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Journal

community

Supporting Our Local Community: The Growhaus Project

The Growhaus, in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood is changing Denver’s food system. Their mission, as stated on their website: “The GrowHaus is a nonprofit indoor farm, marketplace and educational center in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Our vision is a world where all communities have the means to nourish themselves, and our mission is to create a community-driven, neighborhood-based food system by serving as a hub for food distribution, production, education, and economic opportunity.” The Growhaus offers the BEEs (Building Early Experiences) program for local children during the summer months. This free program offers opportunities for children to become familiar with food production and cooking. They have a wonderful outdoor play space with chickens, a garden, and a beehive. Each day the children help make lunch. They pick, cut, and prepare fresh food grown right there at the Growhaus. The families of the children that attend the program always have an open invitation to join them for a fresh lunch each day. After learning about this program and the amazing benefits to the community, Kodo jumped at the chance to donate an Outdoor Magnet Wall. After working the the BEEs program director, Lori Ryan, to find the perfect space, two Kodo employees loaded up their cars with materials and headed down to Denver to install the Magnet Wall. The BEEs program was in full swing during the installation. The children were naturally curious about what these new materials were. They observed the installation process and were contagiously excited to begin using the Magnet Wall. Jordan, Education Specialist, and Grey, Product Designer, stand with the installed Magnet Wall. Hooray! The Outdoor Magnet Wall is the perfect place for water play during the hot and sunny days of Colorado summer. We included a Aqua Circuits pack to allow for exploration with water, tubes, and suction. We are so pleased to support a wonderful resource in our local community. Thank you to Growhaus for letting us be a part of the amazing things you do for the community of Elyria-Swansea every day Click here if you would like to learn more about how to support this wonderful program.

bugs

June Bugs: Cultivating Caring, Compassion, and Empathy

Caring for June Bugs As the weather warms up, you may notice some old friends reappear- June Bugs! June Bugs are small beetles that emerge from the ground in spring and summer. They can be fascinating to observe and learn more about. This interest can be a wonderful opportunity to explore empathy, compassion, and caring. Children will often be drawn to care for creatures smaller and more vulnerable than themselves. These experiences offer a chance for the children to feel powerful and responsible. June Bugs Fun Facts June Bugs larvae can live in the ground for 2-3 years before surfacing to become an adult They got their name because of their prolific quantity in the month of June June Bugs are less than one inch in length They are most active at night June Bugs are very attracted to light Supporting Caring and Empathy Facilitate a discussion about caring for bugs. Talk about how to handle the bugs and how to respectfully observe them. Encourage children to use experiences with other animals and creatures as a reference. If the children in your class are interested, it may be helpful to make a list of agreements as a class to follow when caring for the June Bugs. Observing Observation is a powerful tool for investigation. Support the children in using observation as a tool to learn more about how the June Bugs move, what they eat, where they like to climb, and what areas they enjoy living in. You can offer clipboards and drawing materials for children to record their observations. Create a Bug Habitat One way to encourage care for the June Bugs is to invite children to create a bug habitat for the June Bugs to explore. This experience naturally lends itself to research! This can include a trip to the school or local library, utilizing technology, or talking to local experts. Once the children find out what kind of materials and spaces June Bugs like to call home, they can begin to collect materials to create a bug house. Incorporate family engagement by encouraging families to bring in recycled materials for building bug houses. Once created, encourage children to observe the bugs in their new habitat. Here are some questions to spark curiosity: Can you tell me about your bug habitat and why you chose these materials? Do the June Bugs act the same way in their new bug habitat as they did out in nature? How and why? What do you think the June Bug likes about this habitat? Why? Jordan Kaseeska is the Education Specialist at Kodo Kids. She received her undergraduate degree from Colombia College Chicago in Early Childhood Education and went on to earn her masters degree from University of Colorado- at Denver in Education and Human Development with a focus in Early Literacy. She has used her passion for constructionist style teaching in both public and private early childhood and elementary schools.

