Beautiful Stuff and The Language of Art

I am so inspired by all that I have been seeing in my classroom and all that I am reading this summer.  I have become an "inquiry junkie" going through different resources, examining what an ""inquiry stance" looks like and craving more!  I have chosen to put both of these resources together as both focus on using art to show learning.

I love witnessing the creative juices that flow in children... I love art...  This is probably why many of the resources that incorporate art into learning speaks to me.  I started reading "Beautiful Stuff" because each school in the OCSB was given a copy for the FDK program.  As a visual learner, all of the pictures spoke volumes to me.  The teachers Cathy Weisman Topal and Lella Gandini really showed me that I can get my students to explore further with found materials. Here are a few of my take-aways:

*Collection Bags- I absolutely love this idea and plan to do it within the first few weeks of school...  Each student was given a small bag to bring home.  Families found "treasures" and interesting materials to put in the bag and donate to the classrooms art centre.  Students examined, described, sorted and used the materials in creative ways.  This idea really makes the ordinary become the extraordinary!

*The teachers used "treasures", metal and wood to explore colour and create different designs including self-portraits using collage materials.  I LOVE that they had the children plan and create wood structures.  The learning for me was- get wood pieces to have students actually sand, plan and glue together.  I have always had my students use different materials to create a variety of structures, but I have never thought to actually have them use scraps of wood, prepare the wood and glue their structures.

The resource "The Language of Art" is an amazing read.  I feel it is a fabulous resource to help provoke exploration and meet visual arts expectations.  It really encourages teachers to use art as a way to get children to communicate their understanding and their feelings.  It encourages children to use and experiment with art supplies and helps students focus on the "process of creation rather than the goal of the finished product."  The book is organized in a way that helps teachers use materials to provoke investigation and exploration of art tools and techniques.  For example some of the chapters include exploring textures and movement, colour, 3D media, drawing and painting.  It provides suggestions on how to set up your "art studio" and provides questions/comments to make to help get students thinking and wondering.  I plan on using this resource to help provoke my students into exploring different media and practicing different techniques.  I will put out the tools at my art studio called "The Creation Station" and through mini-lessons introduce tools and techniques.  Hopefully students will then be intrigued to explore the art forms themselves and I will be ready with questions to help them explain their thinking and dive further into understanding.

Learning to Write and LOVING IT!

One of my favourite blogs to visit is myclassroomtransformation.blogspot.ca.  The teacher Joanne Marie Babalis recommended FDK teachers to read this resource.  Although I teach Grade One, I thought it may provide some ideas to provoke my new September friends into writing.

I was not disappointed!  I LOVED THIS BOOK.  It gives some great ideas and prompts to get children wanting to write.  Some of the ideas are ones we have heard before (i.e. Letters to a Creature- tooth fairy, leprechaun, special toy) but there are new ones like having a Message board in the classroom where students write messages to each other throughout the day.

The author Miriam Trehearne also has suggestions to improve author's share and student conferencing.  During author's share, she suggests that after children share their writing, they should let their peers know where their idea came from.  This then helps other children to get ideas for writing.  She also has some great ideas for when teachers are conferencing one-on-one.  One suggestion includes getting children to self-assess their writing during the conference and then having the child choose one area they need to focus on.  Once again it is letting the child's voice to be heard.

If you are looking for ideas on how to provoke your students and get them writing... this is a resource you may wish to check out.  My plan is to set up a special writing area in the classroom (in addition to the area that has writing tools for other inquiries) that will change throughout the year based on student interests.  I am hoping to have the opportunity to transform this special writing station into a publishing house, a wonder station, a "Build and Write" station, a poem station etc... I could keep going... 
I AM LOVING IT!

A Place For Wonder...

My second read this summer was:

This resource is a good one for teachers beginning to learn about inquiry in the primary classroom.  The book is an easy read and is full of simple and promising ideas.  Ideas are clearly described, student samples are throughout the text and teacher reflections are present.  Here are a few things I really liked in this resource:

*Wonder Boxes- the authors of "A Place for Wonder" gave their students a small box (i.e. recipe box) and cards to record their "wonderings" on.  Each student had their own box and cards were easily accessible to students.  Through mini-lessons, the students learned to write wonderings and determine what kind of wondering it was.  Students drew a heart for those wonderings they could answer from the heart and not find in a book.  They drew a ? on cards for those wonderings that could be explored and researched through books or the internet.  

*One Small Square and Listening Walk- students were encouraged to use a small cut-out square to explore areas outside and describe what they were seeing.  Students were also encouraged to explore and write about other senses on different walks such as what they could hear, what they could smell etc...

*I absolutely loved that the author wrote step-by step how she had students research their ?wonderings and create non-fiction texts with non-fiction elements such as a table of contents, sub-headings, diagrams, procedures, etc...  The student samples are amazing to look at and are really inspiring.  

