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Online Companion: Creativity and the Arts with Young Children
Chapter 8: Creativity
across the Curriculum and throughout the Classroom
Personal Creativity
Journal Entries
8:A
- What is curriculum?
- What are some
of the ways to organize curriculum?
8:B
- What is developmentally
appropriate practice (DAP)?
- In what ways should
DAP influence how early childhood educators carry out the curriculum?
8:C
- How does a theme
or unit organize learning in the early childhood classroom?
- What themes have
you seen?
- Which themes were
effective or ineffective?
- Why?
8:D
- What techniques
could the teacher use to determine themes that match a specific group
of children?
- What adjustments
could be made to meet the special needs of children in the group?
8:E
- What is an emergent
curriculum?
- Have you observed
this in an early childhood classroom?
- What did you see?
- What were the
children learning?
8:F
- Have you created
a thematic unit?
- Did you include
the arts?
- If not, what could
you add now?
Web Sites
Smithsonian
Center for Education and Museum Studies
http://educate.si.edu
T he Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies interprets the
collective knowledge of the Smithsonian and serves as a gateway to its
educational resources. Through research, publishing, and staff development
programs for the education and museum communities, the Center promotes
the understanding and use of museums. Contact: Smithsonian Center for
Education and Museum Studies, 900 Jefferson Dr., SW, Washington, DC 20560-0402,
and E-mail: info@info.si.edu
High/Scope
Information
http://users.sgi.net/~cokids/highscope.htm
. . .
Links to information on the Internet about the High/Scope curriculum
Teaching
Strategies-Creative Curriculum
http://www.creativecurriculum.net/
The Creative Curriculum from Teaching Strategies is a nationally
validated curriculum that helps teachers create effective learning environments
in their preschool classrooms by focusing on the indoor and outdoor spaces
where learning takes place. Developed in 1988 by educator and author Diane
Trister Dodge. The mission is to enhance the quality of early childhood
programs by offering the highest quality curriculum materials, training
programs, parenting resources, and staff development services that are
practical, developmentally appropriate, responsive to the needs of the
field, and reflect the most innovative thinking. Contact: Teaching Strategies,
Inc., P.O. Box 42243, Washington, DC 20015, Phone: 800-637-3652 or 202-362-7543,
Fax: 202-364-7273, and E-mail: info@TeachingStrategies.com
High/ScopeŽ
Foundation, an independent nonprofit research, development, training,
and public advocacy organization located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was founded
in 1970. The Foundation's principal goals are to promote the learning
and development of children worldwide from infancy through adolescence,
and to support and train educators and parents as they help children learn.
In a High/ScopeŽ program, students learn through active involvement with
people, materials, events, and ideas. Contact: High/ScopeŽ Foundation,
600 N River St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898, Phone: 734-482-6660 or 800-40-PRESS,
and Fax: 734-482-6757 or 800-442-4FAX
Merrill-Palmer
Institute
http://www.mpi.wayne.edu/teacher.htm
The Merrill-Palmer Institute offers development programs for early
childhood educators who are interested in exploring how the principles
of Reggio Emilia can enrich their classrooms. Contact: Erin Sturr by Phone:
313-872-1790
National
PTA
http://www.pta.org/
The National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization
in the United States. A not-for-profit association of parents, educators,
students, and other citizens active in their schools and communities,
PTA is a leader in reminding our nation of its obligations to children.
Contact: National PTA, 330 N Wabash Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60611,
Phone: 312-670-6782 or 800-307-4PTA (4782), Fax: 312-670-6783, and E-mail:
info@pta.org
Reggio
Children
http://www.rcs.re.it/unita/notter/esped/erchild.htm
Information about Reggio Children. Contact: Reggio Children USA, c/o
Council for Early Childhood Education, 1341 G St., NW, Suite 400, Washington,
DC 20005-3105
Innovative
Teacher Project
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/bingschool/itp/
The Innovative Teacher Project is inspired by the Hundred Languages
of Children Exhibit from Reggio Emilia, Italy 1993-1994 at Dominican College,
San Rafael California. There has been a dialogue between the educators
in Reggio Emilia and the United States through this project for several
years. The project invites teachers, directors, and instructors to contribute
to the exchange by participating in the project. The bridge between theory
and practice, and how this translates within the classroom, is addressed
through many opportunities. A community of interested educators creates
a dialogue in education that is vitally important in the field. Contact:
Susan Lyon, Director of the Innovative Teacher Project, 350 Bay St., Suite
100-352, San Francisco, CA 94133, Phone: 415-397-8211, and E-mail: titp@pacbell.net
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