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Ooey Gooey Lady visits Hastings school
When it comes to our kids, we all just want what's best. But, sometimes it's hard to know which way will best prepare them for their future.
A group of early childhood educators in Hastings today came together to see a woman who goes by the name the Ooey Gooey Lady. The Ooey Gooey Lady travels the U.S. sharing one message: kids can learn and play all at the same time. "Just wanting to make things more exciting and more playful for our kids," said Sheree Snyder, Head Start. Two hundred early childhood educators were getting schooled on how to play games. "There is a play based component to our message which is teaching teachers how to go out and provide activities but also how to facilitate a child's deeper exploration of that," said Lisa Murphy, The Ooey Gooey Lady. Murphy says that playing and learning are one in the same. "We're doing our children a disservice by thinking that cognitive and academic development is somehow separated from social and emotional and playful development," Murphy said. Early childhood is defined from birth to age 8. A teacher for 25 years, Murphy encourages early childhood educators to prepare kids for life. She gives an example of a child that can count to 100 in six different languages, but hasn't learned to share. "So we're out there saying, hey folks, it's a little out of balance. Yes, we want children to read and write, but it's a reminder that if it's out of balance that nobody's getting ready for anything," said Murphy. Educational Service Unit 9 invited Murphy to Hastings to help inspire area educators. "Play-based learning is what we've always been about. And how, you know, as teachers and whether you're in day cares or even as parents you know, just being very intentional," said Jessica Moore, ESU 9. Each game and activity Murphy suggests has an intended lesson. "We always have like play-doh and water and sand and stuff, but she's giving us more like scientific like mixing things and different ideas," said Snyder. Many activities really focus on exploring a child's creativity. It's about letting them learn through experience. Murphy has been trying to transform early childhood education through seminars like the one today since 1997. |
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