My Reflection:  I really enjoyed reading this resource.  The teachers have some valuable little tips that I plan on implementing this upcoming school year such as writing partners.  I learned that I need to slow it down even more and have each mini-lesson truly be a mini lesson.  I also need to give students more time to apply the new learning to their work- make it that day's focus in writing.  

For those teachers wishing to learn more about inquiry and how to start it, this resource is a great entry point.  It is a quick read and the process the teachers went through is clearly presented.  Samples of student organizers for writing are provided and they have many little tips that are valuable.  The ideas are easy to implement and through the student samples they really inspire you.  

Summer Readings At The Beach...

Each summer I spend time looking at different sites and reading recommended resources to better myself for the next teaching year.  This year, I have looked at a few different resources for more information on Reggio Emilia and Inquiry in the classroom.  As I read, ponder and digest some of the teachings, I plan on posting my reflections...  in hopes that it may inspire someone else to explore further..

The first resource I read this summer was "Authentic Childhood".  It was an easy read (even though quite wordy).  If you are looking for more information about the teaching practices of Reggio, I recommend that you take a look at this resource.  It goes through the fundamental principles of this approach.  Although Reggio in its purest form may be a challenge to bring into the classroom (ie. different culture, different community, different curriculum, most schools don't have access to the outdoor space as part of the classroom), I do believe it can be a positive influence on our teaching.

The Reggio approach encourages teachers to teach the whole child.  It encourages us to view the child differently-as a being who comes into the school environment with a wealth of knowledge, ideas and reasoning.  We as teachers need to honour their voices and listen. The teacher is not at the centre of the program.  I would have told you in years passed that I did honour the children and listen to them.  But my definition of a child centred classroom has changed. When I reflect now, I do see that much of my day was teacher-directed (teaching to children whole group or small group). I did most of the talking and I asked the questions.  This philosophy is different as the children do most of the talking and they ask the questions.  Does the teacher still teach?  Of course!  The way we teach changes- we become more of a provocateur.  We provoke students with putting items out to explore.  We expose children to things that encourage them to wonder and inquire about.  We help students communicate their thinking and we ask questions to encourage deeper thinking and understanding.  The big difference is that the teacher really listens and values the input of children- the children direct and negotiate with the teacher what happens next.


The Reggio experience also honours the environment.  Reggio teachers bring items such as pinecones, leaves, twigs and rocks into the classroom to have students learn about nature and use nature in their work.  Through exposure and experience with nature, these teachers believe that students will develop an appreciation and a relationship with the environment.  In today's world of technology and structured after-school activities, I can see a need for this.  I often wonder how many children are actually outside exploring the world around them.  How many families regularly explore forests, pick up twigs and make crafts, build forts in the trees or collect bugs in jars?  I can understand why these teachers feel it will help students build a relationship with nature, especially when technology for entertainment is huge in our world.  I got a taste of how much technology is a part of my students lives when I did a partner activity on energy last spring.  The students were asked to describe activities they could do while camping.  Many of my students drew or wrote that they would play their DS, ipod or watch movies on the ipad.  Only two teams reported that they would go for a walk in the woods and roast marshmallows.

The teachers of Reggio also believe in transparency-using light to learn about objects and colour.  This is why many of our FDK classrooms use a light table or projector to have students explore shadow, colour and light.  This transparency also applies to parent communication and involvement.  They make student learning visible through documentation with photos, videos and scribing conversations of students and teachers.  They record the process of the learning not just the end product.  They encourage parents and members of the community to bring their knowledge to the classroom, whether it is photography, art etc... They use the parents to help teach the children in areas of inquiry.  I love that relationships are built with the parents- a true partnership develops as both parties are involved in the learning process.  My plan for next year is to ask parents on Program night what they could bring to our room- maybe there will be some expert gardeners in the group, an architect for structures, a music enthusiast etc...  I would love to have more opportunities where parents join the classroom, take place in the learning and celebrate successes.

The principles of Reggio Emilia teaches the whole child.  The children learn self-regulating skills as students work together to discover concepts and share ideas.  They learn social graces, ways to problem solve and importantly how to manage their own behaviour.  Relationships with the community, parents and environment are developed.  The program recognizes the importance of multiple intelligences as it encourages children to show their learning in a way of their choosing whether it be drawing, in 3D form, diagram, painting or writing etc..    It honours student voice as areas for inquiry are student-driven and the ideas of students are valued.  It encourages children to share their thoughts with others, test their hypothesis and question results.  As a teacher, I am excited to see what these principles will bring to my own teaching and classroom experience.  I encourage those teachers interested, to explore these principles and consider adopting some of these practices for September.  I am excited to learn more and plan for this new journey ahead...