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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is the concept produced? What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)?

- According to the video, a concept is an ideal that you are always working toward but never quite get there.

- An everyday concept is something we learn through personal experience, through trial-and-error, and is only applicable to similar situations, but not in new/different situations.

- A scientific concept is learned through formal instruction and is able to be repurposed or applied in a new situation.

- The concept is produced through the integration of scientific and everyday concepts, through the application of scientific concepts in real life and/or through formal instruction about everyday experiences.

- A major point I took away from this video was that the integration of everyday and scientific concepts is significant for developing sturdy concepts. Smagorinsky elaborated on this idea using gardening: the everyday experiences of killing azaleas by growing them in full sun led him to grow them in different parts of his garden with more shade. He lacked the scientific concept of why azaleas don’t survive well in full sun. If he had applied both the scientific knowledge and everyday concepts, he would have prevented the death of his azalea plants.

- Another point he shared that resonated with me was that having formal knowledge without the everyday concept leads to being able to recite theories but not being able to apply them practically. This happens in teaching when a new teacher has memorized theories but doesn’t have the experience in the classroom to know how to apply what they’ve learned with a group of children they have just met.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?

The Golden Key Program is an educational program that teaches preschool and school age children in mixed age groups through meaningful interactions between the children and their adults (their parents and teachers). The program fosters the development of a child’s whole personality through the collaboration between children, families, and staff to create learning experiences that are meaningful and relevant to each specific group of children.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?

The Golden Key Program inspires me because of its emphasis on community practices. The program divides the children into groups called ‘community families’. I appreciated the role the parents actively play in their children’s lives in the program. I also loved that the hobbies of the adults in each community were valuable assets because each adult would add value to the community by teaching everyone else new skills. It reminds me of how in my program we look at each staff member’s hobbies or interests and collaborate with one another to support one another’s classrooms. This article inspires me to learn more about the hobbies of the parents in my classroom, to invite them to share their skills with the classroom community, and to see their own selves reflected back in their child’s classroom.

Another practice I admired from the Golden Key Program was how the children and adults from one group would visit another group and would come back together and discuss the things they liked about their visit and what ideas they would like to incorporate into their own group. I think this is so powerful because it demonstrates to the children and adults that we can learn from others, see things from a different perspective, and then come back and reflect on our own circumstances or situations and make changes to meet our needs or improve our situation.

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)? (4 points)

A concept is an understanding of something, or a generalization. A scientific concept is has a concrete meaning. An everyday concept is something learned through interaction with their environment or learned from experience. Concepts are learned through experiences. What I took away from this video is that concepts are learned through a variety of experiences. I also learned that one learns through both hands on and formal instruction.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? (2 points)

The Golden Key was developed in Russian and it is a Vygotsky approach to learning where children are not separated by age. Teaching is very intentional, and hands-on and children learn from their interactions and through their experiences. They also learn things that are also very relevant to their lives.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? (2 points)

Being able to relate is so important when it comes to children’s learning. For example, if a child is learning about something that they are able to make connections with, they are more likely to learn and have meaningful learning. I want to be more present and aware of what students are interested in and dig deeper into their interests rather than glue on paper crafts.

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1.      According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and an everyday concept? How is the concept produced? What's your takeaway from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)?

·         What is a concept? A concept, to an adult is a matured understanding of something (i.e., a word, and its meaning such as “fur” or “allusion). A scientific concept is formulated from sources such as academic learning or instructions provided by a more knowledgeable other, such as a teacher or individual more qualified in the subject matter. However, referencing notes, an everyday conceptualization is the generalization reached through experiential events in the everyday, often correlated with social interactions.

·         According to Vygotsky, “Concepts are abstractions in which the internal groupings have very high levels of consistency.” (Smagorinsky Video)

·          Concepts, in and of themselves, are produced when formalized learning (academics) is merged with individuals’ daily experiences (life). This is the meeting point of theory put into action.

·         Example: A student-teacher learning Piaget, Frobel, or Vygotsky-inspired approaches take generalized knowledge and use it to facilitate real-world experiences in the classroom.

·         Concepts are influenced by both personal experience and academic learning, both of which are evolving, shifting, and shaping themselves into a new thought, or new ways of considering old subjects. The point is, that ‘concepts’ themselves are always subject to change, as few things in life remain unalterable. Conclusion: As applicable to the field of ECE, openness to new, approved, concepts would be a beneficial trait for an effective educator.

2.      How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?

·         Put as succinctly as possible, the “Golden Key Program” is the nexus point of knowledge and relevance. A primary feature is that it introduces elements that are fundamentally relevant to the learner.

