education

Comparing Thematic Units and Emergent Projects Thematic Units Emergent Projects Adult-generated Adult-anticipated Teacher choice Child-initiated Whole class Small groups Teacher-directed Child-directed Teacher-planned Child investigates Time frame Time varies One theme at a time Several ongoing projects Document ending Document process Disseminate, transfer knowledge Child constructs and builds knowledge 2.3 “Modern” Curricula (Since the 1960s) This […]

Visual Documentation of Learning The Reggio Emilia curriculum is best known for its emphasis on visual documentation of learning, not to be confused with the typical classroom and hallway displays of student work with which you might be familiar. Such documentation provides a “window on learning,” (Helm, Benecke & Steinheimer , 2007), essentially telling the

Role of the Teacher According to the Bank Street approach, “We think of curriculum not as a series of recipes for activities, but rather as the opportunities for experience you offer children that help them deepen their understanding of the world. The curriculum is the sum of those opportunities and it is created through a

The Bank Street Classroom Scholastic Studio / Getty Images We associate things like a cozy reading corner and quiet space in the classroom with the Bank Street curriculum. Teachers consider the environment in a Bank Street classroom to be a powerful messenger in that it communicates key values and philosophical beliefs. For example, the orderly

Developmental Interaction Approach (Bank Street) Time Line 1916 to 1930 1930s to 1960s 1960s to Today Experimental/progressive origins/ political reform agenda Psychodynamic psychological orientation developed Formalized articulation of approach/labeling as “model” Organizational period Psychological Basis Practices derived from philosophical, cognitive, and psychological constructs Place Your Order Here!

Bank Street (The Developmental-Interaction Approach) The Bank Street curriculum was developed as a play-based curriculum at the demonstration program for the Bureau of Educational Experiments, founded in 1919 by Lucy Sprague Mitchell and Harriet Johnson; that institution is now known as Bank Street College in New York City. It was renamed and articulated as the

The Project Approach An early-twentieth-century approach (Kilpatrick, 1918) to learning through long-term study of topics that allowed teachers to integrate different areas of the curriculum is enjoying something of a reemergence as the Project Approach (PA). The PA is most closely associated with Lilian Katz and Sylvia Chard, who describe the project method’s origins in

Teacher as Performer A Waldorf teacher could be considered a “performer,” as a primary function of the teacher is to demonstrate activities and model exemplary behavior, since Steiner believed that children are highly motivated to imitate adults and real life through play. Another important idea in the Waldorf curriculum is the concept of natural rhythm;

The Waldorf Classroom iStockphoto / Thinkstock The Waldorf curriculum emphasizes the importance of an aesthetically pleasing environment, use of natural materials, and time for children to experience the natural world. A Waldorf classroom environment is designed and organized to be aesthetically pleasing, inspiring, and “nourishing to the senses” (Trostli, 1998). Materials are attractive, engaging, and colorful.

Basic Principles Rudolf Steiner (18611925) is generally credited with founding the Waldorf approach, known for its attention to aesthetic beauty and the spirit. He was an Austrian who believed that children learn by imitation and sensory stimulation for about the first seven years of life. Steiner coined the term anthroposophy (Trostli, 1998)what Gardner might call