My Personal Pedagogy - Essay Example

?My Personal Pedagogy Introduction This essay shall demonstrate how my personal philosophy and pedagogy works together to define the kind of teacher that I am and strive to be. It will discuss four aspects of my pedagogy namely assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation as underpinned by my values of being a lifelong learner, being reflective, valuing positive, respectful and harmonious relationships and listening with an open heart and mind (as seen in Appendix 1). Assessment Edwards & Nuttal’s (2005) contention is that pedagogy is more than just understanding children and the curriculum and how they fit together to suit children’s learning. It goes beyond that. I agree with them that pedagogy also involves understanding the children’s contexts, personal experiences outside the academic sphere and factors around the wider community (Edwards & Nuttal, 2005). Such a viewpoint elevates the educator as an “active interpreter”(Edwards & Nuttal, 2005) of the context of children’s learning and not a mere interpreter of a prescribed curriculum. As an active interpreter, I believe assessment of children is the keen observation of how children learn, grow and develop and interpret these observations in accordance to the expected developmental milestones for their particular stage of development. It is all about my knowing more about children through noticing and recognizing their learning preferences and disposition for learning (Claxton & Carr, 2004). I try to see how curious, they are and how persistent and open they are in learning what they want. I try to see how curious, they are and how persistent and open they are in learning what they want. My assessment of children is guided by what I know about how they should be behaving, thinking, feeling, interacting, communicating, etc. at their particular age level (Fleer, 2006).I know that even if there are patterns of development, they are still unique individuals who possess their own individual personalities and abilities. When I do observe them, I gather information about them so I can further improve outcomes for them with the planning that I will do for and with them. My reflection in Appendix 2 shows how I have observed children’s interests to further their learning while it also enhances my own learning. As a teacher, I have engaged in never-ending observation as a way to “obtain information”, (Quality in Action, 1998, p. 86). This is part of my value of learning. I always strive to be a keen observer as I look into their interactions, choice of resources, use of language (see in Appendix 3). In that reflection, it shows the change in how I believed learning should be, as I used to think it was more academic learning that should be pursued. But working in a real early childhood centre has made me realize that learning is more about child-centred initiations such as engaging in play, arts, sports, etc. to pursue their own interests so they fulfil their hunger for learning rather than from a teacher-directed activity, although I am not saying children will not learn from that too. Also in the assessment example in Kei Tua ote Pae (MoE, 2004), I agree what the social-cultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978 ) recommends - an assessment method which gives children the power to set their own goals, assess their own achievements and become responsible for their own learning. This is exhibited in the portfolio of their works which give voice to children’s thinking and abilities (Ministry of Education, 2004, 2005) (see in appendix 4 ). My value for positive, respectful and harmonious relationships also pushes me to observe the children with their families so I am able to see the dynamics of their relationship. Part of my assessment includes that I get to know about the children’s whanau and ask about what goes on in their families in such a way that I maintain a respectable distance so I do not probe too personally (as see in Appendix 5). I agree with Rinaldi (2001) contention that making child’s artworks visible to teachers, children, families and whanau. Apart from my own observations which I journalize and document as much as I can, my assessment also includes the collection of “reifications” of children’s work, as recommended by Claxton & Carr (2004) (as see in Appendix 6 Artworks). These come in the form of the products of children’s works as well as the documentation of their learning process via pictures or narratives or “learning stories” that I wrote about children’s anecdotes, vivid descriptions of observations on their behaviours and participation in the discussions and activities with other children. As a teacher who documents my observations with these learning stories, I am part of the story and I paint the whole picture of these children and produce an evidence of their learning in their learning journey. Wenger (1998) describes “reification” the process of concretizing experiences into tangible objects. This way, it becomes a useful reminder of children’s learning. I learned from Piaget (1969) that especially for very young children, they need concrete materials to help them learn better so I make use of such concrete reifications as tangible proof of children’s learning (see in Appendix 7). For me, assessment is not limited to a checklist of skills that children are able to do but a concrete collection of evidence that they have already shown the capacity for such skills. Planning I had difficulty in defining what planning for learning is to me when I just started this programme. As I spend more time in study and in teaching young children, I experience a shift in how I believe early childhood education should be... that it is supposed to be more child-centred rather than teacher-centred, My readings of Hill’s articles (2001, 2005) gave me a clearer understanding that a teacher’s planning should be more focused on the learning environment and learning resources (see in Appendix 8 )and planning spontaneous in the moment rather than forward planning for the child’s daily academic learning(see in Appendix 9). The child’s power over her own learning should not be taken away from her as she is the architect of her own learning and I am just there to support her pursuit of such learning by planning the environment and resources that she encounters along the way. Thus, my role as the teacher is to build on the children’s interests by seeking resources in the community that would highlight such interests as well as the child’s culture. In accordance with Lally (1995) I think it is necessary to make a cultural match between children and their surroundings which also fits in with my value of learning. As Bronfenbrenner (1979) discusses in his Ecological Systems Theory, the families has the most impact on their children. I will involve parents in my planning stage too because I believe having good relationship and keep communicating with parents regularly will help me plan for children in a way that is consistent with how it is in their own families’ cultural context (Dahlberg & Moss, 2005). (as seen in Appendix 10). The child’s own “passion and power” should not be overlooked, I, as the teacher should let him lead the way. However, being aware of the past and present learning of the child will help me better plan for his future learning. I have to consider the child’s interests and abilities in planning out the learning environment most suited for him as well as collaborate with him in the learning experiences that he would like to do (Appendix 11). This is where my value of listening with an open mind and heart comes in. Planning around children’s interests is also known as creating an emergent curriculum that develops ‘reconnaissance’ (Hill, 2001, p.12) An example is how I learned to follow the child’s lead in Appendix 12. I found it difficult for me to lose control of the learning situation so I used my words to gain power over the child. My colleague had to remind me to