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The Week of the Young Child - Empowering Children in Their Community - 2 of 3

Empowering Children in Their Community Kodo Kids Celebrates NAEYC The Week of the Young Child™ Part 2 of 3 of our series this week. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out the associated video content for this blog series. Children naturally seek collaboration to help solve problems. In any early childhood classroom, it is common to hear “I can help!”, “I need some help over here!”, or “Let’s do it together!”. Children understand that they are far more powerful together than they are apart. During this long term inquiry, the children came to a point where they had done their own research and made plans but were seeking answers to questions that the immediate community inside our school couldn’t answer. The teachers reflected on how to keep the momentum moving forward and decided the next step was to invite the broader community into the classroom. One of the parents, Adam, an architect was invited into the classroom for a day. The teachers shared what the children had done in their planning thus far and some questions they had raised concerning the outdoor space. Adam brought in real architectural drawing tools, vellum drawing paper, and examples of his own drawings. The children presented their collaborative drawing of the outdoor space they had completed and asked for feedback. Adam engaged them in measuring the outdoor space and shared strategies for converting the measurements into a drawing. The children used these strategies to inform their future planning. The next community member invited into the classroom was, Heidi, the person in charge of fundraising and donations at the Boulder JCC. The children had settled on two items they e and their next step was to raise funds to purchase them. Heidi shared strategies to track how much money had been raised and also how to make sure the people who donated to our campaign were given a proper thank you. The children took her advice and applied it to their bake sale. They created a large thermometer to track how much money they had raised and colored it in after counting the money earned each day. With the help of the studio teacher, Leah, the children transferred the drawings of their plans onto styrofoam pieces to be used as stamps. These stamps were used to print stamped versions of their plans onto thank you cards. Opening the door to community members not only kept the momentum of the project going for the children, but it was also a way to show the community the wonderful things that were happening in the classroom. The teachers also kept the interest of the community going with regular updates on the progress of the project. Aimee and Jordan created a video that was shared in preparation for the bake sale fundraiser. They sent it to the entire school community. Many families ended up sharing this with extended family and friends, expanding the network of support for the children’s plan even further. The ripple of the project continued to grow wider and wider. Creating the video also offered the teachers a way to grow in their own practice and elevate the role of teacher as a professional. Aimee and Jordan learned new skills on how to create, edit, and share documentation in the form of a video. After the installation of the , they created large panels of documentation that encompassed the project in its entirety. They consulted with other teachers, a museum documentation specialist, and administrators to create a detailed visual representation of the long term inquiry. As teachers, we are often engulfed in the amazing experiences that happen inside the walls of our classroom every day. There are often valuable and diverse resources within the community outside of school that may enrich the learning experience already happening even more. That community can look like siblings, parents, grandparents, or local business owners. Spark Community-Based Learning in Your Classroom: What community members can you think of that may be a resource for learning about a specific topic or interest? Can you think of any ways to make the children’s learning visible to the community outside of your school? How can you support children in knowing where and how to seek community support? Jordan Kaseeska is the Education Specialist at Kodo Kids. She received her undergraduate degree from Colombia College Chicago in Early Childhood Education and went on to earn her masters degree from University of Colorado- at Denver in Education and Human Development with a focus in Early Literacy. She has used her passion for constructionist style teaching in both public and private early childhood and elementary schools.

#woyc18

The Week of the Young Child™ - Hearing Children’s Voices Through Assessment - 3 of 3

Hearing Children’s Voices Through Assessment Kodo Kids Celebrates NAEYC The Week of the Young Child™ Part 3 of 3 of our series this week. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out the associated video content for this blog series. The process of children’s work is their legacy. It shows the path they navigate through challenges, success, and celebrations in the journey of their learning. As educators, it is privilege to share this process with others so they can also see the immense value children bring to their community. The process was much more important than the final product in this long term inquiry. The children’s voices were the ones heard loud and clear throughout this project. The teachers, Aimee and Jordan, encouraged the children to invite other classes, administrators, and family members into the classroom to share their work. The teachers were intentional about letting the children share their work themselves and turned to them as the experts. The children’s decisions and ideas were respected and honored. This communicated to the children that they were driving their learning. Even the ideas that the teachers knew would most likely never have a chance in coming true, like the hot tub or real rocket ship, were heard and incorporated into the planning process. The understanding of all that goes into brainstorming, planning, collaborating, and executing were what the teachers wanted the children to experience. During the long term inquiry at the JCC, there were so many skills and strategies that were developed. The teachers had to keep in mind that there were still assessments and learning goals to be met by the end of the year. They were intentional about how they incorporated those learning experiences into the project while keeping the voice of the child at the forefront of what was happening. The teachers documented these learning experiences with observational notes, photos, and videos to refer back to when using assessment tools. Here is a sampling of what they uncovered during the project: During the bake sale, the teachers encouraged the children to practice their literacy skills and create flyers to hang around the school. They guided them in sounding out words phonetically and writing the letters using the child-created letter line as a reference. Math: Math skills were fostered during the children’s planning by encouraging them to use measuring tools to collect data and include it in their drawings. Social Emotional: Social emotional growth was a large part of this process. As the project moved forward, the teachers observed a strong sense of community developing within in the classroom. The children were more willing to seek the help of other children when they were faced with a challenge. Additionally, the children were also more willing to go to a friend’s aid when they recognized they needed help. The teachers saw this as a direct reflection of the model that was set during the project for seeking help in the community. Social Studies: The children met new community members and learned about their impact and role in the community. They took the skills and strategies they learned from these various community members and applied them to their work on the outdoor space. This long term inquiry brought endless joy, knowledge, and growth for both the children and the teachers. It was gratifying for everyone involved to have known they left a lasting legacy that will enrich the lives of future children for years to come. A big thank you to the children, teachers, and entire community at the Boulder JCC for sharing this story with us! Jordan Kaseeska is the Education Specialist at Kodo Kids. She received her undergraduate degree from Colombia College Chicago in Early Childhood Education and went on to earn her masters degree from University of Colorado- at Denver in Education and Human Development with a focus in Early Literacy. She has used her passion for constructionist style teaching in both public and private early childhood and elementary schools.

