The Studio:A School for Infants and Toddlers

ISSUE 15 - FALL 2014

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We’ll see you in Boston! Join us at the 2015 NAIS Annual Conference as we present:

Immersive Professional Development: Rethinking Learning Experiences for Educators Block 6 (Friday, February 27, 1:30-2:30pm) Room: Hynes Convention Center, 210

What Works

4 Teaching With Intention: Empowering Early Childhood Educators

Sticky Curriculum

8 The Search for the Elusive Gumtree: Finding Adventure in an Emergent Curriculum

Creative Fusion

14 Creating Imaginative Situations

People Who Inspire Us

18 The Reggio Emilia Approach: Three Teachers Make the Connection

In Each Issue

1 Greetings from Paula

3 Spark Plugs

22 UCDS Mission Statement

In this Issue

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BY TEACHERS FOR TEACHERS™Spark is published by University Child Development School.

Head of SchoolPaula Smith

Assistant Head of SchoolTeacher Education Center Director Melissa Chittenden

Publication DesignJack Forman

Contributing WritersSarah Andle, Jessica Garrick,Letha Gillisse, Casey Rettenmier, Marianne Sardelich, Katie Walters-Krohn

Contributing EditorsDiane Chickadel, Melissa Chittenden, Jack Forman, Betty Greene,Stephen Harrison, Julie Kalmus, Shanthi Raghu, Elise Ricci,Natasha Rodgers, Abby Sandberg, Paula Smith, Tim Tetrault

PhotographyStephen Harrison,UCDS Faculty and Staff

For submission information, please contact Shanthi Raghu atshanthir@ucds.org.The editor reserves the right to edit and select all materials.

© 2014 University Child Development School. All rights reserved.

Continued >

This week it was snakes…We had startled a garter snake curled up on a stone in the garden, and my two year old was totally fascinated. Colin watched it slither away, and for the weeks that followed he looked for snakes everywhere. We found a picture book of reptiles in the local library, and he sat in my lap with total concentration as I read the names of the various species and turned the pages. We also found a few snake stories, but the real interest for Colin was the idea that the snakes could be close by but hidden from view. He spent a few days hiding his stuffed animals around the house and eventually turned a knit scarf into a snake that he installed in its own nest under the sofa.

On our walks in the weeks and months that followed, Colin found dozens of insects, snails, worms and caterpillars that, on first glance, I had missed entirely. Since tiny living creatures are everywhere, every outing was an opportunity to make a new discovery, and Colin was as driven as

any biologist to conduct his field studies. Each discovery led to more investigation: how did they move, what did they eat, and most importantly, where did they hide? By the time he was three, his artwork was populated with living creatures that he would proudly point out to me. His stories were filled with secret hiding places as he imagined himself being able to create a new world hidden from view.

Anyone who spends a few hours with a two year old quickly re-discovers what a fascinating place the world can be. The outdoors is filled with wonder. A leaf, a puddle, a bird, an interesting stick are all worthy of investigation, and any adult in the vicinity is called upon to participate. Young children are driven to explore and parents know that even a baby-proofed household is no match for a determined toddler who wants to be right in the middle of every household task. That interesting cupboard in the kitchen must be emptied so that each item can be examined and its properties tested. Toddlers want to know: how does it taste, sound, smell, and how does it behave when dropped, rolled or pounded? And, how do adults use this item so that I can join in? Every new object must be investigated and each new experience can ignite a whole new line of discovery.

This purposeful play by toddlers caused cognitive scientists to marvel at the deliberate way that children create and test their theories. Babies are much more in charge of their learning and know much more than we previously realized. Not only can they imitate what they see and hear but they enter the world also able to “think, draw conclusions, make predictions and even do experiments.”1 After observing infants and toddlers for over four decades, Doctors Andy Meltzoff and Patricia Kuhl at the I-LABS at the University of Washington have come to this conclusion: “Human children in the first three years of life are consumed by the desire to explore and experiment with objects…When presented with a puzzle, a mystery, a hint of a pattern, something that doesn’t make sense, we work until we find a solution.”2

Born with 100 billion neurons, babies have incredible learning capacity. The catch is that in order to process information, these brain cells must work together through connections that are similar to a network. Not long ago neuroscientists believed that connections between neurons were established in the first few weeks of life and these cortical maps were fixed and unchangeable. Instead, it has become clear that the brain constructs neural networks in response to experience, and because the senses report to the brain, these networks develop naturally as the baby grows.3 In fact, a baby’s brain is forming millions of connections each day.4

We also know that the more often the brain must respond, the faster and stronger the neural connections that determine learning become.5 It is during the first three years of life, when young children are completely dependent on adults, that they not only acquire knowledge and skills but also form neural networks, which will determine their entire approach to any later experience.6 This understanding of child development has huge implications. If a baby’s brain is built in response to early learning experiences, then those caring for children have a critical role to play in preparing children for all learning that follows.

As a result of this drive and ability to learn in the first three years of life, babies all over the planet acquire their native language and culture, master early problem solving and social skills, and develop empathy for those around them. Yet in spite of these brilliant accomplishments, it has taken decades of cognitive research to fully appreciate the importance of early learning. As we consider how best to support families, we owe a great debt to the exceptional work by cognitive scientists that propelled early learning into the headlines.

Here are a couple of research-based conclusions that can inform how we design excellent early childhood programs:

Early language learning is critical to later success in reading. Young children are brilliant language learners, able to absorb one or more languages without any formal instruction. Our conversations with young children matter more than anyone previously realized because a child’s language development is enhanced or limited by the language they hear each day. We know that “children’s early language skills predict future reading abilities, and skills not developed early are difficult to remediate later on.”7

Young children learn best through play. Play is the “work” of the child. Children learn brilliantly through play; they easily absorb information, are excited to tackle academic skills, and at the same time, develop the learning dispositions they will need for success later in school and in life. “While grown-ups recognize that pretending helps children find their way into the world, many adults think of play as separate from formal learning. The reality is quite different. As they play, children develop vital cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional skills. They make discoveries, build knowledge, experiment with literacy and math and learn to self-regulate and interact with others in socially appropriate ways... Many of the elements that drive college and career readiness—persistence, planning, the ability to communicate and the capacity to collaborate—have their roots in early childhood.”8 Children enrolled in play-based preschool programs had far better educational and social outcomes than those enrolled in programs that used a direct instruction approach.9

What does a quality early childhood program look like?

