4 Quick Videos Exploring Kindergarten Classroom Environment and Centers

Screen shot of Lenore's class using centers.

I have had the pleasure during the last decade to work with Lenore Furman from time-to-time.  These videos were made by Bank Street College of Lenore's class.  Lenore is an experienced kindergarten teacher at a pubic school in Newark, NJ.

2-minute video of Lenore Furman's kindergarten classroom in Newark, NJ.




3-minute video that shows Choice Board for Center use in Lenore's classroom.



3-minute video showing how Lenore facilitates children's learning during Work Center Time (Video made in February). Notice how Lenore scaffolds children's thinking.



2-minute video that shows how Lenore debriefs with children after Work Center Time.

An Experiment: Thinking about School Environment

from here.

In 1915, John Dewey wrote the following about 'old education':

from here.

Some few years ago I was looking about the school supply stores in the city, trying to find desks and chairs which seemed suitable from all points of view--artistic, hygienic, and educational--to the needs of the children. We had a great deal of difficulty in finding what we needed,and finally one dealer, more intelligent than the rest, made this remark: 'I am afraid we have not what you want. You want something at which children work; these are all for listening'... It's all made 'for listening'--because simply studying lessons out of a book is another kind of listening;it marks the dependency of one mind upon another...If everything is on a 'listening' basis, you can have uniformity of material and method. The ear, and the book which reflects the ear, constitute the medium which is alike for all  (pp. 21-23).


So a challenge: Take a look at the classroom, school, or district where you work.  Is it designed for listening? For working?