3.      How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?

·         I believe in the idea presented by the Golden Key Program; incorporating relevance into the curriculum in place of requiring things be learned, memorized, or otherwise recited for scoring, without indicating the necessity and otherwise relevance of the knowledge being introduced to the learner. It seems to me that the golden standard would not be remiss in ensuring that students can connect real-world significance to what it taught.

-- Rachael A. Carlotto

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? A concept is an obstruct idea. A scientific concept is formal instruction. A everyday concept is basically hands on experiences. A concept is produced through experience. (Part 2.) What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)? (1) The link between concept and happiness. (2) The combination of both, formal instruction and hands on. 2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?  The Golden Key was developed in Russia (inspired by Vygotsky's work) to provide children with the opportunity to unfold their individual development of their whole personality. 3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? I believe that my A.S. in Child Development, B.A. in Early Childhood Education, and now M.A. in Early Childhood Education is a result of my childhood experiences (my parent's culture). Back in the 1990s, in Mexico, where all my neighbors were family members, there was no space for limitations. I was allowed to get up and go, to make decisions, to be myself, etc. My parents were very involved (my whole family was) and their involvement was positive (e.g., I was allowed to explore my whole town alone when I was 4-years-old [that is how safe it was]). So as an educator, the Golden Key program reminded me of that and it inspired me to practice a similar approach (e.g., allow my students to explore their environment and who their are). -Alma Perez

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? A concept is an obstruct idea. A scientific concept is formal instruction. A everyday concept is basically hands on experiences. A concept is produced through experience. (Part 2.) What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)? (1) The link between concept and happiness. (2) The combination of both, formal instruction and hands on. 2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?  The Golden Key was developed in Russia (inspired by Vygotsky's work) to provide children with the opportunity to unfold their individual development of their whole personality. 3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? I believe that my A.S. in Child Development, B.A. in Early Childhood Education, and now M.A. in Early Childhood Education is a result of my childhood experiences (my parent's culture). Back in the 1990s, in Mexico, where all my neighbors were family members, there was no space for limitations. I was allowed to get up and go, to make decisions, to be myself, etc. My parents were very involved (my whole family was) and their involvement was positive (e.g., I was allowed to explore my whole town alone when I was 4-years-old [that is how safe it was]). So as an educator, the Golden Key program reminded me of that and it inspired me to practice a similar approach (e.g., allow my students to explore their environment and who their are). -Alma Perez

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)? (4 points)

1 A) a concept is an abstract idea derived from the mind.

A scientific concept is not really about science, but an everyday academic gained from experiences without any training or reading.

An everyday concept is something spontaneous, gained through a hands on and interactive experience.

B) A concept is produced by hands on learning and experience.

C) My takeaway from this video is that Vygotsky was very logocentric, meaning that he believed speech being a primary tool for developing concepts.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? (2 points)

It is a type of methodology influenced on Vygotsky’s practices, where it promotes children’s development of the self and their personality. They learn many skills that are relevant to their daily lives.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? (2 points)

It inspires me how it actually focuses on the internal aspects on children, their personalities, and how each child may learn differently and in their own way. We were always taught and given study materials that all children would do and expected to master it even when some struggle. What I like about this program Is that children learn through experiences that are fulfilling and fun.

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1.) What is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is a concept produced? What is your take away from the video?
- A concept is an abstract idea.
-A scientific concept is learned through formal instruction.
- An everyday concept is that they're not a minimal to new situations.
My take aways from this video is that students need a mixture of hands on but also formal way of teaching in order to support students in different ways. I also wish I had this video before writing my book review because I do believe that this has a strong breakdown of Vygotsky and maybe I could have done a better job in understanding him.

2.) How would you describe the Golden Key program to somebody who knows nothing about it? How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?
- " This paper describes the cultural-historical methodology, which lie at the base of the innovative educational program 'Golden Key' for preschool and primary school age children" (Fleer, 2018, p. 1023)..."Describes the Vygotsky based approach to the education of young children, called the 'Golden Key', which was developed in Russia. The goals of the Golden Key programs was to create opportunities for the child to unfold the individual developmental potential and to promote the full harmonious development of the whole Childs personality" (Fleer, 2018, p. 1024)
- I pulled these two quotes because I felt they describe what this is simply and it is straight to the point.
- How this inspires my professional practice is to have a better understanding of my students need the social aspect of children's learning and really apply it here. But also it makes me want to teach more project based once I aspire to get into a classroom. What I also enjoyed a lot is the emphasis oh 'development of the whole Childs personality' this is not implemented enough and is something I would/will take with me.

