Florida Association for the Education of Children 54th Annual Conference

I attended the conference in Orlando, FL from September 25-27, 2009. The first impression I had was that the traffic from NW Florida to Orlando was much lighter this year than two years ago. Moreover, the traffic along International Drive in Orlando was significantly lighter. I'm certain all of this is a reflection of the depressed economy.

I was selected to lead a round-table discussion on September 27 with the subject: Creating Arts and Science Foundations in Early Childhood Education.






To highlight points in my presentation, I took samples of my handmade learning support pieces to show how original wood-crafted products can be used within the curriculum to help satisfy state and national requirements in educating 3-5 year olds. I hid objects in boxes and requested attendees guess what was in each box. Among the topics I touched on were geometry (general and fractal), numerals and the alphabet on different shapes (cubes, disks, etc.) and of different textures. One of my objects showed how preschool and kindergarten students can be exposed to physics concepts--in this case Newton's Laws of Motion in a fun and inviting way. Also, I included a nesting box, which demonstrated how it can be used to have students guess what is inside the final small size in the series while at the same time allowing students reveal their knowledge of plants, animals, the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors though their guesses. I was delighted to see everyone engaged and excited about the possibility of trying to replicate some of the strategies I used in designing the activities.

Two of my goals in making handcrafted learning objects are (1) to have each piece look inviting and (2) to have each piece feel smooth and warm to the touch. The feedback from the attendees reflected these goals were met with the pieces I brought to the conference. I particularly appreciated the feedback toward one object that would allow me make a change to add a new dimension to the learning experience of students.

I would like to thank members of the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (a recent name change from the Early Childhood Association of Florida) for selecting me to share my ideas with attendees. Also, I must show appreciation to the educators who attended my presentation and provided insightful comments.