Tuesday, January 24, 2017


Pendulum Painting

The Per-K class has been study movement, more specifically how things move, what ways we can make things move.  One of the ways we introduced this concept to children was through Pendulum painting.  We set the pendulum up in the studio and worked with children in small groups. With each group we started by asking them to experiment with the pendulum without paint. We asked “How they could get the cup to move?”

August- We can push it

Ellis- it swings when you push it

Lawrence- back and forth

We then asked them to observe the cup. They all notice that there was a hole in it. We asked if we put paint in what they thought would happen.

Sofia- it will go onto the paper

Ava- the paint will come down

 
Children and teachers had to constantly reflect on, how much water needed to be added to the paint to make it run through the hole, how high to hold the cup so it would really swing across the paper, how to fill up the cup with paint and then quickly get set to swing the cup so the paint wouldn't all drip out before they were ready, and whether it was better to push the cup or just let go.

 
During the process we asked children:

What pattern is the pendulum making?

Stella- an oval

Chaska- lines

Elijah- circles

What does our painting look like?

Henry- comets in the solar system

Ava- stars

What happens if you swing the pendulum gently? or harder?

Jane- when you do it hard it spills

We also talked with children about what was happing to the
paint. What they thought would happen when we added
another color.

Valentina- it’s mixing together, it making orange

Allan John- Its mixing and mixing.

 
The next day we continue with sand and again worked with
children in small groups in the studio. We started by asking them if they
remembered what it was called and how it worked.

Rainflower- it is a pendulum it swings

Jaxson- moves and swings when you push it

Michael- Teacher Ali, you have to put the paint in the cup

then swing it and the paint will come out of the hole

 

Children worked together to choose colors of sand, hang the
cup and fill it with sand.  Students really took the lead and
communicated their ideas with peers on the best way to make it work,
They delegated jobs for themselves and others and worked together to push
the pendulum back and forth. During this time we also asked children to
notice if the sand was mixed together and if it was making a new color like the day before.

Amalie- Sand mix together but it is the same

Arianna- Red and yellow paint make orange but not with sand

 
The paint and sand allowed children to see the path the pendulum was
following and experiment with how they can alter it through movement.
The process invited critical thinking, coordination, cooperation,
collaboration, and problem solving. Children learned about the forces of
motion and gravity and a new painting technique!!

 
New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines Meet:

#4 The child demonstrates safe behaviors in increasing numbers of situations.

#5 The child demonstrates development and

expansion of listening skills.

#6 The child communicates experiences, ideas and feelings through speaking.

#14 The child uses the scientific method to  investigate the physical and natural worlds and to hypothesize and make predictions.

#17 The child exhibits self-awareness.

#18 The child demonstrates self-control

#19 The child demonstrates personal responsibility

#20 The child works cooperatively with other children and adults.

#23 The child is open and curious to learn new things

#24 The child takes initiative

#25 The child exhibits imagination and creativity

#26 The child shows confidence

#27 The child displays persistence and pursues challenges
#28 The child uses problem-solving skills
















 

Friday, January 6, 2017

Exploring small group work ...

The focus of the toddler room through the fall semester has been on relationships. Teachers were intentional in grouping children together to explore common interest.  Our intention doing this was that all children would feel as a member of the classroom. First we grouped children together based on age; we learned that this didn't always work because it only widened the gap in relationships between younger and older toddlers. We reevaluated our intentions and figured out that our goal was to connect older toddlers with young toddlers. So we began working on finding children's common interest, then grouping them based on their interests.  This helped toddlers to find common ground with each other and start their relationships from there.  
Throughout the semester we explored sculptures in small groups. We visited the sculptures around the UNM campus up to three times per week. We took the same small group (4-5) of children each time to visit the sculptures. On our sculpture walks children were able to share a love for the sculpture. They talked about what they saw and ran and walked together; sometimes holding hands and laughing. Toddlers with higher levels of language helped younger toddlers with less language understand and see what was going on and helped them to be able to understand the process.    
We also explored art in small groups. Toddlers would visit the art studio twice a week to explore some sort of art experience. Art experiences were chosen based on the children's interest (painting car tracks, other experiences were based on seasonal experiences (pumpkin painting). these experiences encouraged toddlers relationships as they talked to each other, as they practiced taking turns, and as they expressed themselves through the art.