This week we will pause from our website assignments to discuss Paley's book, The Girl With the Brown Crayon. You should read the entire book from start to finish before posting comments on this blog. Please note that if you want me to believe you read the book, your responses must be detailed and firmly based in the text. Quoting directly from the text and giving your interpretation or analysis of the author's words is one way to show that you read the book and understand its content. Avoid writing generic, vague, unfocused and/or minimalist responses.
Respond to at least 2 of the following questions:
1. Paley wrote this book primarily for teachers. What is Paley trying to teach us?
2. What is the relationship of art, literacy and education in this book?
3. How do the children work through complex problems in their own lives and in the stories of Leo Lionni?
4. What does Paley's term, "the uninvented classroom," mean?
5. How does the book address gender roles and stereotypes?
As always, if you have questions about this assignment, please feel free to email me or post your question here on the blog. There are no stupid questions!
Good luck and happy reading!
# 1
ReplyDeleteVivian Gussin Paley, a veteran kindergarten teacher wrote the book, The Girl with the Brown Crayon in order to show teachers how they can incorporate and integrate the subjects together. Her classroom is full of respect, creativity, and individuality. Throughout the book, I got the idea that Paley does not underestimate her students. By doing this, they are able to rise to the occasion. The class goes on a journey studying the works of Leo Lionni throughout their school year. One child in particular, Reeny is able to delve ever deeper into the mind of Leo Lionni, constantly shocking her teacher. This showed me that we can really learn a lot from children. They often think about ideas in whole different ways. Listening and supporting this type of environment can benefit all the students as well as the teacher.
Mrs. Paley does something totally out of the ordinary for a kindergarten class and it really pays off. As Paley puts it, “I have known teachers who were like rocks, nothing could move them or alter their ways.” (Pg. 54). By stepping out of our comfort zones, being flexible, and taking risks, our classrooms can really benefit from the step out into the darkness. Finally, in shaping our students, “Let’s face it, what school usually does is continually interrupt any attempt on the part of children to recapture the highly focused intensity of play. What we need to do is help them- and ourselves- get back on the track.” (Pg. 75). Sharing control and giving the children back the eagerness to learn will truly make for a better classroom.
# 3
Many of the children along with Mrs. Paley go through problems and relate them to Leo Lionni’s stories in the book. There were certain characters that really stood out to me. First, Reeny and her parallel to Frederick and Leo Lionni himself was the main one in the story. She immediately connects with Frederick who she feels to look and be just like her. She relates to his stubborn independence and curiosity. The next relation to stick out to me was the one of Mrs. Paley herself to Tico, the wingless bird. He has a dream for golden wings granted and his friends exclude him. They think he is too good for them now. Being the loving and caring bird that he is, he gives up his wings and is once again accepted. Mrs. Paley admits that she has always felt this way and relates best to this character.
The Polish character, Walter, really stood out to me. His problem seems to be deeply rooted. He would make short comments from time to time but would often just sit and observe, perhaps feeling uncomfortably. That is, until he relates to the Lionni character, Pezzettino. The story’s illustrations closely resemble some of the illustrations Walter has made. He is excited by this discovery. As they read the story, he relates to the tiny square amongst much larger creatures. The square lacks special skills and is an outsider it seems. Once the square goes on a journey, he is able to collect himself and, “He realizes that he too is made of diverse parts and is not merely a missing piece of someone else.” (Pg. 52). Walter feels great joy and confidence in himself and his culture after reading this.
Everyone in the class seems to relate in one way or another to one of Leo Lionni’s stories. In their last story, they finally read a story with a girl character, Geraldine. Geraldine seems to be dreaming about her potential and fulfilling her dreams. Mrs. Paley points out a wonderful thing. She says, “All of us are like Geraldine! We all have inside of us, something only we can see and hear. It comes out in our stories, our play, everything we say and do!” (Pg. 73). Mrs. Paley and her students did a wonderful thing with their year in this kindergarten class. They explored these stories, gaining greater senses of self along the way, and a way to look for the deeper meaning within books and beyond.
Excellent response, Kate! Your insights show deep and respectful attention to the author's work. You set the bar high for this week's blog comments. I hope that others will follow suit.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
carolyn
1. I think that Paley uses these stories and this book to remind us of the creativity of children. Paley’s students show me how they look at and interpret books differently. Children look at the world differently and this book makes it a point for teacher reading it to recognize that their own students will interpret what they learn in the classroom differently. And I think as teachers we should be open to learning from what our students can show us rather than making the classroom a one way teaching environment. The book also made me realize how special a child led classroom really is. Paley does a great job throughout her school year to let the children lead the classroom discussion. She reads the books and prompts the students only by asking what they think. Then it is left to the student’s interpretations to propel the class forward. The progress shown throughout the book in different children provides evidence that the children were learning and growing from this form of student led teaching. Walter lets the class know his real name, “It takes me a few moments to realize he is printing his name, his real name, in big letters: WLADYSLAW” (pg. 54). Oliver starts to come out of his shell a little bit, “Oliver lifts his head from a corner table and swivels around to watch us, a tiny smile on his face” (pg. 74). Reeny becomes an obvious leader in the classroom, “Reeny could be such a leader” (pg. 62).
