Constructivism across the Curriculum in Early Childhood: Big Ideas as Inspiration by Christine Chaille

Notes on Chapter One - Big Ideas: A Framework for Constructivism Curriculum The book will identify and explore several big ideas, looking at materials and resources for developing broad-ranging curriculum based on each big idea.

Author’s core value is that “children are competent, confident, curious theory-builders; this value is the essence of constructivism.” She is particularly inspired by the way constructivism is expressed in Reggio Emilia work. I agree with this value, and am also inspired. I find it a little annoying the way she sometimes acts as if Reggio invented or is the only current expression of constructivism, but this is a minor point.

Background on Constructivism Background On Reggio –

1st core idea: pedagogy of listening – teachers learn from children rather than transmitting info

2nd core idea: participation – teachers, children, parents, and community, participate in the dialogue of education.

3rd core idea: culture is created in the preschool

4th core idea: documentation – purposes: 1) teachers collaborate with children make children’s learning visible to the children, teachers, parents and community

2) communicates to children and all others that what children do is important and worthy of recording

The Reggio deep, long project work based on daily interaction and the social setting of the classroom is not available to me as a specialist, but connection over time is made in a different way as children build knowledge and experience with expressive materials available weekly.

[A couple of relevant quotes from the Foss video on Balance and Motion: “Its through multiple experiences that the concepts emerge from the students – a very important instructional strategy when working with early childhood students.”

“At times, the atmosphere may have the deceptive look and feel of play [I would argue that it is not deceptive: it IS play, but purposeful, focused play], but the students will be working hard . . . Even greater than the content advantages that the students will gain will be the qualities of persistence and problem-solving that will emerge as a result . . . It will be a lasting experiences for all of you.”]

What is a Big Idea – “an overarching idea that unifies, inspires and resonates with children” Have some big idea in mind, and look for opportunities in children’s spontaneous exploration to introduce study of a big idea, or get it going with a provocation.

Inspiration – will engage children in depth

Connection – construct learning through knowledge connections and social connections Observation – participatory interaction between student and teachers

Ordinary Moments “One of the legacies of the work of Reggio Emilia . . . has to do with acknowledgement of and close look at those times when children do wonderful things and experience powerful learning that occurs spontaneously and without clear precipitation by the ‘planned curriculum’ whether it be the framework of big ideas or the project approach.”

Big Ideas and Quest for Essence – “structuring learning around primary concepts”

- constructivist teachers focus on big ideas because of the importance of looking at the whole rather than the parts – multiplicity of possibilities. “The environment and the use of broad concepts invite each student to participate irrespective of individual styles, temperaments and dispositions”

Notes and Thoughts on Chapter Two – Light as an Introduction to Big Ideas

This chapter looks at the big idea of light and the kinds of learning that can be made in different domains, including creative arts

Notes and Thoughts on Chapter Three – The Constructivist Teacher: Issues in Implementation

Time: “time is chopped up and segregated by curriculum domains, making it seemingly difficult, if not impossible, to integrate across curriculum areas. There are also fewer long blocks of time when children are together as a cohesive groups during which fluid small-group projects could go on with some continuity” Suggested ways to blend/bridge separate time blocks and integrate work into children’s time with specialists.

Mentioned that one needs to feel comfortable with the reasons for and pace of any change ”your confidence in what you are doing and that you are doing the right thing for the children is the source of your strength as a professional . . . When you try new things . . . you are apt to feel some discomfort . . . Being comfortable is not the issue, but always questioning if what you do is appropriate while being confident that you are on the right path.”

Structure: Provided by the teacher – explicit rules and implicit tolerance

Provided by materials – each has possibilities and limits

Provided by physical environment

Provided by peers

“Planning, the intersection between the teacher’s goals and interests and the children’s goals and interests, is a key element of the constructivist classroom”. The author mentions that many people mistakenly think planning is not part of constructivism. She describes constructivist planning as a “mutually enriching negotiation and collaboration” between the children and adults. She talks of planning based on knowing what children are capable of and ideas that capture their attention being paired with spontaneity. “We cannot plan the magical experiences that happen. We only plan the context in which they occur.”

“This combination of planning and flexibility is hard to maintain . . . there is a risk of not wanting to let go of what we have predicted . . . Sometimes we will continue along the path we have so carefully thought through because we are so excited about it, and we don’t realize the children have been left behind.”

