Hey, there is someone out there who appreciates us..
Preschool teachers do so much: Parent
27Nov 2008, ST Forum
I REFER to letters by Ms Christine Chen, 'Preschool teaching is about standards' (Nov 5), and Ms Marissa Teo, 'Quality of preschool teachers: Blame the vague job description' (Nov 10). I am writing as a concerned parent who is worried about the standard of preschool teachers.
I agree with Ms Teo. I spoke to some preschool teachers and they revealed other tasks on the 'hidden agenda' in the job of a preschool teacher. Besides organising and running the curriculum and other routine tasks like feeding and bathing children, they must:
Clean their classroom or outdoor area (if the cleaner is not around or does not start work early).
Work more than 12 hours a day if, for example, another teacher is on mdeical leave.
Handle a class with more than the required number of children when another teacher is on MC (as it is considered too costly to hire temporary staff).
Sometimes, teachers do not have time to take a proper lunch as they must take care of the children while they take their own lunch or take a nap.
To resolve these issues, the Government should provide childcare centre operators with more financial assistance so they can employ more support staff.
It requires a lot of passion and enthusiasm to become a preschool teacher and stay in the profession. Unless the Government steps in to help teachers by raising their pay to make it commensurate with the work and effort they put in and increase public awareness of the importance of preschool education, the professional standard of preschool teachers will remain in the status quo and good teachers will leave the industry.
As quoted in the article, 'Push to give cleaners contract' (Nov 11), 'garbage cleaners in Australia earn around A$2,000 (S$2,040) per month', which is more than most preschool teachers earn in Singapore. Does this mean preschool education is low-skilled? I beg to differ. Most preschool teachers have a basic diploma and more pursue a degree or even a master's and some have been in the field for more than 10 years.
How Weng Kong
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Open Letter to NIM Management
12 November 2008
Dear NIM Management (Nan and Alfred),
An Open Letter : “Did I Really Learn This During My ECE Course?”
I felt compelled to write this open letter to you, as guardians of your institute, about the current course on Early Childhood Education that I am undertaking. I am just past halfway through my course, so this act of sending this letter to you may well be suicidal (to my grades), or at best, foolhardy. But I would prefer to think that the better judgment on the part of senior management would prevail.
Yesterday’s class broke the camel’s back for me. I had intended for this open letter to be sent after my course is over, but I believe this should not wait.
Why would your lecturers deliver such messages/materials/assignments to us :
1. referring to the ECE teaching community as “caregivers”?
Shouldn’t the lecturer be taking the effort to propagate a more positive term like “ECE educators” to us wide-eyed, eager trainee teachers? While the whole ECE sector, particularly AECES, is trying hard to move away from being perceived as merely caregivers in the eyes of parents here and thus, the negative connotations which come with it (low salary for ECE teachers being one), your lecturer had chosen to feed us this term. The argument for this choice of word was that the “textbook I am referring to uses it”. Are those Powerpoint slides that troublesome to change? Surely, the role of the lecturer ought to be one of taking the joint leadership to propagate the ECE field in the best light, be it in class in front of new trainees or elsewhere, shouldn’t it?
2. telling us at the start of a module that we will not be good teachers upon completion of our course because it is a crash course?
Now, why would a lecturer put such a caveat in front of the trainees? To motivate? Hardly. Coming from a person from the same teaching fraternity, this comment to young trainees seemed most odd.
3. assigning us the task of designing a childcare centre from scratch, or drawing up a snacks menu?
May I ask how would these tasks help me as an ECE teacher? Both assignments are clearly outside the bounds of a typical ECE teacher’s responsibilities when they are in-service, which therefore begs the question. “Why are we being given such an assignment in the first place?” Are there not more relevant tasks that could have been assigned to us that would help us be better practitioners when we graduate?
These are but 3 examples of what we have been “taught” todate.
I therefore ask this question:
Have both the materials/contents and the quality of the lecturers in your institute been screened and vetted by you for proper relevance and for professionalism? Just because these materials have been used in other institutes or that the teaching methods had been deployed elsewhere (such as “show & tell”) do not mean they qualify to be applicable in the context of an adult education environment. Your institute is the sharp end of the arrow in helping the ECE field upgrade itself, and in so doing, reduce the large turnover and dropout rates that seemed endemic today. I am sure the Ministries overseeing ECE would readily agree.
I am hopeful that this open letter will bring some insights to you from the eyes of one of your students (read, ‘customers’), and thus, initiate a review of your course for the better, if not this year then perhaps for the next cohorts to come, for the good of the ECE sector as a whole. Otherwise, the next open letter may well be titled “Did I Really Pay $10,000 for this ECE Course?”
Sincerely,
George Lee
NY-SD-A2
Dear NIM Management (Nan and Alfred),
An Open Letter : “Did I Really Learn This During My ECE Course?”
I felt compelled to write this open letter to you, as guardians of your institute, about the current course on Early Childhood Education that I am undertaking. I am just past halfway through my course, so this act of sending this letter to you may well be suicidal (to my grades), or at best, foolhardy. But I would prefer to think that the better judgment on the part of senior management would prevail.
Yesterday’s class broke the camel’s back for me. I had intended for this open letter to be sent after my course is over, but I believe this should not wait.
Why would your lecturers deliver such messages/materials/assignments to us :
1. referring to the ECE teaching community as “caregivers”?
Shouldn’t the lecturer be taking the effort to propagate a more positive term like “ECE educators” to us wide-eyed, eager trainee teachers? While the whole ECE sector, particularly AECES, is trying hard to move away from being perceived as merely caregivers in the eyes of parents here and thus, the negative connotations which come with it (low salary for ECE teachers being one), your lecturer had chosen to feed us this term. The argument for this choice of word was that the “textbook I am referring to uses it”. Are those Powerpoint slides that troublesome to change? Surely, the role of the lecturer ought to be one of taking the joint leadership to propagate the ECE field in the best light, be it in class in front of new trainees or elsewhere, shouldn’t it?
2. telling us at the start of a module that we will not be good teachers upon completion of our course because it is a crash course?
Now, why would a lecturer put such a caveat in front of the trainees? To motivate? Hardly. Coming from a person from the same teaching fraternity, this comment to young trainees seemed most odd.
3. assigning us the task of designing a childcare centre from scratch, or drawing up a snacks menu?
May I ask how would these tasks help me as an ECE teacher? Both assignments are clearly outside the bounds of a typical ECE teacher’s responsibilities when they are in-service, which therefore begs the question. “Why are we being given such an assignment in the first place?” Are there not more relevant tasks that could have been assigned to us that would help us be better practitioners when we graduate?
These are but 3 examples of what we have been “taught” todate.
I therefore ask this question:
Have both the materials/contents and the quality of the lecturers in your institute been screened and vetted by you for proper relevance and for professionalism? Just because these materials have been used in other institutes or that the teaching methods had been deployed elsewhere (such as “show & tell”) do not mean they qualify to be applicable in the context of an adult education environment. Your institute is the sharp end of the arrow in helping the ECE field upgrade itself, and in so doing, reduce the large turnover and dropout rates that seemed endemic today. I am sure the Ministries overseeing ECE would readily agree.
I am hopeful that this open letter will bring some insights to you from the eyes of one of your students (read, ‘customers’), and thus, initiate a review of your course for the better, if not this year then perhaps for the next cohorts to come, for the good of the ECE sector as a whole. Otherwise, the next open letter may well be titled “Did I Really Pay $10,000 for this ECE Course?”
Sincerely,
George Lee
NY-SD-A2
Friday, November 21, 2008
My ECE Assignments : Action Research
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Module: Action Research
Individual Assignment - Research Dissertation :
Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
Abstract
The utilization of the Project Approach in teaching is fast gaining popularity in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Significant levels of money and time are being applied to make the traditional ECE curriculum come alive through Project Approach. But how can these resources be optimally utilized to provide for the highest possible return on the investments, for both the teachers delivering Project Approach in their classes as well as the children receiving these teachings via projects?
This research paper provides an insight into the mind of the teacher of the Project Approach. More importantly, it brings out the voice of the children who had previously received their first project, by telling us as educators, the areas of their project phases or activities that had made the most impact to them. With these insights, we can therefore explore ways of maximizing the effectiveness of the Project Approach to the most important constituents in any ECE school system – the children themselves.
Introduction
Project Approach as a teaching strategy has many proponents and admirers globally. The benefits that it can bring to any learning centre that has adopted it are plenty and significant. Children who are taught using the Project Approach are known to have an increased level of self-confidence, show a high level of enthusiasm for their work and display stronger levels of positive socio-emotional traits, amongst some of these benefits (Project Approach Website, 2008).
In the field of early childhood education in Singapore, Project Approach is beginning to receive the attention of many educators, and is now beginning to be adopted by more and more forward-looking ECE centres. A case in point is the Carpe Diem Childcare Group. Known locally as the first childcare group in the country to bring in the renown Multiple Intelligences curriculum by Dr Howard Gardner, the Group has begun the adoption of Project Approach as well. This has provided for further augmentation of its teaching strategies to their children of both the K1 and K2 classes.
But how do we ensure that the resources of money and time being applied to this new teaching approach provide the best possible return-on-investment for a typical preschool wishing to implement Project Approach in their learning environment? With preschools constantly facing lesser resources to deliver better education to the young in this country, the need to maximize the value of a newer teaching strategy like Project Approach therefore becomes even more apparent.
As a professional involved in this new adoption of the Project Approach teaching strategy in my childcare centre, this research will provide information to support the hypothesis that because the top 3 areas within a typical Project Approach process are being emphasized, the value of our teachings to the K-class students can be maximized. The research would then heighten the awareness of teachers to these top 3 areas, and in so doing, provide a stronger basis for them to incorporate these top 3 areas into their teaching methods, when commencing with the start of any new project.
This research had 2 components to it. Firstly, it began with an interview with a K1-class teacher who has recently completed a project, under the Project Approach, to understand from her perspective, the specific areas in the whole process of her project completion which excited her students the most. For example, were there certain aspects of the project that captures the attention of her students the most? Were her students changing their behaviours as the project progressed? Do they work better as a group for certain types of activities? These will be some of the questions that will be answered through this interview with the class teacher.
Secondly, the next component of the research involved interviewing all of the children who had completed the said project. The voice-of-the-children was therefore represented in the outcomes of these interviews, giving us a valuable insight into the minds of the children, in terms of what areas of the project activities interest them the most.
Feedback from parents whose children have completed a recent project were solicited and presented here.
This 3-way view of Project Approach therefore provided an invaluable insight into the minds of the teacher, the children and the parents. The top 3 areas or key activities in a project were identified. They can then become the focus for all teachers whenever they begin their own new projects. As a result, the values of teaching any project or topic of interest to the children can be maximized to the fullest, and with that, a better return-on-investment can be realized for any ECE centre planning to adopt Project Approach in their learning environment.
Literature Review
Theoretical Views of Project Approach
John Dewey
The Project Approach is based on the work of an American educator and philosopher called John Dewey, who maintained that education is the reconstruction of experience (Wikipedia, 2008). Dewey was the most famous proponent of hands-on learning or experiential learning.Dewey developed the approach over a period of seven years at his laboratory school at the University of Chicago. Dewey challenged the view that was current at the time that knowledge was a fixed notion of truth waiting to be discovered. Learning had been viewed as a possession that was a necessary and practical result of social standing.
For Dewey, knowledge is not absolute, immutable, and eternal, but rather relative to the developmental interaction of man with his world as problems arise to present themselves for solution. Views of Dewey on learning grew out of the basic assumptions of the newly evolved pragmatic theory of knowledge.
Lilian Katz
More recently, Lilian Katz propose the Project Approach, based on Dewey's ideas, as a way of working with children so that they might arrive at deeper understandings of the world they inhabit. Research by Lillian Katz has shown that children learn best through meaningful activities. It has also shown that children’s skills are much more likely to be mastered if they have the opportunity to apply them in meaningful activities (Katz & Chard, 1989).
The Project Approach to teaching therefore is another way for students to experience how an inviting, dynamic environment can encourage learning.
Projects are defined as “an in-depth study of a topic or theme” (Chard, 1998). A project involves three phases. During the first phase, children and their teacher select and discuss a topic to be explored. In the second phase, the children conduct firsthand investigations and then create representations of their findings. The third phase typically includes culminating and debriefing events, which are likely to involve parents.
In the views of Katz and Chard (1989), projects can help children meet learning goals in the four major areas of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. Projects not only help children gain academic skills, social skills, and communication skills, they can help children form good self-concepts about themselves as successful learners. They can also help children gain positive dispositions toward learning.
These favorable dispositions toward learning are critical to their future success. Similar dispositions and feelings may be formed by teacher-preparation students who have the opportunity to experience active, engaging work, such as projects and centers in their own coursework. As students are learning about how to use the Project Approach with young children, they can be engaged in their own project, learning and seeing the benefits of using this approach.
Reggio Emilia
One of the earliest proponents of Project Approach and probably the most well-known is embodied in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment at the center of its philosophy.
Early childhood programs that have successfully adapted to this educational philosophy share that they are attracted to Reggio Emilia approach because of the way it views and respects the child. They believe that the central reason that a child must have control over his or her day-to-day activity is that learning must make sense from the child's point of view. To make it meaningful, it also must be of interest to the child. That is one way they have control over their learning.
Do Different Educational Approaches Produce Different Results?
In a landmark longitudinal study conducted by Schweinhart and Weikart (1997), three different models of early childhood methods were studied, namely (a) the High Scope model which engaged children as active learner, which emphasized key experiences focusing learning in intellectual, social and physical domains, (b) the traditional nursery school model which focused on child-centred approach and (c) the direct instructional model which emphasized teacher-directed academic instructions using workbooks. It was concluded that the early childhood programs in which children initiate their own learning activities are superior to programs based on teacher-directed instructions (Hendrick, 2001). In the early years of the follow-up study, all three models were about the same. But at age 23, many differences became apparent when the children from High Scope and the nursery curricula were compared with those from the direct instruction program, including the fact that there were fewer felony arrests, fewer years of special education for emotional impairment and more members doing volunteer work, from children of the High Scope program.
These results put an even higher premium on the Project Approach method of teaching which also promotes active learners in its curriculum, and augurs well for this innovative method of teaching.
