THE DEVELOPMENTAL-INTERACTION APPROACH

Bank Street College of Education

HISTORY

Bank Street Approach

History of Bank Street

Founders Lucy Sprague Mitchell and Harriet Johnson

Founded Bureau of Educational Experiments in 1916

Became Bank Street College of Education Mitchell followed beliefs of John Dewey:

Education is based on 2 ideas: Purpose is to benefit democratic society Meaningfully connected to children’s lives (Cuffaro &

Nager, 2012)

History of Bank Street

Cuffaro & Nager (2012) explain, “The [original] school was designed to be an arena for studying children and for devising teaching practices that fostered growth and development” (p. 262).

History of Bank Street

Mitchell- Material must make sense on child’s level “…surely one had to understand children in order to plan a

school that was right for their development” (p. 262, Cuffaro & Nager, 2012) -Lucy Sprague Mitchell.

Bank Street Has Influenced- Developmentally Appropriate Practices Handbook Formation of NAEYC (Wardle, 2003)

Early Timeline

1916-The Bureau of Educational Experiments Small experimental nursery school

1930- Changed focus to education of teachers (Lit, Nager, & Snyder, 2010) Cooperative School for Teachers teacher training

facility1934- Founder Harriet Johnson dies

Bureau renamed Harriet Johnson Nursery School

Early Timeline

1950- State of New York Cooperative School for

Teachers assigns Master of Science Degrees

Formally renamed Bank Street College of Education

1954- School for Children Began with one class Full-scale elementary

school (Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Early Timeline

Mitchell and staff modeled materials and ideas for public school classrooms in New York City.

1965- Workshops led to formation of Head Start (Cuffaro & Nager, 2012).

1966- Early Childhood Center opened on West 42nd Street

Bank Street Today

Bank Street departments today Graduate School of Education School for Children Family Center Division of Continuing Education Publications Group Research Division (Mitchell & David, 1992).

Bank Street Today

Collaborations and Partnerships with Educational Programs and Foundations American Museum of

Natural History The Voyage of the Mimi

Starring young Ben Affleck

The Second Voyage of the Mimi (Freidus, 2010).

Bank Street Today

In 2011-2012 School for Children had 436 students Graduate School had 1,033 students. Both schools combined have 336 staff members (Bank

Street College of Education, n.d.)

PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEORETICAL BASIS

Bank Street Approach

The Developmental-Interaction Approach

Influenced by developmental psychology and progressive education

Development differs at different times and ages

Focus on whole child developmentTeachers meet students where they areTeachers have knowledge of human

developmentTeachers skilled at observing children(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Let’s observe!

Let’s observe children in a dramatic play environment.

As you observe the children in the video, consider what you can observe about their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development.

What theories of learning or child development help us to explain or understand these children’s behavior?

Jenesa in the dramatic play area(MrsBarrett123, 2010).

The Developmental-Interaction Approach

Cognition and emotion are interconnected

Learning is based on: Active collaboration Relationships between

teachers and students Meaningful content

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

The Developmental-Interaction Approach

Interaction- Child’s engagement

with world Importance of parents,

families, and community

Teacher’s awareness of student interests

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Main Commitments and Philosophy

Health and wellness Social Emotional Physical Intellectual

Importance of working with community Emphasize culture and linguistic diversity(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Main Commitments and Philosophy

Diversity and social justice Head Start Follow Through Social engagement Inclusion Respect for others

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Main Commitments and Philosophy

Habits of mind Inquiry Curiosity Lifetime love of

learning Diversity and social

justice

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

John Dewey’s Influence on Bank Street

“No doubt some of the repulsiveness of purely abstract intellectual studies to many children is simply the reflex of the fact that the things—the facts and truths—presented to them have been isolated from their human context.

—John Dewey, 1913 (as cited on p. 3, Stuckart & Glanz, 2010) How does this quote relate to the current world of

teaching? What does it mean to teach the “whole child?” What is the ideal way to promote the healthy growth

of students?

John Dewey’s Influence on Bank Street

All subject matter is social

Attitude for learning is most important

Education meets needs of modern world Work with others toward

common goals Capacity for innovative

problem solving Effective communication

skills(Stuckart & Glanz, 2010)

John Dewey’s Influence on Bank Street

Role of curriculum Promotes growth Improves conditions for most people Active participation in democratic society Social justice Make connections

Students’ daily lives Progress of humankind

(Stuckart & Glanz, 2010)

Teaching Through the Lens of Social Studies

Social studies and social issues are the basis for curriculum.

