Sources of Inspiration Related to Child Development

12 Motivational Education Quotes to Inspire You

By Kendall Bird on October 18, 2012 9 Comments

It takes someone special to be an educator; a person who cares for others, and aims to help students grow to their fullest potential. The best teachers are capable, dedicated and hardworking, along with having an interest in making a substantial difference in the future of children.
Deciding to study early childhood education is a unique calling and career, but where do you find your motivation? In today’s world, inspiration takes many forms and has many different sources. To help you stay inspired, we chose 12 motivational education quotes from past educators, lawmakers and historical figures to do just that.
Whether you are seeking inspiration or just looking for a pick-me-up during the day, we hope these quotes encourage and inspire your work in early childhood education. Remember, quotes are not only a powerful way to showcase how you feel, but also a way to convey a message to many.



























http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/12-motivational-education-quotes-to-inspire-you/

English proverb
"The soul is healed by being with children."
http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/famous-quotes

http://www.cdr.org/index.php/about-us/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/children

http://interactionimagination.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-relevance-of-loris-malaguzzi-in.html

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/development.html

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=359

http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/

100 Ways to Play

In 100 years of creating, educating and innovating, Boston Children's Museum has encouraged children and families to play together at the Museum, at home and out in the world in more ways than we can count. Every day, there are a wealth of opportunities for adults and their children to play and grow together. We have chosen 100 of our favorites, in honor of our 100th anniversary and we share them with you here. See how many of these 100 Ways to Play you can try together this year!