It has been exciting to build our UCDS Studio Infant Toddler Program. Launched in 2007, the Studio ties to our roots as an early childhood lab school on the University of Washington campus founded in 1911. As our program evolved over the decades, our teachers designed and evaluated curriculum while rubbing elbows with researchers. The Studio program today replicates this teacher work culture and also takes inspiration from an educational philosophy developed 65 years ago in the small town of

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Paula SmithHead of School

Reggio-Emilia, Italy. After WWII, Italians wanted a new kind of education that would help to rebuild a democratic society. Rather than organizing around content with students as the target of instruction, the Reggio founders built a program that was designed to support the natural drive of young children to construct knowledge and to learn in a collaborative community. It is stunning how prescient the Reggio founders were, creating an educational philosophy and classrooms that still today are in alignment with the research in child development that followed.

Here at UCDS, we believe that children learn best through play and by pursuing topics that interest them. Children in our Studio program have spaces to experiment, opportunities to share what they know, spend their day bathed in language as they converse with interested adults, and learn social skills in order to participate in group projects and story play.

We ask the following questions as we organize our program:

What fascinates children? We expect that each child entering our Studio program will already be deeply engaged in a number of focused investigations and that each will initiate his or her own projects in the classroom. We also expect that a child’s curiosity and fascination will be contagious, prompting classmates to join in the fun. Our classroom space is set up like a workshop inviting children to explore, and as children share their discoveries, one can feel the excitement build. Children gather in small groups around hands-on projects staged on low tables or begin with imaginative play in a corner of the classroom that is stocked with materials. When a discovery is made the entire group shares in the excitement.

What does the child know and how can they test their theories? Our teachers design some projects as “provocations” that require creative thinking or problem solving by the children. We want to give each child a chance to share what he or she already know about a topic and have opportunities to test out his or her theories. The teachers ask the children: What do we know? How can we find out? Following the children’s interests, the book corner is populated with picture books that relate to the areas of investigation that are exciting to the children, and we model using books to gather information.

How well are we engaging in conversation with the children? In our classrooms, the adults, down at eye level, are in thoughtful conversation with children as they play. It is delightful to listen to the conversations as teachers ask questions, make observations and offer assistance as children work. The conversations, even with preverbal children, are similar to those that might occur between any student and coach. The teachers are both a resource and a collaborator when children are investigating a topic. We watch and listen to the children as they work, conveying a respect for their ideas and point of view. One will hear complex language about the topic at hand and “what we notice” as an investigation unfolds.

How should the classroom and schedule be organized? The classroom space is intentionally organized to support an evolving narrative that the children create as they play together. The materials and activities shift as the children make discoveries and as they invent a story together. The children quickly learn that they have an active role in setting a direction for classroom projects and as the school year progresses children often arrive in the morning with an agenda in mind. The daily schedule is dependable, and teachers give children an active role in preparing for what comes next.

How are we supporting social and emotional growth We see our children as contributing members of a classroom community. Our children are motivated to participate and to self-regulate in order to join in the exciting projects and imaginative play all around them. Our teachers help children to verbalize their thinking and will often narrate what they see as the children play. Adults invite the children to help classmates and to share strategies that are working. Adults model for the children how to ask questions when there is an issue. What just happened? How are you feeling? What can we do now? Teachers look for every opportunity to help children share their feelings, and we convey our confidence that children will eventually be able to do so on their own.

What is the role of the teacher? We want to understand the meaning behind the stories that the children create. And as children work, teachers are listening carefully for themes that will help us to select props, equipment, books, game and art materials, as well as to plan trips out into the neighborhood. A teacher in our classroom is both a learning partner and a coach who can help children to go deeper into an investigation. In this role, a teacher will frequently ask a question and offer suggestions rather than provide an answer. Teachers are also documentarians. Now with digital photography, teachers can capture each step in the learning process. This documentation is central to our work and provides our children with another platform to reflect on their own learning. Children love to review what they have learned and are proud to show their parents what they have discovered and created.

What do young children teach us? Those of us lucky enough to spend time with young children get to experience the world anew. The ordinary becomes fascinating, messing around leads to interesting discoveries, and we find that there is no limit to the games that one can invent. And, as I learned from Colin, there most certainly is a world full of tiny creatures that are hidden from view, just waiting to be discovered. Perhaps we can take a lesson from infants and young children, who have the absolute confidence and persistence to tackle any puzzle. Young children need to spend time with us and we need to find a way to make that time a reality.

1. Alison Gopnik, Andrew N. Meltzoff and Patricia K. Kuhl, The Scientist in the Crib (William Morrow and Company, 1999).2. Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl, The Scientist in the Crib.3. Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl, The Scientist in the Crib, p 183-186.4. Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl, The Scientist in the Crib, p 1.5. Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl, The Scientist in the Crib, p 183-186.6. Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3,” American Educator, Spring 2003. https://www.aft.org//sites/default/files/periodicals/TheEarlyCatastrophe.pdf. 7. Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3,” American Educator, Spring 2003. https://www.aft.org//sites/default/files/periodicals/TheEarlyCatastrophe.pdf.8. Shael Polakow-Suransky and Nancy Nager, “The Building Blocks of a Good Pre-K,” New York Times, Oct. 21, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/the-building-blocks-of-a-good-pre-k.html?_r=0.9. Lawrence J. Schweinhart et al., “The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40, Summary, Conclusions and Frequently Asked Questions” (Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press, 2005). http://www.highscope.org/file/Research/PerryProject/specialsummary_rev2011_02_2.pdf.