Methodology
Selection of Participants
The selection of the participants was determined by the goals of this research. The first participant was the class teacher who had recently completed a Project Approach exercise with her students. Her inputs provided the basis for comparison on what procedures and activities in her project constitute the most significant portions of the entire project.
These data from the teacher was then compared with the feedback from the children of her class that had undergone a recent project. The inputs from the children were crucial to our understanding of the three most important activities of the entire project, from the children’s viewpoints.
The third participants in this research were the parents of the children. They provided inputs on how they viewed their children’s own experiences in a project that was recently concluded.
Findings and Analysis
The entire process of the Project Approach was concisely summarized into 10 key activities the children had performed , under each of its 3 Phases, as follows:
Phase 1:
Activity #1. Sharing Experiences and KWL
Activity #2. Journal Writing
Activity #3. Drawing and Labelling
Phase 2:
Activity #4. Newspaper and Magazine Cuttings
Activity #5. Representational Drawings
Activity #6. Creating Models and Painting
Activity #7. The Field trip
Phase 3:
Activity #8. Setup of the Object/Topic-of-Interest inside School
Activity #9. Pretend Play
Activity #10. Exhibition and Display to Parents
The Teacher’s Perspective
The teacher viewed the top 3 most important activities in the whole Project Approach process and the reasons for them, as
1. The Field Trip – Activity #7
The children learnt the most through this real-life and hands-on activity.
2. Sharing Experiences and KWL - Activity #1
Personal experiences by the children allowed them to learn better.
3. Exhibition and Display to Parents – Activity#10
The opportunity for strong bonding between the teacher and the parents helped to
develop the child holistically.
Additionally, the teacher gave the following views on how the children in her K1 class were working together:
(i) the setup of the object/topic-of –interest inside the school (Activity #8) made the children work most cooperatively amongst each other, because they learnt to work together and set aside their differences to achieve one goal.
(ii) the pretend play (Activity #9) promoted social interactions the most between the children because role-playing helped to promote the language development and skills.
(iii) the exhibition and display to parents (Activity #10) derived the most amount of laughter amongst the children because they enjoyed sharing their knowledge and work with their parents.
(iv) the field trip (Activity #7) elicited the most amount of empathy amongst the children because they had sensorial and concrete experiences.
(v) the sharing of experiences and KWL (Activity #1) enabled the most recall amongst the children because story-telling helped them to relate their personal experiences better.
The Children’s Perspective
The top 3 activities that the children enjoyed the most and had the most fun with, were described by them as:
1. The Field Trip (Activity #7)
2. Newspaper and Magazine Cuttings (Activity #4)
3. Pretend Play (Activity #9)
It should also be noted that creating models and painting (Activity #6) and the setup of the object/topic-of-interest (Activity #8) were a close third. The bar chart below (Figure 1) showed the distribution of the votes by the children that were interviewed:
Q: Which activities are the most enjoyable for you?
Sample size: 39
The Parents’ Perspective
The survey received from the parents yielded the following results:
(i) The average rating given by parents was 6.6, that is, between the grades of “Very Good” and “Excellent”, when asked how they rated their child’s overall experience during the tenure of the project that their child was involved in.
(ii) When asked if their child had shown improvements intellectually, emotionally or socially during the project period, 72% of the parents said that their child had improved significantly, per the pie chart below (Figure 2):
Q: Do you think your child has shown improvements during the project?
Sample size: 11
(iii) When asked which part of the project was their child most excited about, 60% of the parents mentioned the Field Trip (Activity #7), followed by the Exhibition and Display to Parents (Activity #10) and the Setup of the Object/Topic-of-Interest in School (Activity #8).
Conclusion
The most crucial outcome of this research, based on these interviews and survey results, was that the views of the teacher, the children and the parents were identical when they were asked which activity within the Project Approach process was the most important in terms of its impact. And that is, the Field Trip (Activity #7) was at the very top. This confluence of the 3 perspectives would therefore suggest that the planning, and indeed its execution, of the Field Trip by the teacher should be given top priority whenever a project was initiated for the children in the classroom. If executed well, the children would be the biggest beneficiaries of the Project Approach. They seemed to revel in this activity, which in turn, provided the highest impact in positive learning for them.
There was however, a divergence of views between the teacher and the children when the 2nd and 3rd most impactful activities of the Project Approach process were analysed. Given these divergent views, it would be prudent on the part of the teacher to regard the voice-of-the-children as taking precedent. The teacher should therefore pay more attention to the Newspaper and Magazine Cutting activity (Activity #4) and the Pretend Play activity (Activity #9) so that the values of the children’s learnings in this Project Approach were to be further maximized.
This researcher believes that teachers practicing Project Approach will be more motivated to embrace and continue to utilize this innovative teaching method in their classrooms if they understand better the combined views of the children and the parents. They will be more fulfilled if they know that the children and the parents will appreciate the outcomes of the Project Approach more if the top 3 activities are properly planned and executed.
The second outcome, and perhaps the more important of the two, is that the children taught under the Project Approach will be become much more engaged in their understanding of subject matters, more confident in their disposition and as a result, better all-round learners, both in their early childhood and their adult lives.
Both of these outcomes will therefore provide a good return-on-investment on the resources deployed towards the implementation of the Project Approach in an early childhood education centre.
It is hoped that this research results can also provide the foundation for even more research to be conducted to understand the views of the children and their parents even more, so that this innovative teaching strategy called the Project Approach can be further enhanced for the benefit of the children.
References
1. Chard, S. C. (1998a). The project approach: Making curriculum come alive. New
York: Scholastic.
2. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
3. Hendrick, J (2001). The Whole Child. What Makes a Good Day for the Children, p.32,
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall
4. Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. (1989) Engaging children’s minds: The project approach.
Greenwich, CT: Ablex.
5. Project Approach Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 24, 2008 from
World Wide Web:
http://www.projectapproach.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
6. Wikipedia Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 19, 2008 from the World
Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
Appendix
A. Ethical Clearance from Childcare Centre
B. Timeline for Research
C. Sample Questionaire to the Teacher
D. Sample Questionaire to the Children
E. Sample Questionaire to the Parents
(A) Approval for Ethical Clearance
1. Investigator : George
2. Name of the Training School : Nanyang Institute of Management
3. Description of Work : To interviewing the class teacher, the students and the parents
of the K1 class in the childcare centre.
4. Title of Project : Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy
for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
5. Objectives : To ensure that teaching resources are better deployed, and to build better
students through a more effective deployment of the Project Approach.
6. Design of Study : Questionaire and interviews with the teacher and children of her K1
class. Survey forms to be used to obtain feedback from the parents.
7. Consent and signature of Principal/Centre Director:
…………………………………………………………………………..
8. Signature of the Investigator :
……………………………………………………………………………
Student Teacher Contact: George
Project Supervisor Contact: Dr Sepalika
(B) Timeline for Research
1. Research Proposal design … 15 September
2. Obtain ethical clearance from Centre Director … 19 September
3. Submit Research Proposal … 26 September
4. Interview and questionaire from K1 Teacher … 29 September
5. Interview and questionnaire from K1 students … 02 October
6. Survey Form sent to Parents … 29 September
7. Survey Forms returned from Parents … 10 October
8. Compile and analyse data … 13 October
9. Preliminary Research Dissertation … 20 October
10. Final Research Dissertation … 30 October
11. Submission of Dissertation … 03 November
(C) Questionaire/Interview : Teacher
1. What are the 10 key steps/activities in the whole process of Project Approach?
1. ______________________ 2. _____________________
3. ______________________ 4. _____________________
5. ______________________ 6. _____________________
7. ______________________ 8. _____________________
9. _______________________ 10. _____________________
2. Out of these 10 steps, which (and why):
- made the children work cooperatively the most ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
- promoted social interactions between the children the most ____________________
____________________________________________________________________
- derived the most laughter amongst the children ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
- enabled the most recall amongst the children ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
- elicited the most amount of empathy amongst the children ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think are the most important steps/activities in the Project Approach that
a teacher should be focused on to maximize her teaching to her students? And why?
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
(E) Parents Feedback Form: K1 Class
Dear Parents,
On 26Aug, we held our “Parents Day” to exhibit and present the outputs of your children’s “Doctor” project under the Project Approach teaching method. We hope you have found the evening of value to you, and to your children. To further plan for our future projects for the children, we seek your feedback on the following important areas of the Project Approach experience, and the Parents Day itself. We thank you very much in advance for your valuable feedback.
(Please return this form back to the class teacher or the centre by Thurs, 25 Sept)
******************************************************************
1. How would you rate your overall experience during the Parents Day evening?
(pls circle)
Poor Good Very Good Excellent Exceptional
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. How would you rate your child’s overall experience during his/her whole period of the
“Doctor” project (09June – 26 Aug), based on your casual observations? (pls circle)
Poor Good Very Good Excellent Exceptional
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. What part of the Project period was your child most excited about (eg setting up the
School Clinic, or visiting the Doctor, or the Parents Day)?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
4. Do you think your child has shown improvements intellectually, emotionally or
socially during this “Doctor” project period (09June – 26Aug)? (pls tick)
No change ___ Yes, a little ___ Yes, significant ____ Yes, a lot _____
5. Can you suggest 2 project topics (eg Doctor project) that you think your child would
be interested in for his/her future projects?
(1) ______________________________ (2) ________________________
Name of Child : ………………………………… (optional)
Module: Action Research
Individual Assignment - Research Dissertation :
Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
Abstract
The utilization of the Project Approach in teaching is fast gaining popularity in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Significant levels of money and time are being applied to make the traditional ECE curriculum come alive through Project Approach. But how can these resources be optimally utilized to provide for the highest possible return on the investments, for both the teachers delivering Project Approach in their classes as well as the children receiving these teachings via projects?
This research paper provides an insight into the mind of the teacher of the Project Approach. More importantly, it brings out the voice of the children who had previously received their first project, by telling us as educators, the areas of their project phases or activities that had made the most impact to them. With these insights, we can therefore explore ways of maximizing the effectiveness of the Project Approach to the most important constituents in any ECE school system – the children themselves.
Introduction
Project Approach as a teaching strategy has many proponents and admirers globally. The benefits that it can bring to any learning centre that has adopted it are plenty and significant. Children who are taught using the Project Approach are known to have an increased level of self-confidence, show a high level of enthusiasm for their work and display stronger levels of positive socio-emotional traits, amongst some of these benefits (Project Approach Website, 2008).
In the field of early childhood education in Singapore, Project Approach is beginning to receive the attention of many educators, and is now beginning to be adopted by more and more forward-looking ECE centres. A case in point is the Carpe Diem Childcare Group. Known locally as the first childcare group in the country to bring in the renown Multiple Intelligences curriculum by Dr Howard Gardner, the Group has begun the adoption of Project Approach as well. This has provided for further augmentation of its teaching strategies to their children of both the K1 and K2 classes.
But how do we ensure that the resources of money and time being applied to this new teaching approach provide the best possible return-on-investment for a typical preschool wishing to implement Project Approach in their learning environment? With preschools constantly facing lesser resources to deliver better education to the young in this country, the need to maximize the value of a newer teaching strategy like Project Approach therefore becomes even more apparent.
As a professional involved in this new adoption of the Project Approach teaching strategy in my childcare centre, this research will provide information to support the hypothesis that because the top 3 areas within a typical Project Approach process are being emphasized, the value of our teachings to the K-class students can be maximized. The research would then heighten the awareness of teachers to these top 3 areas, and in so doing, provide a stronger basis for them to incorporate these top 3 areas into their teaching methods, when commencing with the start of any new project.
This research had 2 components to it. Firstly, it began with an interview with a K1-class teacher who has recently completed a project, under the Project Approach, to understand from her perspective, the specific areas in the whole process of her project completion which excited her students the most. For example, were there certain aspects of the project that captures the attention of her students the most? Were her students changing their behaviours as the project progressed? Do they work better as a group for certain types of activities? These will be some of the questions that will be answered through this interview with the class teacher.
Secondly, the next component of the research involved interviewing all of the children who had completed the said project. The voice-of-the-children was therefore represented in the outcomes of these interviews, giving us a valuable insight into the minds of the children, in terms of what areas of the project activities interest them the most.
Feedback from parents whose children have completed a recent project were solicited and presented here.
This 3-way view of Project Approach therefore provided an invaluable insight into the minds of the teacher, the children and the parents. The top 3 areas or key activities in a project were identified. They can then become the focus for all teachers whenever they begin their own new projects. As a result, the values of teaching any project or topic of interest to the children can be maximized to the fullest, and with that, a better return-on-investment can be realized for any ECE centre planning to adopt Project Approach in their learning environment.
Literature Review
Theoretical Views of Project Approach
John Dewey
The Project Approach is based on the work of an American educator and philosopher called John Dewey, who maintained that education is the reconstruction of experience (Wikipedia, 2008). Dewey was the most famous proponent of hands-on learning or experiential learning.Dewey developed the approach over a period of seven years at his laboratory school at the University of Chicago. Dewey challenged the view that was current at the time that knowledge was a fixed notion of truth waiting to be discovered. Learning had been viewed as a possession that was a necessary and practical result of social standing.
For Dewey, knowledge is not absolute, immutable, and eternal, but rather relative to the developmental interaction of man with his world as problems arise to present themselves for solution. Views of Dewey on learning grew out of the basic assumptions of the newly evolved pragmatic theory of knowledge.
Lilian Katz
More recently, Lilian Katz propose the Project Approach, based on Dewey's ideas, as a way of working with children so that they might arrive at deeper understandings of the world they inhabit. Research by Lillian Katz has shown that children learn best through meaningful activities. It has also shown that children’s skills are much more likely to be mastered if they have the opportunity to apply them in meaningful activities (Katz & Chard, 1989).
The Project Approach to teaching therefore is another way for students to experience how an inviting, dynamic environment can encourage learning.
Projects are defined as “an in-depth study of a topic or theme” (Chard, 1998). A project involves three phases. During the first phase, children and their teacher select and discuss a topic to be explored. In the second phase, the children conduct firsthand investigations and then create representations of their findings. The third phase typically includes culminating and debriefing events, which are likely to involve parents.
In the views of Katz and Chard (1989), projects can help children meet learning goals in the four major areas of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. Projects not only help children gain academic skills, social skills, and communication skills, they can help children form good self-concepts about themselves as successful learners. They can also help children gain positive dispositions toward learning.
