the ball.  I gave Jane A Bug and A Wish:
"It Bugs Me when you push me, I Wish You wouldn't push me when you want the ball." 

This strategy teaches children from a young age to express what they are feeling, to stand up for themselves, and to stop someone from crossing boundaries with them.  Using the strategy builds confidence and teaches that expressing their feelings and discomfort with situations gets results.  And there is no need for anyone to get upset.  

The other piece of this strategy that makes it effective is the adult role, of course.  The rule is that a bug and a wish is a serious tool, and it can only be used when the child is seriously bothered by the behavior of another child.  We role play scenarios to determine when it is appropriate to use this tool.  Also, it is made clear to all that once you have received A Bug and A Wish, you must comply forever.  If you do not, the teacher is notified and consequences for poor choices are followed. (This may be thinking time during recess or some other supportive measure to teach the offender some self-regulation.)

Children take this strategy very seriously because they feel empowered! 
It also diminishes tattling dramatically!


The Classroom Community Works 
because
 Bullying Doesn't Exist When Everyone Feels Valued.

   Psychological Membership is the Key.

Build a Classroom Full of Friends...A School Full of Friends.
(for Staff and Students)


Thanks again, Jill, for bringing up this ever-important topic!

What are Some of Your Bully-Proofing Strategies?

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Kindergarten Enrichment S.T.E.A.M. +  Project ... Amazing!

2/13/2015

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The Great Barrier Reef in our own KE Classroom

Kindergarten Enrichment STEAM+ Project
Children Researched and Created: Hard and Soft Coral, including Brain Coral, Staghorn Coral, Finger Coral, Tube Coral, Fan Coral and Flower Coral, as well as Sea Animals including the Octopus, Parrot Fish, Clown Fish, Crab, Eel, Sting Ray, Whale Shark, Dolphin, and more. Why is the sand white?
Puffer Fish
Why is the sand white?  Is the coral a rock?  Does coral eat?  How did the coral move and get the sand off of the top of itself in that video?  What color should my turtle be if it lives in Australia?  What is the weather in Australia?  Where is the book I put that book mark in to go back to the puffer fish page?  How big can a coral reef grow? 

Coral Reef
These and so many other inquiries from our students drove the research and learning involved in our Great Barrier Reef project.  Preparing for a new project, wondering if we could find anything more fun and exciting than our recent North Pole and Santa's Workshop, we laughed about needing a little beach time with all of these "too cold to play" days.  That thought, coupled with a recent obsession with magnets, led our group to a debate over whether we should create a beach or a science laboratory.  Let the voting begin!  

The beach was the winner, and all of the students whole-heartedly embraced our virtual trip to the Coral Sea.  The students' brainstorming eventually led us to exploring the land down under, a beach on Australia's East Coast called Lizard Island, and finally, The Great Barrier Reef.  Students were attracted like their magnets (opposite poles, they will tell you) to the incredible world that exists under the sea.

The learning involved the globe and discovery of the land down under being south of the equator, the location of the Reef along the northeastern coast of the country, the name of the country and its not-as-well-known name as a continent, and then it was on to the science with trying to figure out just what a reef actually is and how it forms and grows.  We studied a variety of types of coral, and then the sea animals that make their home in and around the coral reef.  We hit the books, a few  YouTube vids and some great Kindle Books on the iPad.
STEAM+ ResearchResearching and Creating Sea Animals of the Coral Sea
As we began working with our art teacher, using techniques with water color, resistance, pastels, etc., math skills became evident in our art work and soon we were pulling out yard sticks and rulers to measure 8-foot streamers for the windows, counting out 8 tentacles for our Octopi...yes, we went from Octopuses to Octopies to Octopi!  And, with ensuring that I am spelling this correctly here, I just learned and must share with my class that it is truly supposed to be Octopodes! Octopi developed as the plural out of a mistaken assumption that the word is of Latin origin which would require the "i" plural, whereas it truly is of Greek origin and should be Octopodes! They now say that for American English, Octopuses should be acceptable, as it is the easiest.  Everything I need to know a learned from a kindergartener...didn't we just come full circle with that plural? Can you see how the learning just never ends...for all of us?  Back to the project...The engineering came in with the planning, designing and building of the reef base, and the reading and writing are ever-present; however, we also created "Sticker Stories" with this project.  Children selected ocean-themed stickers and set them in a scene to tell a story.  They then used their best Kid Writing to write the story of their illustration.  These were edited and the final copies were read to our parents at The Great Barrier Reef!  

Sticker Story Kid Writing
Sticker Story
STEAM+ Great Barrier Reef
Whale Shark
STEAM+ Great Barrier Reef
"Octopodes" on the Great Barrier Reef
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Educators MUST Understand Brain Development 

2/10/2015

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In response to this post on the PennAEYC Face Book page...
"Study: High-quality early education could reduce costs"

PictureClick Photo to go to PennAEYC on Face Book



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Click Photo to go to Washington Post Directly to Read Article
My initial reaction was of high interest in knowing more about what funding issue is being discussed, and even more so,  learning which learning disabilities are being reduced and how.  