1. After it rains, take off your shoes and stomp and splash together in the puddles that the storm left behind.
2. Cook together…but don’t follow a recipe!  See if you can create a delicious cake, or cookie, or veggie dip from scratch without any help from a cookbook.  How did it turn out?  What would you change?  Compare your recipe to one you find in a cookbook or online.  Check out these activities for some ideas (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/cupcake-science/; http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/food-power-design-a-dip/).
3. Paint a moustache on your face and negotiate a business deal with your parents.
4. While waiting for your food to arrive at a restaurant, make an accordion with your straw wrapper.
5. Make snow angels.
6. Put on a play based on your favorite story.
7. Find an ordinary (or extraordinary) object and look at it closely: examine every detail, describe what it smells like, what it feels like (are there different textures to it?); if you have a magnifying glass see if that shows new details you hadn’t noticed.  Even familiar objects start to take on new characteristics when they are explored close-up.
8. Draw a crazy scribble and give it to someone to make a picture out of. Or, make a bunch of doodles together and then make up stories about them.  Check out this activity for some ideas (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/scribble-stories/).
9. In the car, look for the letters A to Z, in order, on signs, license plates or billboards.
10. While you are waiting for a bus, try to find shapes in the environment around you (squares, triangles, circles); or anything red, blue or green…practice those powers of observation!
11. Find random objects around the house that have at least one thing in common; see if someone can guess what connects them. Then, have the person that guessed find their own objects to challenge you with.
12. Plant some seeds from a fruit you ate and watch them grow. Try tomatoes or avocados especially.
13. Make shadow puppets out of recycled materials, then put on a play that you make up with those puppets. You can pull the shade off of a lamp and use the bright light to help with your puppets. Check out this activity for ideas (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/shadow-puppet-play/).
14. Play your favorite music and have a dance party with family and friends! Make up a new, silly dance move to teach to everyone. Take turns making up new moves.
15. Create a collage out of old newspapers, magazines, mail, art work, maps….
16. Find a place that no one knows about.
17. Make paper dolls and accessories.
18. Play sardines: it’s like hide and seek, but only one person hides and everyone else looks. If a seeker finds the hider, the seeker squeezes into the hiding space with him. No giggling!
19. Learn how to juggle! Click here for instructions for making your own juggling balls (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/juggling/)!
20. Roll down a grassy hill.
21. Pour cream into your coffee, but don’t stir!  Watch the beautiful patterns it creates as it swirls around.
22. See how many clothes you can pile on top of each other then try to do jumping jacks.
23. Lift up a rock and see what you observe underneath it.
24. Make face paint and paint yourself (and your friends!) silly. Check out some recipes here (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Face-Paint) and here (http://www.ehow.com/how_6452736_homemade-face-paint-food-coloring.html).
25. Build a snowman.
26. Watch the clouds and talk about what (or who) they look like.  Make up stories about these cloud objects, animals and people.
27. Lie on the ground at a local park and see who can count the most different kinds of bugs.
28. Create your own crazy jumps, spins and tumbles.
29. Tickle each other.
30. Make your own tangram set and see how many shapes you can make.  Check out this link for instructions and challenges (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/tangrams/).
31. On a long car ride, look for license plates from every state. 
32. Round up single socks to put on a puppet show.
33. Fill spray bottles with water and some food coloring and paint the snow.
34. Have a parade at home with any drums or shakers you may have…or make your own instruments with pots, pans, wooden spoons, etc.  March around the house singing songs you love and keeping the beat with your instruments!
35. Learn origami! Check out this link for some tips (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Origami).
36. Build a pillow fort and defend it from your stuffed animals.
37. Create a drawing using only the letters in your name.
38. Spin around and around on the grass until you fall down, then watch the world swirl around you.
39. See how many sounds you can make with objects in your kitchen.
40. Dig a hole in your yard and see what you find.
41. Make a snow globe – glue an object to the inside top of a baby food jar, add water and glitter to the jar and close it up.  You can glue the lid to the jar or use “thread tape” to help keep it from leaking.  Try mineral or baby oil instead of water – does the glitter “snow” fall differently? Click here for some tips (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/snow-globes/).
42. Tie your socks together (while you’re wearing them) and have a race.
43. While you wait in line, make up stories about the other people in line. Are they spies on a secret mission? Are they here to surprise the cashier? This is especially fun while waiting at the airport, train station or bus stop.
44. Take a song you know and make up new words.
45. Invent your own card game.
46. Read together; change the storyline or ending of a familiar book/story to see who notices first what you changed.
47. Make paper fortune tellers and go tell everyone their fortune (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cootie-Catcher-(Origami-Fortune-Teller)).
48. Cut a variety of fruits and vegetables open to observe what’s inside.  Then, eat the fruits and vegetables!
49. Raid the recycle bin and see what you can make! Will you make a robot, a city, a sculpture?
50. In the grocery store, shop by color (especially in the fruits and vegetables aisle) – what foods do we need that are green?  How about red?
51. Have a freeze dance! Put on some music and dance like crazy. When the music stops, freeze in whatever wacky position you’re in.
52. Play toe tac tic: the goal is to NOT get three in a row.
53. Make a whistle with a blade of grass. Check out some tips here (http://www.wikihow.com/Whistle-Using-Grass).
54. Have a jump roping contest.
55. Build structures using straws and pipe cleaners or paper clips to connect them together.
56. Make crazy hats out of paper, paper grocery bags or fabric.
57. Practice pouring – give your young child a small plastic pitcher and a few plastic cups in the bathtub and ask them to fill the cups with the pitcher…then ask them to fill the pitcher with the cups!  Experiment with different sized cups.
58. Play “Thing-Go Bingo” on a long car ride (especially if it’s a daily commute) – each player picks 5 things they think they’ll see on their car ride…first person to spot those 5 things calls out bingo! Click here for instructions (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/thing-go-bingo/).
59. Throw a bed sheet over your dining room or kitchen table to make an instant clubhouse.
60. Make up songs about your daily chores or routines, like taking out the garbage, washing the dishes or going to school.
61. Freeze plastic bowls of water with plastic animals in them.
62. Finger paint on the tile wall in the bathtub.
63. Go on a monster hunt – take turns being different kinds of monsters.
64. Add a cup of dish soap to a gallon of water, swirl it around and go outside to blow bubbles!  Can you make a bubble with your hands? Check out some tips for making excellent bubbles here (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/bubbles/).
65. Make up your own constellations while you look at the stars.
66. Tell silly jokes, make some up and laugh, laugh, laugh.
67. Play catch! Try to move as far away from your partner as you can and still reach them with your throw.
68. Fill balloons with water and freeze them, peel off the balloon to get a round ice (cube?).
69. Invent your own language; speak it with your brother in front of your parents.
70. Learn a new game. If you have a group of friends, try this one (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/color-colorcito/).
71. Gather a few flashlights and in a dark room play flashlight tag, tell stories, or make light patterns on the ceiling and walls.
72. Turn a leftover box into a car by cutting out windows, a door and by drawing wheels.
73. Make a tape drawing using different colored tape.
74. Do a texture hunt in your old magazines at home - find something that looks: fuzzy, rough, slippery, slimy, bumpy, soft, etc.
75. Grab a big glass bowl filled with water and some food coloring – experiment with color mixing my adding one drop of food coloring at a time.
76. Cut some string and play cat’s cradle. Check out this link for some tips (http://www.wikihow.com/Play-The-Cat%27s-Cradle-Game).
77. Play 20 questions.
78. Make a sled out of a cardboard box.
79. Pretend that you and your child haven’t met before, and strike up a conversation at the playground.  Encourage your child to ask questions and trade information.
80. Dress up like your favorite super-hero. Don’t have a costume? Make one!
81. Pick a scene from a favorite movie and try to act it out together from memory.
82. Make oobleck out of cornstarch and water and play around with it.  Add more cornstarch or more water and see how it is different. Click here for some tips (http://www.beyondthechalkboard.com/activities/oobleck/).
83. Use books, cardboard boxes, and other stuff in your living room to make a castle.
84. Make a big spider web out of string and try to untangle it.
85. Make an obstacle course inside or outside with pillows, benches, jump rope, anything you can go over, around and through.
86. Anything can be a hat.  Wear something unexpected on your head.
87. Try to sing an entire conversation, instead of speaking.
88. Make some homemade sidewalk chalk paint using cornstarch, food coloring and water. Click here for a recipe (http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Own-Sidewalk-Chalk/).
89. Go for a walk and walk each block like a different zoo animal.
90. Make paddles from wire hangers (to form the frame) and panty hose over that and use them to bat balloons around.
91. Make mud pies.
92. Build card houses.
93. Grab a variety of fruits and vegetable, predict which ones will sink and which will float, then toss them in a sink or bin full of water and find out!
94. When you are waiting in line anywhere, ask your child to estimate how many people are in line in front of you, and then count them.  Try again with how many people are behind you.  Then estimate how long it will take to get through the line. For more simple math games, check out this website (http://mixinginmath.terc.edu/).
95. Dance around with scarves in your hands.
96. Make homemade instruments and start a band.
97. Go on a 10 minute walk around your neighborhood and find things that start with the letter “S”.  Then try a new letter.
98. Have a “serious contest”: stare at each other, and try not to smile or laugh.
99. Play broom ball – brooms + any size rubber ball = hours of fun.
100. Build a snow fort.