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Spark Plugs

Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia: Stories of Teachers and Children from North AmericaEdited by Lella Gandini, Susan Etheredge and Lynn Hill

Lella Gandini, Susan Etheredge and Lynn Hill offer a brief introduction to the city of Reggio Emilia, its schools and the core values and principles of the Reggio approach. After this introduction, the book shifts its focus to celebrate the work of North American educators, scholars and policy makers and uses their stories to illustrate how this approach has impacted their educational philosophies and practices. These unique experiences meld together to highlight and bring to life key components of the Reggio approach including:

– The Image of the Child – The Image of the Teacher – The role of documentation– The role of materials and the atelier – The power of communication – Building environments and communities

Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant/Toddler CareEdited by Lella Gandini and Carolyn Pope Edwards

Lella Gandini and Carolyn Pope Edwards have done extensive work in Italy and serve as international liaisons for the Reggio approach. In this book they offer a compilation of essays and vignettes written by various international scholars, policy makers, administrators and current teachers exploring the values and connections of the Reggio approach. The values include relationships between children/teachers, children/children, children/the environment and children/learning process. Documentation makes each of these relationships visible, and the book offers concrete examples of how to bring this process into a classroom. The documentation process creates a rich, meaningful way of communicating the emotional and cognitive development that occurs for infants and toddlers.

The Philosophical Baby: What Children’s Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Lifeby Alison Gopnik Psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik (The Scientist in the Crib) looks at science from the last decade that has opened up our understanding of the minds of babies and young children and banished the ideas that babies are illogical or limited in their thinking. Gopnik explains the latest neuroscience and psychological research to demonstrate the incredible extent to which babies learn, think, create and invest; in essence babies are actually smarter and more conscious than adults. Gopnik’s book deepens appreciation of the significant role that parents and early educators play in shaping the lives of children.

Everything Has a Shadow, Except AntsEdited by Stefano Sturloni and Vea Vecchi

Reggio Children is an organization that offers publications focused on professional development and ongoing research in the realm of early childhood education. Everything Has A Shadow, Except Ants focuses on a provocation and study that involved 2-6 year old Italian children. It portrays the relationship that developed between children and their shadows. Through the use of photography, pictures drawn by the children and quotes documented by the teachers, the story unfolds about the children’s understandings and discoveries, like in this riddle:

Around the house and the countryside it stays nearby and accompanies you,if you step on it it doesn’t complain, water passes over it and it doesn’t get wet.

The book demonstrates the deep thinking children are engaged in around common, everyday occurrences.

Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us Allby Tom Kelley and David Kelley David Kelly, the founder of IDEO and Stanford’s Institute of Design, the d.school, and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of The Art of Innovation, compel us to unleash the creativity already inside of us. For too long creativity and innovation have been relegated to sculptors, painters, novel writers or the design department, while the serious, adult business is conducted in the Board room. An entertaining and inspiring work, the writers draw on their own experiences at IDEO and with many of the world’s top companies to identify strategies that tap into our creative potential in all aspects of our work, relationships and problem solving. This book is about achieving success in career and life.

What Works

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Teaching with Intention:

Empowering Early Childhood

Educatorsby Katie Walters-Krohn

Continued >

Since its inception eight years ago, the University Child Development School Studio Infant/Toddler program has grown to embody our vision of an infant/toddler school. The mission of the Studio program is to offer a Reggio-inspired early learning environment. As the Studio continues to evolve, what started as a vision has progressed to include a set of values, systems and structures that guide our decisions each day and make it possible for us to offer a dynamic Reggio-inspired school for young children.

Creating a culture:What do we value? One of our biggest and most exciting challenges has been to create a Studio culture that accurately depicts our values and beliefs about education. The Studio values relationships, communication, respect, collaboration, inquiry, risk-taking, problem-solving and creative thinking. A major component of the Studio culture is our ongoing and ever-evolving dialogue around these values. These conversations are often inspired by observations of our children and the ways their unique personalities impact our school. By engaging in meaningful dialogue, teachers create a shared understanding of our organization that ensures continuity in the ways we work with children.

The UCDS Studio has high expectations for what children and teachers can do. We celebrate each child as unique, competent and ready to learn, and we believe children can think deeply about very big ideas. This is the foundation of our program and impacts the decisions we make about what materials and opportunities we offer each day. We see teachers as professionals who are adept at research and gathering data. They are reflective practitioners who respond purposefully to what children communicate by creating meaningful learning opportunities based on the children’s inspirations. These opportunities celebrate the process of learning and inspire children to problem-solve and collaborate as they hypothesize, test theories, experiment and learn new skills.

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Documentation: Documentation at the Studio is a tool for communication, collaboration, reflection, and making a child’s thinking visible. We use a variety of documentation tools that each have a unique purpose or intention. Our three key documentation tools are classroom wall displays, teacher planning sheets and Journey Books.

Classroom wall displays are representations of both works in process and completed projects. The displays tell the story of an exploration or investigation and include photos, stories, quotes, and teacher analysis about the meaning behind the children’s work. Our intention is to give value to children’s thinking while also inviting conversation, reflection and interpretation by anyone, adult or child, who enters our classrooms.

Our teaching planning sheets allow teachers to sustain an emergent curriculum by creating a framework for teachers to analyze children’s words and actions. This piece of documentation has taken many forms over the years. What started as a “Weekly Lesson Plan” has evolved to better reflect our belief that planning needs to be purposeful and well thought out, while also allowing teachers to respond and adapt to the creative and unexpected thinking children do each day. These documents have a balance of structure and flexibility to allow teachers to consider many possibilities and potential directions a project might take. Teachers consider these possibilities and then make decisions based on what they know about the children to determine what materials to offer, what environments to set up or what conversations to initiate.

Our most significant form of documentation is the Journey Book. Inspired by documentation of children’s work in the Reggio Emilia approach, each child has a portfolio that tracks the experiences and milestones that occur during his or her time at the Studio. Teachers select pictures, words, quotes and examples of children’s work to include. The title Journey Book intentionally reflects the value we place on the learning process and the interconnection of all the experiences in a child’s life. The stories that make up the book can be about children themselves, a group experience they were a part of, or a whole classroom experience. When children leave the Studio the Journey Book is their graduation gift. It is a cumulative representation of their growth, relationships and understanding of their school journey.

Schedules and Planning Time:We purposefully organize teachers’ planning time to promote collaboration, reflective practice and the image of the teacher as a professional. Early in our evolution, we played with many different scenarios to create planning time. As we identified and clarified our values, we re-organized our day to set aside a time where team planning could take priority.