let the child’s ideas flow instead of letting them follow mine. So I needed to listen to the child’s ideas and just followed his lead. I believe that child’s play makes minds active and creative. As discussed by Edwards & Nuttal (2005), play has come under closer scrutiny by researchers because it is vague to people outside the area of early childhood education how play is a potent tool for learning. My pedagogy heavily relies on letting children play and explore on their own. At first, the word “planning” bothered me because believed that play should be spontaneous and not ‘planned’. I found comfort and clarity in Wood’s (2004) explanation that teachers’ have a significant role in planning for children’s play. They engage the children in interactions offering potential for intended learning outcomes emerging from children’s own “interests, engagement and participation” (p. 30). That way, children still feel they are in control of their own play and learning but the teachers served as the scaffolds for them to reach their goals Thus, my pedagogy for planning involves consideration of children’s interests as I have observed them (see Appendix 13). I will keep on seeking learning opportunities that they may engage in accordance with their interests, as I plan their learning environments (see Appendix 14). I will also collaborate with their families and the community in finding resources which may enrich their learning (Appendix 15). Researching together with our children on how we could best prepare resources as well as creating a good cultural match is something I will concentrate on (Stenhouse, 2002). Implementation Following my philosophy on assessment and planning, I now reflect on the implementation of my pedagogy. For me, implementation is the carrying out of my own teaching philosophy and being there for the children as their learning happens. My beliefs transform into action within the social and cultural context of the children I teach and learn with (Hedges, 2003). This is when I experience “institutional and cultural inter-subjectivity” (Fleer, 2006) as I adjust to the children’s learning dispositions and perspectives. Appendix 16 shows my implementation caught in pictures. It shows how I indulge children in what interests them.. storytelling, doing art and simply playing while learning. As much as possible, I let them lead the way. I am alert for their needs of support and encouragement and provide it, so it is important that I am “present” not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well (Goodfellow, 2008). My progress in terms of implementing a more child-centered pedagogy is reflected in Appendix 17. Appendix 18 shows how I need to respect the sociocultural context from which a child comes from and empower them with the awareness and knowledge about their roots (Mitchell et al., 2006). As always, I need to maintain a sense of being open to change when the need arises (Rinaldi, 2001) so I can be a more responsive teacher. Communication is very important in my implementation. I listen to the ideas of children and encourage them to speak with non-verbal gestures of approval and sounds (Appendix 19). My open communication with the children helps me implement a pedagogy that centers on their own interests and abilities as shown in Appendix 20. This reflection shows how I establish equitable, inclusive and collaborative relationships with children. Since Te Whaariki advocates the active participation and support of the children’s whanau, my implementation should include parents and other family members as my partners in supporting children’s learning experiences (Keyes, 2000). I make it a point to share with parents positive anecdotes about what their children did during their time at the center (Appendix 10). Evaluation This is the part of my pedagogy that is directly underpinned by my value of being a reflective practitioner. Evaluation of my own pedagogy is reflecting on my own progress as a teacher as I review my actions and words. As a reflective practitioner, I keep asking myself questions about what turned out right or what went wrong in the learning experiences I do with children or how I acted or how I said things as I did both reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action (Schon, 1983). This is what Kilderry (2004) discussed as critical pedagogy where educators critically assess what they do with the children and if it was purposeful. I also need to evaluate if what I practice is ethically, morally and politically appropriate within the context of the child’s culture (Appendix 21). I should also be promoting the children’s cultural backgrounds and give them to voice to share with their peers where they come from and in a way, create inter-relationships of various cultures in their learning environment (Hedges, 2003). Evaluation of children’s learning comes hand in hand with evaluation of how I was as their teacher who learns alongside them. I should always be open to seeking what can be done better next time and what can be avoided so negative outcomes are prevented. Having a concrete plan of action would greatly help me achieve the goals I have set for myself and for the children. When I evaluate children’s learning, I stop and review my observations and documentations of their learning. These include both the formal and spontaneous evaluations I have done. The Self-Review Guidelines for Early Childhood Education frameworks help me evaluate my own progress as a teacher as well as guide me in setting goals for the children. The processes of preparing to review, gathering information, deciding on what is to be done and making sense of the learning involved keep me organized in my evaluation process. Keeping a journal helps in the evaluation process as it helps me remember the details of my observations. The reflections I have written in the past helped me organize my thoughts, following Smyth’s model (1993) (Appendix 22). Conclusion As I embark on a teaching career with very young children, I continue to develop my own philosophy and pedagogy and aspire for excellence in what I do. I believe the values I uphold: being a lifelong learner, being reflective, valuing positive, respectful and harmonious relationships and listening with an open heart and mind, all contribute to my being a great educator if I continue to live by them. I will advocate for the rights of children so that they are not deprived of learning opportunities and empower them with the cultural legacies they possess (Dahlberg & Moss, 2005). I know I do have a long way to go and will encounter countless challenges, make a lot of mistakes, earn some triumphs and keep on learning as long as I live (Appendix 23). In the mean time, as I assess, plan, implement and evaluate children’s learning, I would do the same for my own to ensure that I do not stray from the right path of being a successful teacher someday. References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Claxton, G & Carr, M. (2004). A framework for teaching learning: The dynamics of disposition. Early Years: Journal of International Research and Development, 24(1), 87-97. Dahlberg, G. & Moss, P. (2005).Ethics and politics in early childhood education. London, England: RoutledgeFalmer. Edwards, S. & Nuttall, J. (2005). Getting beyond the ‘what’ and the ‘how’: Problematising pedagogy in early childhood education. Early Childhood Folio, 9, 34-38. Fleer, M. (2006). The cultural construction of child development: Creating institutional and cultural intersubjectivity. International Journal of Early Years Education, 14(2), 127-140. Gailer, S. (2010) Being professional: First, do no harm!, The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi, New Zealand Journal of Infants and Toddler Education Vol. 12, Issue 2, Goodfellow, J. (2008). Presence as a dimension of early childhood professional practice. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 33(1), 17-22. Hedges, H. (2003). Teaching and learning: Theories that underpin ‘wise’ practice in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Early Education, 31, 5-12. Hill, D. (2001). Passion, power and planning in the early childhood centre. The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 3(2), 10-13. Hill, D. (2005). Curriculum: Challenges of context and complexity in early childhood settings. The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 7(1), 21-26. Keyes, C.R. (2000) Parent-Teacher Partnerships: A Theoretical Approach for Teachers in Issues in Early Childhood Education: Curriculum, Teacher Education & Dissemination of Information. Proceedings of the Lilian Katz Symposium, November 5-6, 2000. Kilderry, A. (2004) Critical pedagogy: a useful framework for thinking about early childhood curriculum, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, December 2004. Available on http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6418/is_4_29/ai_n31676386/?tag=content; col1 Lally, J. R. (1995, November). The impact of child care policies and practices on Infant/toddler identity formation. Young Children, 58-67. Ministry of Education (2004 and 2005). Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars. Wellington: Learning Media. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969) The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books Rinaldi, C. (2001) Documentation and assessment: What is the relationship? In Claudia Giudici, Carla Rinaldi, & Mara Krechevsky (Eds.), Making learning visible: Children as individual and group learners (pp. 78-89). Cambridge, MA: Project Zero; Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children. Schon, D. A.(1983) The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books. Schon, D. (2002). Reflection-in-action. In A. Pollard (Ed.), Readings in reflective teaching (pp. 5-7). London, England: Continuum. Smyth, J. (1993). A socially critical approach to teacher education. In T. Simpson (Ed.). Teacher Educators Handbook 1993. Brisbane: QUT. Stenhouse, L. (2002). The teacher as researcher. In A. Pollard (Ed.), Readings in reflective practice (pp. 32-33). London, England: Continuum. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of practice: learning, meaning and identity (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press). Wood, E. (2004) Developing a pedagogy of play. In A. Anning, J. Cullen & M. Fleer (Eds.), Early childhood education: Society and culture (. Pp. 19-31) London: Sage Publications. Appendix Appendix 1: My Personal Philosophy I have committed myself to becoming a lifelong learner. Learning is something that I value to be essential to one’s growth and development. That is why I respect children’s curiosity and know that it is something that needs to be satisfied with their active exploration and discovery. I believe in keeping myself open to possibilities and pursuing a variety of interests. Not only do these enrich me but I can also share what I learn from these with others. I know that allowing children to follow their own interests and freely explore and discover their world empowers them to grow up to be competent individuals who are confident of their capabilities. At the same time, I believe that being reflective keeps me grounded and help me improve myself both personally and professionally. When I am open to criticism of my own actions, I learn more and become a better person. I value positive, respectful and harmonious relationships. My regard for relationships stems from my positive childhood connections with my family and friends. Being fortunate to have been surrounded by loving people, kept me secure and helped me to grow up as a confident woman. I believe that all children should also be enclosed in loving social circles where they can establish positive relationships. In order to maintain harmony and respect in relationships, I need to be sensitive to other people’s feelings and treat them very well. At the same time, I need to conscientiously think about what I do and say and how it affects others. Listening to others with an open heart and mind helps me understand them more, hence I get to know how they want to be treated. Since each person is unique, I have to learn to adjust to them and accept both their strengths and weaknesses. This goes for all people, especially in my work setting where I am always with other people. This is consistent with the philosophy behind Te Whariki which values relationships with others especially with the children I teach, their family/ whanau , the community and my colleagues. I take my role as teacher seriously for I have the noble task of helping young children be moulded into the great individuals they were destined to be. Appendix 2: Observations of Children’s Interests Reflection 8 Describe I was outside observing and playing with children this afternoon. The boys were interested in building rockets and airplanes at carpentry table. I decided to build a plane of my own. O (child) came over to watch me. He said “hey Annie, is that Luke Sky walker’s plane, of course that what it looks like, I replied to him “you know, it could be!” J (child) decided to join the conversation, he told me that Anakin Skywalker turned into the baddy Darth Vader. I replied and told him “Nooo, I think it’s Obe Wonkanobe? Both boys laughed at me and said I was wrong. I got up and asked one of the teachers, she told me to ask C (child), who is a star wars fans. I found him and asked. C (child) said Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader and he is Luke Sky walker’s dad. I apologized to the boys and we made planes for all the Jedi Knight that afternoon. Analyse: I was surprised by the boys’ knowledge of Star Wars in our conversation. The fact that I was wrong made me aware that the children are not the only ones learning. Theorise Wells (2001) states that 'knowledge building takes place between people doing things together' (p72). Helen and Cullen’s (2005) say that the construction of knowledge is a result of shared learning experiences through the processes of inquiry and active participation, and I feel that this is very true. Getting down to the children’s level and playing with them gave me the opportunity to have a wonderful conversation that also involved conflict of knowledge. It was funny to see that I was wrong and our children knew something but I didn’t. I leant new knowledge from them that day. I think teachers need to have a broad understanding of a range of topics that children might be interested in and be able to research information with the children to show that adults don't know everything and would learn alongside the children. Becoming co-learners and teachers, from each other and with each other and teach a child how to find the answers for himself will teach them to love the process of learning. In Te Whaariki Strand 4 says Children experience an environment where they develop verbal communication skills for a range of purposes (MOE,1996. P18). Educators should implement assessment practices which reflect the reciprocal relationships between the child, people and the learning environment.   