These favorable dispositions toward learning are critical to their future success. Similar dispositions and feelings may be formed by teacher-preparation students who have the opportunity to experience active, engaging work, such as projects and centers in their own coursework. As students are learning about how to use the Project Approach with young children, they can be engaged in their own project, learning and seeing the benefits of using this approach.
Reggio Emilia
One of the earliest proponents of Project Approach and probably the most well-known is embodied in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment at the center of its philosophy.
Early childhood programs that have successfully adapted to this educational philosophy share that they are attracted to Reggio Emilia approach because of the way it views and respects the child. They believe that the central reason that a child must have control over his or her day-to-day activity is that learning must make sense from the child's point of view. To make it meaningful, it also must be of interest to the child. That is one way they have control over their learning.
Do Different Educational Approaches Produce Different Results?
In a landmark longitudinal study conducted by Schweinhart and Weikart (1997), three different models of early childhood methods were studied, namely (a) the High Scope model which engaged children as active learner, which emphasized key experiences focusing learning in intellectual, social and physical domains, (b) the traditional nursery school model which focused on child-centred approach and (c) the direct instructional model which emphasized teacher-directed academic instructions using workbooks. It was concluded that the early childhood programs in which children initiate their own learning activities are superior to programs based on teacher-directed instructions (Hendrick, 2001). In the early years of the follow-up study, all three models were about the same. But at age 23, many differences became apparent when the children from High Scope and the nursery curricula were compared with those from the direct instruction program, including the fact that there were fewer felony arrests, fewer years of special education for emotional impairment and more members doing volunteer work, from children of the High Scope program.
These results put an even higher premium on the Project Approach method of teaching which also promotes active learners in its curriculum, and augurs well for this innovative method of teaching.
Methodology
Selection of Participants
The selection of the participants was determined by the goals of this research. The first participant was the class teacher who had recently completed a Project Approach exercise with her students. Her inputs provided the basis for comparison on what procedures and activities in her project constitute the most significant portions of the entire project.
These data from the teacher was then compared with the feedback from the children of her class that had undergone a recent project. The inputs from the children were crucial to our understanding of the three most important activities of the entire project, from the children’s viewpoints.
The third participants in this research were the parents of the children. They provided inputs on how they viewed their children’s own experiences in a project that was recently concluded.
Findings and Analysis
The entire process of the Project Approach was concisely summarized into 10 key activities the children had performed , under each of its 3 Phases, as follows:
Phase 1:
Activity #1. Sharing Experiences and KWL
Activity #2. Journal Writing
Activity #3. Drawing and Labelling
Phase 2:
Activity #4. Newspaper and Magazine Cuttings
Activity #5. Representational Drawings
Activity #6. Creating Models and Painting
Activity #7. The Field trip
Phase 3:
Activity #8. Setup of the Object/Topic-of-Interest inside School
Activity #9. Pretend Play
Activity #10. Exhibition and Display to Parents
The Teacher’s Perspective
The teacher viewed the top 3 most important activities in the whole Project Approach process and the reasons for them, as
1. The Field Trip – Activity #7
The children learnt the most through this real-life and hands-on activity.
2. Sharing Experiences and KWL - Activity #1
Personal experiences by the children allowed them to learn better.
3. Exhibition and Display to Parents – Activity#10
The opportunity for strong bonding between the teacher and the parents helped to
develop the child holistically.
Additionally, the teacher gave the following views on how the children in her K1 class were working together:
(i) the setup of the object/topic-of –interest inside the school (Activity #8) made the children work most cooperatively amongst each other, because they learnt to work together and set aside their differences to achieve one goal.
(ii) the pretend play (Activity #9) promoted social interactions the most between the children because role-playing helped to promote the language development and skills.
(iii) the exhibition and display to parents (Activity #10) derived the most amount of laughter amongst the children because they enjoyed sharing their knowledge and work with their parents.
(iv) the field trip (Activity #7) elicited the most amount of empathy amongst the children because they had sensorial and concrete experiences.
(v) the sharing of experiences and KWL (Activity #1) enabled the most recall amongst the children because story-telling helped them to relate their personal experiences better.
The Children’s Perspective
The top 3 activities that the children enjoyed the most and had the most fun with, were described by them as:
1. The Field Trip (Activity #7)
2. Newspaper and Magazine Cuttings (Activity #4)
3. Pretend Play (Activity #9)
It should also be noted that creating models and painting (Activity #6) and the setup of the object/topic-of-interest (Activity #8) were a close third. The bar chart below (Figure 1) showed the distribution of the votes by the children that were interviewed:
Q: Which activities are the most enjoyable for you?
Sample size: 39
The Parents’ Perspective
The survey received from the parents yielded the following results:
(i) The average rating given by parents was 6.6, that is, between the grades of “Very Good” and “Excellent”, when asked how they rated their child’s overall experience during the tenure of the project that their child was involved in.
(ii) When asked if their child had shown improvements intellectually, emotionally or socially during the project period, 72% of the parents said that their child had improved significantly, per the pie chart below (Figure 2):
Q: Do you think your child has shown improvements during the project?
Sample size: 11
(iii) When asked which part of the project was their child most excited about, 60% of the parents mentioned the Field Trip (Activity #7), followed by the Exhibition and Display to Parents (Activity #10) and the Setup of the Object/Topic-of-Interest in School (Activity #8).
Conclusion
The most crucial outcome of this research, based on these interviews and survey results, was that the views of the teacher, the children and the parents were identical when they were asked which activity within the Project Approach process was the most important in terms of its impact. And that is, the Field Trip (Activity #7) was at the very top. This confluence of the 3 perspectives would therefore suggest that the planning, and indeed its execution, of the Field Trip by the teacher should be given top priority whenever a project was initiated for the children in the classroom. If executed well, the children would be the biggest beneficiaries of the Project Approach. They seemed to revel in this activity, which in turn, provided the highest impact in positive learning for them.
There was however, a divergence of views between the teacher and the children when the 2nd and 3rd most impactful activities of the Project Approach process were analysed. Given these divergent views, it would be prudent on the part of the teacher to regard the voice-of-the-children as taking precedent. The teacher should therefore pay more attention to the Newspaper and Magazine Cutting activity (Activity #4) and the Pretend Play activity (Activity #9) so that the values of the children’s learnings in this Project Approach were to be further maximized.
This researcher believes that teachers practicing Project Approach will be more motivated to embrace and continue to utilize this innovative teaching method in their classrooms if they understand better the combined views of the children and the parents. They will be more fulfilled if they know that the children and the parents will appreciate the outcomes of the Project Approach more if the top 3 activities are properly planned and executed.
The second outcome, and perhaps the more important of the two, is that the children taught under the Project Approach will be become much more engaged in their understanding of subject matters, more confident in their disposition and as a result, better all-round learners, both in their early childhood and their adult lives.
Both of these outcomes will therefore provide a good return-on-investment on the resources deployed towards the implementation of the Project Approach in an early childhood education centre.
It is hoped that this research results can also provide the foundation for even more research to be conducted to understand the views of the children and their parents even more, so that this innovative teaching strategy called the Project Approach can be further enhanced for the benefit of the children.
References
1. Chard, S. C. (1998a). The project approach: Making curriculum come alive. New
York: Scholastic.
2. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
3. Hendrick, J (2001). The Whole Child. What Makes a Good Day for the Children, p.32,
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall
4. Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. (1989) Engaging children’s minds: The project approach.
Greenwich, CT: Ablex.
5. Project Approach Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 24, 2008 from
World Wide Web:
http://www.projectapproach.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
6. Wikipedia Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 19, 2008 from the World
Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
Appendix
A. Ethical Clearance from Childcare Centre
B. Timeline for Research
C. Sample Questionaire to the Teacher
D. Sample Questionaire to the Children
E. Sample Questionaire to the Parents
(A) Approval for Ethical Clearance
1. Investigator : George
2. Name of the Training School : Nanyang Institute of Management
3. Description of Work : To interviewing the class teacher, the students and the parents
of the K1 class in the childcare centre.
4. Title of Project : Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy
for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
5. Objectives : To ensure that teaching resources are better deployed, and to build better
students through a more effective deployment of the Project Approach.
6. Design of Study : Questionaire and interviews with the teacher and children of her K1
class. Survey forms to be used to obtain feedback from the parents.
7. Consent and signature of Principal/Centre Director:
…………………………………………………………………………..
8. Signature of the Investigator :
……………………………………………………………………………
Student Teacher Contact: George
Project Supervisor Contact: Dr Sepalika
(B) Timeline for Research
1. Research Proposal design … 15 September
2. Obtain ethical clearance from Centre Director … 19 September
3. Submit Research Proposal … 26 September
4. Interview and questionaire from K1 Teacher … 29 September
5. Interview and questionnaire from K1 students … 02 October
6. Survey Form sent to Parents … 29 September
7. Survey Forms returned from Parents … 10 October
8. Compile and analyse data … 13 October
9. Preliminary Research Dissertation … 20 October
10. Final Research Dissertation … 30 October
11. Submission of Dissertation … 03 November
(C) Questionaire/Interview : Teacher
1. What are the 10 key steps/activities in the whole process of Project Approach?
1. ______________________ 2. _____________________
3. ______________________ 4. _____________________
5. ______________________ 6. _____________________
7. ______________________ 8. _____________________
9. _______________________ 10. _____________________
2. Out of these 10 steps, which (and why):
- made the children work cooperatively the most ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
- promoted social interactions between the children the most ____________________
____________________________________________________________________
- derived the most laughter amongst the children ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
- enabled the most recall amongst the children ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
- elicited the most amount of empathy amongst the children ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think are the most important steps/activities in the Project Approach that
a teacher should be focused on to maximize her teaching to her students? And why?
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
(E) Parents Feedback Form: K1 Class
Dear Parents,
On 26Aug, we held our “Parents Day” to exhibit and present the outputs of your children’s “Doctor” project under the Project Approach teaching method. We hope you have found the evening of value to you, and to your children. To further plan for our future projects for the children, we seek your feedback on the following important areas of the Project Approach experience, and the Parents Day itself. We thank you very much in advance for your valuable feedback.
(Please return this form back to the class teacher or the centre by Thurs, 25 Sept)
******************************************************************
1. How would you rate your overall experience during the Parents Day evening?
(pls circle)
Poor Good Very Good Excellent Exceptional
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. How would you rate your child’s overall experience during his/her whole period of the
“Doctor” project (09June – 26 Aug), based on your casual observations? (pls circle)
Poor Good Very Good Excellent Exceptional
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. What part of the Project period was your child most excited about (eg setting up the
School Clinic, or visiting the Doctor, or the Parents Day)?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
4. Do you think your child has shown improvements intellectually, emotionally or
socially during this “Doctor” project period (09June – 26Aug)? (pls tick)
No change ___ Yes, a little ___ Yes, significant ____ Yes, a lot _____
5. Can you suggest 2 project topics (eg Doctor project) that you think your child would
be interested in for his/her future projects?
(1) ______________________________ (2) ________________________
Name of Child : ………………………………… (optional)
ST Forum: "Teachers make or break a child's future.."
2 articles in today's ST Forum of interest to us..
'Take up teaching only if you are passionate about your cause as a 'surrogate' parent.'
MS CATHERINE SOH:
'I refer to Mr Ho Kong Loon's letter, 'How should teachers today behave on their own time?' (Nov 8). Take up teaching only if you are passionate about your cause as a 'surrogate' parent, to nurture and guide your wards to be responsible and caring citizens. In pre-primary and primary schools, teachers are often able to break or make a child's future.'
Yes they can : 'The childcare subsidy is available to a mother on full-time study.'
MR LEE KIM HUA, Director, Family Services Division, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports:
'We refer to last Saturday's letter by Mr Nguyen Quang Yu, 'Childcare subsidies'. Mr Nguyen was told by a childcare centre that he and his wife were not entitled to the childcare subsidy of $300 as his wife was a full-time student and not a working mother. Mr Nguyen has appealed to the Government to consider granting full-time student mothers the same subsidy. We wish to clarify that, under current policy, the childcare subsidy is available to a mother on full-time study.
Mr Nguyen may not have received the correct advice from the childcare centre. Mr Nguyen should submit documentary proof of Mrs Nguyen's enrolment in the full-time course at Singapore Polytechnic to support her application for the full childcare subsidy. We invite Mr Nguyen to contact our toll-free information line on 1800-2585812 if he has further queries.'
'Take up teaching only if you are passionate about your cause as a 'surrogate' parent.'
MS CATHERINE SOH:
'I refer to Mr Ho Kong Loon's letter, 'How should teachers today behave on their own time?' (Nov 8). Take up teaching only if you are passionate about your cause as a 'surrogate' parent, to nurture and guide your wards to be responsible and caring citizens. In pre-primary and primary schools, teachers are often able to break or make a child's future.'
Yes they can : 'The childcare subsidy is available to a mother on full-time study.'
MR LEE KIM HUA, Director, Family Services Division, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports:
'We refer to last Saturday's letter by Mr Nguyen Quang Yu, 'Childcare subsidies'. Mr Nguyen was told by a childcare centre that he and his wife were not entitled to the childcare subsidy of $300 as his wife was a full-time student and not a working mother. Mr Nguyen has appealed to the Government to consider granting full-time student mothers the same subsidy. We wish to clarify that, under current policy, the childcare subsidy is available to a mother on full-time study.
Mr Nguyen may not have received the correct advice from the childcare centre. Mr Nguyen should submit documentary proof of Mrs Nguyen's enrolment in the full-time course at Singapore Polytechnic to support her application for the full childcare subsidy. We invite Mr Nguyen to contact our toll-free information line on 1800-2585812 if he has further queries.'
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
ST: 20,000 more childcare places
Announced in Parliament yesterday, adding to earlier reports in Aug this year (see : http://childrenareourfutureteachthemwell.blogspot.com/2008/08/2000-new-childcare-places.html ) :
20,000 more childcare places
By Serene Luo
TWO HUNDRED more childcare centres will be ready in about five years' time, 100 more than what was announced earlier in March.
By 2013, Singapore will have 940 centres with 83,000 places, an increase of about 30 per cent from the 63,000 places in 739 childcare centres now.
Minister of State (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon gave this update yesterday in Parliament, responding to Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) who had asked about the quality, supply and affordability of childcare centres.
The availability of affordable and quality child care is a perennial issue as more families have both parents working, and more people seek early childhood development services for their children.