ReplyDelete4. Paley says “I too require passion in the classroom. I need the intense preoccupation of a group of children and teachers inventing new worlds as they learn to know each other’s dreams. To invent is to come alive. Even more than the unexamined classroom, I resist the uninvented classroom” (pg. 50). To me “the uninvented classroom” is one where students are not encouraged to incorporate or apply what they learn to their own life. I love when Paley says “To invent is to come alive”. I think she means that the classroom should be alive with the learning of students. She points out the undesirable qualities of a boring classroom where students are kept to thinking inside the box, being told by the teacher what to think. The inventive classroom, the one Paley created, gives students the freedom to interpret information in a way the correlates with their own lives. She never restricted how the children thought. She realized and made it apparent to me that children learn better and retain the information better when they can connect it with themselves. “The uninvented classroom” allows for no such learning to go on.
1. Paley is trying to express to teachers that we need to encourage a common idea within our classroom and among the students, but at the same time, encourage them to express their differences in opinions and backgrounds. We need to allow children to express what life situations and personalities make them while combining these ideas with other students in order to create a common understanding for one another and provide a different outlook on different situations. Teachers can really learn from the instance where Paley encourages children to think about the relationship of themselves to their community. It is combining the small picture of our lives to the big picture of everyone and everything around us.
ReplyDelete2. The uninvented classroom means to go beyond teaching technique, but to influence the students’ ways of thinking so that they can do more than just take the knowledge that they learn in the classroom, but also be able to think for themselves in all subject areas.
1. Paley tries to teach other teachers that there is more than one way to educate children. She didn’t plan to teach the year with Leo Lionni books but the children interest helped guide her into what became the lesson plan for the year. The way she taught the kids wasn’t the standard worksheets and textbooks; she kept the kids engaged the whole time & even learned stuff herself that she never thought of. Throughout the book she kept saying how she never saw the book in the way the kids did. Paley is trying to say throughout the book that we can learn a lot through the children’s interest and opinions and that you don’t have to do / teach everything the standard black/white way of thinking.
ReplyDelete5. Stereotypes & gender roles where mentioned a lot throughout the curriculum. The books that Leo Lionni wrote mainly had male characters, Renny at one point thought this was because Lionni was a male & the stories were reflection through his life. Another time stereotypes were a big deal was when Harriet Tubman came to play in this book. At one point, Paley was even questioned for speaking about how Tubman and the blacks must have felt because she wasn’t black. Paley then told a story of discrimination in her own country that showed that similar experiences happen all over the world. This book showed the individual differences & similarities between all people & even animals in the story. I found it very cool how the children would relate the characters not only to themselves but also to the other books.
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ReplyDeleteI think Paley’s term the “univented classroom” describes a classroom that is not suitable for students. To me it describes a classroom that is most likely boring, and one in which students aren’t free to express themselves. Paley states that she “resists the uninvented classroom” that single statement to me proves the “uninvented classroom” is not a proper learning environment.
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In the chapter “Boys and Girls” Paley discusses gender roles and stereotypes. The subject about gender roles first comes up when a student asks “So why is they all mostly boys?” to which the teacher responds “I’ve never thought about this before. Reeny says all the characters are boys. Let’s see if it is so.” They gather all of the books they have been reading and begin to investigate. They learn that many of the books were written 20 or even 30 years ago. They teacher tries to explain to them that in those times gender roles were different, and that back then most characters were male; due to the different roles males and females played in society back then. You can tell the students haven’t experienced this or understand in when one says that he thinks its that way because the author was a boy, the child does not understand how thins used to be. Towards the end of this chapter stereotypes about race are briefly brought up. They eventually find a book with characters, but notice there are no pictures of them, or reference to what race they are. The student automatically assumes that the female character is white because the author favors brown people and he did not include and illustrations of the female character. The student says “I think they lade and Annie both hasta be white, because see, Leo Lionni likes the color brown. If Annie and that lady, I think its her mother, if they….are brown, he’s going to show us that. He’s going to want to draw their pictures for us to see.”
