week 2

1. week 2

2. learning is what occurs after you think you already know everything. (John Wooden)

3. a few thoughts on Donaldson • is schooling as good as we can make it • schooling a new enterprise—we have much to learn about it • to turn an existing state of affairs into a desired one requires understanding the existing one • what are kids actually like • who do we want them to become • need to reconsider widely held beliefs about what kids are like

4. development • a dynamic process full of upheavals, sudden changes, and reversals (Vygotsky) • the process of growing into culture • the life-long process of constructing knowledge under a variety of constraints (Hatano, Inagaki, & Oura, 1993, p. 143)

5. dominant ECE view on development • development a predictable, stage-like, linear, sequential process • if you understand where a child is developmentally, curricular and other teaching decisions obvious • young children developmentally different from older children and adults

6. learning • moves from the particular and local to the general • involves both the addition of new knowledge and the reorganization of extant knowledge • takes many forms: we will focus on • exploring • experimenting • practicing

7. dominant ECE view on learning • learning follows development, that is, one cannot learn something until one is developmentally ready alternative view • learning leads development--readiness a function of familiarity, context, support, availability, values etc

8. Piagetian post-Piagetian young solo scientist young social apprentice what child can do alone what child can do with others stages varies by domain—development generally not stage-like development: inside to outside development: outside to inside structural constraints human & cultural constraints egocentric child able to decenter cognitively and socially cognitively and socially capable limited kids kids focus on what kids can’t do focus on what kids can do learning follows development learning leads development culture not important culture central adults and children different adults and children similar primacy of cognitive importance of social formal logical understanding making sense language as formal system language as meaning-making tool

9. the discourse of ECE • what people in ECE are saying, talking about (writing about, thinking about, suggesting, etc) • what they are not saying, talking about • what is acceptable to say, talk about • what is unacceptable to say, talk about • how what is said is said--the tone, style etc

10. time management • have rules (limited number) and keep them • handle things once, that is, put things where they belong right away • use your “good times” for important work • limit email time • you’ve already completed 90% of the work—do the last 10% • organization is in the details—one little detail at a time • leave post-its to remind you where to begin • find ways to fill in the short time slots in your days • work ahead (a penny saved is more than a penny earned)