 

 

Creativity In The Classroom

Applying innovative and/or inspiring approaches to foster early learning in the classroom can be difficult for some teachers. Also some schools and districts frown upon creativity in the classroom, they want more intentional teaching. I found this wonderful list of thirty ways that teachers can promote creativity in your classroom. I have also included links to other sites/articles that I feel can be of help for bringing creativity into classrooms. These ideas have reinforced my belief that children learn better by having hands on experience and by doing and letting their imagination guide their learning.

There's no doubt about it: Creativity is as natural and necessary for children as fresh air and sunshine! By exposing children to creative experiences, we give them the gift of a rich and memorable childhood while laying the foundation for a lifetime of creative expression – all topped off with a heaping helping of important learning skills.

 

 

What are some ways then as educators that we foster creativity in our classrooms?
1. Embrace creativity as part of learning. Create a classroom that recognizes creativity.  You may want to design awards or bulletin boards to showcase different ways of solving a problem, or creative solutions to a real world scenario.
2. Use the most effective strategies. Torrance performed an extensive meta-analysis that considered the most effective ways to teach creativity. He found that the most successful approaches used creative arts, media-oriented programs, or relied on the Osborn-Parnes training program. Programs that incorporated cognitive and emotional functioning were the most successful.
3. Think of creativity as a skill. Much like resourcefulness and inventiveness it is less a trait and more a proficiency that can be taught. If we see it this way, our job as educators becomes to find ways to encourage its use and break it down into smaller skill sets. Psychologists tend to think of creativity as Big-C and Little C. Big C drives big societal ideas, like the Civil Rights movement or a new literary style. Little C is more of a working model of creativity that solves everyday problems. Both concepts can be included in our classrooms.
4. Participate in or create a program to develop creative skills. Programs like Odyssey of the Mind and Thinkquest bring together students from around the world to design creative solutions and bring them to competition.
5. Use emotional connections. Research suggests that the best creativity instruction ties in the emotions of the learner. In the “Odyssey angels” program students can devise a solution to help their local community, such as helping homeless youth. This topic is worthy of more discussion by itself. A blog post by fellow blogger Julie DeNeen gives some valuable information about this type of teaching.

Research suggests that the best creativity instruction ties in the emotions of the learner.

