This week, I listened to two podcasts but for some reason I
was having technical difficulties and only heard 5 minutes of each
podcast. In both podcasts by BJ and
Susan Lyons (world forum), both educators were somewhat unsatisfied with their education or
education in general and were searching for alternative ways of thinking through
education. BJ happened across a
Montessori job position in California and it influenced her for training and
schooling purposes. After schooling, she bought an old school house in Maine
and opened her own Montessori school.
Susan Lyons visited Reggio Emilia’s 100 Languages of Children exhibit
and decided to bring this way of thinking back to California and started the
exhibit as well as professional development for educators.
These podcasts have inspired me! I feel like in my
undergraduate work, we only touched on each of the different theorists like
Montessori and Reggio. Since starting
teaching, professional development, and Masters Courses, I have been more and
more intrigued by the Reggio way of thinking and have incorporated some of what
I know into my classroom. The podcasts
have made me want to further my research in Reggio and to visit some classrooms
that use it. I know my district also has
a renowned Montessori program and since I am new to the district, I would also
like to explore that program as well. I
have been formerly trained in both Creative Curriculum and High Scope.
I also explored the Harvard website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/
and learned: that the project started work in the United States and is now
applying their work and concepts globally in Brazil, Zambia, and Chile to name
a few. They are also doing Mental Health
work in China, Rwanda, and the Caribbean.
The objectives of the program include Early Childhood Development, Child
Mental Health, and Children in Crisis and Conflict Situations.
The work in Brazil for Early Childhood Programs intrigued me. This project wants to guide stronger policies
and investment into young children in Brazil. The Global Children’s Initiative through Harvard is striving
for equity and excellence in all nations and is planting the seeds for such
things through their 3 objectives. Harvard
has several Fellowships and learning opportunities for students to be part of
the initiative.
Do you all feel that the United States still needs work in early childhood mental health, early childhood development, and children in crisis before we can extend it globally?
Resources:
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy listen to pod cast and the media segments. Listening to other professionals in the field keeps me motivated and helps me understand why I chose this field. It is always encouraging to know that something we may do now will have a lasting effect for years to come.
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteKnowing and understanding different types of curricula is a great way to help ensure that you as a teacher have the ability to make the learning individual for each child. You have listed a good variety like Creative Curriculum, High Scope, Montessori, and Reggio. Another one that I have fallen in love with and was so excited to get to visit the training school just outside of Austin, Texas is Waldorf. It is a learning method from Germany. It is great one to also learn about.
Heather
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if educators in the US should receive trainings and or classes as it relates to mental health, children in crisis, and early childhood development. I feel that children suffer through the issues of crisis when they become homeless, loss of a parent, or are placed in foster care for whatever reason. No, these issues don't compare fully to the children who have experienced catastrophic crisis such as losing family members and even friends in a tsunami. Yet and still I believe that if we were trained from all different aspects, it would help us along the way should we encounter a student who has experienced such. Thanks for the podcast information which was very interesting and insighful!