Monday, February 16, 2009

A new term begins

Hi all and welcome back to a new term and a new year. 
For us 2008 is not yet over as we have an extension on our COI contract to finish the work on the final report. In the holidays we all went to Wellington with Bronwyn from Botany Downs. We presented at the Early Childhood Research conference held at the Wellington campus of Massey University. It was great to be able to report on our project a year on and to catch up with other researchers and their findings around a variety of projects in Early Childhood teaching and learning.
We have had a student teacher, Malenka with us since the beginning of the term and are all enjoying the discussions and interactions with someone who is studying. Often this makes us think about our own philosophy and question what happens for us each day working with the children.
Additionally we have had visits from Caroline Krentz, a professor emeritus from Canada and Monika, a Czech teacher working in Norway. We enjoyed
 talking with both of them and Caroline was very interested in our COI system - how it is set up, the benefits for children families and teachers.
But mostly our every spare minute has been on working on the chapters for the research report.
With the children our days are spent working to settle new children. We have had lots of new children begin in the afternoon session.
 We are introducing them to us, new adults to new equipment and to new routines.
The digital microscope has been in high demand and we have had some very interesting specimens to investigate - including a very l
arge dragonfly from a family bush walk. Ben was sure it was a New Zealand dragonfly and when we googled it on the big screen sure enough it was indeed a NZ bush dragonfly.
 

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