The new centres will be 'in HDB estates and near transport nodes to make it even more accessible and convenient for parents', Mrs Yu-Foo said.
The sites for them will be released in stages, she added.
With the extra centres, competition will likely increase and that will help keep fees affordable, she added.
Childcare fees have been on the rise recently, owing to factors such as higher costs of living and higher educational requirements for teachers.
The challenge, said Mrs Yu-Foo, is 'not in the hardware, but in attracting people' to work as childcare providers.
Madam Halimah had said the quality of childcare centres depended on the quality of their staff, but low salaries often made it difficult for the centres to attract better staff.
Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) also asked if there were plans to improve the image of childcare staff.
Mrs Yu-Foo said some time was needed to improve their image despite the Government giving bigger subsidies and setting higher training criteria.
20,000 more childcare places
By Serene Luo
TWO HUNDRED more childcare centres will be ready in about five years' time, 100 more than what was announced earlier in March.
By 2013, Singapore will have 940 centres with 83,000 places, an increase of about 30 per cent from the 63,000 places in 739 childcare centres now.
Minister of State (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon gave this update yesterday in Parliament, responding to Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) who had asked about the quality, supply and affordability of childcare centres.
The availability of affordable and quality child care is a perennial issue as more families have both parents working, and more people seek early childhood development services for their children.
The new centres will be 'in HDB estates and near transport nodes to make it even more accessible and convenient for parents', Mrs Yu-Foo said.
The sites for them will be released in stages, she added.
With the extra centres, competition will likely increase and that will help keep fees affordable, she added.
Childcare fees have been on the rise recently, owing to factors such as higher costs of living and higher educational requirements for teachers.
The challenge, said Mrs Yu-Foo, is 'not in the hardware, but in attracting people' to work as childcare providers.
Madam Halimah had said the quality of childcare centres depended on the quality of their staff, but low salaries often made it difficult for the centres to attract better staff.
Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) also asked if there were plans to improve the image of childcare staff.
Mrs Yu-Foo said some time was needed to improve their image despite the Government giving bigger subsidies and setting higher training criteria.
My ECE Assignments : Understanding and Presenting the Physical Environment (UPPE)
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Module: “Understanding and Presenting the Physical Environment (UPPE)”
Date: 28 October
Reflection Paper
The importance of the physical environment in a preschool was brought to the fore over the last 3 weeks as I sat through discussions on key aspects of space, light, corners, simple open-ended materials and nature, and how these could positively impact and influence the way preschool children learn and grow. I am reminded by the eminent scientist, Albert Einstein, who once said,
“Time and space are modes by which we think, and not conditions by which we live.”
This quote by him certainly applies not just to his musings on the universe but also, to me, to the context of early childhood education (ECE) as well.
During this course, I came away with three significant ideas that, I feel, are applicable to the preschool environment that I am currently involved in, and indeed are ideas that can be further pursued for actual implementation.
The first idea is about creating a space that inspires the children in a typical classroom. Can the current space within a typically classroom today in my preschool be relooked for possible changes that have the potential to bring inspiration to the children sitting in them? I wonder. After all, isn’t inspiring children the very essence of teaching itself, in the first place? The teaching approach of Reggio Emilia draws inspiration for the children by seeing the environment they live in as a teacher for the children (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). It can therefore provide a new basis for thinking about the environment in my preschool, so that it can be utilized to inspire the children.
The second significant idea lies in the understanding of the instructional power of space and materials. Certain materials and space draw children into utilizing them, naturally. Like the presence of an observation tower in a park, the children are instinctively drawn towards climbing it to observe its surroundings. This example provides ample evidence that preschools should have more tools and space that invite the children into utilizing them, naturally. The trampoline is one instructional tool that comes to mind. It is an apparatus meant for developing balance and gross motor skills of a child that should be inside any preschool setting.
The third significant idea is the provision of an array of open-ended materials for the children to use and play, with no specific rules attached to their usage. The children can use them flexibly, using their own imaginative power as their guide towards their own learning. Open-ended materials such as old cardboard boxes, plastic milk containers, shoe boxes, toilet rolls cardboard tubes and metal bottle tops are but just a few examples of open-ended materials that can provide hours of creative fun and imagination for every child.
These three significant ideas can therefore provide an enhanced physical environment for the children in my preschool that can bring endless days of creative fun and curiosity to them. The significance of an engaging physical environment in any preschool is now even more evident to me, with the completion of this module of my course in ECE.
References
1. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Module: “Understanding and Presenting the Physical Environment (UPPE)”
Date: 28 October
Reflection Paper
The importance of the physical environment in a preschool was brought to the fore over the last 3 weeks as I sat through discussions on key aspects of space, light, corners, simple open-ended materials and nature, and how these could positively impact and influence the way preschool children learn and grow. I am reminded by the eminent scientist, Albert Einstein, who once said,
“Time and space are modes by which we think, and not conditions by which we live.”
This quote by him certainly applies not just to his musings on the universe but also, to me, to the context of early childhood education (ECE) as well.
During this course, I came away with three significant ideas that, I feel, are applicable to the preschool environment that I am currently involved in, and indeed are ideas that can be further pursued for actual implementation.
The first idea is about creating a space that inspires the children in a typical classroom. Can the current space within a typically classroom today in my preschool be relooked for possible changes that have the potential to bring inspiration to the children sitting in them? I wonder. After all, isn’t inspiring children the very essence of teaching itself, in the first place? The teaching approach of Reggio Emilia draws inspiration for the children by seeing the environment they live in as a teacher for the children (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). It can therefore provide a new basis for thinking about the environment in my preschool, so that it can be utilized to inspire the children.
The second significant idea lies in the understanding of the instructional power of space and materials. Certain materials and space draw children into utilizing them, naturally. Like the presence of an observation tower in a park, the children are instinctively drawn towards climbing it to observe its surroundings. This example provides ample evidence that preschools should have more tools and space that invite the children into utilizing them, naturally. The trampoline is one instructional tool that comes to mind. It is an apparatus meant for developing balance and gross motor skills of a child that should be inside any preschool setting.
The third significant idea is the provision of an array of open-ended materials for the children to use and play, with no specific rules attached to their usage. The children can use them flexibly, using their own imaginative power as their guide towards their own learning. Open-ended materials such as old cardboard boxes, plastic milk containers, shoe boxes, toilet rolls cardboard tubes and metal bottle tops are but just a few examples of open-ended materials that can provide hours of creative fun and imagination for every child.
These three significant ideas can therefore provide an enhanced physical environment for the children in my preschool that can bring endless days of creative fun and curiosity to them. The significance of an engaging physical environment in any preschool is now even more evident to me, with the completion of this module of my course in ECE.
References
1. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
ACJC Girl Gets Tied Up by Friends..
What has become of our girls and boys in schools (in this case, mostly girls)?
Is ragging a dinosaur that has no place in our school system in this day and age? How would you feel if this schoolgirl was your daughter?
Wikipedia defines ragging as..
"Ragging is a form of abuse on newcomers to educational institutions. Some senior students force the unorganized newcomers to undergo several forms of mental, physical and sexual abuses. The juniors are usually too frightened to resist their organized group of tormentors."
Here's the recent ACJC version..
Sunday, November 16, 2008
My ECE Assignments : Intro to Teacher as Researcher
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Date: 15 September
Module: Introduction to Research
Individual Assignment - Research Proposal :
Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
Introduction
Project Approach as a teaching strategy has many proponents and admirers globally. The benefits that it can bring to any learning centre that has adopted it are plenty and significant. Children who are taught using the Project Approach are known to have an increased level of self-confidence, show a high level of enthusiasm for their work and display positive socio-emotional traits, amongst some of these benefits (Project Approach Website, 2008).
In the field of early childhood education (ECE) in Singapore, Project Approach is beginning to receive the attention of many educators, and is now beginning to be adopted by more and more forward-looking ECE centres. A case in point is the Carpe Diem Childcare Group. Known locally as the first childcare group in the country to bring in the renown Multiple Intelligences curriculum by Dr Howard Gardner, the Group has begun the adoption of Project Approach as well. This has further augmented its teaching strategies to their children of both the K1 and K2 classes.
As a professional involved in this new adoption of the Project Approach teaching strategy in my childcare centre, I am keen and wish to further research on the top 3 areas within a typical Project Approach process that teachers should focus on, to fully maximize the value of our teaching to the K-class students. This, I believe, will heighten the awareness of teachers to these top 3 areas, and in so doing, provide a stronger basis for them to incorporate these top 3 areas into their teaching methods, when commencing with the start of any new project.
This research will have 2 components to it. Firstly, it will begin with an interview with a K1-class teacher who has recently completed a project, under the Project Approach, to understand from her perspective, the specific areas in the whole process of her project completion which excited her students the most. For example, were there certain aspects of the project that captures the attention of her students the most? Were her students changing their behaviours as the project progressed? Do they work better as a group for certain types of activities? These will be some of the questions that will be answered through this interview with the class teacher.
Secondly, the next component of the research will involve interviewing some of the students who had completed the said project. The voice-of-the-children will therefore be represented in the outcomes of these interviews. Some of the feedback from parents whose children have completed a recent project will also be solicited and presented here. This 3-way view of Project Approach will give a more rounded view of the results of this research proposal.
When these interview results are combined, it is the hope of this researcher that the top 3 areas or key activities in a project can be well identified. In so doing, they can then become the focus for all teachers whenever they begin their own new projects. As a result of this, the values of teaching any project or topic of interest to the children can be maximized to the fullest.
Literature Review
Theoretical Views of Project Approach
John Dewey
The Project Approach is based on the work of an American educator and philosopher called John Dewey, who maintained that education is the reconstruction of experience (Wikipedia, 2008). Dewey was the most famous proponent of hands-on learning or experiential learning.Dewey developed the approach over a period of seven years at his laboratory school at the University of Chicago. Dewey challenged the view that was current at the time that knowledge was a fixed notion of truth waiting to be discovered. Learning had been viewed as a possession that was a necessary and practical result of social standing.
For Dewey, knowledge is not absolute, immutable, and eternal, but rather relative to the developmental interaction of man with his world as problems arise to present themselves for solution. Views of Dewey on learning grew out of the basic assumptions of the newly evolved pragmatic theory of knowledge.
Lilian Katz
More recently, Lilian Katz propose the Project Approach, based on Dewey's ideas, as a way of working with children so that they might arrive at deeper understandings of the world they inhabit. Research by Lillian Katz has shown that children learn best through meaningful activities. It has also shown that children’s skills are much more likely to be mastered if they have the opportunity to apply them in meaningful activities (Katz & Chard, 1989).
The Project Approach to teaching therefore is another way for students to experience how an inviting, dynamic environment can encourage learning.
Projects are defined as “an in-depth study of a topic or theme” (Chard, 1998). A project involves three phases. During the first phase, children and their teacher select and discuss a topic to be explored. In the second phase, the children conduct firsthand investigations and then create representations of their findings. The third phase typically includes culminating and debriefing events, which are likely to involve parents.
In the views of Katz and Chard (1989), projects can help children meet learning goals in the four major areas of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. Projects not only help children gain academic skills, social skills, and communication skills, they can help children form good self-concepts about themselves as successful learners. They can also help children gain positive dispositions toward learning.
These favorable dispositions toward learning are critical to their future success. Similar dispositions and feelings may be formed by teacher-preparation students who have the opportunity to experience active, engaging work, such as projects and centers in their own coursework. As students are learning about how to use the Project Approach with young children, they can be engaged in their own project, learning and seeing the benefits of using this approach.
Reggio Emilia
One of the earliest proponents of Project Approach and probably the most well-known is embodied in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment at the center of its philosophy.
Early childhood programs that have successfully adapted to this educational philosophy share that they are attracted to Reggio Emilia approach because of the way it views and respects the child. They believe that the central reason that a child must have control over his or her day-to-day activity is that learning must make sense from the child's point of view. To make it meaningful, it also must be of interest to the child. That is one way they have control over their learning.
Research Design
Ethical Clearance
Ethical clearance was obtained from the Centre Director of the childcare centre, Carpe Diem Young Heart Pte Ltd for this research work to proceed (see Appendix A).
Selection of Participants
The selection of the participants is determined by the goals of this research. The first participant will be the class teacher who had recently completed a Project Approach exercise with her students. Her inputs will provide the basis for comparison on what procedures and activities in her project constitute the most significant portions of the entire project.
These data from the teacher will then be compared with the feedback from the children of her class that had undergone a recent project. The inputs from the children will be crucial to our understanding of the three most important activities of the entire project, from the children’s viewpoints.
The third participants in this research will be the parents of the children. They will provide inputs on how they view their children’s experience had been in a project that was recently concluded.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data will be collected through direct interviews with the class teacher and the children in her K1 class, and their responses captured in their respective questionaires. The data will then be collated and reviewed in terms of their significance to the determination of the three most important Project Approach activities.
A survey form will be sent to all the parents of the K1 class children for their inputs. These will then be rated according to the responses of these parents.
Conclusion
This research will provide the basis for how the resources of time, money and effort of an early childhood teacher will be deployed in completing a project under the Project Approach method of teaching to children of 5 and 6 years of age. Resources for preschools are becoming increasingly scarce, and with that, the need for a more effective deployment of these resources. But with the increasing adoption of Project Approach in the curricula of preschools in Singapore, the results of this research will bring about two immediate outcomes.
The first outcome will be that teachers practicing Project Approach will be more motivated to embrace and continue to utilize this innovative teaching method in their classrooms. The second outcome, and perhaps the more important of the two, is that the children taught under the Project Approach will be become much more engaged in their understanding of subject matters, more confident in their disposition and as a result, better all-round learners, both in their early childhood and their adult lives.
References
1. Chard, S. C. (1998a). The project approach: Making curriculum come alive. New
York: Scholastic.
2. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
3. Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. (1989) Engaging children’s minds: The project approach.
Greenwich, CT: Ablex.
4. Project Approach Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 24, 2008 from
World Wide Web:
http://www.projectapproach.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
5. Wikipedia Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 19, 2008 from the World
Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
Appendix
A. Ethical Clearance from Childcare Centre
B. Timeline for Research
(A) Approval for Ethical Clearance
1. Investigator : George
2. Name of the Training School : Nanyang Institute of Management
3. Description of Work : To interviewing the class teacher, the students and the parents
of the K1 class in the childcare centre.
