According to article by Sheryl Reinisch and Will Parnell, the Helen Gordon Center’s Reggio-inspired practices, documentation is thinking about thinking, talking about learning, revisiting the subject matter studied, and displaying it for further discussion and learning opportunities. Developed over time, this has become a way for the learning field to communicate what is being learned, how, and why. Documentation has become a meta-cognitive process for children, teachers, and the community. Children revisit documented panels and representative work, create new stories about their prior learning with parents, friends, and co-learning teachers, and talk about past happenings while looking at their own languages on the walls and display shelves of the school.
Ceppi and Zini (1998) describe it as following:
It is not a question of styles. A relational space is an environment fabric rich in information, without formal rules. It is not the representation of a school, but a whole made up of many different identities, with a recognizable feel about it, in harmony with a set of values and references that guide each choice and line of research. In this space, the aesthetic quality depends (also) on the quality of the connections. (p. 13)
This website shared a great description about the Helen Gordon Center. I am more concerned about providing opportunity for children to learn through play by using their imagination. So if your program is well funded, with a beautiful school, quality curriculum, expensive equipment, then its this the best type of play for children?
As I teacher, I like to provide the children with opportunity. The opportunity for them to share their knowledge from home to school. Then, we set up a curriculum based around their knowledge. Then, we scaffold with different materials, books, and continue to teach the child. During free center time, the children are allowed to go to any center they choose to go to. At this time, the children use build social skills, incoporate imagination, invent, build curiosity, persistance.
I am not saying that the Reggio Program is not good. All I am saying is that children do not need expensive instructional materials to play. All they need is themself and other children.
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Hi Misty,
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the classrooms depicted on the design share website could expand your blog posting.
I have actually visited the Helen Gordon Center -- most of the materials used within the center are recycled and collected. This is the same in the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. These schools have their own recycling center called Remida where the community contributes the materials which would usually be thrown away.
Also, the schools in Reggio Emilia and inspired by the work of the schools in Reggio Emilia are based on relationship -- relationship with the environment, relationship with the community, relationship with peers, etc.
How might the consideration of relationship offer you another way to consider your own program and the programs presented in the Helen Gordon Centers and other centers on the designshare website? Do you find deeper connections or discoveries?
Jeanne
Hi Misty,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts about the importance of creating opportunity in the curriculum.
A lot of the schools did seem to be well-funded because of how much thought was put into the architecture. The building knew it was going to be a school for young children when it was being built. That is an advantage that many of these schools had at the Design Share website. The Design Share website provided a lot of ideas though about how I can approach classroom set-up and design. It really made me think about little things I could incorporate into the classroom without changing the entire structure of the building.
Aloha Misty,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the thoughts that Ceppi and Zini talk about: The aesthetic quality depends also on the quality of the connections and not just the space. I wanted to comment about well funded schools who have everything, such as quality products, aesthetically pleasing space and equipment and how you think that that's the kind of space that a child can best learn and play in! Well yes I think they will be able to learn and use their imagination in that kind of environment, but I also think that children can learn and use their imagination in an environment that is not so Lakeshore like. For example, a non-profit preschool with handmade jobs and shelving, etc can also be aesthetically pleasing with a great curriculum, and still provide a great classroom for the children to learn and develop in. I personally don't prefer to work in a school who has endless funds and expensive evreything, because to me the children will learn about materialistic things and get used to high-end equipment. I mean yes it is nice for them to be able to use quality things sometimes, but what happens when they go home and have nothing expensive like that? I think that expensive things don't teach children how to appreciate what they have and how to make or use what's available.
Hi Misty,
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you talk about children not needing expensive things, basically what they need is themselves and peers, also don't forget us adults. We need to be there to help scaffold and encourage and maybe even help problem solve.
I like what you noted about "It is not the representation of a school, but a whole made up of many different identities, with a recognizable feel about it, in harmony with a set of values and references that guide each choice and line of research." I talked about that in my blog as well. Doesn't matter about the size and asthetics of the school, everything will be harmonized as long as we have each other. We just make do with what we have, if that means recycled materials and just nature it self, that will suffice my needs :).
jan
It did seem that the schools were well funded. I would've liked to see the different centers close up to really get a better picture of the classrooms. Even though where I work my director will pretty much get anything we want - within reason. I still like to use recycled materials to make things with and have the children to use and create with. I mentioned in another comment posting that the magazine, "Pack-o-Fun" is a great tool to use for recycled ideas. I get it from Ben Franklin and you can also get online at: www.amosadvantage.com It's perfect for a person who likes to be creative and use recycled materials in their classroom.
ReplyDeleteI do have to agree with you when you talk about the school's facility. You could have the best facility in the world and be well funded but if you don't have quality teachers and a curriculum built around the children it's doesn't mean anything. I have been to some well funded facilities and as I walked in it felt cold and it didn't have that "homey" and comfortable feel. I think that's important, it has to be welcoming and it has to represent the families you are serving.
ReplyDeleteHi Uilani!
ReplyDeleteI’m also a teacher and I agree what you are saying. During free time it is an opportunity for my students to build their social skills, answer their own questions among their own peers, incoporate imagination, and build curiosity. I also let my students pick what centers they want to be in without getting involved. We also have this “PEACE TABLE” were if students that has a problem with each other, a teacher would direct them to that area and work out that problem between themselves. This will build solving problem skills. ;-D
Hi U’ilani!
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that there’s a school like “Helen Gordon Center” and I hope one day there would be a school like that in Hawaii. We need to think about what we have and how Hawaii economy is affecting our school system now. I totally agree what you said “As I teacher, I like to provide the children with opportunity. The opportunity for them to share their knowledge from home to school.” I’m also a teacher and my students don’t need expensive instructional material to learn and play with. All they need is their imagination and their other fellow classmate. ;-D