Education Program of Kindergarten in Port Kennedy - Case Study Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Details – Centre One Type of Centre: Kindergarten Location: Port Kennedy Socio-economic and ethnic background: English 35.0%, Australian 27.5%, Scottish 6.7%, Irish 5.3% and Maori 2.7%. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.6% of the population The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Port Kennedy (State Suburbs) was $653. Median weekly household income $1669 Age of Children: 4 – 5 Details on Children (for suburb) Average children per family 2 Children aged 0-14 make up 27% of the suburb. Median age for the suburb is 30 years 35.3% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 34.3% were in primary school Program Overview – Centre One Quality Area 1: Education Program and Practice What is the teachers’ philosophy and pedagogy? There is evidence of Vygotsky’s social constructivist strategy and Piaget’s structuralist theory. Class teacher are allowing the children to construct their own understanding and ensured that the program was developmentally appropriate. In addition, teachers are quite focused, active and reflective in the formulation and delivering the program for the pupils. What type of program is used? The current program is mainly Early Years Learning Framework and The Australian Curriculum. The two programs are implemented with consideration to the student’s interests, ideas and abilities. Is it flexible using both planned and spontaneous learning? There are opportunities for spontaneous learning but the most of the work is structured. The program include among others, routines which are well organised in order to maximise on opportunities for each child’s learning and development. Is it play based? Structured play based not free play based. Is it developmentally appropriate, suit specific contexts and learning needs? Each child is learning and development is assessed as part of an ongoing cycle of planning, documenting and evaluation. Is there an inclusive approach? Every child is supported to participate in the program. Is the content connected to the real world and child’s interest? The program sometimes draws upon children’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests. Are the materials and equipment appropriate, hands on and stimulating? Yes. How are observation, documentation and assessment catered for? Checklists are used when observing the children and when engaging in dialogue with them if specific skills are being targeted. Completed work samples are also used as part of the assessment process. Is learning visible? Learning is clearly visible as children engage in both structured activities and play. Does the environment provide opportunities for critical and creative thinking? Children have regular opportunities to solve problems, which require them to think critically. Students are provided with questions that do not have a definite answer so they are required to formulate their own answers and explain their thought process. Are skills in collaboration and social responsibility evident? Children work well in social groups and are encouraged to work together to solve problems. How are the domains and learning areas used? Craft station-there are different shapes which are used by children to make or draw different things including animals. Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety What is the physical environment like? The children are taught in a safe and healthy environment free from hazardous conditions. The environment strongly affects children’s interactions with each other as well as a place where children’s growth and development can be adequately supported (Haas-Foletta and Ottolini-Geno, 2006). Is it free from hazards; pollution, chemicals? The learning area or space is also free from hazardous elements or pollutions. What is the room layout? The rooms have a special area/space meant for learning activities where children can select various activities depending on their interest. There are also different games and puzzles among other things. Use of snack and lunchtime routines? Like any other, the Kindergarten located in Port Kennedy has snack and lunchtime routines. Eating of balanced and health foods is highly encouraged. Chilren are also given drinks that are nutritious. Guided and fun approach in transitions? From my assessment, there is a smooth transitions facilitated by collaboration between parents and teachers. Is the environment regularly maintained? The environment is marinated on a regular basis. Is the environment supportive and provide the child with a feeling of security, trust and belonging? The environment is conducive for learning and gives a feeling of warmth, trust and a community. Are their health/safety awareness posters or pamphlets available for parents? There are health or safety awareness documents for visitors or parents. Is there a warm and friendly emotional climate? Chilren’s comforts and safe environment is well catered for. Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children There is enough evidence that Port Kennedy Kindergarten value relationship with children. The whole community including non-teachng staff members has formed good and sound relationship with children. There is mutual respect, and self esteem is highly valued. Do facilitators work at children’s eye level? Teachers and facilitators are mutually involved and relate with children at personal level with great regards to children’s needs. Are small groups and individuals recognised and catered for? Small groups and individual are also very well catered for. Is there a feeling of trust and being valued as a class member evident? The feeling of trust is evident especially through good relationship that exist between facilitators and children. Are children involved in decisions for their own learning? I have observed that children are accorded some personal decision making especially through selecting their own preferred books, pictures, stories, games and singing among other things. Are children scaffolded appropriately? Yes. Are children guided using positive behaviour techniques? The use of positive behaviour strategies is evidenced. Quality Area 6: Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities Do families participate at different levels based on life experiences and strengths? The program has an effective enrolment and orientation process that is accommodative to participation of families at different stages or levels. Teachers are able to forge good relationships with parents, guardians and families in order to support children’s learning and well-being. Does the program support constructive relationships? The program support constructive engagement as evidenced by initial stages of rapport building where the school tend to reach out for parents through invitation. The program also has a good communication system with special chance for engagement of parent (p. 60). Is information given to families on philosophy, policies and the child’s progress in both formal and informal situations? Parents are able to access individual development records/portfolios for their children. This data also shows when the child was enrolled and at annual information nights. The records are made available at the parents’ request. Do parents participate in the program in learning experiences? Parents are involved as equal partners in their children’s learning and development. To make an impact in engaging parents as equal partners in their children’s learning and development, staff and parents collaborate in building strong relationships that support information sharing with each other about children’s learning and developmental progress. Are materials inclusive and cater for diversity? It is also clear that materials, which are being used, are quiet inclusive and tend to cater for diverse needs and experiences. Being inclusive offers the best opportunity for achieving optimal outcomes. Are connections maintained between home, school, and any community organisations Parents and families form connections with peers and mentors in formal or informal social networks that are supportive and/or educational and that enhance social well-being and community life. Is their collaboration with external agencies i.e. psychologists, social welfare etc.? There is collaboration with other organizations such as Lady Gowrie, Noah’s Ark etc. Details – Centre Two Type of Centre: Pre-Primary Location: Secret Harbour Socio-economic and ethnic background: The most common ancestries in Secret Harbour (State Suburbs) were English 39.5%, Australian 25.3%, Scottish 7.3%, Irish 6.4% and Italian 1.9% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.9% of the population The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Secret Harbour (State Suburbs) was $828. Median weekly household income $2,158 Age of Children: (in class) 3 – 4 Details on Children: (for Suburb) In Secret Harbour (State Suburbs) 35.4% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 42.3% were in primary school,   Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 29.9% of the population  Average children per family - 2 Program Overview Quality Area 1: Education Program and Practice What is the teachers’ philosophy and pedagogy? There is use of suitable approaches or method of programming which covers all areas including documenting each child and the cycle of planning, documenting and evaluating. What type of program is used? The program is based on Australian Curriculum, which also caters for the student’s needs and ideas as well as their capabilities.. There is regular monitoring of the program in relation to child’s learning and development. Is it flexible using both planned and spontaneous learning? The program is very flexible with maximum learning and development of children. Is it play based? The play is structured or controlled. Is it developmentally appropriate, suit specific contexts and learning needs? There is regular evaluation and assessment of each child’s learning and development according to the centres’ ongoing cycle of planning, and executions. What styles and methods of teaching does the teacher use in specific situations? Some of the different approaches used by teachers in delivering lessons and learning programs for children include but not limited to use of learning stories, books, and evaluation. Is there an inclusive approach? Every child is allowed to take an active role in the program. Is the content connected to the real world and child’s interest? I can say the current program is linked to the real world situation as well as the child’s interest and knowledge. Are the materials and equipment appropriate, hands on and stimulating? Yes. How are observation, documentation and assessment catered for? There is adoption or use of Checklists and Completed work samples. Inaddition, parents and families are well informed about their child’s progress through filed work samples. Is learning visible? Learning is evident as children are actively involved in all forms of learning activities. Does the environment provide opportunities for critical and creative thinking? Each child has an equal chance of participating in problems or challenges that require their critical thinking. Are skills in collaboration and social responsibility evident? Group work is highly encouraged. Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety What is the physical environment like? The physical environment is safe, appropriate and offers not only rich but a wide range of experiences which encourages children’s learning as well as their development. Is it free from hazards; pollution, chemicals? There are no hazardous elements or pollutions. Health precautions are considered including the isolation of Children with infectious diseases to protect the health and safety of other kids. What is the room layout? The pre-school has a beautiful outdoor area that has multiple uses and allows for a wide variety of uses. The inside is also a very productive space and is regularly cleaned and maintained. Use of snack and lunchtime routines? Snack and lunchtime routines are strictly respected with Food and beverages, which are very nutritious, varied, and adequate in quantity and quality. Guided and fun approach in transitions? From my assessment, there is a smooth transitions enhanced by collaboration between parents and teachers. Is the environment regularly maintained? The environment is maintained on a regular basis. Is the environment supportive and provide the child with a feeling of security, trust and belonging? The environment is conducive for learning and gives a feeling of warmth, trust and a community. Are their health/safety awareness posters or pamphlets available for parents? There are health or safety awareness documents for visitors or parents. Is there a warm and friendly emotional climate? Children’s comforts and safe environment is well catered for. Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children There is enough evidence that Port Kennedy Kindergarten value relationship with children. The whole community including non-teachng staff members has formed good and sound relationship with children. There is mutual respect, and self esteem is highly valued. Do facilitators work at children’s eye level? Teachers and facilitators are mutually involved and relate with children at personal level with great regards to children’s needs. Are small groups and individuals recognised and catered for? Small groups and individual are also very well catered for. Is there a feeling of trust and being valued as a class member evident? The feeling of trust is evident especially through good relationships that exist between facilitators and children. Are children involved in decisions for their own learning? I have observed that children are accorded some personal decision making especially through selecting their own preferred books, pictures, stories, games and singing among other things. Are children scaffolded appropriately? Yes. Are children guided using positive behaviour techniques? The use of positive behaviour strategies is evidenced. Quality Area 6: Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities Do families participate at different levels based on life experiences and strengths? The pre-unit is committed to working in partnership with parents, families and the community at large. Does the program support constructive relationships? Parents are encouraged to get involved actively in planning which is quite vital for constructive relationships. Is information given to families on philosophy, policies and the child’s progress in both formal and informal situations? The school is quite effective in its two-way approach to communicating with parents or families about the progress of their children. The communication channel is associated with effective and reliable feedback. Do parents participate in the program in learning experiences? Parents are involved as equal partners in their children’s learning and development. Parents are also made to share their knowledge about their children’s interests and progress at home, and together staff and families use this information to set and work toward goals for the child in the classroom, home, and community. Are materials inclusive and cater for diversity? Learning materials are quiet inclusive and tend to cater for diverse needs and experiences (Frank and Smith, 1999). Are connections maintained between home, school, and any community organisations? Parents and families interact through peers and mentors which is very important in the promotion of social well-being and community life. Is their collaboration with external agencies i.e. psychologists, social welfare etc.? Mutual collaboration with other institutions is quite evident. Section 2: Summary The curriculum in early childhood, defined as a complete programme of activities given to the children, is, in effect also involve the totality of the policies and practices as well as the relationships between all stakeholders including parents and teachers in the setting. Also included are the experiences offered, learning materials and resources, the physical environment (indoor and outdoor), the teaching and learning styles, and the systems of assessment. According to Lally and Hurst(cited in French, 2007), a proper and effective curriculum ensures that the child is at the centre of curriculum planning rather than the child having to fit in with service demands. In other words, participation of children is permitted but this should only be in specific areas. To achieve this, there is need for a flexible curriculum, which is able to respond adequately to the needs and aspiration of the children. Socio-cultural theory as highlighted by Prout and James, (1997) recommend that children be considered