4. Title of Project : Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy
for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
5. Objectives : To ensure that teaching resources are better deployed, and to build better
students through a more effective deployment of the Project Approach.
6. Design of Study : Questionaire and interviews with the teacher and children of her K1
class. Survey forms to be used to obtain feedback from the parents.
7. Consent and signature of Principal/Centre Director:
…………………………………………………………………………..
8. Signature of the Investigator :
……………………………………………………………………………
Student Teacher Contact: George
Project Supervisor Contact: Dr Sepalika
(B) Timeline for Research
1. Research Proposal design … 15 September
2. Obtain ethical clearance from Centre Director … 19 September
3. Submit Research Proposal … 26 September
4. Interview and questionaire from K1 Teacher … 29 September
5. Interview and questionnaire from K1 students … 02 October
6. Survey Form sent to Parents … 29 September
7. Survey Forms returned from Parents … 10 October
8. Compile and analyse data … 13 October
9. Preliminary Research Dissertation … 20 October
10. Final Research Dissertation … 30 October
11. Submission of Dissertation … 03 November
Date: 15 September
Module: Introduction to Research
Individual Assignment - Research Proposal :
Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
Introduction
Project Approach as a teaching strategy has many proponents and admirers globally. The benefits that it can bring to any learning centre that has adopted it are plenty and significant. Children who are taught using the Project Approach are known to have an increased level of self-confidence, show a high level of enthusiasm for their work and display positive socio-emotional traits, amongst some of these benefits (Project Approach Website, 2008).
In the field of early childhood education (ECE) in Singapore, Project Approach is beginning to receive the attention of many educators, and is now beginning to be adopted by more and more forward-looking ECE centres. A case in point is the Carpe Diem Childcare Group. Known locally as the first childcare group in the country to bring in the renown Multiple Intelligences curriculum by Dr Howard Gardner, the Group has begun the adoption of Project Approach as well. This has further augmented its teaching strategies to their children of both the K1 and K2 classes.
As a professional involved in this new adoption of the Project Approach teaching strategy in my childcare centre, I am keen and wish to further research on the top 3 areas within a typical Project Approach process that teachers should focus on, to fully maximize the value of our teaching to the K-class students. This, I believe, will heighten the awareness of teachers to these top 3 areas, and in so doing, provide a stronger basis for them to incorporate these top 3 areas into their teaching methods, when commencing with the start of any new project.
This research will have 2 components to it. Firstly, it will begin with an interview with a K1-class teacher who has recently completed a project, under the Project Approach, to understand from her perspective, the specific areas in the whole process of her project completion which excited her students the most. For example, were there certain aspects of the project that captures the attention of her students the most? Were her students changing their behaviours as the project progressed? Do they work better as a group for certain types of activities? These will be some of the questions that will be answered through this interview with the class teacher.
Secondly, the next component of the research will involve interviewing some of the students who had completed the said project. The voice-of-the-children will therefore be represented in the outcomes of these interviews. Some of the feedback from parents whose children have completed a recent project will also be solicited and presented here. This 3-way view of Project Approach will give a more rounded view of the results of this research proposal.
When these interview results are combined, it is the hope of this researcher that the top 3 areas or key activities in a project can be well identified. In so doing, they can then become the focus for all teachers whenever they begin their own new projects. As a result of this, the values of teaching any project or topic of interest to the children can be maximized to the fullest.
Literature Review
Theoretical Views of Project Approach
John Dewey
The Project Approach is based on the work of an American educator and philosopher called John Dewey, who maintained that education is the reconstruction of experience (Wikipedia, 2008). Dewey was the most famous proponent of hands-on learning or experiential learning.Dewey developed the approach over a period of seven years at his laboratory school at the University of Chicago. Dewey challenged the view that was current at the time that knowledge was a fixed notion of truth waiting to be discovered. Learning had been viewed as a possession that was a necessary and practical result of social standing.
For Dewey, knowledge is not absolute, immutable, and eternal, but rather relative to the developmental interaction of man with his world as problems arise to present themselves for solution. Views of Dewey on learning grew out of the basic assumptions of the newly evolved pragmatic theory of knowledge.
Lilian Katz
More recently, Lilian Katz propose the Project Approach, based on Dewey's ideas, as a way of working with children so that they might arrive at deeper understandings of the world they inhabit. Research by Lillian Katz has shown that children learn best through meaningful activities. It has also shown that children’s skills are much more likely to be mastered if they have the opportunity to apply them in meaningful activities (Katz & Chard, 1989).
The Project Approach to teaching therefore is another way for students to experience how an inviting, dynamic environment can encourage learning.
Projects are defined as “an in-depth study of a topic or theme” (Chard, 1998). A project involves three phases. During the first phase, children and their teacher select and discuss a topic to be explored. In the second phase, the children conduct firsthand investigations and then create representations of their findings. The third phase typically includes culminating and debriefing events, which are likely to involve parents.
In the views of Katz and Chard (1989), projects can help children meet learning goals in the four major areas of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. Projects not only help children gain academic skills, social skills, and communication skills, they can help children form good self-concepts about themselves as successful learners. They can also help children gain positive dispositions toward learning.
These favorable dispositions toward learning are critical to their future success. Similar dispositions and feelings may be formed by teacher-preparation students who have the opportunity to experience active, engaging work, such as projects and centers in their own coursework. As students are learning about how to use the Project Approach with young children, they can be engaged in their own project, learning and seeing the benefits of using this approach.
Reggio Emilia
One of the earliest proponents of Project Approach and probably the most well-known is embodied in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment at the center of its philosophy.
Early childhood programs that have successfully adapted to this educational philosophy share that they are attracted to Reggio Emilia approach because of the way it views and respects the child. They believe that the central reason that a child must have control over his or her day-to-day activity is that learning must make sense from the child's point of view. To make it meaningful, it also must be of interest to the child. That is one way they have control over their learning.
Research Design
Ethical Clearance
Ethical clearance was obtained from the Centre Director of the childcare centre, Carpe Diem Young Heart Pte Ltd for this research work to proceed (see Appendix A).
Selection of Participants
The selection of the participants is determined by the goals of this research. The first participant will be the class teacher who had recently completed a Project Approach exercise with her students. Her inputs will provide the basis for comparison on what procedures and activities in her project constitute the most significant portions of the entire project.
These data from the teacher will then be compared with the feedback from the children of her class that had undergone a recent project. The inputs from the children will be crucial to our understanding of the three most important activities of the entire project, from the children’s viewpoints.
The third participants in this research will be the parents of the children. They will provide inputs on how they view their children’s experience had been in a project that was recently concluded.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data will be collected through direct interviews with the class teacher and the children in her K1 class, and their responses captured in their respective questionaires. The data will then be collated and reviewed in terms of their significance to the determination of the three most important Project Approach activities.
A survey form will be sent to all the parents of the K1 class children for their inputs. These will then be rated according to the responses of these parents.
Conclusion
This research will provide the basis for how the resources of time, money and effort of an early childhood teacher will be deployed in completing a project under the Project Approach method of teaching to children of 5 and 6 years of age. Resources for preschools are becoming increasingly scarce, and with that, the need for a more effective deployment of these resources. But with the increasing adoption of Project Approach in the curricula of preschools in Singapore, the results of this research will bring about two immediate outcomes.
The first outcome will be that teachers practicing Project Approach will be more motivated to embrace and continue to utilize this innovative teaching method in their classrooms. The second outcome, and perhaps the more important of the two, is that the children taught under the Project Approach will be become much more engaged in their understanding of subject matters, more confident in their disposition and as a result, better all-round learners, both in their early childhood and their adult lives.
References
1. Chard, S. C. (1998a). The project approach: Making curriculum come alive. New
York: Scholastic.
2. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.
3. Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. (1989) Engaging children’s minds: The project approach.
Greenwich, CT: Ablex.
4. Project Approach Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 24, 2008 from
World Wide Web:
http://www.projectapproach.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
5. Wikipedia Website [Online Database]. Retrieved September 19, 2008 from the World
Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
Appendix
A. Ethical Clearance from Childcare Centre
B. Timeline for Research
(A) Approval for Ethical Clearance
1. Investigator : George
2. Name of the Training School : Nanyang Institute of Management
3. Description of Work : To interviewing the class teacher, the students and the parents
of the K1 class in the childcare centre.
4. Title of Project : Maximizing the Value of Project Approach as a Teaching Strategy
for K1 and K2 Children : 3 Key Areas for Teachers to Focus On
5. Objectives : To ensure that teaching resources are better deployed, and to build better
students through a more effective deployment of the Project Approach.
6. Design of Study : Questionaire and interviews with the teacher and children of her K1
class. Survey forms to be used to obtain feedback from the parents.
7. Consent and signature of Principal/Centre Director:
…………………………………………………………………………..
8. Signature of the Investigator :
……………………………………………………………………………
Student Teacher Contact: George
Project Supervisor Contact: Dr Sepalika
(B) Timeline for Research
1. Research Proposal design … 15 September
2. Obtain ethical clearance from Centre Director … 19 September
3. Submit Research Proposal … 26 September
4. Interview and questionaire from K1 Teacher … 29 September
5. Interview and questionnaire from K1 students … 02 October
6. Survey Form sent to Parents … 29 September
7. Survey Forms returned from Parents … 10 October
8. Compile and analyse data … 13 October
9. Preliminary Research Dissertation … 20 October
10. Final Research Dissertation … 30 October
11. Submission of Dissertation … 03 November
Friday, November 14, 2008
My ECE Assignments : Professional Development (PD)
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Individual Assignment : Reflection Paper
Module: Professional Development
Date: 20 August
Interview with Teacher Smiley in Stage 1 “Survivor” of Katz’s Model of Developmental Stages for Early Childhood Professionals
Introduction
Our interview with Teacher Smiley provided ample evidence (Appendix 1, 1a, p.1) of a teacher in Stage 1 of Lilian Katz’s Model of Developmental Stages for early childhood professionals (Katz,1995). She has a mere 5 months worth of experience as a teacher of N1 children in a childcare centre. But at age 24 and with brimming enthusiasm, she was a picture of promise and potential as an early childhood teacher.
Our group therefore brainstormed on 2 possible metaphoric sculptures to represent her, namely, a bonsai plant on a ceramic pot or a flower bud in a steady container of earthy soil. We finally chose the latter, which captures the combined essence of youth and potential. We also added a strong base of fertilized soil in a steady plastic bottle for this flower bud to continue growing out from. The inclusion of fresh leaves in our metaphoric sculpture gave the flower bud we had chosen the additional opportunities for further growth and development, as they capture the essential sunlight and water to sustain that growth.
Body Content
Teacher Smiley gave the most obvious clue to her stage of development as an early childhood teacher when she revealed that she was only 5 months into her career at the childcare centre she was working in. She was clearly trying to survive (Katz,1995), as with each passing day, she was saddled with mounting pressures at work. Left without much assistance from her assigned mentor (Appendix 1, 2a, p.2), she was left very much on her own to manage the 3-year old children in her class. Compounding this situation was her seemingly unsupportive Supervisor, who was quick with her accusations of wrong-doing on Teacher Smiley (Appendix 1, 2b, p.2).
However, in the face of such a belligerent environment that she was in, Teacher Smiley was strong enough to soldier on. She dug deep into her resolve and told herself that she can learn from each episode, and to equip herself to teach and manage her young charges through tools such as observation, waiting and learning that she has learnt from her classes in preschool teaching (Appendix 1, 2c, p.3). She began to resolve her daily issues by carrying a positive attitude and by learning from each challenge that arose in her class (Appendix 1, 3, p.4), and improving her own communication and establishing meaningful relationships with her fellow teachers in the centre.
Teacher Smiley revealed her inner most feelings when she said that she would hope to share her experiences as a teacher by becoming a lecturer herself, and one day, reaching her dream of owning a childcare centre. This, despite her most challenging early days as an early childhood educator, when remained sleepless at night and questioned her own decision to take up this career (Appendix 1, 4a, 4b, p.5).
Conclusion
As an early childhood professional myself, I can feel for her early struggles in an environment where peer assistance and supervisory support were in short supply. However, Teacher Smiley appeared to have the necessary determination to not only make her career as an early childhood educator a success but also thrive in it. She has accepted responsibility for her own professional growth (Jalango, Isenberg, 2004), a most admirable trait for any early childhood educator. I can also empathize with her, especially her current disappointment with her unsupportive supervisor. One can only hope that other more enlightened supervisors can provide an environment that nurtures early “survivor stage” childcare educators like Teacher Smiley. The entire early childhood education sector would be the better for it.
References
1. Katz, L.( 1995 ). Talks with Teachers of Young Children : A Collection ( Chapter 12 ) . New Jersey : Ablex.
2. Jalongo, M.R.& Isenberg, J.P.( 2004 ). Exploring Your Role: A practitioner’s introduction to early childhood education. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Appendix
1. Questionaire and Responses – Interviewee Teacher Smiley
QUESTIONAIRE[1] AND RESPONSES - INTERVIEWEE, TEACHER SMILEY
S/N
Question
Response by Teacher Smiley
Remarks / Qualities
1.Background
a.How long have you been teaching ?
5 months
Teacher Smiley is in Lilian Kartz Developmental Stage 1 – Survival[2] where the teacher’s main concern is whether or not she can survive. During this period the teacher needs support, understanding, encouragement, reassurance, comfort, and guidance. She needs direct help with specific skills and insight into the complex causes of behaviour – all of which must be provided on the classroom site.
b.What age group are you teaching ?
3 year olds, Nursery 1
c.How old are you now ?
24 years’ old
d.Why have you chosen this profession as a preschool teacher?
Love for children and interact and socialize with them. Also, in my previous job in the hospitality industry there were ‘grave yard’ shifts from 10.30 pm to 7.00 am which I did not want to do. Presently, my working hours are from 7.00 am to 1.00 pm
Teacher Smiley meets one of the basic pre – requisites of a teacher i.e. she has to love, interact and socialize with children. Her ready smile cuts across as a warm and genuine person.
2.Issues Raised
a.At the time you joined your Centre, did you have a mentor ?
The Supervisor introduced me to a ‘buddy’ who was supposed to mentor me but it was done in name only as the ‘buddy’ remained as another busy teacher who hardly mentored me. Moreover, the Supervisor did not brief me on the standards of teaching or services expected or the important ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. The Supervisor herself was busy giving the impression that she was inaccessible to her staff.
