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Professional Development Workshops
Learning Materials Workshop's "hands-on/minds-on" professional
development workshops and courses are designed for early childhood/primary
grade teachers, paraprofessionals, curriculum coordinators, special
education teachers, ESL teachers, and teachers of the gifted and
talented to help develop and support enriched environments in
which children and adults are actively engaged in the learning
process. The workshops focus on the rationale of using blocks
as an ideal learning tool in the early childhood and elementary
curriculum. Participants experience the joy and intensity of learning
as they work with a variety of blocks and expand and refine their
own curriculum ideas.
Workshops are available in half-day and full-day sessions. We
believe that the most effective training includes the revisiting
of ideas and theories over a period of time, and we encourage
programs to have follow-up workshops. Call for fees and schedules.
Learning Materials Workshop offers CEU credits from the University
of Vermont.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
1. Blocks in the Early Childhood Curriculum: An Overview
This introductory workshop looks at the development of block play
in young children from infancy through the early childhood years
and the use of blocks as a primary learning tool across the early
childhood curriculum. The design of the block environment, types
of blocks, storage ideas, use of props, the role of the teacher,
and ways to encourage and enrich block play for all children are considered.
2. Blocks Tell a Story: Enriching Literacy Through Block Play
Blocks are a powerful tool for representing objects and stories
already known, for creating imaginary narratives and recreating
real events, for communicating and negotiating ideas, and for
inspiring writing. This workshop explores the integral relationship
between children's language development and construction from
early childhood through elementary school. Observation and documentation
of children's block play for authentic assessment of literacy
standards and frameworks are explored.
3. Exploring Forms and Patterns in Space: The Aesthetics of
Block Play
Art, architecture, and mathematics are closely connected as children
build with blocks. Participants build with a variety of three-dimensional
modular material (blocks and recycled material) as they explore
the beauty of geometric forms, symmetry, patterns, spirals, size
and color series, textures and free-form designs. Ways to connect
block structures to the real world of art and architecture from
a variety of cultures and time periods are examined through the
use of photographs, books, and neighborhood trips.
4. Mathematical Thinking
The modular feature of blocks makes them a natural material for
exploring mathematical ideas. This workshop considers how children's
spontaneous block play is clearly linked to specific National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) process and content
standards for Pre K-4 (problem solving, communication, reasoning,
connections, estimations, geometrical and spatial sense, measurement,
and patterns and relationships). It also considers how documentation
of children's block play can be used as an alternative assessment
model.
5. Representing Our World: Blocks in the Social Studies Curriculum
Children use blocks to represent, investigate, and revisit their
immediate world--their classroom, their school, their home, their
neighborhood--in increasing detail and complexity, exploring geographical
relationships, social planning, and mapping skills. This workshop
looks at ways to enrich this process and consider how block play
provides a natural environment for children to work cooperatively
and experience how ideas are developed and shared.
6. Children as Scientists: Physical Knowledge and Block Play
As children construct with blocks, they are naturally experimenting
with the properties of materials and physical phenomena, observing,
comparing, interpreting, classifying, theorizing, predicting,
and solving problems. This workshop looks at how children are
"being scientific" as they construct with blocks, and
examines ways in which teachers can observe, document, provoke,
and assess this process.
Some of our Presenters:
Karen Hewitt
BA, Oberlin College
M.Ed, Bank St. College of Education
Founder and President of Learning Materials Workshop, educational
toy designer, former early childhood and primary school and art
teacher, continuing education faculty at University of Vermont
Mary Gemignani
M.Ed, C.A.S., University of Vermont
Elementary and special education teacher, curriculum developer.
Bridgid Infante
BA, M.Ed, New York University
Certified Montessori teacher, NYC and Ithaca, designer.
Jeanne Goldhaber
BA, Ed.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Vermont,
former early childhood teacher, curriculum director.
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