1. Children are extremely creative and Paley wrote the book to remind us that just because children are not "adult smart" does not mean that they aren't smart. The books shows that children are able to create creative ways in order to solve problems that may arrise. The book also shows that children are able to understand what we might consider "adult topics." For example, the class studies Lionni throughout the year and just because of one amazing and bright student, Reeny, the teacher is amazed by how much Reeny actually understands and apprectiates. Because of this, teachers are able to see that children can be creative and understand subjects that may seem to be above their level of understanding.
ReplyDelete4. "To invent is to come alive." That quote is the basis of the whole book. Paley is all about the creative side of children learing. But she is also learning as her students are learning as well. I believe that an "uninvented classroom" means that there is always room to create new ideas and have new thoughts, new creative thoughts. Paley stresses that children need room to grow in their creative abilities and through the quote on page 50 about the uninvented classroom, I think that a teacher will be able to understand and learn that children are smart and creative and we should as adults listen to even the silliest dreams because once you know their dreams, you can help them to acheive their dreams.
1. Being a veteran Kindergarten teacher, Paley wrote this book to show teachers and readers the world of teaching and how she incorporates different things into her curriculum. Paley does not just teach the basics, she shows the children a different way of thinking about the subjects they are learning to expand their minds. Paley always takes the children’s questions and answers and expands them and gets the children to think about them even deeper. She develops their minds by challenging them on a daily basis and constantly asking them questions about their activities. Throughout the book Paley even realizes that she is learning from her students just as they are learning from them. Being a teacher, she always has room to expand and mold to the type of students in her class. She was always up for new ways of teaching unlike many other teachers she had known throughout her career.
ReplyDelete4. When Paley states that she resists the "uninvented classroom" , she means that she tries to stay away from leading a classroom that is basically unorganized and one which does not allow creativity. Paley does not believe that students should simply follow vague directions. She believes that students should always be encouraged to use their own imagination's to think and come up with their own ideas of the world around them.
1. Paley wrote this book with experience. She had stories to share to the audience that are proof of her amazing teaching techniques. She wrote this book to remind anyone who reads it to not put a limit on children and the imaginations they have. They are the greatest teaching tool in the classroom and allowing them to expand their horizons will only improve their education experiences. She shows cross subject lessons can be of such benefit to children. The more areas of their life they can apply something to, the better they are going to understand it. She also reminds us to not limit expectations of our children. They ways we perceive the world are so much different than that of young eyes, and if we tell them how they see things are wrong, we are only hurting them.
ReplyDelete4. Paley’s term “uninvented classroom” she directly talks about in the book, “I need the intense preoccupation of a group of children and teachers inventing new worlds as they learn to know each other’s dreams” (50). When people talk about classrooms, the general idea is a place where children are learning, but I think Paley points out specifically in this quote that teachers can learn just as much in the classroom as the students can. The long study of Leo Lionni in her classroom is directed by the students from what I can tell. She lets them create the world they are learning in, and through that she learns so much. “I too require passion in the classroom” (50), she says as she talks about her expectations. She knows if she goes in the rooms expecting such small things, it will not allow the kids to grow in their learning.
1.I think Paley wrote this book to show teachers today or future teachers like most of us taking this course, that there is no right or wrong answers or ways of teaching. Paley has many unaswered questions and understandings kept to herself, and it turns out that the answers all right in front of her; the children. They show her different meanings to apply to everyday life from an underlying messege the children find in the leo lionni books. This book is also important for teachers to read because it shows just how important it is to create relationships with your students, so you can understand their moods, why they do things, when they are upset, or why they even color a certain way, so that they feel comfortable to open up to you and will be ready for a deeper, more meaningful education.
ReplyDelete2. The relationship between art, literacy and education starts out from the children listening to the lio lionni stories. Then they spend a few days drawing, making posters, and expressing the story in "dramas". The children create these different dramas and apply meaning behind each story when they are all acting together. They are able to express what they the messege or what they have learned from the story in their individual art projects, the teacher then sees what they have taken from the story, how it relates, and she reflects on what she needs to do to be a better teacher or "guide in life" for the children.
1.I believe that Paley was trying to show us that kids all learn in different ways and express themselves in different ways which is a positive thing we should encourage. I believe Paley understands these concepts. I look up to Paley’s teaching in this way; she understands she needs to teach in different ways to reach all children. Paley understands that even know she is teaching children, that they can teach her things as well. In the book it talks about her learning things from her students. I think Paley’s main goal is to inform teachers on how having different teaching styles can have a huge affect on the classroom.
ReplyDelete4.Paley’s term “the uninvented classroom” is my favorite quote from the book. It means she does not teach her classroom like every other classroom. She prefers her classroom to be different, for the children to feel free to express themselves and give their opinions. Paley is all about showing your creative side and expressing yourself so the kind of classroom she would agree with would be a classroom that allows this.
