“It’s January, don’t you think it’s time to change the bulletin board?” pointed out a colleague. I looked at our Fall Explorations documentation panel and agreed that it was time to add some of our learning about the changing seasons to keep it current. Over the course of that week, I began searching for a […]
Pokemon Go and Mario: Rethinking the role of popular culture in early learning
Pokemon cards are all the rage at the moment in our kindergarten class. They are often the topic of conversation outside at recess, indoors during free exploration (play) and show and tell. Earlier this week, L.G., a shy and quiet student expressed his interest in creating his very own set of Pokemon cards. Understanding this […]
Three Ways to Create Meaningful Documentation
With fall transitioning into winter, and colder weather arriving in a few short weeks, we decided to create a documentation panel to frame our autumn inquiry. Naturally, we began the process by collecting evidence of student learning such as photographs, artwork, observational drawings, records of conversations and anecdotal notes to help us communicate student learning […]
Changing Seasons: Reggio Emilia Inspired Fall Explorations
The young children in our classroom have began to notice hints of fall in the changing colours of leaves, the temperature outside and activities at home such as baking pies and apple picking. As we begin to explore the season and document our observations, wonderings and understandings about fall, I thought I would share some […]
Funds of Knowledge – Connecting Culture with Play
“Wait, no, we don’t throw rice over our heads!” I explained to K.S. a (JK) student playing at the sensory bin. Our sensory bin is currently filled with rice and alphabet letters for students to discover, and in theory, students would quietly engage in exploration and find the hidden letters, and perhaps even identify them […]
Consider the Walls: Displays or Documentation?
The Friday of Easter Long Weekend, 2011. I remember the ‘date’ clearly. A few days prior, I had read an article titled “Consider the Walls” by Patricia Tarr (2004) where she suggested “classroom environments are public statements about the educational values of the institution and the teacher” (p. 2). For some reason, this statement resonated […]