Act I will research more information at children’s level such as those popular cartoons, singers etc.. I will use “I don't know” and ask our children to be my teacher if I feel I’m not sure about something. I will read more academic articles about children’s development and interests. Reference Hedges, H., & Cullen, J. (2005). Subject knowledge in early childhood curriculum and pedagogy: Beliefs and practices. Contemporary Issues in Early childhood 6(1), 66-79. Ministry of Education (1996) Te Whariki He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa. NZ: Crown. Appendix 3: Teacher-directed vs. Child-centered Learning Reflection 16 Describing Because our program is very play-based, I often wonder how teachers incorporate academic concepts such as science and math. My AT said it was possible as long as I followed the children’s interests. I know that there are numerous activities which we can do that would be interesting to the children such as games and experiments; however, these would turn out to be teacher-directed and not advocated by Te Whaariki. I just had to find the right moment when the children are doing something science or math-related so I can link their play into an academic concept. This way, I am sure that I am working around their interests. I found that opportunity the following day as I observed two children talking about who is taller. I chimed in and asked, “Who is taller? How can we know?” The children stood back to back and asked me to check for them. I brought them to our Height chart and asked them stand next to it. Then I drew a line on top of their head to indicate their height. Since I found them still interested in measurement, I showed them different measuring tools such as the height chart, a ruler and a tape measure. I told them there are some units of measure such as centimetre. Later, I saw the children measuring things around the centre with the ruler and tape measure. I explained to them that when I measure things, I record measurement as my data. The next thing I know when I came back from being called in the office was that the children were drawing their “data” on paper. One boy showed me his drawing of a starting line and 2 short lines. When I asked what the two lines were, he said, “I jumped here and Matilda here” pointing at each line respectively. Then he concluded, “I jumped far”. Informing This reflection corresponds to learning goal 2.3 practice is informed by effective use of curricula and content knowledge, current assessment and planning processes and reflective practice; and learning goal 3.2 appropriate ways of teaching and learning are selected to suit diverse children’s interests, strengths, abilities and needs within the educational context that are theoretically and evidence-informed and able to be articulated and justified. Te Whaariki (MOE, 1996) advocates for child-centred learning and go as far as following the children’s interest in implementing the curriculum. This is emphasized in all the goals for the strand of Exploration in Te Whaariki which states that “The child learns through active exploration of the environment”. Provision of enabling environments for children plays a key role in helping and guiding children in growing to be capable individuals. This entails a practitioner’s keen observation of each child, as to his or her interests, skills, personality traits, etc. and get cues from the children themselves as to how they would like their learning to be structured. Children are capable of treading their own learning paths they themselves construct of course with the able guidance of a sensitive adult (Brewer, 2001). Confronting It’s very difficult for me to grasp the concept of following children’s interest to enrich their learning. In this reflection, I was concerned with the teaching of academic concepts, perhaps due to my Chinese upbringing that learning should entail knowledge of math, science, and other academic subjects. My AT advised that I just observe the children and catch what they are interested in and then build up on that. Initially, I worried that children will just keep playing mindlessly and not give me enough clues as to what they are interested in. I was surprised that when I really focus myself on keenly observing children play, a multitude of ideas about their interests present itself. For this reflection, the simple question of “Who is taller?” already spurred a lot of play ideas which incorporate the concept of measurement. I felt so fulfilled that day when I saw the children apply the knowledge they learned from me by measuring things and recording their “data”. I was instrumental in guiding them to this bit of knowledge because I did my job in observing their interests and working on those. It was also a great relief for me to know that I can still help them learn the academic concepts in a manner that they enjoy so that their interest is sustained. Reconstructing I always need to remind myself to relax as an individual working with very young children. I know I have a lot of agendas at the back of my mind with regards to “teaching” them, but I need to trust the children to direct their own learning based from their interests. I have an important role of observing them in their play and being on hand to enhance their play with something productive. References Brewer, J.A. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Appendix 4: Child’s Voice THE PLATE NUMBER. Date: 7th Mar. 2011 Location: Carpentry table Activity: Construction & Collage Jack sat next to me and concentrated on those boxes and containers in his hands. When I was chatting with another girl who built a house, Jack asked me: “Can you write the number for me?” A: “what number?” J: “The plate number for my train:” A: “certainly, what’s the number?” J: “zero seven double six double zero” he used two “double” in a row and I was surprised by his language ability. A: “Where is your train going? Can I on the train?” J: “no where, it just stay here…” Xxxxxxxxxxxx I can spend whole day just listen to their stories and they have unended sotries to tell……….. Because I am the only who seems FREE in the playground and there are three children always came to me and TALK to me what they did last night, who will come to their birthday party, all those little things my daughter (4 years old) liked to talk to me when we were in the car. I believe they realized that I HAVE THE TIME to “socialize” with them and to share what in their mind. By doing this little chatting, I have built very close relationship with some of them which made me settled well in this new environment. Also I realized how important to listen to them with my heart and answer their questions genuinely. Appendix 5: Whanau Reflection 13 Describing This reflection is for Learning Outcome 4.2 Issues relating to social, cultural and political factors that impact on the teaching/learning process are considered when decision making in an informed manner. For this reflection, the issue is about death. One of the boys, Lucas, lost his father to a brain tumour recently. I felt so sad for him losing a parent at a very young age and was anxious about how this event may affect him. His grandparents take care of him now and they bring him and pick him up from the centre and discuss about Lucas with his teachers. At lunchtime, Lucas sat with me and announced that he will save half his sandwich for when he gets to his grandparents’ house in the afternoon. After a pause, he seemed to be pondering as he said, “They are old”. All kinds of ideas came to my mind and I uncomfortably said to him, “I am old too”. When Lucas left the table, another mother commented, “I can feel it’s coming to a dark side”. Informing Te Whaariki’s strands of well-being and belonging come to play in this reflection (MOE, 1996). Children get to learn about factors that contribute to their well-being and being physically healthy is one of them. They learn that if an individual gets sick with a terrible illness, they can possibly die. At the same time, they also learn that they will always belong to their family or social groups no matter what happens and they will be cared for in such groups. With Lucas, he needs to understand the cause of his father’s death as a reality of life and it should not be kept from him. Children are very resilient and sometimes, it is the adults around them who have issues about realistic matters such as death and tend to interpret the same for other people, especially children. Worden (1991) suggests that communication with children be kept open about such issues. He argues that talking to children about death makes one discover what they know, their misconceptions, fears or worries. It also gives us an opportunity to provide them with the necessary information, comfort and understanding they need. Confronting I realized that it was my own issues about death that prevented me from providing the comfort