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Olga Solorio                                                                     According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and an everyday concept? Concept-abstract ideas in which the internal groupings have a very high level of consistency. Scientific concept-Learning is  a combination of formal instruction (academic knowledge)  along with hands-on experiences (every day) that can transfer to new situations Everyday concept- Learning through hands-on observations or experiments. Learning is situational and does not transfer to new situations.                                                                    How is the concept produced? The concept is produced by hands-on learning. What's your takeaway from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)?                               My takeaway from the video is that students need a combination of formal instruction with hands-on experiences. One can not have a true understanding of a concept without both. That is why project-based learning is so effective because children need to investigate (i.e. literature, field trips, or experts). Then experiment with hands-on activities.                      2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? The Golden Key Program is a Vygotsky-inspired Russian school. It is a multi-age preschool where children learn authentically alongside teachers, peers, and parents.  Children learn through hands-on experiences. In the first year, they learn about the concept of space by using tools to make models and reading maps. In the second year, they investigate time with authentic activities. For example, how many times can you hop in a minute? In the third year, children work with different materials (i.e. wood, clay, straw, etc.) In the fourth year, children learn social-emotional skills and how to self-regulate and work alone or with others.                                  3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? The Golden Key Program reminded me of the importance of family/home connection. For the past two years, I have had to teach without any parent volunteers and have had to eliminate projects. I am looking forward to having parent volunteers back in my classroom next year to get back to more authentic learning. I’m also inspired to continue with project-based learning and less direct teaching.                                                      

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Olga Solorio                                                                     According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and an everyday concept? Concept-abstract ideas in which the internal groupings have a very high level of consistency. Scientific concept-Learning is  a combination of formal instruction (academic knowledge)  along with hands-on experiences (every day) that can transfer to new situations Everyday concept- Learning through hands-on observations or experiments. Learning is situational and does not transfer to new situations.                                                                    How is the concept produced? The concept is produced by hands-on learning. What's your takeaway from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)?                               My takeaway from the video is that students need a combination of formal instruction with hands-on experiences. One can not have a true understanding of a concept without both. That is why project-based learning is so effective because children need to investigate (i.e. literature, field trips, or experts). Then experiment with hands-on activities.                      2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? The Golden Key Program is a Vygotsky-inspired Russian school. It is a multi-age preschool where children learn authentically alongside teachers, peers, and parents.  Children learn through hands-on experiences. In the first year, they learn about the concept of space by using tools to make models and reading maps. In the second year, they investigate time with authentic activities. For example, how many times can you hop in a minute? In the third year, children work with different materials (i.e. wood, clay, straw, etc.) In the fourth year, children learn social-emotional skills and how to self-regulate and work alone or with others.                                  3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? The Golden Key Program reminded me of the importance of family/home connection. For the past two years, I have had to teach without any parent volunteers and have had to eliminate projects. I am looking forward to having parent volunteers back in my classroom next year to get back to more authentic learning. I’m also inspired to continue with project-based learning and less direct teaching.                                                      

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and an everyday concept? How is the concept produced? What is your takeaway from the video?

Concept formation is the process of categorizing objects, ideas, and events. It is an essential part of how we make sense of our world. Scientific concepts develop in the process of cultivating a system of knowledge that a child receives during instruction. In contrast, everyday concepts are developed during a child's practical activity through direct interaction with other people in everyday life. Based on my understanding from the video, everyday concepts lay in the foundations for learning scientific or academic concepts. So, as a result, concepts produce throughout the daily experience.

The video was thoughtful, and I wish I had watched it before submitting my assignment 1. This video helped me to comprehend Vygotsky's ideas better.

(list two major points and clarify them if necessary)

1. The link between concepts & happiness

2. powerful concepts are produced by the interplay between experiential & formal knowledge

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?

The Vygotsky-based approach to young children's education is called Golden Key, which was developed in Russia. "The goal of the Golden Key's program is to create opportunities for the child to unfold the individual development of the child's whole personality" (Fleer, 2018, p. 1023).

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?

The main principle of the Golden Key is to be found in words "Culture" and "history." The Golden Key's program is based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which views human development as a socially mediated process. Children acquire their cultural values, beliefs, and problem-solving strategies through collaborative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society (Fleer, 2018). As a journalist and educator, this amazed me. Children understand who they are as a result of their cultural background. In addition, children's emotional, social, physical, and linguistic development are influenced by the cultural influences they are exposed to from birth, including customs and beliefs about food, artistic expression, language, and religion. Even culture affects parenting style as well.

