Dear Colleagues:

In the beginning there was Kindergarten ... fat crayons, finger paints, wood blocks, silly songs, naps at noon, and Duck,Duck, GOOSE! If "the good old days" ever really existed I'm certain they lived in Mrs. Markham's child-friendly Room 126.

Sadly, Mrs. Markham, Room 126, and naps at noon have been replaced by guided reading, core curriculum(s), and assessment rubrics for five year old students. Something gained? Maybe. But something emotionally and educationally valuable has been lost - Self Direction and Self Discovery. Today we expect students to make the "right call" on many tough issues, but we allow few opportunities to practice the fine art of decision making. Instead every minute is accounted for and filled with a mandated this or a mandated that.

Technology may help bring back the unfiltered light of Kindergarten. Time and time again I've observed the youngest of students deftly manipulate multimedia software such as KidPix or HyperStudio and create in-depth, finely rendered creations. The children, made learning-ready thanks to five million years of evolutionary biology, quickly learn the "bells" and "whistles" and motivated by nothing more than their own drive and curiosity are quickly immersed in the creative process.

For more information about KidPix projects go to: http://www.monroe.k12.la.us/~mhen/kidpix/#anchor778722

This week's links will take you to sites which nurture Self Direction and Self Discovery. Thank you Mrs. Markham. That little kid in the corner, the one who loved to make clay dinosaurs and draw pictures of the solar system has grown up. But he will never forget Room 126, fat crayons, and naps at noon.

The Links