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.'
Friday, November 21, 2008
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
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