We value team planning because we believe that teaching is essentially a collaborative process that is enriched by combining multiple perspectives. We make time for the level of dialogue required to look at a scenario from many different perspectives and create consensus among a team of teachers, which is necessary before they can move forward with an idea. The planning process challenges teachers to explain their intention and thinking and helps them describe clearly the meaning behind the projects and processes in their classroom.

Although our program operates from 7:30am-5:30pm, in order to facilitate team planning, we have structured our schedule so that the school portion of our day begins at 8:15am and ends at 3:00pm. This allows teachers to be in the classroom with children for the entire school day but opens up the afternoon for team planning. Each teaching team is given two afternoons per week for team planning. On the other afternoons they facilitate the extended day program.

Furthermore, each teacher has an individual planning time that coincides with the opposite classroom team’s planning day. This is organized purposefully to promote cross-classroom collaboration and to ensure that there is continuity throughout the program.

Systems and Structures

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Professional Development: Studio professional development opportunities ensure that teachers have a space to dialogue, share ideas and stay current on the latest educational research and theories. They also promote risk-taking and problem-solving as teachers are asked to think about their work from new perspectives.

Soon after the Studio program was established we identified a need for the entire staff to meet together on a regular basis. One evening each month we facilitate a faculty and staff meeting. While part of this meeting is dedicated to the nuts and bolts of running our school, the majority of our time is spent examining the ways in which our work reflects our philosophy, analyzing classroom documentation and discussing current research or new information about education.

Throughout the year we schedule in-service days where we tackle larger conversations or work on projects that require an extended amount of time to complete. As a program we attend conferences together and share information about relevant speakers or events that help enhance our teaching community.

We find that the times when we meet all together are integral to sharing our observations, questions, and ideas and ensuring that our actions reflect our knowledge of our children and our understanding of the culture of our school.

Enrollment Options: Studio enrollment options reflect our belief about the importance of relationships. We believe meaningful relationships among children promote risk-taking and collaboration, which are the foundations for a strong learning community. When the Studio first began we offered more schedule flexibility for families in regards to which days they attended and for how many hours. We found this did not match with our values of creating a strong classroom culture.

We decided to streamline our enrollment and offer families three schedule options. Families can attend the Studio fulltime, Monday-Friday, or choose from two part time options, Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday. This allows a bit of flexibility for the families in our program but also ensures that both the M/W/F and T/Th groups have the consistency necessary to form meaningful relationships and a strong classroom community.

A School For Infants and ToddlersWe intentionally refer to the Studio Infant/Toddler Program as a school. We place great value on what it means to believe in the learning and thinking capabilities of children and teachers. This belief is the foundation of our school culture. We have put an incredible amount of effort into building meaningful curriculum, documenting the process of children’s thinking, assessing and reflecting on children’s work, and creating a value system that supports a reflective teaching practice. These frameworks drive the decision making within our organization as we make thinking visible and bring learning to life.

Sticky Curriculum

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The Searchfor theElusiveGumtree

by Sarah Andle

9Continued >

...“What is that?” exclaimed Matthew as he eagerly pointed to the pages of Lois Ehlert’s Leaf Man. Matthew and his friends crowded closer to their teacher as she held the book in the air. The teacher looked at the picture and read,

“It’s a sweet gum fruit!” The eyes of the five children looking at her instantly lit up, followed quickly by questions of “Where is that?” and proclamations of “I want to find a gum tree!” She didn’t know it at the time, but this moment had just changed the course of their entire school year...

___________

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It was the beginning of the school year...

and the Studio was exploring the fall changes in their neighborhood. After spotting a particularly large pinecone on a walk near a local college campus, the teacher gathered together five students to search around the Studio for more pinecone examples. Later, when reading Leaf Man, to build on the children’s interests about the changing seasons, Matthew asked the question,

“What is that?”

His three words changed everything. The quest to find pinecones was quickly abandoned, and the search for the gum tree was on.

From the moment the Exploring Relationship and Connection (ERC) group that was focused on the gum tree set out on their first walk, the students were eager to find the elusive gum tree. They stopped at every tree to determine whether it may or may not be the gum tree. Even their teacher, who was as unfamiliar with a sweetgum tree as they were, carefully followed their lead and direction. They used some of the best tools they had available to them—their senses—to search and hunt for the elusive tree.

They looked for the “spikey balls” that they had seen in Leaf Man and peered up through gorgeous fall colored leaves to look for signs of gumballs and gummy bears. Piles of leaves were excitedly searched through as the children literally immersed themselves in the trees. They scratched and sniffed bark, hunting for the sweet smell of gummies, and collected examples of what could possibly be evidence of a gum tree. They gathered pictures of data that could be used later as “study maps” to determine what a sweet gum tree may look like. While the group members never limited the scope of their search, whether it be for a magical tree full of gummy bears and fruit snacks or a tree full of spikey pinecone type balls, the five students made it clear that the tree they were looking for had not been found and the search needed to continue.

One morning, about a month into our search, Lily, a member of the gum tree group, came running into school with exciting news...

While on a walk in her neighborhood with her family, she had a found a “spikey ball” lying on the ground! She and her mother collected examples and brought them in for the group to explore. When the time for ERC groups came, they excitedly gathered on the rug as the balls were passed around. This was the first time that they had something tangible from either the real or imagined gum tree to explore. They examined the balls in their hands, commenting on their texture and smell, and they quickly determined that they wanted to see what was inside. They made their way to the table as their teacher slowly cut open the first ball. Before it opened, the teacher asked the students what they thought they might see inside.

“A bird!” Lily exclaimed.

“My mom!” said Matthew.

“A ball!” called George.

Lily pushed back from the table and commented that she felt nervous to see what was inside. As the ball slowly opened, the students leaned in to take a peek. They commented on the smell, how it reminded them of pine trees and mint and that this could be evidence that the spikey balls may in fact be related to the minty chewing gum they had noticed adults chewing. They continued to open several other balls, carefully examining each one.

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The students gathered supplies to help them explore, including magnifying glasses to get a closer look and play dough tools to help them cut the balls themselves. The children commented on what the spiky balls reminded them of.