and understanding Lucas needed. When I saw some books about death in the bookshelf, my first reaction was to hide them from Lucas, fearing that it might trigger devastating memories of his father’s death. Then I learned that those books were already read by Lucas as the centre’s support for him in understanding what happened to his father. I know I need to deal with my own feelings about death and understand that instead of dwelling on it, I should help Lucas to move on. I should keep my own subjective thoughts and feelings about an uncomfortable issue to myself and not let it affect others. Reconstructing Knowing that dealing with death can be painful for anyone, I should remember that skipping it will only make matters worse. I should be ready for answers when Lucas will ask me questions about death and about his father. I should be realistic but at the same time be aware of his age so my answers and explanations should be developmentally-appropriate to a level he understands. Over-explaining it may just confuse him so I should just provide answers to questions he asks. More than discussing about death, I should make him focus that he can still survive and grow up to be a fine young man even without his father and empower him by discussing his present skills and those he will be learning as he grows up. This way, I am helping him move on. References: Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Worden, J.W. (1991) Hospice: Talking to Children About Death, Retrieved on 18 November, 2011 from http://204.3.139.179/html/talking.html Appendix 6: Children’s Art works Appendix 7: Reification Sample Appendix 8: Planning Children’s Learning Environment Describe Every morning we arrive half an hour early before the centre opens to receive the children. During this time, teachers set up activities according to the children’s interests and teachers’ weekly planner. This morning, I helped Rachael set up undercover deck area. I offered to set up a picnic corner for the children and she accepted. What surprised me is that she not only set up a picnic corner for children but also decorated the whole deck area with different coloured scarves and flowers. After she added her own touch, the deck was transformed into a pretty garden and it was so warm and cozy, just like a small wonderland for the children. I was so impressed at what she did. I realize that going a little further than what is expected would definitely give children so much more. Analyse Although I believe that children enjoy learning through play and imagination and am able to set up a fun and interesting environment, I realize with Rachael’s passion, I could do a lot more to make it more stimulating and creative for them. This is the beauty of working with a team. Ideas may be joined together to come up with the best ones for the children. It was so inspiring to see her efforts unravel into something much better than the already wonderful idea I came up with. I know the prepared environment would capture the children’s attention and interest and entice them into learning with imagination and creativity. As a child, I would have loved to play and learn in this environment! Theories The learning environment is one that is open and stimulating in order to encourage children to participate, explore, and learn. A stimulating environment provides the teacher with many opportunities to observe where a child’s interests lay as well as those areas the child may be tentative in (Danoff, Breitbart & Barr, 1977). Kepler (1995) observed that the learning environment influences, and directly contributes to, children’s behavior and levels of learning. When children encounter an environment as stimulating as how Rachael and I prepared it, we expect them to engage in meaningful and productive play, being stimulated by the beauty of the setting and the interesting materials available to them. However, Boulton-Lewis & Catherwoods (1995) say that when the quality of the physical environment declined, teacher restriction and control increased, the teacher’s behavior became less friendly, the students became less interested and involved, classroom rules increased, and conflict among children increased. Act I should follow Rachael’s example of putting out my best efforts for the children. Being more creative and imaginative would help me bring about better ideas for the children’s benefit instead of mere compliance to what is expected of me. I can bring in more interesting things in the classroom like setting up a discovery table with objects that would attract children’s interest and invite them to explore and discover it, such as sea shells and corals to let them feel various textures from the sea or a tray of metallic and non-metallic objects placed beside magnets, to encourage exploration of magnetism. I can make the table more interesting by adding creative backdrops and colorful pictures. Having various learning centers will surely tap children’s interests. References Boulton-Lewis, G., and Catherwood, D., eds. (1995). The early years. London: Pitman Publishing. Danoff, J., Breitbart, B., and Barr, E. (1977). Open children: for those interested in early childhood education. New York: McGraw Hill Co. Appendix 9: Ariel’s Daily Homework Appendix 10: Partnership with Family Reflection 11 Description: Sunnynook Community Creche is a non-profit community early childhood centre with a programme that is based on Te Whaariki which is the New Zealand Early Childhood Education curriculum. The creche is available to families / whanau from all areas to provide support in a friendly, caring atmosphere. It provides an environment where every child and their family feel safe, secure and nurtured; where each child's self esteem is developed and where their play is valued as meaningful learning experiences(Auckland Council, 2010). Te Whaariki advocates that Children’s learning and development are fostered if the well-being of their family and community is supported; of their family, culture knowledge and community are respected; and if there is a strong connection and consistency among all of the aspects of a child’s world. (Ministry of Education, 1996). Analyse To make our service accessible to all of the families in the community, fees are kept low and on a session-to-session basis. Parents and families are enjoined to be a part of the program. For example, they are free to share their ideas for children’s activities or events; and the center’s parent board consists of news or messages to parents such as a list of materials the center needs for its activities for the children. Collaboration between the school and the parents/ whanau is fostered through open communication. Teachers ask parents to share what they did when they were on holiday so that this can become a point of interest from which the children’s activities may revolve. Theories The importance of parent/whanau participation is highly emphasized in a good early childhood program. They are the most significant people in the children’s lives who provide them with primary care and learning. When parents continue being involved in their children’s education, it helps improve their children’s achievements. The benefits go on throughout the children’s academic career (Brewer, 2001). In a curriculum like Te Whaariki, teachers and staff exert utmost effort to meet the challenges of collaboration with families. Positive attitudes that prevail towards them encourage them to appreciate the benefits of their active participation in their child’s education. They feel welcome in the center regardless of their cultural background, socio-economic status, religion, etc. Embracing diversity develops respectful relationships with families (Decker, et al, 2009). Act Although I am just in placement, it is worth getting to know the children’s families to understand each child’s family and cultural background. When they come to bring the children/ fetch the children, I will not be shy to greet them and ask some questions about their children so it will ably guide me in planning for their activities. On the other hand, I will also share with them what their child has been doing in the center. This will establish rapport and create a good foundation for our open communication regarding their children. References: Auckland Council (2010) Sunnynook Community Centre - Community Creche. Retrieved on May 21, 2011 from http://www.northshorecity.govt.nz/OurCommunity/CommunitySupport/H ousesAndCentres/Pages/CommunityCreche.aspx Brewer, J. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Allyn & Bacon. Decker, C. Decker,J., Freeman, N. and Knorpf, H. (2009). Planning and administering early childhood programs (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Appendix 11: Ben Date: 04/05/11 It is Ben’s first day at Sunnynook Community Creche. He went to play dough table (closest to the gate) directly after he was introduced to the teacher team. He was happily exploring all the pieces on the table with his mum sat behind him. He didn’t move away to play on himself before morning tea, however, he enjoyed his time and successfully communicated with me and other children though he is not talking yet. He is so clever and so good at using his body gestures to sustain his communication with others. After morning tea, he seems got more interests to explore outdoor play ground, he went to the sandpit and picked a spade and a spoon started digging in a second. When I was playing pretended cooking game with two elder children, he was parallel play alongside us. He joined our game with no hesitation and using his special tone to let me shared my pie with him and gave me the pie he made. He exchanged his spade with me for my spoon and initiate a new “Game” by vocalising “A,A” with his hand pointed to one container. I made him one castle “pudding” and he destroyed it, we did it again and again. Chris was playing policeman rescue game next to us with his racing car, and he made a noise like the car reversing sound. Ben easily picked that up and started imitating that sound. Following Chris, Ben stood up and got himself a tractor and started to drive his tractor in the sandpit, accompanied by the sound like”OhOh…” which is his interaction with me that he wanted me to call policeman to help. He showed his interests to me and Chris through smiling, body gestures and gazing, such a bright boy! He was so deeply engaged in our social reciprocal games and never looked around for his mum during this period; he got on so well in his first day. Well done Ben. What’s next? We will provide more activities, interaction opportunities for recognize his emotional needs, understand more about his behaviours and observe his interests ,motivations and play styles which will facilitate us to provide him the right resources and reciprocal activities for him to play with and built up positive relationship with teachers and peers in the short future. Appendix 12: Listening With an Open Heart and Mind Reflection 8 Describing In trying to be more interactive with the children, I tried asking open-ended questions to them until I became part of their role play. Our head teacher Dot approached me and commented that my questions were good but it would be better if I just approach the children quietly without an agenda and wait for them to invite me to join them in their play instead of actively making an effort to join them. I was advised that when I ask questions, I may be consciously or unconsciously leading the children into my ideas, but we are actually supposed to follow their lead and cultivate their interests. I thought it would be challenging for me to do that since I am not familiar with the children yet and most probably, I will not get invited in their play and I was worried of feeling left out. Suddenly, a bubbly boy named Bentley called out to me and said, “Annie, come, I’m going to wash your clothes.” Pleased, I answered, “Really.. that would be nice.” So here is how the conversation went in the sandpit with basins of water. Me: Are you going to hand washing them or using washing machine? Bentley: Using the washing machine Me: What do you do with the machine? Bentley: I’m going to press the button, the red one. Me: Then what? Bentley: Let the water in, put in your clothes… Me: What else will you put in? Do you need some washing powder? Bentley: I’ve already put it in’ he said Me: Which clothes will you wash for me? Bentley: You’re pants, your jacket, your shorts, and your uniform. Me: Oh, my uniform?’ Why do I have uniform? Bentley: You have them when you go to school Suddenly, he waved the spade in his hand and said ’I’m going to cut your clothes’ I realized that the theme of our game changed. Me: Why will you cut my clothes? Bentley: I changed your clothes into mud, this is your jacket. Me: It’s so sunny now, I’m going to hang my jacket out to dry. This was my attempt to continue on with our “washing clothes” theme but Bentely said, “I’m going to wash your house now?”. Surprised at this sudden shift of ideas, I exclaimed, “OH, did you finish wash my clothes? Where would you start to wash my house?’ At this moment, another girl came with a bowl of water and she splashed water on Bentley’s leg. With that our game ended. Informing The learning outcome of 2.3 stating that “practice is informed by effective use of curricula and content knowledge, current assessment and planning processes and reflective practice” was observed in this reflection. Te Whaariki empowers children by allowing them to communicate their ideas without any fear that these will be criticized. This makes children more confident, knowing that their ideas have value. In this anecdote, it was evident that Bentley was in the process of creative “flow” and his ideas were pouring forth. Csikszentmihalyi (1997) claims that the experience of children engaged in creative learning as being deeply involved in their task is called “Flow” which is an optimal experience, “an almost effortless yet highly focused state of consciousness” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, p.9). It is a way of being lost in the creative process. Once an individual gets out of this flow and is satisfied with the experience, he indulges in feeling happy. Csikszentmihalyi says the more flow one experiences in life, the more likely he is to feel happy overall, as his creative potentials are optimized. Bentley’s flow was encouraged by my interested questioning, challenging him further in the process. However, his flow ended when he was distracted by water wetting his leg by another child. Confronting Learning to be part of children’s activities without making much effort may be difficult for an adult who has forgotten how to play. In my case, I thought the way into children’s games is stimulating them with my own interesting ideas. I realize that it was a way for me to take control of the situation, afraid of how to behave if children took over. However, to be a good early childhood educator, I should learn to follow children’s interests over my own and let them lead and take part in planning their own learning experiences. My own personal pedagogy subscribes to the belief that children can construct their own learning. In early childhood, it seems that all they do is play, however, play is how they learn best. My play with Bentley gave me a peep into his creative mind. It was a privilege to have been invited. I know that I was part of his process of creative flow. Had I rejected his ideas and suggested my own, I would have disrupted his flow, and that would be like stifling his creative thinking. Some educators are so concerned about children learning academic skills such as reading, math, science, etc. and pressure children to learn them even before they are ready. I believe children will eventually get there when they are ready. Letters, numbers, and other academic concepts are all around them and for sure, these are part of children’s interests, so I need not worry that they will eventually learn these essential concepts at their own time and pace. Reconstructing I should be able to relax my own pressures to make children learn from me and be more confident in their own capacity to learn on their own. Being in control of children’s learning actually stifles the development of their own ideas because they just accept the teacher’s. Following children’s lead does not only empower them, but ensures that they are free to communicate what they think and feel without fear of being reprimanded for it. I should be able to design a conducive learning environment that frees children to express themselves and sustain a sense of awe that continuously motivates them to follow up on their interests. References: Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997) Happiness & creativity going with the flow. The Futurist, Sept.