Preschool Page
Lauren, Gazi, Deepak & Agnes
Read Agnes' reflections for some very thoughtful analysis of our readings and how they are relevant to preschool.
Deepak also has some nice thoughts connecting his experience in online learning with hopes for preschool.
Some More First Thoughts from Our Meetings
REPORT: May 8, 2006
MEMBERS: Agnes Chan, Gazi Garib, Lauren Holthaus, Deepak Kumar
SITE: T’enna Preschool, located within the Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, CA
CONTACT: Zvi Weiss
VISIT 1: May 9 at 10am
KEY PHILOSOPHY: Flexibility (of use) and balance (of theories)
DRAWING FROM:
REGGIO EMILIA (ITALY)
-Time and space for project-oriented curriculum, the topics of which are chosen and developed based on the interests and interactions of the children with no clear end stated or understood from the outset
-Emphasis on community and parental involvement (in the areas of curriculum, policy, and finance)
-Curriculum team leaders on site
-Teachers as learners; continual development of the model itself
-Integration of classrooms into the school and the school into the community
-Use of mirrors, artwork, project displays, found objects, classroom materials to create an engaging children
-Space for simple supplies which are frequently rearranged to draw attention to their individual qualities
-Space for individual, small group and large group activities
-Environment as the “third teacher”
-Children express their learning through many symbolic languages (drawing, sculpting, dramatizing, writing, verbalizing, etc)
JAPANESE PRESCHOOLS
-Ownership of classroom space, portions unique only to that specific classroom
-Japanese lighting
-Musical aspects to preschool
-Entrance way to welcome and "force" parents into the classroom, their ownership of the space as well
-Flow between inside and outside space (similar to Bing) is very common in these classrooms
-Some materials that are inside, will be seen outside (materials that we might not consider outside worthy)
-Larger personal space for children (partially due to their need there to change into uniform and take off shoes!)
TRADITIONAL PRESCHOOLS (UNITED STATES)
-Spaces separated into “centers”
-Integrated, thematic curriculum
-Field trips into the community