“It looks like a sea anemone!” shouted Oliver.

“I think it looks like a fruit,” said Matthew.

As George examined the spikey ball he proclaimed that he did in fact see a bird inside. They all gathered closer to see if they could get a better look.

Lily suggested, “It’s a tiny bird. You need three magnifying glasses to see it.”

The small round ball reminded Oliver of a microphone as he held it to his mouth and started singing a song. All of the children worked together to cut the sweet gum fruit into tiny pieces to share as a “snack” with their friends later. As they manipulated and explored the spikey balls, they continued to find connections and build relationships.

The following week, the group planned to go out on another search for the gum tree. The students had seen evidence of what a “sweet gum fruit” looked like, but there were still unknown possibilities for what direction their search might take them. As they gathered on the rug to prepare for the walk, Natalie exclaimed,

“I know where to find gum!”

She rushed away from the rug and returned shortly with her empty hand outstretched towards her teacher.

“Here’s the gum!” she said.

Lily looked skeptically at Natalie’s hand and declared,

“There is nothing there!” Lily reached out to touch Natalie’s hand to prove it was empty, and Natalie warned, “Careful! They are fragile!”

As Natalie passed her teacher her imaginary handful of gumballs, the children all crowded closer. The teacher offered each child a piece and each accepted. Lily watched as her other friends took a piece of gum. Her skepticism faded and was soon replaced with excitement as she joined her friends in the imaginary game. As they each chewed the make-believe gum, their teacher asked them what they thought it tasted like. Lily, Natalie, and Matthew all said their gum tasted like mint. Oliver described his as watermelon flavor. George had a huge smile on his face as he proclaimed his to taste like cheese! The pretend gumballs lasted for a few chews so the teacher offered to get out the peppermint flavored play dough to build off this interest in working with “gum.” She was interested to see if it inspired more gum conversations and creations. As they gathered around the table, each with their own ball of play dough, a discussion began about how they could make gum.

Lily: “How do we make it?”

Teacher: “How do you think we can?”

Matthew: “I know! We can mash it up and roll it up.”

Each person tried Matthew’s method.

Oliver: “Let’s make flapjacks!”

Lily: “I want to share my idea! We can make it into dough!”

They continued to work with the play dough in their hands.

Teacher: “Natalie, what’s your idea?”

Natalie: “You can make some holes in it and then roll it up and then cut it.”

Continued >

The conversation and exploration with the play dough continued. Matthew’s gum could open and shut like the wheels of an airplane. George wanted to cut his ball into small pieces so that everyone could have a piece. Lily decided to make spaghetti gum. As they worked they continued to talk about the gum tree, the gumballs, and ideas about where they might find a gum tree themselves. The students had now been exposed to the “sweet gum fruit” they read about in Leaf Man. They had been given opportunities to share their own their ideas about what a gum tree may look like. They were at a crossroads in processing what a gum tree might be. Would it be full of gummy bears and gumballs? Or would it be covered in leaves and the “spikey balls” we had collected?

As the group processed what a gum tree might be, an unexpected encounter proved to be a pivotal moment in their journey. One day as Oliver, Natalie, and the teacher returned from the local library after returning some books, Natalie stopped dead in her tracks and enthusiastically yelled,

“Look! Look! I see some gum!” Sure enough, right in front of them on the path was a “spikey ball.” She leaned forward to pick it up and smiled as she showed it to the others. Her teacher asked her where it came from, and she looked to the sky, pointed her finger and said, “Maybe it came from that one! See there’s more on that tree!” She paused as she processed what she had found. She exclaimed, “It is! THAT’S THE

GUMTREE!” The joy and enthusiasm etched on her face were indescribable. Natalie collected examples from the tree and hurried back to the Studio to tell her friends. As they returned to the classroom, the group began yelling, “Gum! Gum!” Matthew, who was working at the table looked up as they entered.

Matthew: “What is your exciting news?”

Natalie handed him one of the gumballs that she had collected.As Matthew took the gumball he gasped and a huge smile lit up his face.

Matthew: “A gumball!”

Teacher: “Where did it come from?”

Oliver: “The gum tree!”

Teacher: “We found the gum tree!”

Matthew: “Where?”

Teacher: “It’s right by the library, would you like to go see it tomorrow?”

Matthew: “Yes!”

George: “I want to go see it too!”

The day arrived when the entire ERC group would go and see the newly discovered gum tree. As the group set out on their journey Matthew began looking for clues on the ground. As they approached the library, the excitement continued to build. Natalie ran up to the tree she had seen before and said, “That’s the gum tree!” The group looked up and saw hundreds of spikey balls hanging on the tree. The children looked at each other and smiled and quickly began collecting gumball samples. While they didn’t find any gummy bears or chewing gum, the students were still thrilled to have completed their long sought-after quest for a gum tree. Some wanted to climb it,

and others asked if we could bring it back to school. In the end, they said goodbye to the gum tree for that day and headed back to school.

The Studio children still visit the gum tree often. They also continue to keep their eyes peeled for a gummy bear covered tree. They are building upon the connections, understanding and relationships they made during the searching phase of their long-term investigation as they are now making maps to guide their fellow classmates to the location of the gum tree. While the epic search has come to an end, the kids’ desire to continue learning about the gum tree, make new connections and share what they have learned with others continues to inspire conversations and collaborations throughout the Studio program.

The Studio teachers observed through this experience that when they followed the kids’ lead, honored their interests and allowed that to guide their next steps, an epic opportunity to make connections, build relationships and conduct research with their students emerged.

Continued >12

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This year, our teaching team reflected on the practice of small group work. The Studio has always created opportunities for small group work within the classroom. When our program first began, small group work involved one teacher working with one or two students within the larger classroom, devoting their full attention and resources to the children’s interests. The projects that resulted offered unique opportunities for children to build relationships, make connections and explore their interest on a deeper level. We intentionally decided to build on the success of these interactions. Because we appreciated small group work as part of our program and realized the value of regularity in schedule and continuity of topic for our students, we incorporated and dedicated time for this within our daily schedule.

