Role of play: Play movie

Nature is a free playground for children to explore and experiment with their limitations. This movie demonstrated how the lack of nature is effecting children from all different background and living environments. I really liked the box activity taking a kids who grew up in a suburb and urban town and asked them to create a city. It was very cool to see how kids can do the same activity but approach it entirely differently, and where kids were brought up effect this activity. I know that technology has impacted our daily lives, but never know how much kids were being exposed, and how negative it is for their cognitive development. Violence is in so many movies, shows and video games, that there is no surprise that kids tend to be more violent when they are involved in these things, because kids learn primarily through imitation. This video stresses how kids need to be outside, away from technology and learn through exploration, and I thought it did a good job of showing it.

Waldorf Movie

This project was really fun and frustrating to complete. At first I was having trouble with the technology and figuring out how to work the imovie, but than when I got the hang of it it was really fun to put the movie together. I feel that by putting the movie together i was able to learn about Waldorf in a really fun and creative way. Searching the internet and looking for pictures, and videos of what it is like to be a part of a Waldorf school, gave me the chance to visual what it is like. I am very much a visual learner so it helped me to see the videos my classmates put together to see the schools that they learned about as well.

Role of Play: Pico Crickets

Me and my fellow group members were allowed to play with PicoCrickets in class, which is a new software out for kids that allow them to create through play. Chen, Kristi and I created a ballerina that moves when we touch a sensor after programing it on the computer, and a yellow light flashes on. We found it was hard to get all of the components to work at the same time, and some trials one thing would work and other times they would not. Overall it was a good experience to get involved with what they kids are working on.

At Aldo I noticed that the classroom style was a lot less informal in the way that the kids were able to address the teacher by their first name, and use markers to write in their daily journals. Yet it was good to observe how on task the students were and how they knew what where their journals were supposed to go after they had checked it over with Melissa. Also I was able to compare my sophomore block school ( Howe) to Aldo and It was weird to me to see kids so free to go to recess with out waiting for the other students or teacher to walk them down. I think this is a great way to show children responsibility.

Aldo

on Monday Feb. 15 was my first day at Aldo in the kindergarten class. I didn't really know a lot about the philosophy of the school so I was shocked when the kids referred to the teacher by her first name instead of last. When I was there the kids did journals and than math. I was amazed at how well the kids behaved, and how one boy Pennigton was able to spell Madison and President with no help. I also observed that one boy had his own designated corner to go to in order to do the work assigned. I noticed that when they were in a large group this boy would spin on his knees and act out a little, but when he was in his own corner he was able to perform well with out distraction. Overall it was a great first day, and some of the kids even wrote about me in their journal which was a great feeling!

First blog post

Hi Dr. Tichy,