Nov12

VAST-ly improved learning opportunity for elementary and preK teachers—State associations aren’t just for high school science teachers!

Learning about science curriculum and meeting more early childhood teachers than I expected were the happy outcomes of the two days I spent at the really well-run Virginia Association of Science Teachers 2009 Professional Development Institute.

Engaging workshops delighted early childhood teachers at VAST 2009

Every workshop slot had a selection of presentations appropriate for the preK-2 teacher, and the organizers really know how to build a fun program. There was food, fun (dancing and a fun-dollars auction Friday night, and Mad Science presentation and door prizes on Saturday), and food for thought. I had to choose among offerings and was only able to get to some of the sessions:

  • Discovery Tree program, teaching young children ecology by connecting literature and visual models—from University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm, http://www.virginia.edu/blandy/
  • Growing up WILD, learning about wildlife for young children and their teachers—from Project WILD, http://www.projectwild.org/earlychildhood.htm
  • Planting a Square Foot Garden (using the book of the same name by Mel Bartholomew) to set-up a school garden that is easy to maintain and can include every class, a square foot at a time, http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
  • Butterfly resources, enthusiasm for learning was infectious and the information plentiful—their favorite site is The Butterfly Website, http://butterflywebsite.com/
  • Using podcasts as a learning tool—although high school teachers presented this how-to and why-to workshop, I can see how audio and visual podcasts will be a great teaching tool to use in trainings for early childhood teachers.
  • Ecology Clubs—projects for young children, such as making a percussion instrument, a rainstick, using discarded cardboard tubes.

Teacher learning about leaf shapes

 In a workshop an early childhood science teacher tries out a  leaf-shape sit-upon. Young children pick a leaf shape to sit on,  and later look for the leaf shape in the field.

 

 Look up your state science teacher association chapter and  Associated Groups on the NSTA website and look for  professional development institutes you can attend and you can present.

 Peggy

 

Published: Nov-12-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct13

Resource sharing--websites and other places to learn

Does it seem to you that this blog needs a place to post about resources such as book and website recommendations, commercial sites for needed early childhood science supplies, and interesting articles that are not necessarily related to a particular post? As a blog it is difficult for readers to begin new threads, but here's one way we can do it:
 
Please "Comment" to add your suggestions for resources of interest on this post. Begin your post with a header/title identifying the content: book of science activities, favorite fiction with science theme, great website about seeds, place to buy pipettes, blog on teaching kindergarten, and so on. Readers can use the Search feature to find posts on particular topics (let me know if the feature does not function--scienceissimple at yahoo dot com).
Teacher reading aloud
Another forum for members of the National Science Teacher's Association is NSTA Communities where you can join a grade-specific group such as the PreK-K Group.  Looking forward to hearing from you,
Peggy
Published: Oct-13-09 | 6 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct13

Early Sprouts for two

When I shared my copy of the book, Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children, with a nutritionist friend she got very excited about the possibilities, but then her job changed and she no longer works directly with children. Did that stop her? Read on...

 

Young gardener watches water drainI am doing Early Sprouts with my neighbor Sydney (4 years old) every Saturday afternoon. We did the initial taste tests and we've done five or six of the sessions, with the activity and then the cooking back to back. It takes about an hour. We've made couscous castles with green peppers, Chinese green beans, butternut squash pancakes (too wet but yummy), yogurt dip, and pasta with sauce made from cherry  tomatoes. I love it. I took photos of the plants in the garden in different stages and made cards out of them and at the beginning of each class, she sorts them into piles by vegetable and then puts the cards for each vegetable in order from sprout to plant to flower to small fruit to large unripe fruit to ripe fruit, or whatever applies to the vegetable. I also took photos of the compost pile. 

Wish I could send you some of our raspberries. 

 

Young gardener touches bean plant

 

 

 

What she's begun with one child she can use to inform her teaching with more, in future years. The materials can be used every year too—each following year will need less set-up time.

 

Read more about the Early Sprouts program at

http://www.earlysprouts.org/

 

Thanks for the inspiration Bonnie!

Peggy

Published: Oct-13-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post