The classroom as a place of encounters.   That word encounter has weight.   It intrigues me when I see it surface as a component of this Reggio-inspired principle: The environment as third teacher: There Is an underlying order and beauty in the design and organization of all the space

Four-year-old Em, she wants to take a walk. She wants to sit on the edge of the pond. She wants to drop a piece of mulch from Wishing Bridge into the narrow running waters below in hopes that her wish might come true. Four-year-old Em she wants to take a walk. Everyone else is eating

I was invited to put together something about play to insert into a radio program on Education from Emory & Henry College.  This piece I wrote and spoke was inserted into the intro to a two-part interview with Erika Christakis, Yale Professor who spoke about play and wrote about i

The papers ranging from thin white tissue paper to thick white foam core boards, and the only tools for manipulating these are your hand, a thin paint brush, white glue, scissors, and 18 gage wire. What choices would emerge? Colorless Emotions:  Follow the twists and turns of Deb’s re

In a recent visit to the Co-op Family Center, in Eugene, Oregon I was inspired by the ways community are represented and the documentation of authentic work that reveals collaborative processes of learning among children and their teachers. Community History: In the school lobby a col

Gifts Recently I find myself wearing this little necklace. Four beads stacked together. It’s a charm chosen from among the many that were presented and offered as gifts to visitors during a tour at the Ochoa Community Magnet School. I was one of the participants at the NAREA Win

  The Association for Constructivist Teaching recognized Dr. Connie Kamii at our annual   conference with a Life Time Achievement Award.  Hearing her speak about the history of her education and academic career was inspiring. She contributed greatly to mathematics education in early c

Just returned from an exciting Study Tour at Highland Plaza United Methodist Preschool (HPUMP) in Hixson, TN,  outside of Chattanooga.  Here are some excerpts from the Playing, Observing, Documenting, & Interpreting Workshop facilitated by Jane Broderick and Dawn White (atelierist

I will be presenting this coming weekend at VAECE this coming weekend. Introduction to Emergent Curriculum Reggio Track 3:30-4:45 PM     Building Threads of Inquiry in a Bluegrass Emergent Curriculum Project Reggio Track, Saturday  9:30-10:45 AM   To learn more about th

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