Professor Tamburrino

For the past two semesters, I have been teaching an integrated arts class at the University of North Florida.  This is a required course for all early childhood education majors.  This course is designed to teach pre-service teachers how to integrate the visual arts and music into their core curriculum.  It is very "hands-on" and includes multiple opportunities for students to teach integrated lessons to their peers.

Last week, a student was presenting a lesson integrating music and social studies and began by placing a small animal on the document camera.  This particular animal hails from the continent of Africa and I had never been "up close and personal" with one.  Can you guess what it is? It is one of the characters in Beatrix Potter's children's stories.  (The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle)

Professor Tamburrino and Cooper

Yes. It's a hedgehog. I'm not much of an animal lover, but this little guy stole my heart.  I am told that they don't allow the exportation of hedgehogs from Africa any more, but there are breeders here in the US.  If you've never felt one, they feel like a hairbrush made of boar bristles.  He was a very busy little creature and I could barely contain him long enough for a photo (very much like my youngest son).  He and Cooper would have been great friends!

I must say that a "hook" for a lesson doesn't get much better than a "live" animal!!  As the lesson progressed, we learned about shekeres (African shaker) and made one out of a covered pie tin with beads inside.  It was a beautifully integrated lesson, complete with hedgehog.

We have had a blast this summer creating, singing, dancing and learning together.  I am privileged to teach our next generation of teachers and hope they will "carry the torch" and include arts integration in their own classrooms for generations to come.

Until next time...