An important aspect of this change was to create a name for our groups that more accurately demonstrated the Studio philosophy. As we discussed the reasons why we value small group work, we brainstormed a list of words that described what happens during small group time. We noticed recurring themes around fostering relationships and allowing children opportunities to make connections and be active participants in their own learning. From this

reflection, the name “small groups” was replaced with “Exploring Relationships and Connections” or ERC groups. To intentionally support ERC groups, we created a rotating schedule where each group of children meets together once per week for the entire school year. This reflects the value our school places on the importance of relationships as a foundation for learning opportunities.

The Studio celebrates each child as unique, competent and ready to learn. ERC groups epitomize these core values and beliefs. Exploring Relationships and Connections groups give space for children to share their voice and perspective in a way that is different from other times during the day. These groups provide opportunities for teachers to support an emergent curriculum and for this curriculum to be individualized and catered to a particular group’s specific interests. ERC groups provide a stimulating environment for children to explore, question, discover and create. The most important opportunity that ERC groups present is a chance for children and teachers to form relationships with each other, with their environment and with materials, all while building children’s understanding of their ideas and theories.

Exploring Relationships and Connections (ERC) Groups

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Creating

Situations

Creative Fusion

by Letha Gillisse and Marianne Sardelich

BallerinasThe second play scenario began with an interest group that was focused on dance. All of the children had expressed an interest in dance, and

Stella was especially curious about ballet. She frequently requested ballet music and asked the group if they wanted to be ballerinas. The other children began to wonder about ballet.

To build their knowledge of ballet, the teacher researched videos that taught simple ballet moves or were designed to teach young children ballet, and she looked for performances of famous ballets. The teacher also created a poster that represented the main ballet positions and other common moves. Not being well versed in ballet, the teacher decided to structure the group meeting similar to the videos. It started with stretching, then the ballet positions, sometimes a video, and then free dance time. After several books and video clips showed a barre being used, the children began to use backs of chairs to create ballet barres. They also noticed that in performances the lights went off and on. They requested dimmed lights during meetings to help transform the classroom into a dance studio.

PiratesThe first imaginary scenario began with Tim’s interest in pirates. He would arrive each day ready to construct a pirate ship with blocks, draw a ship at the

table or share a new pirate story at circle. The other children caught his enthusiasm and soon Tim was creating pirate play scenarios with his classmates. To support the play that was developing, teachers sought out pirate-related resources. They placed books about ships and the ocean in the book area. These books offered the children the opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding about pirates so they could collaborate with Tim. Based on their research, the children requested pirate costumes. Teachers responded by pulling out scarves, fabrics, hats and dress-up clothes like coats and cloaks. To build their ship, the children used chairs from the classroom and assorted found objects for their supplies. A stool became the captain’s chair and a cake pan was the helm. They realized, though, that they needed a sail to be a true pirate ship. A teacher built a sail by fixing a pulley to the ceiling, attaching a sheet of fabric to a simple wood frame, and hanging it from a thick rope. A Jolly Roger was added at the pirates’ request. The sail could be raised and lowered by the children. As the children learned more about pirates, treasure became very important. The children requested paper, pens, and paint to make their own treasure maps. All shiny items in the classroom soon went into a container that the children pretended was a treasure chest.

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Imaginative playis one language that children use to create meaning, test their theories and expand their knowledge. Children create imaginary situations in many different forms; they can range from fantastical to ordinary. The imaginary situations reflect the thinking of the child and communicate what the child deems to be important at a particular moment. Similar to how adults use language, “the representations that children create with impressive skill can serve as a basis for modifying, developing, and deepening understandings, and as a basis for hypotheses, discussions, and arguments, often leading to further observations and fresh representations.”1 Initially these play scenarios may be contained to an individual child, but the world of imagination gives children freedom to incorporate new perspectives. In order for imaginative play to be successful, children and teachers work together to create an environment, roles, and rules that support the children in their play. Teachers give the opportunity and create space for imaginative play to unfold. Teachers then objectively observe and reflect upon the scenarios so as to create thoughtful and purposeful learning.

By working together to build imaginary scenarios children acquire additional skills that will support their continuing education.

Two Stories of Imaginative Play from the Toddler/Preschool Classroom:

1The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. C. Edwards, L. Gandini, G. Forman, Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1993. Continued >

BallerinasIn order to become ballerinas the children developed a routine of changing out of their everyday clothes and putting on leotards, tights, and tutus. The Studio did not have tutus on hand but simple and affordable ones were made using an elastic band and taffeta. For the stretching and basic positions, the teacher took the role of ballet instructor. During the free dance, though, the children took the lead. They gathered stuffed animals for partner dances, used flowing fabrics for staging, and talked about being a swan, princess, or Red Queen, all characters taken from the ballet clips. Free dance time was a collection of solo and group performances. Each child had the chance to be director, choreographer and dancer.

What it Means: As expected, the captain was a very coveted role. The children determined that there could only be one captain at a time, and they had to take turns playing that role. This provided an authentic opportunity for the children to develop their social, linguistic and logic skills. Children were challenged to articulate why it felt necessary to have only one captain at a time. It also required them to problem-solve how this decision would be fair for everyone.

The children decided to take turns based on time. Teachers supported and facilitated this by introducing the techniques to telling time. Over the weeks and months, the children became experts at reading time in 10-minute increments.

The dancers were learning ways to negotiate particular roles. They learned to show what they wanted a friend to do by moving their body. If the director of a dance wanted to make a change, the dancers learned to listen and ask questions. They considered how to represent different animals and characters and create the part by using different positions of their bodies. The older children showed patience and compassion as the youngest members of the group stretched themselves and their imaginations.

PiratesThe children placed value on distinguishing different pirate roles and creating strategies to communicate the roles. Having a defined job with responsibilities and appropriate clothing was important. Most mornings the children would ask for the scarves to be tied around their waist and heads because that was how pirates dressed at the Studio.

A significant role was the captain, who was distinguished by his hat, his position at the front of the ship and his possession of the map. First-mate sat in the chair closest to the captain and typically used the cardboard telescope they had created to scout the seas. Princess pirates (pirates with skirts) were also introduced as key players. Onboard the pirate ship teachers were typically counted among the crew and expected to sit towards the back.