Discuss what types of social studies concepts or social issues you could teach. How might you do this in your own classroom?

Consider the following: Location of school Culture/Languages Age range Current social issues Integrative with other subject

areas

STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM

Bank Street Approach

The Whole Child

All curriculum is described as: An educational

approach that addresses the entire emotional, social, physical, and intellectual being of a child.

(Cuffaro & Nager, 2012)

Teaching and Learning

Learning opportunities for children Trips Activities Books Other materials and resources “Book learning” is a supplement to other more

interactive types of learning.

(Nager & Shapiro, 2007)

Family Center - Ages 6 months to 4 years

Based largely on activities of daily living Activities & Materials central to Family

Center Classroom Art Blocks Dramatic Play Sensory Experiences Music, Movement, & Gross Motor Activities Outings

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Lower School - Ages 3s, 4/5s, 5/6s (Equivalent to Nursery - K)

Social Studies Emergent Literacy Math Science Spanish Art & Shop Music Library Movement & Phys Ed

(Bank Street College of Education, n.d.)

Middle School - Ages 6-10 (Grades 1 - 4)

Social Studies Literacy Math Science Spanish Art & Shop Music Library Phys Ed (Bank Street College of

Education, n.d.)

Upper School - Ages 10 to 14 years (Equivalent to Grades 5 - 8)

Social Studies Literacy Math Science Foreign Languages Art & Shop Music Library Phys Ed &

Interscholastic Sports(Bank Street College of

Education, n.d.)

Assessment in the Bank Street Curriculum

Authentic/learner-centered

Based on how child makes sense of world

Provides range of opportunities to demonstrate understanding

(Cuffaro & Nager, 2012)

What do teachers assess?

Competence in basic skills

Development of analytic capacity

Wide range of knowledge in subject areas

Interrelated ability to work independently and collaboratively

(Cuffaro & Nager, 2012)

What do teachers assess?

Exercise of initiative Ability to

communicate effectively

Being a socially responsible member of the community

(Cuffaro & Nager, 2012)

Inside a Bank Street Classroom

Come inside and take a look!

Principles of Teacher Education

The schools view teachers as whole peopleTeacher education based on 5 principles:

Education promotes, creates, and encourages: Social justice Participation in democratic processes

Teacher does the following: Has deep knowledge of subject matter Actively engaged through study, observation, and

participation

(Nager & Shapiro, 2007)

Principles of Teacher Education

Children’s learning and development in context Family Community Culture

Teacher grows as person and professional.

Teaching requires a philosophy of education.

(Nager & Shapiro, 2007)

Works Cited

Ahmed, A., D'Aiello, C., Hansen, M., Bellacosa, J., Sultanova, S., Solomon, R., Poosanguansit, W., Adeyamo, P., Daniel, C., Navarro, B. (2012, July 31). Curriculum and assessment information. Retrieved from

http:// www.bnkst.edu/school-children/ and http://bankstreet.edu/family-center/curriculum/

Bank Street College of Education (n.d.). http://bankstreet.edu/

Cuffaro, H. K. & Nager, N. (2012). The developmental-interaction approach at Bank Street College of Education. In Roopnarine, J., & Johnson, J. (Eds.), Approaches to early childhood education (6th Ed., 261-278). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

MrsBarrett123. (2010, October 21). Jenesa in the dramatic play area. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHDnOb9Bck.

Nager, N. & Shapiro, E.K. (2007). A progressive approach to the education of teachers: some principles from Bank Street College of Education. Bank Street College of Education Occasional Paper Series, 18.

Schoeman, N. (2010). Education for democracy. South African Journal of Philosophy, 29(2), 132-139.

Stuckart, D. W., & Glanz, J. (2010). Revisiting Dewey : Best Practices for Educating the Whole Child Today. R&L Education.

*Clipart from Microsoft Office

Quiz Me! Round 1

Describe the following most important terms to the Bank Street Approach. You may not use the word in your definition.

Social studies Community

Developmental-interaction approach

John Dewey Bank Street

Social justice

Quiz Me! Round 2

Now it’s your turn! Describe the following most important terms to the Bank Street Approach. You may not use the word in your definition.

Assessment Social issues Social engagement

Diversity Lucy Sprague Mitchell Harriet Johnson