week 5 monday 9/21

Anna “My job is to be a mother substitute.” “The toddler curriculum is a curriculum of love and play.” “What was wrong with me that I was left-handed and black.” Loving children in general is no help when dealing with 9 or 19 or 29 flesh-and- blood children. What happens when someone is changing her 40 th diaper of the day?

“I don’t even like strollers….Kids need to practice walking.” “She took care of us and now we will take care of her. The never-ending circle of love has no beginning and has no ending.”

I failed to realize that seeing kids requires more than observation, it requires interacting with kids. Until I spoke with Brandon, I didn’t really see him. I thought I had him figured out—he appears to be quiet, but actually he can be goofy and humorous. It bothered me that he didn’t appear interested in talking to me. In fact, he rarely made eye contact with me. I concluded that he is friendly with other kids but shy around adults. I was wrong. He had a cool looking pencil that was coiled at one end. One day I passed his desk and noticed it was broken. I commented, “Oh, your pencil is broken.” He responded excitedly and told me an elaborate story about how he had gotten the pencil and how it got broken. Hearing the story of the journey of his pencil, I realized getting to know a child has no end. (an 03)

seeing oneself culturally what groups do I belong to –how do we view others –what values do we share what about other groups makes us uncomfortable—emotional reactions, times we cringe are windows onto deeply embedded values and beliefs –not about psychoanalyzing yourself— about examining shared values, shared sense of the way “it’s s’pozed to be”

culture is hard culture is complex and exists in the deep structure of the group, where we take life for granted and don’t question we will never fully understand ourselves culturally, and we will never fully understand others

nevertheless... because we all belong to many groups because we have many cultural selves, many dimensions because we move across these groups regularly –we can find ways, moments, places, where we can connect with others who may at first seem different and distant

Wednesday 9/23 experts: domain-specific –notice features and patterns –organized content knowledge, deep understanding –knowledge is applicable, “conditionalized” –flexible retrieval with little attention –not necessarily good teachers –varying levels of flexibility in new situations

core concepts chunking meaningful patterns core concepts (big ideas) first: understanding the problem fluent retrieval pedagogical content knowledge adaptive expertise metacognition accomplished novices

implications becoming an expert important in one’s development as a learner –but one must become an expert in something deeper is better

knowledge novices experts less more poorly organized well organized effortful automatic fragmented meaningful shallow deep skills few many unsure sure undirected goal directed/efficient attitudes minimal, sporadic ongoing, flexible self monitoring monitoring values “whatever” learning/development important

Don’t expect amazing questions and mind-blowing statements when you begin. If you get nothing from them for your web, read books, talk about it for a few days— then go back to your web. Topic you have passion for. You will live it, breathe it, dream about it every night. Something you want your kids to love as much as you do. Have a little bit of everything. Some kids love art, some love getting dirty, others love pretend play. Incorporate your topic in every area of the classroom at some point. My kids loved the actual baking, so we ended up trying lots of recipes and baking throughout the 3 weeks. Plan lots of activities. A thousand ideas will pop in your head—at 3am, tossing and turning thinking about the sensory table: sand? Noodles? Or water… but with water they have to wear smocks. Are there enough smocks for painting and water. Limit the number of kids if water? Leaf rubbings at the art table! That would be a great idea! Things add up. Ask your co-op and other teachers for resources. Don’t buy things you can get in the classroom. But you’ll have to get some things on your own. Just don’t freak out when you add up all the things you’ve bought.