Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/in-loving-memory-elizabeth-betty-jones-the-master-player-who-knew-that-the-plays-the-thing/5027084/
With a heavy heart, the early childhood community learned that Elizabeth (Betty) Jones passed away on November 27, 2022, at the age of 92 years. She died peacefully in the presence of family, exemplifying what Erik and Joan Erikson (guiding lights for Betty) called the challenge of “integration”—being satisfied with one’s life. In the days before her passing she expressed how happy she was and said, “I’m ready to die now.”
Before her death, Betty said she did not want a formal memorial. Instead, she asked that her friends and colleagues gather informally in small groups to reflect and engage. That is what happened all over the world. Known internationally for coining the term “emergent curriculum,” modeling interactive learning for adults, and reminding us that the “play’s the thing” for children, Betty touched so many in our field through her generous spirit, warmth, creativity, and authenticity. (As well as her ability to provoke and surprise us into learning!)
In what might seem a contradiction to Betty shying away from the limelight during her lifetime, she also prepared the following memoriam before her death. A history of sorts, written in the third person, she asked her family that it be shared with our professional ...