Teacher Smiley was left on her own literally to ‘swim in the deep pool’. As she felt the full impact of responsibility for a group of immature 3 year olds but vigorous young children, she inevitably felt her teacher anxieties including inadequacies and being ill prepared. Notwithstanding this she sojourned on.
b.What are the other issues you faced which had affected your morale or had irked you ?
I felt being picked at by the Supervisor over personal and administrative issues that did not have to occur. One day, I was alleged by my supervisor that I had used the photocopier to photocopy a large number of printed materials. Thereafter, I explained that I had indeed gone into the photocopier room to photocopy some printed materials for the class but several ( and not a large number as claimed ). I admitted that in my hurry to deliver the curriculum materials for class work, I had forgotten to record in the book. I informed that on that day, there were also other users of the photocopier.
Teacher Smiley obviously would have felt if she could indeed get through the day in one piece when she was picked for seemingly minor personal and administrative issues, in particular, in the way she was alleged and confronted by her Supervisor with no briefing on key and standard practices and concerns by the Supervisor.
c.What would you consider to be the characteristics, performance, thought processes, beliefs and values of a teacher that would help her anchor as an educator and teaching professional?
With demands for teaching increasing in the Centre, I had to construct my own knowledge and experience as quickly as possible. I’ve to equip myself to teach and manage my young children through various tools like observation, waiting and listening ( OWL ) as I see myself as being able to impact significantly on my young children. IMPACT incidentally, is my acronym for teaching and learning through Interaction, Motivation, Patience, Attitude, Care and Time management. I love children so that I can communicate and understand each child’s unique needs.
Teacher Smiley through her own experiences and learning has reinforced in how she sees herself as the Teacher with the required characteristics, beliefs and values to teach and manage her young children with herself as the role model. Moreover, she has begun to regulate herself cognitively through her own intuitive reflections to review, monitor and execute her day to day teaching demands.
3.Resolutions
Are there resolutions to the issues raised by you? You have to a certain degree highlighted your tools of OWL and IMPACT to overcome the issues you faced each day. Can you please elaborate other tools outside what you have already discussed with us ?
To each issue there’s always a strategy to implement and effectively done to address and overcome the issue. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for adoption of strategies but to recognize their implementation considering the different contexts and conditions that we need to address and apply. Each day I treat each occurrence in the Centre as an opportunity for my learning and effective and appropriate practice . For example, in positive guidance and classroom management, I learn that to bring down inappropriate behaviour I need to recognize every appropriate behaviour in the child and highlight it for all children to notice so that in so doing, ironically, I can help bring down inappropriate behaviour. I noticed that a tendency of the teacher is to notice inappropriate behaviour rather than appropriate behaviour.
Teacher Smiley is inspiring given that she’s very young and she’s only in Lilian Kartz Developmental Stage 1 – Survival. She shows her potential of a leader for being a true teacher who does not only teach but the ability to inspire.
4.Other Essential Aspects
a
b.What other aspects would you deem as essential ?
How has this experience of 5 months in teaching young children impacted your own personal life?
Each day I need to communicate, establish meaningful relationships and lead in thought and actions. This will form the basis for me to learn to effectively fulfill my roles and responsibilities as a teacher in administration, management and leadership apart from my passion to be a teacher professional in both the short and longer term. I dream the day will come when I’m able to share my experiences with student teachers and young children as both a lecturer and owner of a preschool centre.
It has taught me a few good lessons. One is that the real working world is different from what I had imagined. It is a lot tougher than I’d thought. Colleagues are not necessarily there to help, as my “buddy”, had shown. And the boss can be quite a difficult person to work for. I thought all bosses were supposed to be supportive and helpful. Secondly, the children are more difficult to manage in class than I originally thought. So, these 2 realities have taxed my own resolve to be an ECE. I stay up at night during my first 2 weeks wondering if I am in the right profession. I am now more accepting of imperfections, however.
Teacher Smiley shows her potential in pursuing and realizing her dream with her ‘helicopter vision’, power of analysis, imagination and sense of reality.
Clearly, despite a heavy dose of reality being thrown at her, Teacher Smiley appears to have learned from here 5 months of experience as an ECE, and is willing to soldier on. Her perseverance will stand her in good stead in the years to come.
[1] In alphabetical order, prepared by Study Group comprising George Lee; Heng Yang Pheng; MS Kartini; MS Kathleen; MS Margaret; MS Maria and MS Sudha
[2] Katz, L.( 1995 ). Talks with Teachers of Young Children : A Collection ( Chapeter 12 ) . New Jersey : Ablex
Individual Assignment : Reflection Paper
Module: Professional Development
Date: 20 August
Interview with Teacher Smiley in Stage 1 “Survivor” of Katz’s Model of Developmental Stages for Early Childhood Professionals
Introduction
Our interview with Teacher Smiley provided ample evidence (Appendix 1, 1a, p.1) of a teacher in Stage 1 of Lilian Katz’s Model of Developmental Stages for early childhood professionals (Katz,1995). She has a mere 5 months worth of experience as a teacher of N1 children in a childcare centre. But at age 24 and with brimming enthusiasm, she was a picture of promise and potential as an early childhood teacher.
Our group therefore brainstormed on 2 possible metaphoric sculptures to represent her, namely, a bonsai plant on a ceramic pot or a flower bud in a steady container of earthy soil. We finally chose the latter, which captures the combined essence of youth and potential. We also added a strong base of fertilized soil in a steady plastic bottle for this flower bud to continue growing out from. The inclusion of fresh leaves in our metaphoric sculpture gave the flower bud we had chosen the additional opportunities for further growth and development, as they capture the essential sunlight and water to sustain that growth.
Body Content
Teacher Smiley gave the most obvious clue to her stage of development as an early childhood teacher when she revealed that she was only 5 months into her career at the childcare centre she was working in. She was clearly trying to survive (Katz,1995), as with each passing day, she was saddled with mounting pressures at work. Left without much assistance from her assigned mentor (Appendix 1, 2a, p.2), she was left very much on her own to manage the 3-year old children in her class. Compounding this situation was her seemingly unsupportive Supervisor, who was quick with her accusations of wrong-doing on Teacher Smiley (Appendix 1, 2b, p.2).
However, in the face of such a belligerent environment that she was in, Teacher Smiley was strong enough to soldier on. She dug deep into her resolve and told herself that she can learn from each episode, and to equip herself to teach and manage her young charges through tools such as observation, waiting and learning that she has learnt from her classes in preschool teaching (Appendix 1, 2c, p.3). She began to resolve her daily issues by carrying a positive attitude and by learning from each challenge that arose in her class (Appendix 1, 3, p.4), and improving her own communication and establishing meaningful relationships with her fellow teachers in the centre.
Teacher Smiley revealed her inner most feelings when she said that she would hope to share her experiences as a teacher by becoming a lecturer herself, and one day, reaching her dream of owning a childcare centre. This, despite her most challenging early days as an early childhood educator, when remained sleepless at night and questioned her own decision to take up this career (Appendix 1, 4a, 4b, p.5).
Conclusion
As an early childhood professional myself, I can feel for her early struggles in an environment where peer assistance and supervisory support were in short supply. However, Teacher Smiley appeared to have the necessary determination to not only make her career as an early childhood educator a success but also thrive in it. She has accepted responsibility for her own professional growth (Jalango, Isenberg, 2004), a most admirable trait for any early childhood educator. I can also empathize with her, especially her current disappointment with her unsupportive supervisor. One can only hope that other more enlightened supervisors can provide an environment that nurtures early “survivor stage” childcare educators like Teacher Smiley. The entire early childhood education sector would be the better for it.
References
1. Katz, L.( 1995 ). Talks with Teachers of Young Children : A Collection ( Chapter 12 ) . New Jersey : Ablex.
2. Jalongo, M.R.& Isenberg, J.P.( 2004 ). Exploring Your Role: A practitioner’s introduction to early childhood education. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Appendix
1. Questionaire and Responses – Interviewee Teacher Smiley
QUESTIONAIRE[1] AND RESPONSES - INTERVIEWEE, TEACHER SMILEY
S/N
Question
Response by Teacher Smiley
Remarks / Qualities
1.Background
a.How long have you been teaching ?
5 months
Teacher Smiley is in Lilian Kartz Developmental Stage 1 – Survival[2] where the teacher’s main concern is whether or not she can survive. During this period the teacher needs support, understanding, encouragement, reassurance, comfort, and guidance. She needs direct help with specific skills and insight into the complex causes of behaviour – all of which must be provided on the classroom site.
b.What age group are you teaching ?
3 year olds, Nursery 1
c.How old are you now ?
24 years’ old
d.Why have you chosen this profession as a preschool teacher?
Love for children and interact and socialize with them. Also, in my previous job in the hospitality industry there were ‘grave yard’ shifts from 10.30 pm to 7.00 am which I did not want to do. Presently, my working hours are from 7.00 am to 1.00 pm
Teacher Smiley meets one of the basic pre – requisites of a teacher i.e. she has to love, interact and socialize with children. Her ready smile cuts across as a warm and genuine person.
2.Issues Raised
a.At the time you joined your Centre, did you have a mentor ?
The Supervisor introduced me to a ‘buddy’ who was supposed to mentor me but it was done in name only as the ‘buddy’ remained as another busy teacher who hardly mentored me. Moreover, the Supervisor did not brief me on the standards of teaching or services expected or the important ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. The Supervisor herself was busy giving the impression that she was inaccessible to her staff.
Teacher Smiley was left on her own literally to ‘swim in the deep pool’. As she felt the full impact of responsibility for a group of immature 3 year olds but vigorous young children, she inevitably felt her teacher anxieties including inadequacies and being ill prepared. Notwithstanding this she sojourned on.
b.What are the other issues you faced which had affected your morale or had irked you ?
I felt being picked at by the Supervisor over personal and administrative issues that did not have to occur. One day, I was alleged by my supervisor that I had used the photocopier to photocopy a large number of printed materials. Thereafter, I explained that I had indeed gone into the photocopier room to photocopy some printed materials for the class but several ( and not a large number as claimed ). I admitted that in my hurry to deliver the curriculum materials for class work, I had forgotten to record in the book. I informed that on that day, there were also other users of the photocopier.
Teacher Smiley obviously would have felt if she could indeed get through the day in one piece when she was picked for seemingly minor personal and administrative issues, in particular, in the way she was alleged and confronted by her Supervisor with no briefing on key and standard practices and concerns by the Supervisor.
c.What would you consider to be the characteristics, performance, thought processes, beliefs and values of a teacher that would help her anchor as an educator and teaching professional?
With demands for teaching increasing in the Centre, I had to construct my own knowledge and experience as quickly as possible. I’ve to equip myself to teach and manage my young children through various tools like observation, waiting and listening ( OWL ) as I see myself as being able to impact significantly on my young children. IMPACT incidentally, is my acronym for teaching and learning through Interaction, Motivation, Patience, Attitude, Care and Time management. I love children so that I can communicate and understand each child’s unique needs.
Teacher Smiley through her own experiences and learning has reinforced in how she sees herself as the Teacher with the required characteristics, beliefs and values to teach and manage her young children with herself as the role model. Moreover, she has begun to regulate herself cognitively through her own intuitive reflections to review, monitor and execute her day to day teaching demands.
3.Resolutions
Are there resolutions to the issues raised by you? You have to a certain degree highlighted your tools of OWL and IMPACT to overcome the issues you faced each day. Can you please elaborate other tools outside what you have already discussed with us ?
To each issue there’s always a strategy to implement and effectively done to address and overcome the issue. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for adoption of strategies but to recognize their implementation considering the different contexts and conditions that we need to address and apply. Each day I treat each occurrence in the Centre as an opportunity for my learning and effective and appropriate practice . For example, in positive guidance and classroom management, I learn that to bring down inappropriate behaviour I need to recognize every appropriate behaviour in the child and highlight it for all children to notice so that in so doing, ironically, I can help bring down inappropriate behaviour. I noticed that a tendency of the teacher is to notice inappropriate behaviour rather than appropriate behaviour.
Teacher Smiley is inspiring given that she’s very young and she’s only in Lilian Kartz Developmental Stage 1 – Survival. She shows her potential of a leader for being a true teacher who does not only teach but the ability to inspire.
4.Other Essential Aspects
a
b.What other aspects would you deem as essential ?
How has this experience of 5 months in teaching young children impacted your own personal life?
Each day I need to communicate, establish meaningful relationships and lead in thought and actions. This will form the basis for me to learn to effectively fulfill my roles and responsibilities as a teacher in administration, management and leadership apart from my passion to be a teacher professional in both the short and longer term. I dream the day will come when I’m able to share my experiences with student teachers and young children as both a lecturer and owner of a preschool centre.
It has taught me a few good lessons. One is that the real working world is different from what I had imagined. It is a lot tougher than I’d thought. Colleagues are not necessarily there to help, as my “buddy”, had shown. And the boss can be quite a difficult person to work for. I thought all bosses were supposed to be supportive and helpful. Secondly, the children are more difficult to manage in class than I originally thought. So, these 2 realities have taxed my own resolve to be an ECE. I stay up at night during my first 2 weeks wondering if I am in the right profession. I am now more accepting of imperfections, however.
Teacher Smiley shows her potential in pursuing and realizing her dream with her ‘helicopter vision’, power of analysis, imagination and sense of reality.
Clearly, despite a heavy dose of reality being thrown at her, Teacher Smiley appears to have learned from here 5 months of experience as an ECE, and is willing to soldier on. Her perseverance will stand her in good stead in the years to come.
[1] In alphabetical order, prepared by Study Group comprising George Lee; Heng Yang Pheng; MS Kartini; MS Kathleen; MS Margaret; MS Maria and MS Sudha
[2] Katz, L.( 1995 ). Talks with Teachers of Young Children : A Collection ( Chapeter 12 ) . New Jersey : Ablex
Comic Relief : PhD comedy..
Fed-up with your lectures in class already?
Try this PhD comedy.. I bet you will now fully understand (and remember) "Young Men in Superficial Stage" for a long, long time..
http://www.youtube.com/user/txlee1
Try this PhD comedy.. I bet you will now fully understand (and remember) "Young Men in Superficial Stage" for a long, long time..
http://www.youtube.com/user/txlee1
Thursday, November 13, 2008
ABC Learning : Hit by Childcare Chain's Fall
Big is not always the best.
