As a transformational and Reggio Emilia-inspired educator it is extremely important to me that I am creating access points for my students throughout the school year in meaningful and engaging ways. DC has a plethora of resources and I have been committed to giving my Pre-Kindergarten students as many opportunities as possible to explore them. When children are encouraged to discover the world outside the classroom but then tie it back to their classroom learning then life itself becomes school. The earlier students recognize that they can be learning all the time from everything is essential to their lifelong learning and the potential for more doors to open for them as they grow up. This is why I planned and executed the following experiences for my students:
Through my planning and execution of the experiential installation at ARTECHOUSE children who have auditory processing issues were enabled to explore, dance and learn through an entirely different medium, giving them access in a way that was not possible in our classroom. Getting outside the urban environment students are usually in and being able to explore and run freely through Kingman Island they got closer to nature and learned that there's much to learn from the outdoors. During our global competency work with students in Japan the children widened their understanding of people around the world and how they have a different perspective than we often do and it's worth listening and responding to. Creating space and time for student's families to present about things of cultural importance to them helped all students connect more meaningfully to each other and feel more open to share the less visible parts of themselves. Each of these experiences challenged students to use their bodies, minds, hearts and hands in a variety of ways both inside and outside the classroom walls and I hope inspires them to continually seek out and find diverse and unique opportunities.