As it pertained to responsibilities and jobs, the children took time each morning to either gather a map that they had made the day before or create a new one to bring with them on the ship. They typically brought these treasure maps onboard the ship and advised the captain and first mate on where to go.

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What it Means:As we reflect on these imaginative play situations, we see glimpses of innate and natural curiosities and proclivity towards language, mathematics, logic and reasoning, and social development. Books and video clips helped the children research and increase their factual knowledge. Children needed specific vocabulary and instructions to create the situations so they gravitated towards learning rich language to be able to talk about what they were learning. Symbols, letters and eventually written words were put to use in order to communicate thinking and intentions about the specific situations.

Dancing offered an outlet for creative expression by highlighting the movement and awareness of their bodies. The children learned how to express their thoughts and feelings via movement, which enhanced their physical development. They learned different stretches and poses that required different muscles in their body and challenged them to watch carefully and persevere as they recreated the ballet positions. Children used technology to learn about poses and research ballet design and clothing. Watching videos on the Internet introduced children to a dance studio and the necessary equipment such as a barre. Creative thinking allowed the children to use their everyday classroom materials and transform them into barres, treasures, maps, boats and steering wheels. Once the environments were defined for all participants, the children began to create roles.

Roles for Imaginative Play:

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ConclusionWhen teachers reflected upon these imaginative play scenarios, it became apparent how much learning occurred. They watched as pirates collectively constructed ships and delegated tasks. Dancers listened to their director about waiting until the music started to come onstage. Children were eager to learn how to make an X for their map, how to measure the fabric for a sail, and what dance language would help describe their choreography.

Using the imaginative world that the children constructed by creating roles, rules and the environment, teachers are able to recognize and capitalize on

school readiness skills that appear in imaginative play scenarios. Teachers respond, support and stretch children in a way that allows them to practice these skills with a greater intention and purpose within a meaningful situation.

When we, as educators, support play we honor all areas of a child’s growth and development. Rather than teaching the skills in isolation, the world of imagination and play offers rich, deep connections from which knowledge can be built. Imaginative play validates that the child is deeply connected to the learning process and develops the foundational skills that are necessary for continuing education.

PiratesFor the band of pirates, the rules were centered on keeping order on the boat. It was generally accepted that the captain got to decide where the ship would go. Many times the ship went in the direction of finding treasure and determining what to do when the treasure was located and retrieved.

Ballerinas The rules for the ballerina group centered around the structure and boundaries for how and where to dance. There were expectations about how to warm-up, how to watch dances and how to participate in a dance.

What it Means: Rules become another important part of imaginative play because they offer boundaries through which each role works. The rules are not arbitrary but organically generated through the children’s ability to collaborate and articulate their thoughts and understandings about their knowledge. They were increasing their skill at listening to friends and incorporating other perspectives. When the children decided having more than one captain was confusing, they also realized that there needed to be a time limit on the role. In the ballet interest group everyone wanted to dance all the time but they also felt that there needed to be an audience. Together with their teacher, they decided upon solo dance times that ended in a group dance.

Rules for Imaginative Play:

UCDS parent, John Neilson loved ideas; those he found in literature and those he gained through a deep appreciation of world culture, math, science, art, music, philosophy and physical excellence.

In 1999, at the age of thirty-eight, John lost a hard fought battle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In honor of John’s life, The Neilson Endowment Fund was created. Through the Teacher Education Center at UCDS, we use this endowment to create and share programs that offer children access to big ideas.

John was an inspiration to us in life and we dedicate this, ‘People Who Inspire Us’ section to him.

People WhoInspire Us

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The Reggio Emilia

approach has made

a large impact on

Jessica Garrick, Katie

Walters-Krohn and

Casey Rettenmier.

While all three teach at

UCDS, they take on very

different roles in the

school. Jessica is the Art

Specialist, Katie is the

Director of the Studio

Infant/Toddler Program

and Casey is a teacher

in the Studio Toddler/

Preschool classroom. In

conversation, Jessica,

Casey and Katie talked

about each of their

unique perspectives in

working with the Reggio

approach and how it has

influenced their teaching.

TheReggio Emilia Approach

(Above left) Countryside outside the Italian town of Reggio Emilia.

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How did you first learn about the Reggio Emilia approach?

Jessica: In my first years of teaching I was working in our preschool and kindergarten classrooms. I was introduced to The Hundred Languages of Children1 and The Reggio Emilia approach. I found myself focusing in on two key elements of the approach that really spoke to my love of art and the artistic process. The first element is the intention that drives the way materials are presented to children to help them uncover possibilities. Second is the element of time. Really giving children time to delve into the process of making something and to let them build an understanding of the possibilities of each material and express their thinking.

Katie: I first learned about the Reggio philosophy during my senior year of college. My initial reaction was to think, “Of course, what they believe about educating children makes so much sense!” I was really inspired by the way the Reggio approach views young children as competent learners who think deeply about their experiences, have many theories about how the world works, have a strong investment in their communities and want to build relationships with those around them.

1The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. C. Edwards, L. Gandini, G. Forman, Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1993.

Casey: I first learned about Reggio when I saw the hiring ad for the teaching job at the UCDS Studio. I researched the philosophy and saw that many key components of the Reggio approach were similar to what I had read or learned about in graduate school and had seen bits and pieces of in my previous teaching experiences. The idea of collaboration, self-reflection and viewing children as capable participants in their own learning stood out to me as key ideas from which to build a classroom environment.

You have all had opportunities for Reggio Emilia-focused professional development both locally and abroad. How have these experiences helped you to further your understanding of the Reggio approach?

Katie: I found the quality of the conversations and topics discussed at the North America Reggio Emilia (NAREA) conference to be incredibly philosophical. This conference is set up to support teachers in their reflective practice. I was challenged to think about the purpose behind the choices I make in our school. At the NAREA conference the presenters share a story from their classroom, explaining the intention behind their choices and connections to their interpretation of key Reggio components. The stories they tell are based on the theories children and teachers have used to create multiple layers of meaning and connection with their

Continued >

Katie Walters-Krohn , Casey Rettenmier & Jessica Garrick

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environment and the world. This type of professional development moves away from traditional teacher training, which often focuses on learning the steps to a particular curricular method. Instead the conference offered a framework for thinking about the learning that happens in the classroom.