Even one of the country's savviest investor, Temasek no less, can get it wrong.
There's a separate lesson to be learnt here too (see last sentence in article)..
Hit by childcare chain's fall
Temasek suffers heavy loss; too-rapid growth and boss' spending cited in collapse of firm
By Roger Maynard, Australia Correspondent
An ABC Learning childcare centre in Sydney, one of 1,075 in Australia that looked after 120,000 children. Their families must now make new arrangements for childcare.
THE crash of an Australian childcare chain run by a high-spending former milkman has thrown thousands of families into turmoil and left investors like Temasek Holdings in a black hole.
ABC Learning controlled 20 per cent of the country's childcare industry with 1,075 centres employing 16,000 staff who looked after 120,000 children. It also owns centres in New Zealand.
The firm's rapid expansion was underpinned by huge levels of debt but questionable management and higher interest rates thanks to the credit crunch took their toll and the firm went to the wall last week owing banks A$762 million (S$788 million).
Temasek will be one of the biggest casualties. It took a 12 per cent stake worth about A$400 million last year, buying in when the shares were at A$7.30 only to see the stock plummet to 54 Australian cents before they were suspended.
The firm had a market value of as much as A$3.8 billion last year.
The casualty list will also extend to the many working families who face the prospect of having nowhere to send their children next year.
The government has agreed to give ABC a limited lifeline of A$22 million to keep the facilities afloat until the end of the year. But with receivers claiming that 40 per cent of the centres are unprofitable, many are unlikely to find a buyer and will almost certainly be forced to close.
ABC Learning was one of the largest childcare centres in the world but its rapid growth and aggressive borrowing, coupled with a big-spending boss who enjoyed the fruits of his success, contributed to its downfall.
Founder Eddy Groves, a former milkman with a strong entrepreneurial flair, opened his first kindergarten in Brisbane in 1988.
By 2000 he had more than 40 centres around Australia and profits were so buoyant he decided to float the company on the Australian stock exchange.
The secret of his success was that 44 per cent of the company's revenue came from government childcare allowances, money that by-passed parents and was paid directly into ABC coffers.
With such a guaranteed source of income, for a time Mr Groves could do no wrong.
Investors such as Australia's Commonwealth Bank, Morgan Stanley Private Equity and Temasek were impressed by the company's gilt-edged potential and bought up heavily.
The first hint of trouble came in February when ABC declared a trading halt after a massive slump in its share price.
With its extensive interests in the United States and the prospect of a downturn in the US economy, there were fears that the company might struggle to repay its debt.
As the once high-flying shares tumbled some ABC board members and Mr Groves were understood to have received calls on margin loans.
Suddenly the founder and chief executive's multi-million-dollar fortune was no more and he left the company several weeks ago, leaving behind a corporate empire in ruins.
Soon colourful tales of his high-spending lifestyle began to emerge in the Australian media.
There were reports of his extended stays in five-star resorts with his mistress Viryan Collins-Rubie, dinners at the best restaurants and his and her taste in expensive imported cars.
There were lavish presents of jewellery for a favoured few, shopping trips to some of the most exclusive boutiques and stays at Las Vegas casinos.
But life was catching up with Mr Groves.
Apart from his business problems, his wife Le Neve was none too happy with his romantic attachments.
Last week it emerged that she had ordered her lawyers to claim A$44 million as part of a divorce settlement.
Mr Groves once said that working 19 hours a day delivering milk had given him incredible discipline.
'You don't have the time to be silly and spend the money doing ridiculous things,' he said.
Sadly he did not heed his own advice in later life.
Even one of the country's savviest investor, Temasek no less, can get it wrong.
There's a separate lesson to be learnt here too (see last sentence in article)..
Hit by childcare chain's fall
Temasek suffers heavy loss; too-rapid growth and boss' spending cited in collapse of firm
By Roger Maynard, Australia Correspondent
An ABC Learning childcare centre in Sydney, one of 1,075 in Australia that looked after 120,000 children. Their families must now make new arrangements for childcare.
THE crash of an Australian childcare chain run by a high-spending former milkman has thrown thousands of families into turmoil and left investors like Temasek Holdings in a black hole.
ABC Learning controlled 20 per cent of the country's childcare industry with 1,075 centres employing 16,000 staff who looked after 120,000 children. It also owns centres in New Zealand.
The firm's rapid expansion was underpinned by huge levels of debt but questionable management and higher interest rates thanks to the credit crunch took their toll and the firm went to the wall last week owing banks A$762 million (S$788 million).
Temasek will be one of the biggest casualties. It took a 12 per cent stake worth about A$400 million last year, buying in when the shares were at A$7.30 only to see the stock plummet to 54 Australian cents before they were suspended.
The firm had a market value of as much as A$3.8 billion last year.
The casualty list will also extend to the many working families who face the prospect of having nowhere to send their children next year.
The government has agreed to give ABC a limited lifeline of A$22 million to keep the facilities afloat until the end of the year. But with receivers claiming that 40 per cent of the centres are unprofitable, many are unlikely to find a buyer and will almost certainly be forced to close.
ABC Learning was one of the largest childcare centres in the world but its rapid growth and aggressive borrowing, coupled with a big-spending boss who enjoyed the fruits of his success, contributed to its downfall.
Founder Eddy Groves, a former milkman with a strong entrepreneurial flair, opened his first kindergarten in Brisbane in 1988.
By 2000 he had more than 40 centres around Australia and profits were so buoyant he decided to float the company on the Australian stock exchange.
The secret of his success was that 44 per cent of the company's revenue came from government childcare allowances, money that by-passed parents and was paid directly into ABC coffers.
With such a guaranteed source of income, for a time Mr Groves could do no wrong.
Investors such as Australia's Commonwealth Bank, Morgan Stanley Private Equity and Temasek were impressed by the company's gilt-edged potential and bought up heavily.
The first hint of trouble came in February when ABC declared a trading halt after a massive slump in its share price.
With its extensive interests in the United States and the prospect of a downturn in the US economy, there were fears that the company might struggle to repay its debt.
As the once high-flying shares tumbled some ABC board members and Mr Groves were understood to have received calls on margin loans.
Suddenly the founder and chief executive's multi-million-dollar fortune was no more and he left the company several weeks ago, leaving behind a corporate empire in ruins.
Soon colourful tales of his high-spending lifestyle began to emerge in the Australian media.
There were reports of his extended stays in five-star resorts with his mistress Viryan Collins-Rubie, dinners at the best restaurants and his and her taste in expensive imported cars.
There were lavish presents of jewellery for a favoured few, shopping trips to some of the most exclusive boutiques and stays at Las Vegas casinos.
But life was catching up with Mr Groves.
Apart from his business problems, his wife Le Neve was none too happy with his romantic attachments.
Last week it emerged that she had ordered her lawyers to claim A$44 million as part of a divorce settlement.
Mr Groves once said that working 19 hours a day delivering milk had given him incredible discipline.
'You don't have the time to be silly and spend the money doing ridiculous things,' he said.
Sadly he did not heed his own advice in later life.
My ECE Assignments : Involving Parents and Community Agencies (IPCA)
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Module: “Involving Parents and Community Agencies (IPCA)”
Date: 08 August
Reflective Journal I
One of the things teachers have to recognize is that they likely have some images and feelings related to the nurturing role that could get in the way of full acceptance of parents. Consider how you feel about men as nurturers - are you as comfortable seeing fathers in the nurturing role as mothers? Consider how you feel about mothers who leave their small children in the care of others? Do you worry about their children’s attachment?
Fathers in the Nurturing Role
The traditional role of nurturing children at home has long been taken up by mothers, while the father assumed the role of provider for the family, be it for food, shelter or money. Today, the reversal of roles has become even more evident. This is precipitated by the trend of more and more women taking up employment, and with that, having correspondingly lesser time to look after their children at home. Seeing fathers taking the lead in nurturing children at home today is therefore not an unusual phenomenon. In Singapore, the trend towards fathers as the primary nurturers of their children is getting stronger as the working mothers increase their financial earning power at work. I expect this trend to continue.
However, the picture changes dramatically when one considers the number of male teachers in the early childhood education (ECE) sector. Female teachers in ECE sector dominates, in terms of their numbers in a typical childcare centre in Singapore, when compared to male teachers. The two childcare centres near where I live are cases in point.
Not a single male teacher is in sight in these two centres.
I therefore wonder why there is this huge chasm between the growing numbers of fathers taking a bigger role as nurturers in their homes, but yet, there are hardly any male teachers in the ECE sector. Is this a simple case of a biased mindset of parents, who prefer female teachers to look after their preschool children? Or is there more to it than meets the eye?
I feel that the reasons for the lack of male teachers in the ECE sector are many. The attractiveness of this profession to males is one major factor. As mentioned earlier, the traditional role of nurturing young children is very much the domain of women and mothers. It will take some time for men themselves to view the profession of teaching young preschool children as a noble and worthwhile occupation to pursue..
However, more and more men are getting into this ECE scene, as the writings of one male ECE educator in Singapore have revealed (LearningVision, 2008). Here, Mr. Patrick Lim not only survived as a male teacher in ECE, but he even thrives in it. His experience will no doubt be emulated by other men.
I fully expect that more men will take the role of a male teacher in ECE in the years to come. As an early childhood educator myself, I believe that children in a childcare setting should be exposed to both male and female teachers, so that their views of the roles on males are not biased, when they grow up as adults. Additionally, I am of the view that male teachers can be just as nurturing and effective as a teacher, if not more so, than a female teacher in any early childhood education environment.
Mothers Who Leave their Children in the Care of Others
As mentioned earlier, with more mothers working today, they need to find alternative care arrangements. With that, the issue of the attachment of their children to other caregivers instead of to their mothers should be addressed.
I feel it is necessary to strike a balance between the quality time a child spends with her mother and the need for the mother to be away when at work. If this is done, the child’s attachment to her mother, and therefore the positive values that this attachment brings to both the child and the mother, will not be compromised. Many mothers in Singapore are practicing this balancing act everyday.
Grandparents have become a ready source for providing alternative care. With most living under the same room as the mother of the child, grandparents can provide excellent nurturing for the child, without losing that sense of attachment between the child and the mother, given that they are mostly living together. My view of a live-in maid as a caregiver for a young child is however more guarded. My own personal experience shows that the inexperience of maids in understanding the need for a mother-child attachment and bonding can get in the way of a healthy mother-child relationship.
The third source for alternative care is the preschool network in Singapore. There are many quality childcare centres which augment very well, the dual objectives of mothers for providing both the care and teaching of a young child. The understanding of attachment theory by the preschool professionals will go a long way towards ensuring that the mother’s attachment to her child is not compromised.
These are my views of mothers who leave their children in the care of others and how that will impact their attachment with their children.
References
1. LearningVision Childcare Centre website (Online). Retrieved August 07, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.learningvision.com/Careers/life_patrick.aspx
Module: “Involving Parents and Community Agencies (IPCA)”
Date: 08 August
Reflective Journal I
One of the things teachers have to recognize is that they likely have some images and feelings related to the nurturing role that could get in the way of full acceptance of parents. Consider how you feel about men as nurturers - are you as comfortable seeing fathers in the nurturing role as mothers? Consider how you feel about mothers who leave their small children in the care of others? Do you worry about their children’s attachment?
Fathers in the Nurturing Role
The traditional role of nurturing children at home has long been taken up by mothers, while the father assumed the role of provider for the family, be it for food, shelter or money. Today, the reversal of roles has become even more evident. This is precipitated by the trend of more and more women taking up employment, and with that, having correspondingly lesser time to look after their children at home. Seeing fathers taking the lead in nurturing children at home today is therefore not an unusual phenomenon. In Singapore, the trend towards fathers as the primary nurturers of their children is getting stronger as the working mothers increase their financial earning power at work. I expect this trend to continue.
However, the picture changes dramatically when one considers the number of male teachers in the early childhood education (ECE) sector. Female teachers in ECE sector dominates, in terms of their numbers in a typical childcare centre in Singapore, when compared to male teachers. The two childcare centres near where I live are cases in point.
Not a single male teacher is in sight in these two centres.
I therefore wonder why there is this huge chasm between the growing numbers of fathers taking a bigger role as nurturers in their homes, but yet, there are hardly any male teachers in the ECE sector. Is this a simple case of a biased mindset of parents, who prefer female teachers to look after their preschool children? Or is there more to it than meets the eye?
I feel that the reasons for the lack of male teachers in the ECE sector are many. The attractiveness of this profession to males is one major factor. As mentioned earlier, the traditional role of nurturing young children is very much the domain of women and mothers. It will take some time for men themselves to view the profession of teaching young preschool children as a noble and worthwhile occupation to pursue..
However, more and more men are getting into this ECE scene, as the writings of one male ECE educator in Singapore have revealed (LearningVision, 2008). Here, Mr. Patrick Lim not only survived as a male teacher in ECE, but he even thrives in it. His experience will no doubt be emulated by other men.
I fully expect that more men will take the role of a male teacher in ECE in the years to come. As an early childhood educator myself, I believe that children in a childcare setting should be exposed to both male and female teachers, so that their views of the roles on males are not biased, when they grow up as adults. Additionally, I am of the view that male teachers can be just as nurturing and effective as a teacher, if not more so, than a female teacher in any early childhood education environment.
Mothers Who Leave their Children in the Care of Others
As mentioned earlier, with more mothers working today, they need to find alternative care arrangements. With that, the issue of the attachment of their children to other caregivers instead of to their mothers should be addressed.
I feel it is necessary to strike a balance between the quality time a child spends with her mother and the need for the mother to be away when at work. If this is done, the child’s attachment to her mother, and therefore the positive values that this attachment brings to both the child and the mother, will not be compromised. Many mothers in Singapore are practicing this balancing act everyday.
Grandparents have become a ready source for providing alternative care. With most living under the same room as the mother of the child, grandparents can provide excellent nurturing for the child, without losing that sense of attachment between the child and the mother, given that they are mostly living together. My view of a live-in maid as a caregiver for a young child is however more guarded. My own personal experience shows that the inexperience of maids in understanding the need for a mother-child attachment and bonding can get in the way of a healthy mother-child relationship.
The third source for alternative care is the preschool network in Singapore. There are many quality childcare centres which augment very well, the dual objectives of mothers for providing both the care and teaching of a young child. The understanding of attachment theory by the preschool professionals will go a long way towards ensuring that the mother’s attachment to her child is not compromised.
