Frank Lloyd Wright and Froebel Workshop at Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright Goes to Kindergarten: Architecture, Design and Mathematics Workshop

Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, and the Spring Valley Bruderhof have teamed up to offer a 3-day workshop developed with Dr. Barbara Ashton, Associate Professor of Mathematics and expert on Froebel Education at Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York. This project was inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Froebel Kindergarten philosophy. Frank Lloyd Wright cited the profound impact that Froebel blocks had on his perception of the world and his creative abilities throughout his career.

We will investigate how Froebel and math were used in Wright’s architecture to create a sense of harmony, integration with the landscape, and spatial continuity and excitement. Participants will spend time in Wright’s great essay on the horizontal, Fallingwater, and in Kentuck Knob, designed on a hexagonal module, as well as discover the personal history of Friedrich Froebel through one of his descendants and engage in several Froebel activities used in classrooms at the Spring Valley Bruderhof. Hands-on workshops, an orientation to the connections between Froebel and Wright’s architecture, resource materials and a Froebel gift to take with you will give you plenty of ideas and creative ways to connect your students to meaningful math in the real world.

Eligibility
We limit enrollment to 12 teachers. You must be a practicing teacher (any subject, any grade level) to apply.

ACT 48
All Pennsylvania teachers and educational specialists with certificates must complete 180 Act 48 hours every five years. This workshop is for 30 hours/1 CEU.

To receive Act 48 credit, participants must attend the entire workshop, sign in and sign out, and complete the evaluation form, participate in classroom activities and complete all class assignments at the proficient level.

Tuition
Tuition is $90 per person, which includes cost of site visits, lunch daily, instruction, resource materials, a Froebel gift to take back to your classroom, and 30 ACT 48 hours for Pennsylvania teachers.

Registration
Please email Heidi Ruby Miller, the Kentuck Knob Educational Coordinator, at hmiller@kentuckknob.com or call 724/329-1901 to receive a registration packet via email or through the post.

Agenda
Tuesday, August 3 at Kentuck Knob
9 a.m. Arrive--Introductions
9:15 – 10:30 Explore/tour Kentuck Knob
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 12:00 Kentuck Knob Floor Plans, Elevations, Building Sections, etc.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 Froebel Introduction
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:00 Froebel and Kentuck Knob Activity

Wednesday, August 4 at Spring Valley Bruderhof
9 a.m. Arrive—Introductions
9:15 – 10:30 Discover the Froebel model of teaching
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 12:00 Froebel classroom tours
12:00 – 1:30 Lunch and Fellowship
1:30 – 2:30 Froebel Activity
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:00 Froebel Activity

Thursday, August 5 at Fallingwater
9 a.m. Arrive--Introductions
9:15 – 10:30 Explore/tour FW
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 12:00 Fallingwater Floor Plans, Elevations, Building Sections, etc.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 Froebel and FW activity
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 3:30 Incorporating Froebel in your classroom
3:30 – 4:00 Wrap Up and Evaluations