Digital Learning, Where Does it Fit into the Whole Child Picture?

I received the following information in my inbox, just sharing.


FINDING A HOME AMONG DIGITAL NATIVES

"In our education technology dreams, we can see young people using technology to engage in learning about a multitude of subjects, develop skills that will solve tomorrow's problems, connect to people around the world, and prepare for jobs we can't even conceptualize.

In our nightmares, we see young people who can't write complete sentences because they know how to write only in text-speak, lack social skills because they spend too much time in front of a screen and too little time learning how to interact with others face-to-face, and can't distinguish quality content from garbage. For many of us, these dreams and nightmares are daily realities. For others, these may sound like the possibilities and problems of a distant future.

Wherever your experience and opinions fall on this continuum, we can all agree that technology is here: it is a large part of most young people's lives, and we have an opportunity and a responsibility to harness its power for good and reduce its power to harm. To deny the challenges and focus with rose-colored glasses only on the positives and possibilities will shortchange our young people. Alternatively, having realistic and candid conversations about the challenges and opportunities, identifying promising practices and tools, and staying tightly connected to young people's use and experiences are essential to utilizing technology to keep students healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Throughout February, we're taking a hard look at what it takes to meaningfully integrate technology into students' lives to help them achieve the academic, social, and emotional learning and development key to their success. Download the most recent Whole Child Podcast, read and post your comments on the Whole Child Blog, and e-mail us resources for and examples of connecting digital learners."

Tiger Mom, An Interesting Read

Here is the original article

Here is a different take.

Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice

Another organization that is doing Good Work!

"Today the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization that works to realize his dream of a peaceful and just world."

http://www.rfkcenter.org/

Speak Truth to Power
As a teacher/educator you can access plans on Speaking Truth to Power.

While the lessons plans seem to created for children of high school age, you may find that you can use the information as a beginning research project for yourself, and build your own lessons plans, making them age appropriate.

Inexpensive Training Opportunity and News

Good Afternoon All!

We are please to announce several new adventures that have presented themselves.

1. We will present at the Chautauqua County Association for the Education of Young Children this fall. October 23 at SUNY Fredonia McEwen Hall. Topic- Character Education: What Is It? How Do You Do It? Why Is It Important?
As Early Childhood Educators we are faced with many challenges and charged with many duties, one of which is helping children to become successful citizens and life long learners. In this workshop we will define what character education is, give examples of activities and classroom learning centers to help cultivate character and why it is so important to include character education as part of your curriculum.

Cost is $10 for members and $15 for Non Members. I am checking on the times, but it is generally 8-1, with a keynote address and several sessions after the keynote.

2. A dear friend and great supporter of our work has joined our team, her name is Alyce Thorp. Alyce lives in Buffalo, has her masters in library science, and is a true believer in our cause. She will join us for trainings and workshops as her schedule allows.

3. At this time, I am in the process of opening a small school. As you may know, the Rainbow Farm School wasn't able to open and run at this time, however, the dream is still alive. Alyce plans to join me in opening a small Montessori based school. I am hoping to take the teacher certification program soon so that I have the knowledge and understanding to create a Montessori based school in the area. If you are interested in receiving more information or to be kept in the loop, please email taverna@moonandme.com. I hope to be open and running by 2012 at the latest.

Personally, I feel very blessed to part of such a wonderful organization. And as a group, I know I speak for the rest of the team when I say Thank You for your Support!

Meeting the Needs of Parents

In her popular Exchange book, How Does it Feel? Child Care from Families' Perspectives, Anne Stonehouse asks, "How would you feel if you believed that the professionals in the program were more knowledgeable and expert about your child than you were?

Parent support is much more appropriate than believing that you have a mandate to 'educate families.' The point is to support and empower families as the most important people in their child's life.

We must always be conscious of what message we are sending parents. We must build trust in relationships and meet the parent where they are at this moment.

Ready, Set, Happy

Good Afternoon,
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a training called Ready, Set, Happy by Denise Flora, one of the creators. (I apologize for not underlining the above title)

The Ready Set Happy curriculum is based on The 16 Guidlines.