6. Use a creativity model. The Osborne-Parnes model is oldest, widely accepted model.  It is often used in education and business improvement. Each step involves a divergent thinking pattern to challenge ideas, and then convergent thinking to narrow down exploration. It has six steps.

• Mess-finding. Identify a goal or objective.
• Fact-finding. Gathering data.
• Problem-finding. Clarifying the problem
• Idea-finding. Generating ideas
• Solution-finding. Strengthening & evaluating ideas
• Acceptance-finding. Plan of action for Implementing ideas

7. Consider how classroom assignments use divergent and convergent thinking. Standardized tests do a great job of measuring convergent thinking that includes analytical thinking or logical answers with one correct response. Divergent thinking considers how a learner can use different ways to approach a problem. It requires using association and multiplicity of thought. We should design assingments that consider both types of thinking models.
8. Creativity flourishes in a “congenial environment”. Creative thinking needs to be shared and validated by others in a socially supportive atmosphere. Researcher Csikszentmihalyi (1996) coined this term, to explain the importance of reception from others.  Others consider how to create communities that foster social creativity to solve problems.
9. Be aware during discussions. You know that student who often asks the question that goes a bit outside the lecture? Well, engage him. Once a week, intentionally address those questions. Write them down on an assigned space in the board to go back to later. Validate their creativity.
10. See creativity in a positive light. In his blog in Psychology Today, Eric Jaffe talks about research that suggests see creativity in a negative light. If we are teaching to creativity, we need to embrace it too. Reward students for thinking of problems in varied ways by recognizing their efforts.
11. Try the Incubation Model. E. Paul Torrance designed this model. It involves 3 stages:

1. Heightening Anticipation: Make connections between the classroom and student’s real lives. “Create the desire to know”.
2. Deepen Expectations: Engage the curriculum in new ways. Brainstorm and create opportunities to solve a novel problem.
3. Keep it going: Continue the thinking beyond the lesson or classroom. Find ways to extend learning opportunities at home or even the community.

12. Use a cultural artifact. Research from experimental social psychology finds that artifacts can enhance insight problem solving. Consider using an ordinary object, such as a light bulb used in the study or a historical artifact to have students think about living in a particular time period.
13. Establish expressive freedom. The classroom environment must be a place where students feel safe to share novel ideas. Allow for flexibility and create norms that foster creative approaches.
14. Be familiar with standards. Knowing the standards inside and out helps find creative solutions in approaching a lesson. Teachers can adapt them and work within the current framework. Some topics allow for flexibility and use of creative approaches.
15. Gather outside resources. There are some great resources to read related to creativity. The University of Georgia, provides an array of amazing resources related to how to foster creativity in practical ways. It also gives a list of programs and organizations that can help with the process.
16. Allow room for mistakes. Sir Ken Robinson said it best when he said, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”
17. Allow space for creativity. Design some classroom space for exploration, such as a thinking table, a drama stage, a drawing table, or a space for groups to discuss ideas.
18. Give students time to ask questions. Organizations such as CCE (Creativity, Culture, Education) suggest teachers incorporate opportunities for students to ask questions. Intentionally design lessons that allow for wondering and exploration.
19. Creativity builds confidence. Students take ownership of their own learning. Think of ways where students might design a project. For instance, for the history requirement, I suggested students of both fifth grade classes create an exhibition of their final projects. The students were so proud of their final work and learned from others presentations. Parents and community members were happy to see students take ownership of their learning.
20. Encourage curiosity.Consider what is important to students. Student interest are a great place to start on what drives their own thinking tank. Find inspiration from their world. Creativity is intrinsic in nature. Try to step into their viewpoint to find what motivates them.
21. Structure is essential. Studies, such as a meta-analysis by Torrance suggest that creativity instruction is best with clear structure. For instance, consider the guidelines of the standard curriculum objectives and add these to the design. For example, reading considers communication, comprehension, listening, writing and reading.
22. Observe a working model of creativity. Visit a creative classroom or watch a video about how a creative classroom works. The “Case for Creativity in School” is an excellent video that educators can watch to see how creativity might play out in a classroom. This school adopted a school-wide approach to recognize students.
23. Consider the work of current experts in the field. Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally renowed creativity and innovation expert. His work is used to meet global challenges, renovating education, business, and government organizations to implement his strategies. His books and TED talks are great places to generate teaching ideas.
24. Explore different cultures. Culture is an excellent vehicle for inspiring creative thinking. In Thinking Hats & Coloured Turbans Dr. Kirpal Singh discusses how cultural contexts are central to creative endeavors. You can discuss how collaboration between cultures, such as in the space program, produces unique, novel ideas.
25. Find ways to incorporate and integrate art, music and culture. A recent report prepared for the European commission considered that creativity is a central force that shapes our culture. With the changing times we live in, the report suggested that society is enriched by cultural-based creativity.
26. Use a collaborative creative thinking model to solve classroom problems. For instance, read a paragraph and then have groups discuss a list of questions. Collaborative problem solving is catching on quickly. In fact, many business schools have implemented creative thinking models into their curriculum.
27. Design multidisciplinary lessons when possible. When teaching geometry, I designed a lesson called, “Geometry through Art”. It included works of Art to show fifth graders their application to everyday geometric concepts. The result was astounding. I never thought that the subject matter would be so successful. I designed an entire unit that focused on how different concepts rely on geometry. I even asked the Art teacher to help reinforce those concepts in class.
28. Tapping into multiple intelligences is key. Creativity requires us to use different parts of our brain. We often bridge connections between seemingly unrelated areas to make new concepts emerge. Allow students to use their strengths to find new ways of approaching a topic or solving a problem. You might be surprised with what they come up with.
29. Understand that creativity is important to students’ future in the job market. Paul Collard for Creative Partnerships, discusses how 60% of English students will work in jobs that are not yet created. In today’s market, students must largely be innovative and create their own jobs. Collard suggests teachers focus on teaching particular skills or set of behaviors, rather than preparing students for specific careers.
30. Teach creative skills explicitly. According to Collard, “Creative skills aren’t just about good ideas, they are about having the skills to make good ideas happen.” He suggests creative skills should include 5 major areas:

