By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. This is the third summer, that the York Region Nature Collaborative has hosted the The Rhythm of Learning in Nature, which has been promoted over the years as a 5-day summer intensive – an unforgettable indoor/outdoor learning journey for about 30 early learning professionals. Previously billed as the Reggio Summer Intensive, this … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. In my long career in early childhood education, I have tried to embrace theory into practice. The theories of social constructivism are the foundation for my philosophy of teaching and learning. I believe as Lev Vygotsky said, “It is through others that we develop into ourselves”. Some may declare that … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I would like to make a confession. When I was a practising early childhood educator, I would take children outdoors to a fenced in playground for one hour in the morning and another in the afternoon because outdoor play was required by legislation. It was not my favourite time of … Continue reading
Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. Of all the professional learning experiences that I have taken part in over the years, none have been as meaningful as those designed as collaborative and emergent experiences. On the top of my list is the Rhythm of Learning in Nature with the York Region Nature Collaborative which this summer takes … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I have often been asked where I get the topics for my blog posts. Usually it is what I am currently thinking about – something that I see as a trend in early childhood education pedagogy and curriculum. I have written about trends and buzz words before as I find … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. My good friend Debi Keyte Hartland who inspires me with her insight on pedagogical documentation recently wrote a blog post that spoke to the challenging times and the potential of documentation to make visible the values of a humane society. Perhaps it is a sign of the times that I too … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. With the fullness of time, I have begun to go deeper in my understanding of the process of documentation that is pedagogical. Time is a gift I was given during the week that was The Rhythm of Learning in Nature 2016. In the inaugural season of #Rhythm2015, my gift for … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. This spring, I shared the experience of spending two weeks in Adelaide, South Australia, with Cindy Green, my long time colleague and critical friend. The trip produced a few blog posts and many cherished memories of people we met and places we visited. Cindy wrote about touring some inspiring spaces. … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. Looking at the photo below, that my cousin sent me recently, I found myself thinking about the past and my early outdoor play and learning experiences. I remember as a very young child having great times playing outside without structure and without supervision – making mud pies, playing in the … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. There are many perspectives on philosophies and theories and how they should guide early learning practice. Program models and approaches have been been influenced by historical, contemporary, and postmodern views of children, families, and learning. The many program models and approaches in practice in the early learning world are complex in … Continue reading
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