Using technology to support our research: Shells and starfish

We have been thinking about the tools we use to look closely and a colleague (our kindergarten resource teacher) suggested a closer look at “zoomy”, a hand-held microscope that connects to a laptop. We were intrigued by the possibilities of learning that this tool might offer us as our shell inquiry unfolds. We set out an invitation one morning to use the “zoomy” ~ a piece of brown felt to provide contrast, a mason jar of shells, a few shells already chosen to start us off, a laptop, and the “zoomy”. The children began to explore the shells and then the microscope. Here is what we saw and some of our provisional theories:

What are these suppose to be? There are 6 coquillages. This is a sharp point. I want to try this one! Up the jaws of a shell. There’s a rock.


I think it’s a hole because there is a hole in this one.

Guess what we did...I looked down the coral.

Teeth! Under these there is something underneath. 

It looks like teeth! 

The children also helped each other learn how to use this new tool.  Those who had a chance to use the microscope introduced it to a friend who had recently joined the group.  They became the experts, sharing their knowledge.

You know how you take a picture.  You press the top button to take a picture.  You turn this to take different pictures. 

Lots of learning that morning ~ some that we hoped would surface and some surprises as well as we looked closely at our shells using new technology.  Some of the expected learning was the colour, texture, and size of the shells. The learning experience also helped us with some of our French vocabulary as we used this authentic opportunity to learn new words and practice words that we already know in new contexts.

We loved how the children helped each other out with the “zoomy” and echoed each other’s thoughts as they observed the shells up close.  There was an ebb and flow to this morning’s invitation as children explored with the “zoomy”, left to tell others what they had discovered and came back to take another turn.  We spent a good part of our morning looking closely…

One last photo ~ this was the felt piece the shells were gathered on. It sure looks different up close!

Our shell provocation ~ a look at our initial spark

Our new provocation at our nature table is a beautiful display of shells.  The children were intrigued by the different shells – some we had placed in a two-tiered basket, others in a multi-compartment basket (we thought they might like to sort them), and still others on brown felt squares and circles to highlight their delicate colours.  We also placed some shells in a tall mason jar.  A magnifying glass was near by to help the children look closely.

There were lots of explorers at the nature table in the first few days. They touched the shells, noting the surface textures.  They held up the large conch shell to their ears, claiming to hear to the ocean.  The children made many observations…

What is this? It’s a starfish.  It’s smaller.  Do you want to see my booklet?

Is this a sea urchin?

It’s sharp. (They both smelled the shell).

I made a clipboard (booklet) and then you can bring both of them home.  And then you can decorate the front.

What is that?  What is that little white stuff on them?  Is that a real starfish?  It’s dead.  These are spiky balls.  Hey come and see these spiky guys!  Follow me.  Look at these spiky fellows!  They hurt.  Are these actually animals?

These are shells.  Some had animals that died.

This is totally rouge.

I’m going to make seashells.

We were just discovering shells.

We found several resource books, including our Looking Closely book, to help us explore our beach finds. There was a perfect picture in our Looking Closely book of a conch shell. We also had a basket with booklets made for the children to record their thinking and a mason jar filled with coloured pencil crayons.  A few mirrors helped to reflect the shells’ contours from different angles.

Our learning continued guided by the children's interest.  One day, someone brought in a beautiful starfish with a lovely story. We gathered on the carpet and discovered it during our afternoon circle time. We had placed the starfish on a silver tray and covered it with a cloth. We spoke at first in hushed tones about a special treasure that we wanted to share.  Lots of oohs and aahs as we revealed the surprise. The children were interested in sharing what they already knew about starfish and what they might like to find out.

I brought a starfish.

Spiky

You might hurt yourself, don’t throw it or it will break.

Everyone can take a turn and touch it.

It protects it. Spiky.

It was in the sea.  Her grandma was swimming and saw it in the ocean.

 A starfish is a kind of fish.

It has spikes to protect it.

If it touches it, it is dangerous.

A starfish has spikes at the top and is not very big.

Maybe someone was swimming for a long time and found it and was going to put a starfish…

Can you flip it over; there’s a starfish there.

[We can do a bit of research] about a starfish.

Nobody ate the starfish. 

Later that afternoon, we went to the library to take out some books about starfish. Our starfish inquiry has begun...

The Theory of Loose Parts

The Theory of Loose Parts came from Simon Nicholson.  He said that in any environment, the degree of creativity and inventiveness is directly proportional to the number of variables in it.  Nicholson suggested that a beach is a good example of a loose parts environment.  It has many adaptable materials like sand, water, rocks and sea shells and most children can spend hours absorbed in play there.  

Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together in many different ways.  Here are some examples:

• pine cones,

• shells

• stones,

• stumps,

• sand,

• gravel,

• fabric/blankets,

• twigs,

• wood,

• blocks,

• balls,

• buckets,

• baskets,

• crates,

• boxes,

• logs, 

• rope,

• beads

• etc.

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  Try choosing 3 different open ended items out as in invitation to play.  For example:
  
  

  Yarn, curtain rings and play dough….

  
  

  Water, feathers and plastic cups…

  
  

  Tin foil, sticks and buttons…
  
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   For more information and ideas... check this out...
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  http://museumnotes.blogspot.ca/2011/02/playing-with-loose-parts.html
   
     

An invitation to make something wondrous...

For our school's annual barbecue this past week, we decided to set out an invitation for families to create beautiful wire and bead art. We hoped to add a bit of sparkle and wonder to our tree branch chandelier (thanks to Pinterest for the idea, yet again!!) and welcomed an opportunity to get to know our families. We set out a note in a frame, covered our regular table with a beautiful cloth made by the Sami in Lapland, a lovely flowering begonia from the garden, several wooden bowls of different coloured and textured beads, and some pliable wire arranged on a bamboo plate.  

Families were so generous with their time and each made one to hang on our chandelier. Children invited their classmates, parents, and siblings to create something beautiful with them that night.  We loved how it brought us all together in a collaborative project at the beginning of our journey together.  

Educational You Tube Videos

I was looking for some short video/songs that can be used in our kindergarten classes.  Here are a few that your students may enjoy.

Who let the letters out
We are the alphabet
Hoopla Kidz
Alphabet Song
ABC rap
ABC song in the sea
Leap Frog Letter Factory Alphabet Sounds
Koala's ABC Phonics Chant
Alphabet Song
WeeHands The Alphabet Song (American Sign Language)
Hip Hop Alphabet
ABC rock
ABC disco
Letter Sounds
ABC (rap)
ABC (rap)
ABC (classic)
Elvis Upper and Lower Case
Alphablocks

Sesame Street Rhyming Day
Rhyming Word Rule
Phonics (rap)
Down By The Bay

Leap Frog Let's Go to School Counting song

Good Morning Song

Pete the Cat

The Skeleton Dance
Turkey Time
The Night Before Thanksgiving
Five Little Pumpkins
Pumpkin Pumpkin
10 Little Monsters
Thriller animation
I'm a Little Ground Hog
The Gingerbread Man

Skinamarink

Green Eggs and Ham
The Sneetches
Chrysanthemum
Kitten's First Full Moon

The Lion Sleeps Tonight
What Am I

Favourite Resources

I can't believe the number of excellent resources available to support our teaching and learning.  Here are some of my latest finds that are on my desk:

Developmentally Appropriate Practice by Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp, ads.

 Working in the Reggio Way:  A Beginner's Guide for American Teachers by Julianne P.Wurm, Celia Genishi

Windows on Learning:  Documenting Young children's Work, Second Edtion (Earl Childhood Eduation Series); by Judy Harris Helm, Sallee Beneke and Kathy Steinheimer

 Young Investigators:  The Project Approach in the Early Years. 2nd ed. by Judy Harris Helm and Lillian Katz

Worms, Shadows, and Whirpools:  Science in the Early Childhood Classroom by Karen Worth and Sharon Grollman

Authentic Childhood:  Experiencing Reggio Emilio in the Classroom, 3rd ed.  by Susan Fraser

Emergent Curriculum in the Primary Classroom:  Interpreting the Reggio Emilia Approach in Schools by Carol Anne Wien

Natural Curiosity:  Resource for Teachers by U of T

The Learning Environment

The Learning Environment is referred to as the third teacher.  When materials are intentionally selected and organized, they have the power to provoke students' exploration, thinking, problem-solving, curiosity, communication, self-regulation, creativity and help set the stage for life long learning.  Here are some beautiful and inviting examples of intentionality with materials that are both familiar and new and simple and complex.

Great Apps

Many of us have iPad Minis or I Pod Touches.  I have been collecting a list of some great apps that you may be interested in:




Pic Collage is an app that can be used to create a collage and add text.  It gives children another way to represent their thinking and learning.



Sock Puppets is a great story telling app.  It allow children to choose their own puppet character, stage and scenery.  They can create their own puppet show and record their voices.



My Story is a great story maker and book creator app.  Children can draw a picture, take a photo or import one from the Photo Gallery and then write about their picture and even record their voice reading the story.



Evernote is a great tool to help with documenting your student's learning.  You can take notes, photographs and even do voice recordings.

Let's share

Happy September!

I have the privilege of visiting so many wonderful classes throughout the year and I thought I would start this blog so that I could share some of the incredible and exciting things I see in our kindergarten classes.  I would also like to invite my colleagues to share some of their inspiring examples of inquiries with us. Let's learn together!