Constructivist Teaching as a Continuum

Continuum – every teacher does things that are/are not consistent with constructivism

“A constructivist-oriented teacher is in a constant learning mode.” “I think it is this lack of certainty in teaching that is both the inspiration and the threat of constructivism. In our traditional teaching paradigms we have been taught to be in control, to know what we are doing and what the outcomes will be, to be able to anticipate every possibility. From a constructivist perspective, we lose control in a profound sense . . . each [student] will . . . construct something different from the same “input.” Instead of lamenting this fact, the constructivist teacher celebrates it, and willingly lets go of the need to be able to predict what each child will make of the same information.”

“This uncertainty is also at the root of why assessment for the constructivist teacher is not standardized and is not capable of being standardized. Standardization is antithetical to constructivism . . . So, nonstandardized assessment is the name of the game for the constructivist teacher, which does not mean no assessment, but rather, meaningful, authentic assessment. That for the most part means that what you do as a teacher is tell a story, describing what you see children doing. You also spend a good deal of time helping children to represent their own learning in as many ways as possible . . .But it is not for the purpose of ensuring they all know the same thing. Rather, it is so that you can see the richness and diversity of the stories they tell."

Cultivating the Skills Needed to be a Constructivist Teacher

Understanding the World Around Us – “Good teachers are lifelong learners.”

Learning to Represent and Document What Children are Learning

.

The Role of Observation

The Teacher’s Perspective of the Constructivist Classroom

Qualities of a constructivist teacher: excitement about ideas, grounded in child development and understanding of family and culture, reflective, able to communicate to many audiences, masterful at obtaining and using resources, planful yet extremely flexible – she must plan activities and environments that allow for multiple possibilities, engaged in constant observation, collaborative,

The Constructivist Classroom from the Perspective of the Child

Children learn early on and gradually clear expectations about reasonable behavior with each other and with materials. “reasonableness test” for rules

Children know “the classroom is a place where I can have lots of ideas and questions and will have opportunities to explore my ideas and experiment with my questions. This classroom is a place where I am given access to resources and materials, I have choices in what I do and how, and I know I can interact with others in a safe environment. I know there are clear expectations about what is okay and not okay, but I also know there are many possibilities.”

“Sometimes the teacher will ask me to do a particular thing, and she will explain to me why it is important and why she is asking me to do it even if it isn’t my first choice. Sometimes she will have all of us do something together.”

“the child in the constructivist classroom . . . is confident, curious, engaged and collaborative. It is interesting to think about how the constructivist views these characteristics as being natural to children. The constructivist classroom is one that acknowledges children for who rhey are and supports them, providing an appropriate and stimulating environment in which they can thrive and in which they can engage in meaningful learning.”

Notes and Thoughts on Chapter Four – Balancing Acts

Underlying Ideas – estimation, comparison, measurement, symmetry

The Mathematics of Balance

Making Balance a Bigger Idea- expanding concept to things like ecological balance

The Socioemotional Realm – equity, fairness, justice, sharing as types of balance

Symmetry – a form of visual balance. This section includes good technology resources for working with symmetry or viewing symmetry in nature

Creative Arts and Balance – symmetry through ink blots, paper-cutting, drawing the other half of a photo cut in half, balancing clay sculpture

Language and Literacy – balance in structure of poetry and writing, stories involving balance

Physical Balance – balance beams, etc.

This chapter gives specific ways for making connections across the curriculum

Notes and Thoughts on Chapter Five – Zooming In and Out

Micro, Macro – The Very Small and the Very Large – magnification, enlargement and miniature worlds are all fascinating to children. Widen focus to perspective-taking – what it would be like to be very small or very large.

Children’s Literature Relating to Zooming in and Out – Two Bad Ants, Me on the Map as catalysts for map-making and scale models, and a discussion of how mandated skills could be worked into a naturally-arising topic of study, or one the teacher has sparked interest in through a provocation.

Technology as a Tool for Perspective-Taking – overhead projector, digital camera, as ways to make images bigger and smaller and manipulate them to help kids see things in different ways and take perspective.

The Role of Symbolic Play and Role-playing in Perspective-Taking- dramatic play as supporting perspective-taking

Symbolic Play for Older Children- turn symbolic play into creative writing and story-telling

Zooming In and Out – Extensions to Mathematics – Micro, macro, size, comparison, proportion, fractions, part/whole, and inclusion. Size ordering, Three Bears, nesting toys, digital pictures of kids in three sizes, mapping a square inch, bird’s eye view,

Extensions in the Area of Social Studies – Perspective-taking, knowing what to do when encountering people who are different than they are in some regard. Videos such as

“Families of the World”, working with conflict resolution.