Fleer, M. (2018). International Handbook of Early Childhood Education: (Vol. II). Springer.

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? What's your take away from the video?

Concept: an abstract idea

scientific concept:  systematic mental representations of the natural world

everyday concept: they occur spontaneously in the context of normal participation in family and community practices and activities.

The video was very helpful in understanding Vygotsky by providing everyday example. I found the use of comparison to plants and landscape to be very easy to understand. Also, how the ideas of concepts to be an abstract and not an absolute. It changes by person’s beliefs.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it?

It is a program interweaving everyday living into teaching important ideas to children. Everyone is involved, the teachers, parents, and children. It is important to build a community for children to thrive.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?

I would lie to have a close connection with my students. To help model concepts, they need to know.

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1. According to the video interview, what is a concept, a scientific concept, and everyday concept? How is concept produced? What's your take away from the video?

A concept is an abstraction, an ideal, that is social in origin.

A scientific concept is highly abstracted so that it may be reapplied in various settings. It is the extraction of formal principles that is learned through formal instruction.

An everyday concept is specific within a given context. It is not adaptable in new situations.

A concept is produced through experience. Therein-lies the issue of meta-experience  (the way you experience an experience shapes the way you will experience another experience). Your conceptions frame your experiences.

My takeaways from this interview:
1) Concepts allow one to anticipate an outcome, meaning the more developed your concept, the more likely you are to create a positive outcome. Therefore, a strong scientific concept can create a strong foundational concept even with little conceptual (practical) experience.
2) Concepts in the social sciences are perspective based, which leads to a gray area that makes it difficult to state definitively if an educational practice follows or is inconsistent with conceptual pedagogy.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? (2 points)

The Gold Key Program is a Vygotskian preschool-primary school in Russia that fosters the holistic development of a child's personality through mixed age class groupings and the intentional cohesion of parent-teacher-child relationships. The program is based off the historical Russian peasant community model where intergenerational families unite as a community family in daily life tasks. "Teaching" is experiential, hands on and community oriented where the focus is on the children's acquisition of meaningful knowledge. Teachers purposefully create and expand the ZPD through the intentional activity of children and adults. Through activity plots and events (i.e. building a cardboard house, planning a sailing trip to Australia), children develop an authentic understanding of academic subject matter (math, language, history, etc) in a manner that is relevant, applicable to daily life and, most importantly, fun.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice?

I am so inspired by the Gold Key Program's ability to "heal" psychological and neuropathic behavior in children and the ability for children to practice reflection and self-regulation. From a macro perspective, it would be revolutionary to incorporate The Golden Key Program's principles in state funded head starts to shift the focus off of rote learning, worksheets, and predesigned studies (i.e. the Creative Curriculum) instead to acquiring meaningful, relevant knowledge through an immersive and authentic "community family." For example, the "Four Directions" provides a profound way to illustrate a child's physical orientation in culture (historically, biologically, creatively) where knowledge builds sequentially yielding a logical, relevant experience with abstract social concepts.

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How is concept produced? Concepts are produced from trial and error. First there is a misconception, we make mistakes and then we have a partial understanding to continue to try new ideas.  Everyday concept? An everyday concept is the role, or purpose of something. What is a concept (according to Vygotsky)? Abstractions in which internal groupings have very high levels of consistency. Scientific concepts are more difficult, they are learned. These ideals are fluid, always moving.

What's your take away from the video (list two major points and clarify them if necessary)? (4 points)

This video was very helpful in understanding Vygotsky and why he uses biological examples to make sense of his theories/concepts. Lately I have run into personal struggles. I try to be so perfect in my understanding that I failed to try. This is exactly why knowing that I only have a partial understanding of things is key to keep going.

2. How would you like to describe the Golden Key Program to somebody who knows nothing about it? (2 points)

The Golden Key Program founded in Russia is a Vygotsky based way of teaching. As teachers, we hand down knowledge to children but they can come up with their own realizations. This concept is nature vs. culture. I too strongly believe that children should be comfortable and they will be able to learn with the ability to combine their own personality with instruction.

3. How does the Golden Key Program inspire your professional practice? (2 points)

Before we began our Master's program we had everyday concepts about children. Now, we can apply our formal concepts with a higher developmentally scientific understanding. In all of the years that I have been working in education, I always allow children to be themselves. This is very difficult for teachers because we have so many personalities in one classroom. But we have to allow children to be themselves. I personally grew up with a very strict "you must do this now and do it perfect" way of being a student. This blocks experience. Children need to try, trial and error, to develop new concepts.

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copy the questions here and answer them.