The 16 Guidelines for Life are a set of practical and straightforward tools for developing happiness and meaning in everyday life. It is the first project of Essential Education, a non-profit organisation that aims to help people develop their natural capacity for compassion and wisdom. The 16 Guidelines are featured in a book, 16 Guidelines For Life: The Basics by Alison Murdoch and Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw, first published in 2005.

The 16 Guidelines are not a prescriptive doctrine or a set of commandments. They are offered as opportunities to explore one's own life experiences and to see whether the 16 Guidelines can help to improve the quality of that experience.

Ready Set Happy is based on the 16 guidelines are appropriate for children aged 7-12, but I would argue that the principles are appropriate for all children, and that the activities would need to be altered to be age appropriate.

The curriculum has specific activities to go along with each character trait, as well as songs, ideas and book suggestions.

If you are interested, A Starting Small Project, plans to develop additional ideas and lessons plans to follow this curriculum.

Please visit http://www.16guidelines.org/ as well as http://www.16guidelines.org/publications/29-ready-set-happy.

We also plan to develop activities and ideas for adults, so if you would like us to present this information along with our current workshops please contact us at
astartingsmallproject@gmail.com
or
taverna@moonandme.com

Relationships with Children

In Intellectual Emergencies: Some Reflections on Mothering and Teaching, Lilian Katz makes these two observations about teachers' relationships with children:

"Relationships cannot be developed in a vacuum; we have to relate to each other about something — something that matters to the participants in the relationship. The content of our relationship with children should not be mainly about rules, regulations, and conduct, but about their increasing knowledge and developing understandings of those things within and around them worth knowing more about and understanding more deeply, more fully, and more accurately."

"Cultivate the habit of speaking to children as people — people with minds — usually lively ones. Appeal to their good sense. It is not necessary to be sweet, silly, or sentime ntal at one extreme, or somber, grim, or harsh at the other end. Let us be genuine, direct, honest, serious, and warm with them, and about them — and sometimes humorous too."

Fundraiser for A Starting Small Project at the Fredonia Farmers Market

Hi Everyone,
I will be at the Fredonia Farmers Market tomorrow selling books and postcards. Please consider buying a postcard or book or placing an order for one of the many items available from Syracuse Cultural Workers. All the proceeds to benefit A Starting Small Project.

Thank You,

Karen

Jim Greeman

“It is a strange time. We live in an age when our children may know far more about bizarre people we care nothing about or a cartoon world than the workings of their own back yard — that marvelous ecosystem teeming with life. They may know more about, or rather have more information on, exotic zoo animals and farm animals than the snails, squirrels, birds, worms, and bugs that live outside their windows.”

Jim Greenman

Syracuse Cultural Worker's Products for Sale through A Starting SMall Project

Hey Friend,
Please help A Starting Small Project by purchasing a book, postcard or t-shirt from Syracuse Cultural Workers. You can place your order by contacting Karen at startingsmallproject@gmail.com- I can drop off a catalog or you can browse the website, but all orders must come through us or we won't get credit.


I will soon have a list of on-hand items and other information- check back soon!

Karen

So many resources

Here is another resource:

http://www.search-institute.org/about

I believe the institute met with local leaders on Friday. I would like to hear what was discussed and how we can be a part of the solution.

Check this out!

The Stick

From Everyday Exchange-
Sadly, I am sure there are some who don't value the power of a stick as a play tool.


Hall of Fame Stick
May 5, 2010

Midday sun is the remedy for a cold.
-Proverb from Hausa
The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted 44 classic toys, including the stick. In discussing the stick, the Hall of Fame observes...

"The stick may be the world’s oldest toy. Animals play with sticks, and we use them to play fetch with our dogs. Children find sticks an endless source of make-believe fun. Sticks can turn into swords, magic wands, majorette batons, fishing poles, and light sabers. When children pretend with sticks, they cultivate their creativity and develop their imagination. They explore as they search outdoors for just the right one. Children build with sticks, bat balls with them, and walk with them. They are the original building blocks for creative play. Sticks also promote free play — the freedom to invent and discover. They encourage playing outside instead of inside. Sticks are all around us; they are natural and free. And playing with sticks isn’t just for children and animals. Adult artists, crafters, decorators, and architects all make use of sticks in sculptures, wreaths, furniture, and building design. Few adults or children can resist simple play with sticks — from drawing in the sand on the beach, to building a campfire and then toasting marshmallows. Sticks are not only possibly the oldest toy, they’re possibly the best!"