The article was interesting and informative, and I have decided to follow the author; however, what intrigued me more was a lengthy comment left by a gentleman who does not identify his role in education.  He is so exact on with this issue, that he put me right up on one of my largest soap boxes!

Educators have a responsibility to have an insightful understanding of how learning happens.  

This means that we must understand a little bit of neurology, like it or not.  I share this type of information in my professional development sessions, and I am thanked time and time again for the deeper understanding of learning and development in children.

 It ALL happens in the brain. 

So why aren't we all striving for proficiency in understanding the most modern information on child development?  It seems that the classic theories remain at the forefront with those who work face-to-face and hand-in-hand with children on a daily basis.  Step into the 21st Century with new scientific understandings of child development.  It's absolutely fascinating!  And you will find your practice and results with children of all ages will change dramatically.

Here is a link to a great article explaining the basics that any one of us should know:
(Click on Photo to read article)

Neural Pathway Development
"Neural Pathway Development" by Dr. Gene Van Tassell
The Duke University Study is no doubt correct.  There are so many developmental issues that we identify in early childhood settings and work on diligently, effecting change.  Are you seeing it?  Share your comments with us. 
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S.T.E.A.M.+     Hot Topic in Professional Development!

2/7/2015

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Mrs. Mantell's 2013-14 Kindergarten Enrichment Class Created an Alaska Ice Fishing Village in the Classroom
as published in the Bucks County Herald

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Evidence-based best practices in early childhood education consistently point to learning through play, and our S.T.E.A.M.+ concept brings about learning far beyond our plans, and usually beyond our wildest dreams!  When a group of young children learn not only to cooperate, but also to collaborate, to make choices and decisions, and to move a project in a direction that makes sense and is intriguing, based on their own design and plan, there is magic and fireworks everywhere!

Over the past two years, our Kindergarten Enrichment classroom has accomplished projects including:  The Pizza Parlor, The Airport, The Bakery, The North Pole with Santa's Workshop, and many more.  We are currently building The Great Barrier Reef!   Within each project, we have defined the work with Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math once the children agreed upon the topic.  However, based on choices the students make, we often find the learning leads to subject areas including Commerce, Geography, History, and always Reading and Writing.

In response to a recent increase in requests for professional development on this topic, at the upcoming DVAEYC Conference, I will be presenting a professional development session entitled, Bringing S.T.E.A.M.+ into the Early Childhood Classroom Successfully, where a simple frame work will be provided for creating and conducting the lesson plan to meet goals and standards, along with ideas and suggestions for topics, and the "how-to" on empowering children to take the lead toward the outcome of the project. 

S.T.E.A.M.+ Projects are appropriate for preschoolers at both the 3s and 4s levels, as well as kindergarten and elementary school.  Additionally, there are very small projects that can be incorporated into a single area of learning on one particular day, such as snack/cooking or during your language arts block.

Wouldn't it be great to watch the classroom come alive with inquiry and theory, talent and motivation, as you facilitate the learning that the children choose to pursue?  What is holding them back?  Go for it!  
(We'll be happy to help should you need training or assistance!)

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Teaching Curriculum in "Your Own Style" - BIG MISTAKE!!

2/6/2015

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Have you ever been told to feel free to teach required curriculum in your own style?  Uh-oh!
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The big mistake here is that we all need to teach in the style of our students.  We have an obligation as educators to reach every student in our classes, regardless of anything unique or individual about them. Actually, unique and individual is EXACTLY what we are responding to!  :)

In early childhood education, we encounter the term, "Developmentally Appropriate Practices" and in more advanced grades, we encounter the term, "Differentiated Instructional Strategies".  They both point us to the same concept...  IT IS OUR JOB TO MEET ALL STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AS UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS.  

Therefore, the only appropriate style to teach in is the style that best suits the needs of our students.  If you prefer not to conduct learning centers with young children because you don't like the initial chaos of students learning how to behave and interact with each other in order to work somewhat independently, you must question who is benefiting from your strategy.   If you teach upper grades and prefer to assign group work whenever you see fit to do so, think again.  You may have students who don't function best in a group setting or in a group for a particular type of assignment.  Who gains?

I once had a classroom of kindergarten students with approximately 1/3 of them demonstrating difficulties with impulse control during whole group and teacher-centered lessons.  It quickly became apparent that this was a developmentally younger group.  When I switched to very short intervals of teacher-centered and whole-group time (just snippets of giving directions, brief demonstrations, etc.), with many intervals of small group,  hands-on activities -- involving manipulatives whenever possible, the entire learning experience and classroom tone changed dramatically.  We found...Success!!!

How are YOU meeting the needs of each of YOUR students?  

    Share Your Insights on Meeting Student Needs

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    Colleen T. Mantell, M.S., Ed.
    Founder, President

    Beyond The Standards Inc.
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