The approach to teaching and learning in Kindergarten has shifted significantly within the past decade. No longer do students in this grade level learn to play and play to learn but instead, have had very high academic standards and expectations imposed on their learning. While our intentions are good and we simply want to increase academic achievement and success, we seem to have forgotten a few very basic principles of child development and learning.
As stated by Penelope Leach, “For a small child, there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play." While our students are every bit capable of meeting Common Core Standards, perhaps our current approach is not the most efficient or effective way of teaching these students. The brain of a five year old, afterall, is wired to interact with the world through play, exploration, and discovery.
Next year, it is my priority to shift from teacher centered instruction and paper based assignments to more student centered, experience based, hands-on learning. Students will primarily use Learning Centers to practice what they’ve learned, while also allowing for differentiation. A Technology Center with iPads, will allow students the opportunity to access Educational Apps for both ELA and Math. Whether it be EPIC!, a free virtual library, Zearn, an individualized online math curriculum, or SeeSaw, a digital student portfolio, students learn to work independently, while also allowing individualized learning to take place in Small Group. With only 25 iPads shared amongst the 120 students in our grade level, our greatest challenge is the lack of technology needed to support the vast number of quality resources available to students and teachers.
About my class
The approach to teaching and learning in Kindergarten has shifted significantly within the past decade. No longer do students in this grade level learn to play and play to learn but instead, have had very high academic standards and expectations imposed on their learning. While our intentions are good and we simply want to increase academic achievement and success, we seem to have forgotten a few very basic principles of child development and learning.
As stated by Penelope Leach, “For a small child, there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play." While our students are every bit capable of meeting Common Core Standards, perhaps our current approach is not the most efficient or effective way of teaching these students. The brain of a five year old, afterall, is wired to interact with the world through play, exploration, and discovery.
Next year, it is my priority to shift from teacher centered instruction and paper based assignments to more student centered, experience based, hands-on learning. Students will primarily use Learning Centers to practice what they’ve learned, while also allowing for differentiation. A Technology Center with iPads, will allow students the opportunity to access Educational Apps for both ELA and Math. Whether it be EPIC!, a free virtual library, Zearn, an individualized online math curriculum, or SeeSaw, a digital student portfolio, students learn to work independently, while also allowing individualized learning to take place in Small Group. With only 25 iPads shared amongst the 120 students in our grade level, our greatest challenge is the lack of technology needed to support the vast number of quality resources available to students and teachers.
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