|
I am proud to be part of these wonderful THINQ Kindergarten Inquiry resources! As a member of the editing team for this resource, I had opportunity to share our experiences, photographs and classroom stories to help and inspire all educators alike to embrace the power of inquiry in the early years. I enjoyed learning from other educators and tried many new activities and explorations in our classroom. As many of you have asked, it is available on Amazon and through the OCT online library. The visuals are clear, simple and concise, there are many examples of how to start an inquiry, and there are several examples of student work, the classroom learning environment, and how to spark interest and meet program requirements.
0 Comments
As the winter comes to an end (so it feels like) spring is in the air! How are you transitioning your k program to encourage children to notice such changes? How can the provocations planned and brought into the learning environment evoke critical thinking? Here is a look back at our winter to spring transformation last year.
I am in love with this new book released this month called Lola Dutch by Kenneth and Sarah Wright ! This little girl loves painting, researching classic inventors at the library, learning about the grand works of Monet, Van Gogh, and Klimt. She loves to cook a fancy breakfast, drink tea, and throw fancy parties! She certainly is a little bit much! At the end of the story, her favourite things to do is be with her friends (a swan and bear)!
How cute! Needless to say, my husband was the one to surprise me with this book for Baby Sprinkle's spectacular collection! Ohh... to leave in the world of Lola Dutch! Our kindergartens have been busy exploring the world of technological coding using a variety of devices. Our school has been busy creating a maker space for all grade levels to explore the benefits of STEM learning, inquiry and play. Our kindergartens have been learning about directionality and the ways in which computer coding is a skill for the future in the 21st Century classroom. As I am an advocate for all toys and materials from Louise Kool and Galt. I appreciate their customer service, quality, and open ended opportunities. I am so excited to start my own baby's collection of Kool & Galt! As a kindergarten teacher, I desire to have materials last and extend to the next group of learners. Therefore, I went to venture to their showroom to find these wonderful math inspired materials! Here are some of the goodies we brought back to class! The Cubetto was certainly a highlight for the class. Together, we discussed how to take turns as the Cubetto really requires a smaller group format. We began with a guided lesson and discussion and throughout the week broke out into math learning "coding groups" and took turns exploring how the Cubetto might work and brainstormed about the materials in the box. The kids really enjoyed having a grid to use and they adored the symbols (which they adapted to fairly quickly). The language required for the Cubetto encourages literacy skills and communication and for those at a different entry point, the symbols allowed them to participate at their own level. Cubetto Kit for schools: coding deviceThe Cubetto is a coding device where children use signs and symbols to create and program a device to move along a grid. This gave our students the change to learn more about mapping and what a grid actually was! The students loved the symbols which included jump over fire, turn, spin, stop, forward, and backward! I enjoyed the simple instructions and the lessons which were included- especially for grades 1 and up! This coding device does take some time to introduce to children in a smaller group format, it also encouraged the idea of patterns in motion (whoo!) many of our kinders loved the idea of creating these motions. exploring the cubettoFor more information on Cubetto or how to purchase the item click the link below https://louisekool.com/products/cubetto-coding-robot-playset-1?variant=3586791566louisekool.com/products/cubetto-coding-robot-playset-1?variant=35867915661 kinder favourites top picks: Mathematical materials from kool & galtMusic & motion marble runWooden numbers with a twistLet's Go Code: foam coding mats |