If we are looking only at the preschool years, what do you see as the classic toys? Share your recommendations in this week's Exchange Insta Poll, "Classic Toys for Young Children."

Representing A Starting Small at NYSAEYC

Good Evening! I am blogging from the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children Early Childhood Conference.
I am thankful to be able to have attended the following workshops- Eco Healthy Child Care and Infant and Toddler training, Lessons on Maternal Depression.
I will give you several links and will add some to our link section. These came from the eco-healthy workshop I attended. I do not vouch for these websites, except Healthy Toys, which I have looked at before.

ecologo.org
greenseal.org
healthytoys.org
www.mbayaq.org
earth911.org
www.acmineth.org

Website Updated with lots of information

Website is updated: www.astartingsmallproject.org

Would you like us to present at your school, church or community group?

Our workshops thus far:

Tools for Teaching Tolerance--Activity-based Discussion Centers. The workshop rotates through 4 self guided “centers”, Self Development, Wrappers, Skin Tone and Resources. Each center focuses on ways to develop a culture of tolerance. Members of a Starting Small Project help facilitate discussion and answer any questions as the students work for 15-20 minutes, playing with the materials and then moving onto the next center. The students then have specific guided questions to answer.

Putting Together a Teaching Tolerance Tool Kit for Your School, Classroom, or Community Group
Coming soon...

Child Havens: Creating Intentional Environments that Promote Positive Interactions, Open Communication and Respect for all Children

This workshop will explore ways to arrange your physical space and the materials needed to promote communication and collaboration among children. We will discuss the elements of creating intentional spaces and room arrangement.

Together We Can Create Communities of Support, Respect and Acceptance

Communities are essential resources for young children and their families. The schools in which children attend, the churches and synagogues where they worship can help to give the children a sense of identity, and of belonging. Today, we will explore the ways we can help the families in our community feel supported, respected and accepted.

Please contact Karen A Taverna for more information
taverna@moonandme.com

17 Ways to Murder an Idea

Another great article from Exchange Everyday-

A promotional booklet entitled "Imagine" put out by the consulting firm Synecrticsworld lists "17 Ways to Murder an Idea." Here are my favorities...

• See it coming and quickly change the subject.
• Ignore it. Dead silence intimidates all but the most enthusiastic.
• Feign interest but do nothing about it. This at least prevents the originator from taking it elsewhere.
• Laugh it off. "Ho, ho, ho, that's a good one, Joe. You must have been up all night thinking that up.
• Modify it out of existence...You seem to be helping the idea along, just changing it a bit here and there. By the time the originator realizes what's happening, the idea is dead.
• Drown it in cold water, as in "We don't have the staff to do it...the intangible risks would be too great...that's all well in theory, but in real life..."

I hope this will serve as a reminder to myself and others that listening and really hearing people and their ideas is extremely important.

Teens

You remember being a teen, right? Being a teen can be hard, they need our support, love and guidance. Check out this article from Mothering.com

Global Village School Book List, Check it Out!

Great book list courtesy of the Global Village School.

If you are local, A Starting Small Project has many of these books that you would be welcome to borrow for your reading pleasure. Just email taverna@moonandme.com to make a request.

Free Enewsletter to help with lesson planning

Sign up for the free Enewsletter with Teaching Tolerance.

Connecting people, actions and environment

Last Saturday, my family visited Washington D.C. during the height of the healthcare debate. While we decided not to take the girls to the rally, we did visit the National Archives. Isabella, my 8 year old, was very impressed with seeing the Constitution.
Children can build their understanding of history, and politics through such experiences but more important to this, is the opportunity for them to do social justice work.
I came across a link for Heifer International. We will begin using this to help us, "understand and appreciate the connections between people, their actions and the environment. Help your students discover that they have the power to change the world."