Last Zoom

Last Tuesday was my last Zoom call with the children in my class. Nevertheless, I am glad the Zoom calls have ended because truthfully, Zoom calls and young children are not a good mix. Of course, keeping the connection between children, teachers, and peers are very important during these times, in my opinion, having children sit through multiple Zoom calls per day is not beneficial. Studies even show that web chat calls for young children should not exceed 15- 20 minutes. But, lets be honest, can you even get what needs to be done in a span of 15- 20 minutes? No. Don’t get me wrong, I made the best of the situation, but I do think it is much more important for young children to play outside, explore nature, and do things more cohesive to their development rather than sitting in front of the computer several times per day. Needless to say, I have been doing Zoom calls everyday since March and have learned a lot from doing so as well. Here are a few things I took away from teaching via webcam;

1. Some parents take their child’s education very seriously and are disciplined about having their child attend the Zoom calls everyday. Whereas, on the other hand, there are some parents who turn on the Zoom and walk away to where the child can now diddly daddly for the whole Zoom session.

2. In the beginning of this experience, it was new and novel, everyone got a kick out of seeing each other on the screen, but week after week, the numbers of participants dwindled.

3. Volume control is so important! Can you imagine 28 children trying to speak all at once?! It’s horrendous.

4. Some children have no interest at all and you see them in their Zoom box playing with toys, jumping on their couches, eating, etc.

5. Some days were easier than others. I found with my class in particular, Thursday morning Zooms were the toughest. The focus wasn’t there a lot of the time, they were just exhausted, and it was difficult for them to actively participate.

There were some fun times on Zoom, however. For example, we did a bunch of science experiments, and played a lot of games. What works in the actual classroom does not translate to something that works over webcam. I had to tap into the creative side and experiment with new things to do. Some ideas worked really well, but at the same time, some did not. It’s all about trial and error.

The activity I did for the last Zoom call was to create a “hat” out of materials you had at home. All I used was paper, markers, and tape. After everyone created their version of their “hat” we all did hip hip hoorays to celebrate our last Zoom and for the transition back to school.

xoxo,e

Reggio Inspired Project

As we are approaching the long weekend, here is a Reggio inspired project you and your child can do together.

No matter where you live, you and your child can explore in your backyard, on your block, in front of your house, at the park, anywhere!  Take the time to be present in your surroundings during this ever-changing time.  Have your child collect a few things that interest them.  Whether that is a rock or two, some leaves, some dirt, a piece of bird feather, anything (parents, check for appropriate things of course)!

After, you and your child can talk about the items.  You can ask questions about the items collected.

“Why did you choose this rock?”

“How many leaves did you collect?”

“Are they all the same shape?”

“What’s the difference between…?”

"Can you find where this fell off of?”

etc.

We have to remember- what may pose as simple questions to grown- ups, are thought provoking questions for children to help them use their cognition, imagination, and, developmental milestone skills. Asking children questions is also a good way for them to use their skills and to help them practice explanation.

Finally, ask your child to create a project using the collected items. By using natural materials, it gives children the opportunity to work “outside the box” with non- traditional materials. After they are complete you can also ask them to share about their project.

When relating this project to the Reggio Philosophy, we try to steer away from giving children a specific goal image. We want children to explore their surroundings and how they want to use the materials themselves, not how WE as grown- ups envision it. Let your child create THEIR art, not yours. If you choose to do this project with your child you can talk about the differences in the items you collected, finished product etc.

Have fun with it, but more importantly, have a nice long weekend. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy!

xoxo,e

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

—Maya Angelou