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The Week of the Young Child™ - Competent and Capable Children - 1 of 3

Competent and Capable Children Kodo Kids Celebrates NAEYC The Week of the Young Child™ Children are natural researchers. They are continuously observing, reflecting, and making connections to the world around them. As educators, we create opportunities and experiences for them to explore their interests and questions. During this three part series we will explore what a long term inquiry can look like in an early childhood classroom and how following the children’s lead can lead to incredible and lasting changes. A pre-kindergarten class at the Boulder JCC was enjoying their first year in a new school building. After noticing the children didn’t seem to be very engaged in the outdoor space, the teachers, Aimee and Jordan, brought these observations back to the children. The adults asked for their impressions on the new outdoor space. The children quickly created a list of likes, dislikes, and a wishlist of things they thought would make the space more engaging. The teachers channeled the children’s enthusiasm and suggested they research other outdoor spaces to guide their planning. Children used the computer to look up photos of various playground areas or materials they were interested in adding. They also referenced other outdoor spaces they had visited such as parks or school playground and described the spaces to their peers. After this research, the children chose products and areas of the playground they would like to add to their own outdoor space. The teachers suggested they construct a block model to visualize their ideas in the outdoor space. The children worked on the block model for weeks. They continuously added new ideas and even created a color-coded key so they were able to keep track of which areas were which. They used the block model as a guide and expanded their planning to create blueprints, clay models, and various drawings of their ideas for the space. During this inquiry, the teachers were supporting the children in their research and asking questions to propel their thinking forward. Some of the questions asked were: - Was it actually going to be realistic to add a rocketship or a pool? Or would it be more realistic to add a mud pit or water pump? - How will we raise the funds to buy these new items for the outdoor space? - Who do we need to ask for help in order to make some of our ideas happen? - Are there any experts in our community that would help us know more about planning an outdoor space? - How can we make sure these new items or areas will fit in our outdoor space? A community member who was involved in the planning and construction of the new building brought in architectural drawings and plans to share with the children. There were plans for the playground that included pricing for each item. We used this information to compare prices and began to narrow down their ideas into realistic goals. The two items the children settled on wanting to add to the outdoor space were the Pump Works water pump and Outdoor Magnet Wall from Kodo Kids. Since they were a local company in the area, Aimee and Jordan reached out to Diane Spahn, Kodo Kids’ Director of Education, to see if it would be possible to share the children’s work they had done throughout the long term inquiry. Diane set up a visit for the children to share their designs and drawings with the Kodo design and engineering team and even tour the workshop! The children were so proud to share their ideas and plans with real designers. At the end of the tour, the children used money they had collected from their bake sale to purchase the water pump and magnet wall. Their ideas and planning had come to fruition! The value of a long term inquiry comes in the form and depth of the knowledge and understanding the children have around a topic and not a product at the end. Children are some of the most valuable members in our community. They are valuable not simply for their future worth, but what they offer us in the present. They are capable of incredible things and can leave lasting changes in their path if we harness their innate curiosity and support them in being active researchers. Spark Inquiry-Based Learning in Your Classroom: What interests do you observe in your own classroom that can be expanded upon? In what ways can you ask support children in deepening their understanding of a topic or interest? Are there any members in your community that can support children in their exploration of these topics or interests? Jordan Kaseeska is the Education Specialist at Kodo Kids. She received her undergraduate degree from Colombia College Chicago in Early Childhood Education and went on to earn her masters degree from University of Colorado- at Denver in Education and Human Development with a focus in Early Literacy. She has used her passion for constructionist style teaching in both public and private early childhood and elementary schools.