For this ongoing assignment I will be listening to podcasts.This week I listened to a podcast on the World Forum Radio (accessible through Itunes). In the podcast I learned about Susan Lyons and the Innovative Teacher Project.
Susan Lyon started the innovative teacher project to connect educators and schools interested in the Reggio Emilio approach to education in the Bay Area of California. she began the project in 1994 which has participants from public and private schools. The Innovative Teacher Project supports the early childhood community as it brought an innovative approach to teaching young children from Italy to California. The Reggio Emilia philosophy originated in Reggio Emilia,Italy after WWII when parents began collaborative initiatives to educate young children. Susan began the podcast discussing how she came to be so interested in the minds of young children She describes an encounter with a first grade boy who was struggling to read the word "city". She described how the young child tried over and over to read the word and asked many times for her to just tell him the word. Ultimately she gave in and read the word "city" aloud to him. He turned to her and said "that is such a little word for such big place". That profound statement encourage Susan to learn more about children and how they learn.
For this course I have chosen to follow the work of the organization National Black Child Development Institute.As I looked through the list of various organizations to choose from I noticed that I was familiar with and had used quite a few of the organizations before in prior coursework or in my professional work. I decided that I wanted to study an organization that I wasn't familiar with as the goal of this assignment is to expand our resources. I selected the NBCDI because I have not heard of a organization within early childhood devoted to supporting black children specifically. I also learned that the organization's home base is local for me as it is situated in Washington D.C. I thought learning more about and potentially connecting with members of the NBCDI will support my career goal of leaving the classroom and focusing my work on supporting families by educating parents in child development with specific attention paid to black and Hispanic families.
Susan Lyon started the innovative teacher project to connect educators and schools interested in the Reggio Emilio approach to education in the Bay Area of California. she began the project in 1994 which has participants from public and private schools. The Innovative Teacher Project supports the early childhood community as it brought an innovative approach to teaching young children from Italy to California. The Reggio Emilia philosophy originated in Reggio Emilia,Italy after WWII when parents began collaborative initiatives to educate young children. Susan began the podcast discussing how she came to be so interested in the minds of young children She describes an encounter with a first grade boy who was struggling to read the word "city". She described how the young child tried over and over to read the word and asked many times for her to just tell him the word. Ultimately she gave in and read the word "city" aloud to him. He turned to her and said "that is such a little word for such big place". That profound statement encourage Susan to learn more about children and how they learn.
For this course I have chosen to follow the work of the organization National Black Child Development Institute.As I looked through the list of various organizations to choose from I noticed that I was familiar with and had used quite a few of the organizations before in prior coursework or in my professional work. I decided that I wanted to study an organization that I wasn't familiar with as the goal of this assignment is to expand our resources. I selected the NBCDI because I have not heard of a organization within early childhood devoted to supporting black children specifically. I also learned that the organization's home base is local for me as it is situated in Washington D.C. I thought learning more about and potentially connecting with members of the NBCDI will support my career goal of leaving the classroom and focusing my work on supporting families by educating parents in child development with specific attention paid to black and Hispanic families.
I chose to listen to world forum radio to Susan Lyon, Susan Lyon inspired me when she said “I saw a window in children mind and that the beginning of me to understand how the children see things and how they understand the world’’. And that what I like about the children’s world is clear of any kind of critical thinking. Susan Lyon did good job by bringing Reggio Emilio approach to education in the Bay Area of California
ReplyDeleteReggio Emilio is a pretty cool concept. An associate I worked with a couple of years ago told me that many years ago some teachers in my school district received a grant to go to Italy and see some of the Reggio Emilio schools there. What a cool opportunity that would have been.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great career goal. Educating parents is just as important as educating our children. I think the more we can teach our families about child development the more they will know what kinds of experiences to provide for their children as well as what is a realistic expectation to have for their child