three words: Uncover Their Story

I was inspired by Scott at Brick by Brick and his 'One Word: Listen' post this week.
I reflected back on my own post from last year with MY One Word: Brilliant post and do feel like I lived fairly brilliantly for 2012.

Uncovering Jack's story of his straw and stick flying aircraft.

My new word for 2013 is not one word but three...
My focus is to Uncover Their Story when working with children. 
To do this, it requires
Stillness
Listening
Questioning
Respecting
Reflecting

I am fascinated by Process - and the Diversity of Process - by which individual children embrace their play.
I am fascinated by Use of Materials and how attaching, connecting, layering and technique come together to create some sort of collage or aircraft or kite.

I am fascinated by the life of children.
I am eager to Uncover Their Story and share those stories with you.

Do YOU have a word for 2013?
cheers!

complex materials prompt inventive design

I am thrilled to write my first 2013 post for Zella. Bring on the New Year and new stories about children and their learning processes.

I have been thinking about the complexity of play and the importance of offering diverse materials for construction. Block play combined with pieces that roll or tilt or stack increase children's ways of thinking about balance, symmetry or design. 

Wow. Using brick blocks, window blocks, kapla block, and carefully placed blue rolling balls on upper tiers. Wow.

Observing the choices of these two children as they built this raised tower was fascinating.
Notice the exact symmetry of placed colored brick blocks, the equally symmetrical placement of window blocks in rectangular and triangle shapes, and the criss-cross kapla blocks placed on top. Amazing. 
Then, add carefully balanced blue and red rolling balls to the tower. Each ball was set slowly, made sure it didn't roll, then the hand let go and went to get another ball. 
Amazing.
This kind of work is no accident.

What kind of materials do you offer to prompt inventive construction and a unique kind of small motor work? 

 Happy New Year and Happy Building with Complex Materials.

grab an iPad, hit Pause, then Draw: a 4-year-old IN ACTION

I am always in search for the Next Story for my blog. As in, the Next Story that tweaks my interest when I see or hear something about young children's innovative methods for learning.

I had the good fortune last week to be speaking with a parent in the 3-5s class in which I teach. The dad, Vlada, and I were talking about his 4-year-old daughter Zoe and  - voila! - my Next Story. How amazing that this creative technology story came right to my lap when Vlada told me about how Zoe had been exploring with her iPad at home.

Zoe working at home with her iPad - pausing a scene so she can use her sketch paper to draw a favorite character.

Vlada shared with me how Zoe uses her iPad to watch short children's shows and also do other games on the iPad. A couple weeks ago, Vlada said Zoe started using her iPad - along with paper & pencils - in an unique way:

Zoe would be watching a favorite show on her iPad, then Pause it at a certain point, then turn to use blank paper and pencils to draw details of her favorite characters from the show. Zoe would view her iPad, hit Pause, draw, hit Rewind for a different detailed freeze frame, Pause, and draw further. Zoe would engage this way for long periods of time and has returned to this invented activity many times since Vlada first witnessed Zoe's iPad + Paper art experience. [genius!]

As an educator, I was particularly struck by Zoe's seamless integration of technology, small motor, choice-making, representational efforts with drawing tools, self-direction, and being an agent of one's own learning.

Of course, it is no surprise that children are the best teachers to show us HOW things can be used, turned, pushed, pulled in ways that we as adults would never dream up.
Of course this tech idea came from the best source - a 4-year-old in action.

* Technology use by early learners has been a hot topic for a number of years. Earlier this year, NAEYC put out its statement on Tech + Media. Here is a link to a previously written blog about technology and young children which includes links to the NAEYC Statement: Authentic Ways to Use Technology.

Special thanks to Vlada and Zoe for allowing me

to share their story and photo. 

What do YOU think of Zoe's inventive way

to incorporate technology with her interest in art?

Do you have other children's examples of playing with

or incorporating technology?