tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post2907993667028988477..comments2024-03-28T11:57:21.902-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: My Visit To PreschoolPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-9847420861479250612016-10-21T22:23:27.150-04:002016-10-21T22:23:27.150-04:00I spent time at Woodland Park when Teacher Tom was...I spent time at Woodland Park when Teacher Tom was "not teaching." It's critical to read his blog on a regular basis to understand the intent of a play-based preschool. The blog is a master's program in early childhood education--not because he tells people how to "teach" these children, but because he describes what HE learns from the children...and how to "facilitate" early childhood education with as little intrusion as possible into the authentic learning of the children. I watched a 3 year old spend 20 minutes pouring water from a container into a plastic water wheel and watching the wheel turn. He repeated this again and again--totally absorbed in what he was doing and oblivious to the chaos around him. Finally, he filled his glass one more time, stuck his finger into the water wheel, pushed down a lever, and poured the water into the top. This time the wheel turned in the opposite direction. He did it one more time to confirm his hypothesis and then took off to explore his next question. Anyone who feels the need to "measure" his learning is blind and/or obsessed with meaningless data. You have to spend more than a couple of hours there to appreciate the depth of authentic learning that is going on--and to see why "teaching" social and emotional learning is totally unnecessary when children are allowed to freely explore their interactions with one another. I can't recommend Teacher Tom's blog highly enough.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02460639229043860740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-66412965721647486182016-10-21T13:48:52.983-04:002016-10-21T13:48:52.983-04:00You hit the nail on the head: all attempts at stif...You hit the nail on the head: all attempts at stiffly monitoring progress where preschool and even kindergarten are concerned are, and have been, only the result of A FOOL'S errand. Absolute fools spouting their blind foolishness have, for so many long years now, imposed upon -- and caused great harm to -- our children.ciedie aechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00443601825150518035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-38473357366998324302016-10-21T10:46:11.180-04:002016-10-21T10:46:11.180-04:00Prek Jen- You are correct about the abundant resea...Prek Jen- You are correct about the abundant research measuring quality and outcomes. But there is no perfect measure. Program philosophy can be greatly different, for example Montessori and Waldorf do not fit well into any current 'measurement', very hard to measure apples, oranges and avocados with the same tool. My personal experience is the best measure of quality and positive outcomes lies in the warmth of the teacher and her supportive interactions with children and parents. My main concern is the current political forces at play in pre-k. In NYS all funding goes to public school, other programs such as parent cooperatives are closing. Choices are becoming extremely limited. Without parent choice I see the end of early childhood education as we once knew it, and as described in this well-written piece. Kristina Hansenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823505678051885079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-50870984803605521962016-10-21T07:00:34.151-04:002016-10-21T07:00:34.151-04:00As an early childhood educator...please....please....As an early childhood educator...please....please...please....we need more programs and more people to "do pre-K right". I was lucky, my bachelors degree in ECE was based in my college's Human Development Department, not the Education Department. Doing pre-k right requires a solid understanding of child development/family studies, not assessments and rubrics.Kristina Hansenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823505678051885079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-35932645539773311262016-10-21T06:45:58.698-04:002016-10-21T06:45:58.698-04:00Pete,
As an 18 year veteran Pre K Special Ed teach...Pete,<br />As an 18 year veteran Pre K Special Ed teacher, who has experience in the Part C, the special need Federal program for birth to two children, I can tell you there is tons of material out there for measuring these programs and outcomes. If you are interested, you might look into the Perry school project, a 40 year long research into the outcomes of the High Scope teaching method. Please don't judge my grammar, it's early I haven't had my coffee. Love your blog!prek Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06121354841628095579noreply@blogger.com