as whole people with voice and agency in their own right, who have their own feelings, ideas and have relationships with their peers. It is also recommended that children be supported physically, psychologically, morally, and spiritually. This is quite evident in the two centres. According to the Developmental psychology, children have inherent desire to acquire knowledge and understanding of their own environment. On the same vein, children’s development occurs at different rates and in different ways (Curtis and O’Hagan, 2003). An effective pedagogy should comprise of a careful mix of adult-initiated group work and freely chosen child-initiated activities , the quality of shared, sustained dialogue and thinking between both adults and children and children and their peers adults’ knowledge of child development and curriculum support for children to represent their understanding in a range of means skilled assessment of children’s learning and consequent strategic planning for a wide range of curriculum experiences (Siraj-Blatchford et al. 2002). The general observation from the two centres reveals that curriculum is presented as encompassing the totality of young children is learning experiences. This is well illustrated by curriculum, which are combined with a more recent educational research. These principles, which underpin and support the development of a curriculum aimed at enabling and empowering each child as a learner both with and alongside peers and adults is quite evident from the two centres (Siraj-Blatchford et al. 2002). The need for an inclusive program is supported by overwhelming evidence, which link children’s positive concepts of ethnic identity to self-esteem, reduced levels of depression and optimism (Roberts et al 1999). This is because biases often develop in the early years of children (Krogh and Slentz, 2001). The use of plays and leaning activities are very crucial since children absorb messages from people and the environment regarding their identity and social values. Murray and O’Doherty (2001) strongly recommend for an approach that is against any potential bias, which allows for diversity, and which is relevant for all children in Australia including ethnic minority children and dominant culture children. This strategy goes beyond cultural issues and caters for class gender, and disability (Derman-Sparks, 1989). All forms of bias are highly discouraged and children supported in establishing empathy hence able to recognise and resist all forms of discrimination. However, Tobin (2006) suggests that to better serve children better, calls for a shift from an anti-bias to a cultural negotiation paradigm. The latter entails listening deeply to and involving parents or families and subsequently modifying school environment based on their requirements. The two reports have also highlighted the influence of the physical environment including indoor and outdoor environment on children’s learning and development. According to French (2007), physical environment has a significant impact on children as evidenced through the attention placed on the environment by numerous contributors to the field of early childhood care and education. He elaborates that the physical environment is especially critical for stimulating children’s communication and play (French, 2007). A well-placed envrionrment with adequate space outlays enhances children’s positive behaviors. According to Haas-Foletta and Ottolini-Geno (2006), children require proper physical environment that is consistent with their size, and energy as well as their different abilities. In addition, the school setting has significance impact on how the children can be supervised. The way a facility is arranged and how space is used communicates a strong message to children and their parents about the program and its aim or objectives. Also important is the need to select Program materials and equipments based on their safety, developmental appropriateness, and utility as well as in line with a balanced curriculum, including literacy and mathematics. It is also worth noting that children will feel most conformable when they are assisted with eh design and allowed to have their own space (Haas-Foletta and Ottolini-Geno, 2006). A common approach to room arrangement as evidenced in the two centers include the having particular space or areas dedicated for learning activities. Children are allowed have their own selection of activities based on their interests. This is enhanced through having a free flow from one area to another (Haas-Foletta and Ottolini-Geno, 2006). From the two centers, it is evident that the family and community are given a central place and viewed as primary educator of the child through strong working relationships between parents/family and teachers or school based on a shared sense of purpose and mutual respect in order to create conducive environments for learning and development of children . Research suggests that involvement of parents in their child’s care and education improves children’s cognitive and social development and motivation as well as leading them to higher adult expectations and increased parental confidence and aspirations (Taggart, 2007). From the two centres, it is clear that learning and development are inextricably intertwined and are enmeshed within the milieu of social interactions. In this learning environment, the child develops in the context of family, neighbourhood, community, public policies, and society. The image of the child developing in this context offers a more dynamic conception of learning and development. Works Cited Read More