Educators have long been accountable for their student’s ongoing learning and development. The way in which an educator views both their students and their profession, will determine the way they perceive their pedagogical role in sustaining children’s learning and development. Given Australia’s focus on standardised testing in recent years, educators and society have become consumed by these results rather focusing on the process and personal needs of children’s development (Lingard 2010). In exploring the child-centred, constructive approach evident throughout Finnish educational frameworks, Australian educators can adapt these facilitative methods within their own pedagogy to ensure that the child, and society, equally benefit from the …show more content…
Leading back to Woodrow’s (1999) idea of the ‘three dominate perceptions’ of children as ‘the innocent’, ‘the threat/monster’ and the ‘embryo adult’, we can see that these expressions are in fact still a large influence on our perception of children in both past and present societies, today. Consequently, it cannot be ignored that the way an educator perceives their role, not only within the classroom but through the entirety of their vocation, is influenced and dependent on their personal beliefs and perceptions of children (Woodrow & Press 2007; Tryggvason 2009). Although all three of these views still contribute, in varying ways, to society’s perceptions of children today, the most dominant and prevalent as indicated by the Australian education frameworks (DEEWR 2009; ACARA 2013), is the child as ‘the embryo adult’ (Woodrow 1999). Despite the emphasis on play and child-initiated learning, the key ideas of ‘belonging, being and becoming’ within the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR 2009) have often been interpreted through the mindset and view of the child as the ‘embryo adult’ as displayed by multiple marketing campaigns of preschool education using slogans such as ‘early childhood education – preparation for life’ (Woodrow & Press 2007). Although this appears as a seemingly innocent statement, the implicit notion that the state of ‘becoming’ rather than ‘being’ takes precedence in the
It was in 1996 that the first UK curriculum was introduced which was called ‘Desirable Outcomes’. Within the document were learning outcomes to be achieved by all children by the age of five and being a centralised system, an inspection scheme was also introduced. In this article Soler and Miller (2010) highlight how these changes were perceived to be shaping the early childhood curriculum from the outside rather than from within the early childhood community.
This assignment is based upon my understanding of child development and children’s learning, considering the curriculum for the Early Years and the curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage/Key Stage One. I propose to outline a rationale for effectively continuing children’s learning, from the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage into Year One and include strategies to support transitions, effective curriculum delivery and links between the EYFS and the National Curriculum. Throughout the assignment I will refer not only in general but also to how my research has help me as a practitioner help my setting to effectively continue children’s learning.
Early childhood education in Australia encompasses prior to school settings as well as the early years of
Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes
Preschool teachers have not been given the credit they deserve, with lots of people over looking their importance. Being a preschool teacher is more than just watching a couple of kids for a couple of hours. This field requires a lot preparation and behind the scene work that put into the job, so it really is not as easy as it may seem. Preschool could possibly shape the rest of their academic lives. At this level of school the children learn their basic building blocks for learning that they will use forever. That leaves parents with big expectations for the teacher. And for the teacher, they will have to set goals, have a plan to reach those goals, and for the most part
Early childhood education curriculums are becoming a national curriculum in most countries. With more governments and society thinking about education of under-fives we are seeing shifts in thinking and education to meet the changing world. We are developing children skills for the future to create a society where children feel they belong and can contribute to society. Curriculums are being influenced my social, political, cultural, historical and theoretical issues that are impacting different curriculums in the world. I am going to explore and develop my understanding about three different curriculums to recognise the different influences affecting curriculums. I am going to explore the curriculums of Te Whāriki: New Zealand, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and Curriculum for Excellence: Scotland. This will allow me to develop an understanding of other curriculums which I have not heard about to discover other way to education that I have not been taught in teacher’s college.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in England differs greatly in structure and content to the Te Whariki curriculum in New Zealand; this therefore makes for an interesting comparison. The EYFS was introduced in England, in 2008, by the DfE as a framework that ‘sets the standards for learning, development and care of children from birth to five’ (DfE, 2012). Alternatively, Te Whariki was founded in New Zealand, in 1996, based on the aspirations for children ‘to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society’ (Ministry of Education, 1996). Throughout this essay, the EYFS
Early years frameworks in the U.K emphasise the importance of a personal and individual approach to learning and development:
The early years framework emphasises a personal and individual approach to learning and development because valuing a child’s individuality, ideas and feelings is an important part of developing an individual approach to the learning and development. A child has universal physical needs such as food, drink and shelter and psychological needs such as love, affection, security, friendship which are essential to maintaining their quality of life. In recognising and trying to meet an individual child’s needs each child’s age, physical maturity, intellectual abilities, emotional development, social skills and past experiences and relationships need to be considered.
This essay will discuss Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky and their theories as well as critical points from their theories and explain how they relate back to each theory. It will discuss how both of these theories can be applied to work in relation to a role in the Early Childhood sector. It will include Dr. Rangimarie Pere’s studies in education and how they compare to those of Piaget and Vygotsky. This essay will also link the chosen theories back to Te Whāriki and the New Zealand early childhood curriculum.
Educators can facilitate the children with different materials and environments in the classrooms that are in the early learning centres. The children need to develop their minds cognitively. “Children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world” (Berk 2007). Children are needing to develop their abilities through their play experiences, and also through their play experiences, they can develop appropriately. Early childhood education plays a large part in a child's early development.
Early education for children is very crucial as it helps shape up the foundation of their knowledge and behavior development process. Children begin to develop the sense of curiosity from the age of two. And from age 2-8, children go through a very crucial period of mental development, which shapes up their future mindset (Grayson, 2016). Early children education (ECE) has been listed as the number one priority of the National Association of Education. The teachers or educators at nursery and primary level are responsible to for developing young children’s sense of knowledge and education. In this paper, we will assess the roles and skills that are vital for an early childhood educator. Moreover, the paper will also present a
Build explanatory frameworks that enable you to understand, problematize and intervene in the promotion of children's human development according to the needs of learners and their socio-cultural and educational contexts where it develops their teaching, taking a perspective of diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for the rights of
Childhood has its own ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling which are proper to it/ child’s mind considered as a blank state to be inscribed by experience: the infant is often compared to a ‘white paper’ to be written over or to a plastic substance (wax) to be molded
There are a lot of elements could influence people’s attitude and philosophy, especially the experiences that they had when they were young. In this essay, I am going to talk about my childhood experiences and make links to how aspects of my childhood impacted who I am. I will also mention how these experiences affect my role as an early childhood educator (ECE), how these experiences impact my work with children and families.