Vivian Paley wrote, The Girl With the Brown Crayon, to show fellow teachers how to integrate subjects together as they teach. Paley taught in a way I hope to! She thinks so highly of her students and learns from them every day. I think Paley is trying to persuade us to teach in such a way, with open minds for our children! The children relate to the mice in Leo Lionni’s book through their characteristics. I believe the univented classroom, is a classroom that goes outside the box. Paley does not necessarily do things as they should be. I believe that is what she is trying to convey to us as well! To think and teach outside of the box! The book recognizes stereotypes just like they are in everyday life. Just how the book is named The Girl with the Brown Crayon. Reeny knows her skin is darker than some of her friends but is proud of it and accepts it as she should!
ReplyDelete4. In Paley’s The Girl with the Brown Crayon, she uses the term “univented” when describing what she doesn’t want her classroom to consist of. Mrs. Willen wants to promote a self expression in her classroom. Whether that is through the conversations the students have with her after every Leo Lionni book, or the plays the students put on when one selects a Leo Lionni book to recreate. The term univented to me is equivalent to dull, boarding or lackluster. However, in Mrs. Willen’s classroom she believes that “to invent is to come alive.” Letting the students express themselves and sparking intelligent questions, Mrs. Willens is satisfying the student’s thirst for knowledge, especially when it comes to Reeny. Mrs. Willens lets Reeny and all the other students formulate their own opinion about Leo Lionni’s characters and his motives behind the pictures and words.
ReplyDelete5. Throughout the Paley’s book, The Girl with the Brown Crayon, the topic of stereotypes and gender roles important when considering who the audience is. Leo Lionni the author of the books disgusted in Mrs. Willen’s classroom mainly consists of male characters. Reeny challenges the repetitive use of why Leo Lionni uses “mostly boys” in his stories. A perspective that one may not realize right away, but Reeny did. Miss Ettie mentions Harriet Tubman and Blacks and how they must have felt knowing she wasn’t black. Later Paley describes a story of discrimination that relates to experiences worldwide. The students were able to relate so easily to the characters in the Leo Lionni books regardless of a stereotype and/or gender; but also with themselves.
1) Paley is trying to teach us to reach within and bring out something that is unique, one of a kind, and a deeper train of thought. Paley also wrote this to bring a deeper inspire of learning and showing educators and future educators that they can bring subjects together into a creative learning type of thing. This book also shows future educators to look deep and pay attention to their students, because you yourself can be helped and learn something new. In all honesty, if teachers actually did what Paley wrote an example of, it could bring a better connection with our students and maybe change the students’ lives.
ReplyDelete4) The uninvented classroom is something that Paley describes very passionately. As she states “I too require passion in the classroom. I need the intense preoccupation of a group of children and teachers inventing new worlds as they learn to know each other’s dreams.” This meaning that an uninvented classroom would be interpreted as a classroom that is almost dream like to us that have likewise creative ways of thinking of things. It’s a classroom where learning is what you actually do, whereas in most classrooms today, they aren’t really deeply learning as much as possible. It’s also a classroom that teaches children to deeply think about what everything brought to them really means and give them a chance to learn in their own ways.
1. Paley wrote this book to inspire teachers to form strong bonds with their students. I feel like one of the lessons she is trying to teach other teachers is to expect the unexpected from your students. There are several occasions in which she is shocked by Reeny's responses to questions she has asked or situations present in the books they read, as well as the mature behavior of her kindergarten class. I also think she describes ways to handle the issue of different cultures and races. Walter is a student who moved from Poland and did not know English very well. His name is Walter in English. Knowing that he was having a hard time adjusting to this new life in the United States, Paley makes an effort to get to know a little bit about his heritage by asking how he pronounced his name in his Polish language. Also, Reeny is a young black girl who wants everybody to know and appreciate that fact. Paley understands this and never questions it or discourages it, and neither do the other students.
ReplyDelete3. The children in Paley's class use Leo Lionni's books to first recognize problems in their own lives, and then sort through them in similar ways of the characters in his books. For example, Walter thought that he was inadequate compared to his fellow classmates because he could not draw very well compared to them. He drew everything in squares. One day, Reeny found a book by Leo Lionni in which he had illustrated all of his pictures with squares. The book was about a young square who could not find his place among his peers, and was very discouraged by this, until one day, he broke into a bunch of different pieces. He pieced himself back together and realized that he himself was made of smaller pieces, and did not need to be the same as others to feel complete. They needed him just the way he was. Walter had been feeling the same way. He knew he was different because he was not from America. But after reading this book, the children made sure to let him know that, although he was different, as was everyone in the class, they needed him to be their friend and classmate in order for their class to feel complete.