Imagination

Being disciplined or self-motivated.

Resiliency

Collaboration

Giving responsibility to students. Have them develop their own projects.

- See more at: http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2013/01/10/30-ways-to-promote-creativity-in-your-classroom/#sthash.77iWEgfU.dpuf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/HowLearningHappens.pdf

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/research/summaries/rsfosteringcreativity.asp

http://teach.com/where/levels-of-schooling/early-childhood-education

http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Education/Early_Childhood_Education/How_Aistear_was_developed/Consultation/Towards_a_FW_for_Early_Learning_document.pdf

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=349

Recent Communication

“Fundamental cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills develop very quickly during a child’s first five years. A preschool teacher, therefore, might be the most important teacher in a child’s life.” Illinois State Board Of Education

A recent communication that I had regarding an issue related to child development concerned observing children and using authentic assessment to assess young children. In California we use the Desired Results system to assess children twice a year. The teachers that I was talking to were questioning if the DRDP was an authentic assessment or is it just a tool aimed at having early childhood educator’s start teaching young children at an early age to get prepared for state testing. I found this great link from the state of Illinois about authentic assessment. I think everyone can benefit from reading this article and it has great links.

Reference

https://ec.thecenterweb.org/site/sites/ec.thecenterweb.org/files/uploads/lp_spring-12_1-6_lr.pdf

 

Introduction

Hello, my name is Chenieka Morgan-Mills, I am a site supervisor for a non-profit agency. I have been in the early education field for 15 years, I started as a teacher assistant and worked my way up to site supervisor. I received my AA degree from Los Angeles Trade Technical College, My BA from National University, my Master’s from Walden University and I am currently working on my Ed.S from Walden University.

I am the proud mother of one son by birth and three daughters by inheritances, I have two grandsons and two granddaughters thanks to my daughters. I have been with my husband for 25 years (married for 13 years). I have three dogs, one cat and a guinea pig. I only have one picture of me when I was little, my family was not into taking pictures.

I have always been told that I would be good working with young children but I actually feel in love with working with young children when I was about 14 years old. I had a summer job as a yard helper and I worked with kindergarteners. Then during high school I worked at a boys and girls club and my passion for working with children grew. I chose to work in communities that are low-income and the children are at a higher risk because I can identify with them more based on my early years. During my early years I did not play often, I had the responsibility of raising my younger siblings. That is why I have always supported and encourage my son to play and I took plearsure in watching him discover new materials and ways to play. Today he is a devoted baseball player.

This is my son in his "fort". This was the first time he showed interest in playing with a box. He played house, camping, and a lot of other games with his box. When he got tired he filled the box with blankets and his pillow and climb in. I asked him if he planed on sleeping in it and he said yes, so I let him. He played with the box for about a month before it tore apart and he had to let it go.