-October, 1997 Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Appendix 13 M loves Books Date: 090511 Student Teacher: Anni Yu M was at play dough table with me and other children. Suddenly she decided she wanted read some books, she went to get a pop-up book and another book with bunny on the cover, she lean on me and wiggled then handed me the books. I put her on my knee and asked her: ’Read this one? ” she nodded. I said: ’you help me turn the page?’ she said loudly:’Yeah.’ When I read the book, M lifted the flaps to discover a different animal each time and calling out the name of that animal, like snake etc.. When we cameto the last page before I read it she lifted the flip and said “doggy” very loud with excitement. She is so familiar with the books and she knew what is in the next page! Books are prompting M to learn and use new words such as camel. She can make connections between the words she knew and the pictures in the books. She is very confident in sharing reading with me and help me to the next page; I can see she loves books. What’s next? I will share stories again with her when I get the chance. I will repeat use the words she got from the books we shared and bring in the new words at the same time. I will ask her more about what stories she read before to practice talking with her. Appendix 14: Ariel’s Learning is Fun Appendix 15: Collaborating with the Community Reflection 14 Describing Our kindergarten joined the festivities yesterday in the Glenfield Community’s Santa Parade. I brought my daughter along and we both came in early at the centre to help in the preparations. We had a fun time decorating the truck we rented for the parade with the children and their parents. They made lots worms, butterflies, ladybugs and other insects, flowers with cardboard to decorate the float. The theme of our float is “care for the environment”, which was the focus of the past month. The members of the community actively participated in the parade . The different trucks of the community workers – the ambulance, fire truck, etc. joined the parade. Policemen were on the road to control the traffic which gave way to the parade. Our children sat in our float waving to the watchers next to the road. One girl was dressed up as a sunflower, another girl had butterfly wings on, one boy had a Christmas hat on while they parents followed behind the float. I regret that I did not prepare anything for myself and my daughter. I also was not able to share my ideas with my AT regarding the parade and what we could do to make it better. Informing This reflection is for learning outcome 1.2 Equitable, inclusive and collaborative personal/professional relationships are effectively demonstrated with children, parents, colleagues and other members of the educational community. Te Whaariki advocates the key principle of ‘family and community’ (MOE, 1996). Evidently, Te Whaariki is one reflection of how the government gives importance to educational partnership with parents. Its Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices (Crown, 1996) provides ECE services with mandatory requirements regarding collaborative partnerships with parents/ guardians and whanau so each child attending the children’s center or receiving the service is benefitted with the promotion and extension of his or her learning and development. “The strategic plan for ECE Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki (Crown, 2002) devotes an entire goal to promoting collaborative relationships, including stronger linkages between ECE services and parents and whanau” (Mitchell, Haggerty, Hampton, and Pairman, 2006, p. 4). Government initiatives to deliver high quality early childhood education to children obliges professionals in the field to comply with the highest standards in care and education for very young children and to forge strong partnerships with parents. Confronting I was overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of the parents in helping out in this activity. Seeing their joy working together with their children and other families made me realize just how important it is for them to be there for their children. On the other hand, I have never seen the children so giddy at having their parents stay with them for a prolonged period. I saw some of them showing off to their parents the beautiful works they did and basked in the pride that their parents had for them. Even my own daughter happily joined the children while I assisted in the decorating. I felt as if everyone belonged even when the rest of the community joined the parade. It was like suddenly, the world of the children became larger and they were welcomed into the real world while they waved at all the friendly faces. I had a better appreciation of Te Whaariki’s emphasis on whanau and the children’s centre’s parent and community partnerships because I saw first- hand how beneficial it was to everyone, most especially the children. Apart from the bonding that transpired between the children and their families, each person had a contribution to the success of the event. Reconstructing From my experience in this event, I learned that parent participation and involvement in the children’s program should be encouraged. It would also be good if we can be more open to their ideas in planning for their children. I believe partnership is collaboration of parents and teachers/child workers as equals with regards to planning the early childhood program for children. Partnership thrives in a committed, cooperative relationship characterized by reciprocity, respect, trust, effective and lasting communication, empathy, listening, power sharing, all in the name of fulfilling shared goals. In this case, the goal of such partnership is to provide the best way to facilitate the children’s growth and development in all aspects, and to maximize their potentials based on a shared pedagogy of the parents and the teachers/ child workers. References: Crown. (1996). Revised statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices (DOPs) for chartered early childhood services in New Zealand. The New Zealand Gazette, 3 October. Crown. (2002). Pathways to the future: Nga Huarahi Arataki. Wellington: Crown. Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Mitchell, L., Haggerty, M., Hampton, V. & Pairman, A. (2006) Teachers,parents, and whanau working together in early childhood education. New Zealand Council For Educational Research, Te Runanga O Aotearoa Mo Te Rangahau I Te Matauranga. Wellington . Appendix 16: Implementation of my pedagogy Teaching Moment: Reading Chinese story with Chinese and English speaking children Doing water absorption experiment with pre-school 4 Doing collage with Jack Appendix 17 Reflection 9 Learning outcome: Progress towards my professional development goal My Goal for this practicum: to become more confident in implementing a play-based/child-directed pedagogy. Rationale for goal: lack of experience with this pedagogical approach. Action plan: Get to know children’s and parents’ names. This may be challenging given the nature of the centre. Identify children’s interests. Build on/extend children’s experiences by providing additional resources. Identify the learning which is taking place in order to extend that in different ways. Use a variety of teaching approaches (modelling, scaffolding etc), in ways which are appropriate for infants and toddlers. Description In the first week of practicum, I noticed that M (about one and half years old) loves books. She would approach me and ask me to read to her. I also observed her love for pretend play and the doll was her favourite toy. She would pretend to be the mother and care for her “baby” by putting her to sleep by patting the doll and asking us to be quiet as she said “Shhhh”. With these observations, I set up a family corner. I created a baby doll’s bedroom and dressed the doll in pajamas. I invited M to read a book to her “baby” with me. She spent almost one hour with me and another girl joined us because she also wanted to play “mum” of the baby doll. The three of us read books, changed clothes for the baby doll, pretended to feed water/milk to the baby doll. We “went shopping” with the baby doll and she needed to be put in the car seat and trolly etc… Analyse Although I only get to see M twice a week, I already noticed her interests and built on them. Reading books and playing with dolls were her interests that inspired me to plan a doll corner. Reading to the baby doll with her was an activity that joined both her interests. I realize other children were likewise attracted to the same interests and I enjoined them in our play. Spending over an hour with me with the play activity I planned around her interests was a good indication that I was spot on in my planning. She even came up with her own idea like changing the baby doll’s clothes. When her idea was accepted and followed, she showed signs of happiness and the more she got engaged in the play activity. M’s pretend play was based on her observations of adult behaviour around her. She imitates what she sees adults doing like taking care of the baby. During role play, she gains a better understanding of how it is to care for a baby. Such play benefits her cognitive and socio-emotional development. I expect to get to know M more as the days go by as I have had only a limited time to play with her in the past three weeks. I am excited because I realize that following the interests of children helps me come up with activities that successfully engage them in play and learning. Theorise A child-centered program becomes meaningful when it draws from the children’s needs and learning styles, life experiences, interests, and ideas. Ideas for learning activities stem from the children themselves – their interests, questions, and passion. This gives children the opportunity to become active partners in curriculum planning and the learning process. It is the learner who interacts with objects and events and thereby gains an understanding of the features held by such objects or events. In this case, M learned more about how to care for a baby by role-playing a mother. She, therefore, constructs her own conceptualizations and her initiative is accepted and encouraged (Van Ryneveld, n.d., n.p.). “Piaget believed that children create knowledge through interactions with the environment. Children are not passive receivers of knowledge; rather, they actively work at organizing their experience into more and more complex mental structures.” (Brewer, 2001, p.6). In a play-based curriculum, young children build knowledge as they interact with the world around them by combining new data with previous knowledge and perceptions, to clarify or modify current understandings which they later utilize in absorbing new ideas. They construct, adjust, and expand their concepts over time as they organize a variety of experiences and make connections among them (Kostelnik & Howe, 1991). Action I felt so successful with the doll play with M after following her interests that I am more encouraged to follow a play-based approach to curriculum design. I know children learn so much from playing and I am able to engage their participation in the learning activities if I build on their own ideas and interests. I will strive to learn more about play-based strategies in teaching-learning. References Brewer, J.A. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Kostelnik, Marjorie, ed., Howe, Donna, et al. 1991. Teaching young children using themes. New Jersey: Good Year Books. Van Ryneveld, L., (n.d.) “What is constructivism?”, Retrieved on May 17, 2011 from http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/lindavr/lindapg1.htm Appendix 18: Respecting Socio-cultural contexts of children Reflection 3 Describing Today, while playing with M with a beach ball, I did not notice that he was holding a Poi ball in his hand and used it as the bat to hit the beach ball. He was stopped by our head teacher and asked to put the poi back into its basket. Later, I was told that in Maori culture, Poi is only used for dancing and shouldn’t be played like a toy. On this same day, I also learned from my AT that in Maori culture, chairs are not stacked on the table when cleaning the floor. They remain on the floor even when cleaners sweep or mop the floor. Informing Poi dancing is considered a performance art native to Maori culture. It is something that represents much of their practices as a people, as well as a display of skill and talent. That is why children are taught to respect their culture by discouraging them from playing with cultural objects such as poi balls and be aware that these are used for the specific purpose of cultural expression. Being in an environment that values their culture, I also need to comply to their practices, even with the simple act of keeping order with their things. Confronting The third goal of the strand of Communication of Te Whaariki states that “Children experience an environment where they experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures” (MOE, 1996, p. 78). Since Maori culture values their art forms, it follows that they want to pass this on to the next generations. If exploration is valued in early childhood education, I realized that in terms of cultural objects, these should not be played around with because they should be treated with reverence. Early childhood educational activities promote self-awareness but also incorporate cultural awareness which strengthens children’s cultural identities. Webber (n.d.) summarizes what research has found out to maximize children’s learning as “incorporating cultural content; reflecting cultural values, attitudes and practices; utilizing culturally preferred ways of learning, including culturally appropriate support; and affirming cultural identity” (p. 9). This means they should be exposed to the songs, stories, games, etc. inherent in their family and cultural backgrounds. Much of these can be incorporated in play situations. However, there is a line dividing play with educational materials and everyday objects and cultural props specifically made for artistic expressions and cultural performances. Reconstructing Being aware of Maori cultural practices and traditions, as well as with other cultures that children come from, I need to be more sensitive in my own behaviour towards teaching and learning. I cannot generalize everything I read from my own research and need to be more discerning whether the concepts and theories I read about apply to certain cultures. Respect for one’s culture and family background should be one of my priorities as a teacher. References: Ministry of Education (1996).  Te Whariki/He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Webber, M. (n.d.) Identity and Whakapapa: A curriculum for the gifted Maori child. Appendix 19: Valuing Language Development & Communication Skills of Children Reflection 10 Description: At the drawing table, I sat next to L. When I was talking to another child, he suddenly said something to me and I didn’t understand what he said except for the word “tall”. Me: Pardon? L: sy…. Me: Pardon L: syd Read More