Casey: The Portland NAREA Conference was an amazing experience for me as well. There was a prevalent sense of camaraderie. Seeing the global community of teachers who were committed to early childhood education through the Reggio lens validated all of the efforts my colleagues at the Studio and I had been working so hard to hone over the past several years. Being able to share ideas and experiences with other teachers allowed me to see where others were on their journeys toward understanding the Reggio approach and make connections to my own experience. It was also refreshing to see so many committed educators that passionate about raising the level of professionalism in the field of early childhood education.

Jessica: Katie and I were fortunate enough to be a part of the Innovations in Education: A Study Tour of the Early Childhood Centers of Pistoia, Italy with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. An important piece to my trip to

Italy was the tour of the city of Pistoia at the very beginning of the trip. This city plays a huge role in the lives of the children at the schools. It appears in their artwork, writing and conversation. This really portrays how important the whole community is in the learning and living of the children.

Katie: Traveling with Jessica to Italy brought many of the concepts I had been studying to life. It was reaffirming to visit Pistoia and see traces of learning and school life that reminded me of projects we were working on back at the Studio. Having conversations with the educators and hearing them speak about the intention behind their practice gave me time to reflect on my own work and prompted me to keep asking questions about our school and see opportunities for continued growth and learning.

When sharing their experiences in presentations or books, educators from Reggio Emilia often speak about how the work in their schools cannot be copied or used as a model in other schools. However, there is a huge interest in learning about this way of working with children. It seems that most schools in the United States that work with this approach describe themselves as “Reggio Inspired.” What do you think it means to be inspired by the Reggio approach?

Katie: I interpret the idea of being inspired by Reggio to mean building our school philosophy using meaningful questions that are similar to the questions educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy use to help them think analytically about their work with children. What is our image of the child? What do we value? What is the role of the teacher? How is the work of children and teachers visible in our classrooms?

The Studio has been inspired to use these types of questions as a framework to create our program philosophy and our purpose, about what we believe and why we do what we do. While inspired by the types of conversations educators have in Reggio Emilia, our philosophy is reflective of our own experiences, the children we work with and the context and culture of our school and community.

To be inspired by the Reggio approach means to give incredible value to the voice of children. This means really listening to what children say through any of “The Hundred Languages” and recognizing how each moment in the day is an opportunity for children to communicate their thinking and what is important to them.

An excerpt from The Hundred LanguagesNo way. The Hundred is there.

The childIs made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languagesa hundred handsa hundred thoughtsa hundred ways of thinkingof playing, of speaking…

Loris Malaguzzi (translated by Lella Gandini)

Teachers add narrative to student work.

Students use a light table to explore the transparency, color and shape of materials.

Casey: I spend my workdays investing in the intellectual, emotional and physical development of very young children. I have the greatest respect for them and they constantly amaze me. When I tell people that I teach children ranging from 18 to almost 40 months, the most common response is, “how do you teach a two year-old?” or “oh, so it’s just daycare?” My reply reflects back on my image of the child. I tell them how we have taken long walks to a forest that had a pond and a creek. Children have shared theories and had long discussions about whether we might find a bear or be able to catch a fish. Their interest led them to a place of being able to share ideas and defend the logic behind their thinking. My belief that children are capable and competent supported this meaningful experience for my students in a place that most adults would not have considered accessible to toddlers and preschoolers.

I love that my students provide me with energizing experiences on a daily basis that make me truly love my job, and I love being part of a culture of educators that is willing to test out children’s theories because we believe in their curiosity and their capability to make meaningful connections.

studies. These shared experiences offer a common language and allow students to bring different perspectives to the conversation and through this, build relationships across grade levels. This greatly impacts how children at UCDS see themselves and how they interact with one another, teachers, staff and their family.

Katie: Tied in to that idea of the school community and the role it has in the lives of children, I have been thinking a lot about Reggio’s assertion that school is a place of culture and that children are the creators of that culture. I am still pondering this one, but I think there are so few places in American society where children’s voices are considered strong and influential. A school is a place that could allow children to be the loudest voice, while of course still valuing input of the other protagonists (teachers, parents, and the community). What an important experience to give our children! To allow their ideas to have an impact on the world and then help them reflect on what they did and really see how they played a role in creating something. To allow them to learn through experiences which have great meaning and value to them.

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Casey: Building off the idea of giving children a voice within my classroom, I notice that, when given the opportunity, young children are capable of making purposeful and meaningful contributions to their educational futures. Children are creating their own understanding of the world around them and teachers guide, support and challenge them through this process.

Jessica: As an artist and teacher I am inspired by the art-making process, especially with development of my students’ own expression and understanding of materials, techniques and what can happen with experimentation and discovery. I am also interested in the idea of relationship to place and community around us and how that plays a role in what we understand and how it influences what we do.

Each of you has had your own experience being inspired by the Reggio approach and finding ways that it has helped you grow as an educator. What do you think is the most thought-provoking or inspiring aspect of this way teaching?

Jessica: When visiting the schools in Pistoia, I realized how the children’s relationship to the community plays an important role in their lives and learning. Teaching at UCDS has been a similar experience for me. I find that students develop a meaningful relationship to their school community through the use of our shared concept

Frames formalize and add value to student self-portraits.

Easels offer students a place to work on largerpieces of art.

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University Child Development School designs a culture of inquiry essential to meaningful learning. We cultivate reflective, collaborative, skillful thinkers who ignite positive change in their communities. We engage diverse perspectives in an ongoing effort to shape and share our innovative education model.

The UCDS Mission2014-2015 UCDS Board of Trustees

OfficersJanet Donelson, ChairKobi Yamada, Vice ChairGreg Headrick, TreasurerMichelle Goldberg, Secretary

Members at LargeDavid Brannon-CironeHoward BurtonJoe GruberJarrad HarfordSteve HollomonLaurie RossiniFaye TomlinsonAdam TrattDina Wampold

Ex-Officio MembersPaula Smith, Head of SchoolAdrianne Keffeler, Parent Association PresidentJennifer Vary, Faculty Representative