These are my views of mothers who leave their children in the care of others and how that will impact their attachment with their children.
References
1. LearningVision Childcare Centre website (Online). Retrieved August 07, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.learningvision.com/Careers/life_patrick.aspx
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
My ECE Assignments : Human Growth and Development (HGD)
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Individual Assignment : “Human Growth and Development”
Date: 22 July
Article #35:
Girls, Boys and Autism
Introduction
The world of autism can be a rather mysterious one. Not only is autism frequently misunderstood, it is also a development disorder that is impacting more and more children every day, as high as 1 in 150 children in the US (Autism Society of America
website, par.2). The fact that the cause of autism is still unknown puts additional urgency on the need for a better understanding of this disorder, and perhaps even a cure, in the years to come.
Date: 22 July
Article #35:
Girls, Boys and Autism
Introduction
The world of autism can be a rather mysterious one. Not only is autism frequently misunderstood, it is also a development disorder that is impacting more and more children every day, as high as 1 in 150 children in the US (Autism Society of America
website, par.2). The fact that the cause of autism is still unknown puts additional urgency on the need for a better understanding of this disorder, and perhaps even a cure, in the years to come.
One such research that had enhanced our understanding of autism and its impact on more boys than girls, was done by psychologist, Simon Baron-Cohen.
Body Content
Baron-Cohen defined autism as an imbalance between 2 kinds of intelligence – the intelligence used to understand people (empathizing) and that used to understand things (systemizing). This led him to develop a model which he called the “Type S” versus the “Type E” Model.
Body Content
Baron-Cohen defined autism as an imbalance between 2 kinds of intelligence – the intelligence used to understand people (empathizing) and that used to understand things (systemizing). This led him to develop a model which he called the “Type S” versus the “Type E” Model.
With this model, he reasoned that most autistic sufferers have a significantly higher level of “Type S” skills but low on “Type E” skills, which correlates well with those of boys, rather than girls.
He therefore surmised that there is a gender gap, that is, more boys are autistic than girls.
In the US, the ratio is 4.3: 1 of all autistic sufferers being boys or males, as compared to
girls or females (Wikipedia website, par.1). More importantly, Baron-Cohen suggested
that autism may not just be a disease in need of a cure, but it may also be a mental style
that people can learn to accommodate.
This led the article to cite 2 cases of autistic sufferers that have capitalized on their “Type
S” skills. One, a British man called Stephen Wiltshire, had such impressive artistic skills
that he now lives a successful adult life, by selling his artistic works to the public. Other
autistic sufferers may also be deployed into jobs that utilizes these “Type S” skills, like
the labeling of vast inventories in a factory.
Conclusion
The understanding of the gender gap in autistic sufferers has been further enhanced by
the research of psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen. His Type S v Type E model gave
further evidence that more autistic sufferers should be given the opportunity to capitalize
on their Type S skills, and therefore, be given a better chance at a successful adult life.
His argument that perhaps autism should be viewed as a mental style that people can
learn to accommodate was refreshing, and potentially, far-reaching in its impact on how
autism is being viewed today and in the future.
References
1.Autism Society of America (Online database). Retrieved July 22, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home
2.Wikipedia (Online database). Retreived July 22, 2008 from the World Wide Web:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism
He therefore surmised that there is a gender gap, that is, more boys are autistic than girls.
In the US, the ratio is 4.3: 1 of all autistic sufferers being boys or males, as compared to
girls or females (Wikipedia website, par.1). More importantly, Baron-Cohen suggested
that autism may not just be a disease in need of a cure, but it may also be a mental style
that people can learn to accommodate.
This led the article to cite 2 cases of autistic sufferers that have capitalized on their “Type
S” skills. One, a British man called Stephen Wiltshire, had such impressive artistic skills
that he now lives a successful adult life, by selling his artistic works to the public. Other
autistic sufferers may also be deployed into jobs that utilizes these “Type S” skills, like
the labeling of vast inventories in a factory.
Conclusion
The understanding of the gender gap in autistic sufferers has been further enhanced by
the research of psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen. His Type S v Type E model gave
further evidence that more autistic sufferers should be given the opportunity to capitalize
on their Type S skills, and therefore, be given a better chance at a successful adult life.
His argument that perhaps autism should be viewed as a mental style that people can
learn to accommodate was refreshing, and potentially, far-reaching in its impact on how
autism is being viewed today and in the future.
References
1.Autism Society of America (Online database). Retrieved July 22, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home
2.Wikipedia (Online database). Retreived July 22, 2008 from the World Wide Web:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My ECE Assignments : Philosophy Module
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
My Personal Philosophy of Teaching
I believe that early childhood education (ECE) is one of the most important building blocks, if not the most important, for a child to develop a successful foundation for his future adult life. Research has shown that these critical years of 0-6 years of age must be maximized for every child, and I wholeheartedly subscribe to this statement.
As a teacher, I therefore have every opportunity to provide positive experiences for the children in the classroom, in their field trips and in all their day-to-day interactions, including the community and their parents. For example, a 3 year old child in Nursery who has an inclination for biting another child is an opportunity for me to teach her empathy, by showing her that biting causes pain and distress to others, and thus just as it should not be done to her, it should not be done to others. Likewise, a K2 child will better understand his environment and the reasons for recycling if shown the negative effects of wasting water at home or in school, allowing him thereafter to change his behaviour for the better.
To me, a teacher is therefore a mind-expander for the child. As a teacher, I can show the child how the world works every single day and the wonder that comes with it. The minds of the children are as mouldable as clay, and yet, as absorbent as a sponge in a tub.
The teacher thus carries both the privilege and the heavy responsibility of shaping the child’s mind in these critical early years by sowing the seeds for a wonderful journey of continuous learning that will lead to a successful adult life for the child. The early childhood educator therefore is a noble profession indeed.
This is my philosophy of teaching.
George Lee
NIM
My Personal Philosophy of Teaching
I believe that early childhood education (ECE) is one of the most important building blocks, if not the most important, for a child to develop a successful foundation for his future adult life. Research has shown that these critical years of 0-6 years of age must be maximized for every child, and I wholeheartedly subscribe to this statement.
As a teacher, I therefore have every opportunity to provide positive experiences for the children in the classroom, in their field trips and in all their day-to-day interactions, including the community and their parents. For example, a 3 year old child in Nursery who has an inclination for biting another child is an opportunity for me to teach her empathy, by showing her that biting causes pain and distress to others, and thus just as it should not be done to her, it should not be done to others. Likewise, a K2 child will better understand his environment and the reasons for recycling if shown the negative effects of wasting water at home or in school, allowing him thereafter to change his behaviour for the better.
To me, a teacher is therefore a mind-expander for the child. As a teacher, I can show the child how the world works every single day and the wonder that comes with it. The minds of the children are as mouldable as clay, and yet, as absorbent as a sponge in a tub.
The teacher thus carries both the privilege and the heavy responsibility of shaping the child’s mind in these critical early years by sowing the seeds for a wonderful journey of continuous learning that will lead to a successful adult life for the child. The early childhood educator therefore is a noble profession indeed.
This is my philosophy of teaching.
George Lee
NIM
ST Forum : "How Should Teachers Today Behave on Their Own Time?"
How Should Teachers Today Behave on their Own Time?
08Nov08
ILLUSTRATION: ADAM LEE
IT IS not surprising that teachers get adverse publicity if they behave in a manner that is improper, immoral or downright criminal.
The recent news of a teacher blogger who went public with photographs of herself in revealing swimwear, a female teacher who had a sexual relationship with a minor, a childcare teacher who smeared chilli padi over the mouth of a four-year old boy: These educators have delivered a solar plexus blow to the entire teaching fraternity.
News of aberrant teacher behaviour elicits anger, shock and disgust, particularly among parents.
I suggest the surge in liberalism and laxity in parenting may be contributory causes. Far from being hemmed in by social rules which stifled their predecessors' public and private conduct, young adults today are hardly strait-jacketed by what they deem conservative, old-fashioned and unacceptable norms of social behaviour.
School discipline has degenerated.
It is common to read press reports of school bullies, students who disregard school rules with impunity, those who disrupt lessons, others who defy teachers, steal, cheat or lie.
Teachers are circumscribed by an 'only we can discipline our child' credo among many parents, and are impotent to deal with errant students.
A generation of job seekers is ill prepared for the rigours of a competitive, restrictive and dampening work environment. The modus operandi of the workplace finds no resonance with the 'I do what I like' culture they are accustomed to.
There are now 27,000 teachers in Singapore. Most are diligent, responsible and conduct themselves well at work and in private.
Nowadays, entrants to the teaching profession belong to a generation steeped in a carefree and less inhibited journey from childhood to adulthood.
Teacher recruiters may wish to consider long and hard what produced these aberrant teachers, and revamp their recruitment strategy to weed out potentially wayward candidates.
Ho Kong Loon
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
ST Forum : "Preschool Teaching is about standards"
A timely reminder for us..
Pre-school teaching is about standards
ST Forum : 05Nov08
THIS is in response to Mrs K.H. Veena's letter 'Pay more to qualified preschool teachers' (Oct 27), in which she implores the Government to look into the salary of preschool teachers.
I would like to appeal to all preschool teachers to work together to get the Government's attention and recognition for the professional and high standard of practice that we provide.
Some of us are in this profession because we love children, while others are in it because they believe that they provide the foundation for lifelong learning.
Just like the foundations of buildings, the work that we do is often not visible.
As such, we need to work doubly hard to gain societal recognition. I know that many of us are passionate about our work, but passion is not enough. We must be able to put that passion into action.
Are we acting in a professional manner? We may have obtained certificates, diplomas and degrees, but are we able to translate them into our professional practice?
Do we relate to children, parents, our colleagues and the community at large with the respect that demands reciprocal respect?
Do we dress appropriately to project a professional image?
Are we always on time and do we ensure that all our responsibilities are met in a timely manner and beyond expectations?
Do we abide by our professional code of ethics?
Do we belong to a professional association?
Are we able to make professional judgments in our daily practice?
Are we reflective practitioners?
It is through reflective practice that we improve to the highest standard possible. Unless we rally together and demonstrate high standards in our practice, we will not gain societal recognition.
To all preschool teachers, do not be disheartened, let us not work alone, but build a professional community that we can all be proud of so that others can be proud of the work that we do in building foundations for lifelong learning.
Dr Christine Chen
President Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) - AECES
Pre-school teaching is about standards
ST Forum : 05Nov08
THIS is in response to Mrs K.H. Veena's letter 'Pay more to qualified preschool teachers' (Oct 27), in which she implores the Government to look into the salary of preschool teachers.
I would like to appeal to all preschool teachers to work together to get the Government's attention and recognition for the professional and high standard of practice that we provide.
Some of us are in this profession because we love children, while others are in it because they believe that they provide the foundation for lifelong learning.
Just like the foundations of buildings, the work that we do is often not visible.
As such, we need to work doubly hard to gain societal recognition. I know that many of us are passionate about our work, but passion is not enough. We must be able to put that passion into action.
Are we acting in a professional manner? We may have obtained certificates, diplomas and degrees, but are we able to translate them into our professional practice?
Do we relate to children, parents, our colleagues and the community at large with the respect that demands reciprocal respect?
Do we dress appropriately to project a professional image?
Are we always on time and do we ensure that all our responsibilities are met in a timely manner and beyond expectations?
Do we abide by our professional code of ethics?
Do we belong to a professional association?
Are we able to make professional judgments in our daily practice?
Are we reflective practitioners?
It is through reflective practice that we improve to the highest standard possible. Unless we rally together and demonstrate high standards in our practice, we will not gain societal recognition.
To all preschool teachers, do not be disheartened, let us not work alone, but build a professional community that we can all be proud of so that others can be proud of the work that we do in building foundations for lifelong learning.
Dr Christine Chen
President Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) - AECES
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
ST Forum : Childcare centre teachers come and go..
From today's ST Forum page, a concerned parent, but with some fair views..
Childcare centre teachers come and go
I REFER to the recent discussions on raising childcare teachers' pay and upgrading their skill level. As a parent of a six-year-old, let me share some views.
Our daughter has attended an NTUC Childcare centre in the west since she was two and will graduate from K2 at the end of the year. Our experiences have been mostly positive. She has grown from a shy and quiet girl to a confident and outspoken one. Credit to the teachers for their commitment, care and hard work.
On the downside, due to staffing problems, our daughter had to do without a full-time teacher for almost half of K1 and half of K2. The full-time teachers left for a variety of reasons. To their credit again, the remaining teachers covered duties and taught different levels. The principal also did her best to recruit teachers quickly, but without much success.
The implication for the child is huge. First, preschool is when the foundation is laid. Without a full-time teacher, the child's academic work will suffer. Fortunately for us, we could prepare her for primary school ourselves, but how many parents have the same advantage? Second, a child needs time to get used to the teacher, and a will give her best only if she likes the teacher. Frequent changes of teacher are not healthy.
The implication for teachers is big too. It is common to hear of childcare teachers working 12 hours a day. I was a primary school teacher myself and I salute the passion and commitment of childcare teachers.
Wee Hien Seng
Childcare centre teachers come and go
I REFER to the recent discussions on raising childcare teachers' pay and upgrading their skill level. As a parent of a six-year-old, let me share some views.
Our daughter has attended an NTUC Childcare centre in the west since she was two and will graduate from K2 at the end of the year. Our experiences have been mostly positive. She has grown from a shy and quiet girl to a confident and outspoken one. Credit to the teachers for their commitment, care and hard work.
On the downside, due to staffing problems, our daughter had to do without a full-time teacher for almost half of K1 and half of K2. The full-time teachers left for a variety of reasons. To their credit again, the remaining teachers covered duties and taught different levels. The principal also did her best to recruit teachers quickly, but without much success.
The implication for the child is huge. First, preschool is when the foundation is laid. Without a full-time teacher, the child's academic work will suffer. Fortunately for us, we could prepare her for primary school ourselves, but how many parents have the same advantage? Second, a child needs time to get used to the teacher, and a will give her best only if she likes the teacher. Frequent changes of teacher are not healthy.
The implication for teachers is big too. It is common to hear of childcare teachers working 12 hours a day. I was a primary school teacher myself and I salute the passion and commitment of childcare teachers.
Wee Hien Seng
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