As we are approaching the close of this class, I found myself pondering the question of what I think about research. There are so many thoughts, and now they are not just thoughts of terror when that "research" word comes up; rather, the thoughts are of how can we be better researchers that can be a contribution to the field of early childhood.
I have gained many insights from this course. I have learned the value of research and what I must do to ensure my research is valid and ethical. It is difficult to be a researcher, but with the information I have gained I know I can at least attpempt to begin the process of research. I understand there are steps we must take when conducting research, and we must ensure we are purposeful planners when conducting a research study.
I believe each week offered a new challenge for me, especially when it invovled putting my research question down, and trying to actually narrow it down where it was not so broad of a topic. Each week I was given new terminology and vocabulary, which became quite challenging when working on the research charts and simulations. However, I realize we all must stay abreast on current research and ensure we are applying new, tested methods to enhance instruction as well as allowing educators, administrators and staff to become more aware of the ever changing field of early childhood education.
I believe one of the main ideas on research that really opened my eyes was the deficit model. I would never conduct any type of research that would make anyone feel as if their race, skin color, or income made them feel inadequate. I will ensure all of children in my class get the education they deserve, while being treated equal and fair.
I would like to thank each and everyone of you for all of the wonderful comments and suggestions you offered each week. This has been a very informative course, and without each of you, I would have not made it through. I wish each of you the very best of luck!!
Blessings,
Susan
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Research Around The World
I chose to look at Early Childhood Australia. http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. I found some great information on this website! There is a series of Research called, "RIPS" that is, Research In Practice Series. It is a group of experts and practioners who provides practical, easy-to-read resources for those involved in the early childhood field. "The books are designed to assist with those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children, by offering effective, new approaches." (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/) Below is a list of the ongoing research.
I was amazed at the information from each research topic. The only downfall would be each book costs around $15.
I also found a section that is titled, "Supporting Best Practices." Under that tab there are several subtabs, dealing with Emotional foundations for learning, learning and play, feelings and behaviours, learning about babies and toddlers, learning about children ages 3 to 9 years, learning and teaching, as well as children's rights. What I found very beneficial was under the subtabs, there was a wealth of information dealing with each. I did not want to post all of that information here, but I encourage you to browse this website as it is so informative!
I am a supporter of play and I was quite excited to read about play in Australia, as it does not differ much from the United States. Here is what was on the website about play:
"About play
Child's play - it's not just for fun
Some people say play is children's work. There is a large amount of development and learning taking place from birth to five years of age and play is a foundation for this learning. United States
What do children learn from play?
Adults support children's learning by protecting the time needed for exploration and discovery, and by interacting with children in ways that enhance their learning and development though play. Canada
An overview of children's play
Children play to learn. As they play children explore, discover, adapt and learn. United States
How do young children learn
Children have an inbuilt desire to explore and learn. Play is the tool for doing this. Simple games like "peek a boo" are playful at the same time as they engage children's minds in the learning process." (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/everyday_learning_and_play/about_play_and_learning/about_play.html)
Some people say play is children's work. There is a large amount of development and learning taking place from birth to five years of age and play is a foundation for this learning. United States
What do children learn from play?
Adults support children's learning by protecting the time needed for exploration and discovery, and by interacting with children in ways that enhance their learning and development though play. Canada
An overview of children's play
Children play to learn. As they play children explore, discover, adapt and learn. United States
How do young children learn
Children have an inbuilt desire to explore and learn. Play is the tool for doing this. Simple games like "peek a boo" are playful at the same time as they engage children's minds in the learning process." (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/everyday_learning_and_play/about_play_and_learning/about_play.html)
Under the tab, "Learning and Teaching" http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/learning_and_teaching/, there is a wealth of resources for educators. I will make sure I have placed this website in my favorites as I can use this site as a valuable resource.
Below is a link to a video from this website. It is Pam Cahir, the CEO of Early Childhood Australia, discussing how so many Australian children, under the age of 5 are in child care. Pam Cahir is discussing how children can be made smarter. It is quite an interesting video.
References:
Early Childhood Australia. (2000) Retrieved from May 31, 2012 from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Week 3 - Research that Benefits Children and Families
Hello, all!
This week has truly made me think about research and the risks and benefits. I was adamant about not subjecting children to research if the benefit was not guaranteed. However, during a conversation with one of my co-workers, I had to sit back and re-think this because of the research that was done on my daughter.
Three years ago my daughter was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. This put me in quite a shock as I had to make a decision as to what should be done after talking to the doctors. You see, I could wait and do nothing, and ultimately she would go into full kidney failure, begin dialysis, and be put on a kidney transplant. I certainly did not want any of those for my daughter; the second option was looking to be the clear, concise option to save her life. The doctors were quite honest with us in the very beginning; they did not know if this would be a successful surgery, but we had no other options.
The surgery consisted of re-building and re-routing her bladder, her colon, her bowel, and possibly re-routing her entire intestines. The doctors had to re-build her bladder using her Sigmoid bowel, and she now has to perform self-catherization for the rest of her life. Now, going in to this surgery we did not know if would work. The doctors could not tell us if this would be 100% guaranteed, but we had not other choice. We did not want to lose our daughter at 10 years old to full blown kidney and bladder failure.
I did not think of this as research while I was being so adamant about not subjecting children to research. However, I put my own child in more than minimal risks for the sake of research, but at the time, I did not think of research; I only thought of saving my sweet daughter. With this surgery and the outcomes, doctors can use the results as research findings and help other children who have her same problems.
I am proud to say this was a successful surgery; however, my daughter will never be totally out of the woods. We have to have kidney and bladder scans every 3 months (for the rest of her life0, we have to have 2 month checks ups (for the rest of her life) as well as trying to build up her immunities. This has, however, been quite challenging for my daughter as she has to leave class to perform her self-catherization. What I am most proud of is my daughter took this challenge on and has done wonderful. She is an avid athlete! She runs cross country, track, basketball, as well being a cheerleader. She has not let this set her back.
So, my opinion has somewhat changed in the name of research. Because of the surgery performed on my daughter, the results can be used for research. I am very thankful to my co-worker for making me re-think some opinions I had about research.
This week has truly made me think about research and the risks and benefits. I was adamant about not subjecting children to research if the benefit was not guaranteed. However, during a conversation with one of my co-workers, I had to sit back and re-think this because of the research that was done on my daughter.
Three years ago my daughter was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. This put me in quite a shock as I had to make a decision as to what should be done after talking to the doctors. You see, I could wait and do nothing, and ultimately she would go into full kidney failure, begin dialysis, and be put on a kidney transplant. I certainly did not want any of those for my daughter; the second option was looking to be the clear, concise option to save her life. The doctors were quite honest with us in the very beginning; they did not know if this would be a successful surgery, but we had no other options.
The surgery consisted of re-building and re-routing her bladder, her colon, her bowel, and possibly re-routing her entire intestines. The doctors had to re-build her bladder using her Sigmoid bowel, and she now has to perform self-catherization for the rest of her life. Now, going in to this surgery we did not know if would work. The doctors could not tell us if this would be 100% guaranteed, but we had not other choice. We did not want to lose our daughter at 10 years old to full blown kidney and bladder failure.
I did not think of this as research while I was being so adamant about not subjecting children to research. However, I put my own child in more than minimal risks for the sake of research, but at the time, I did not think of research; I only thought of saving my sweet daughter. With this surgery and the outcomes, doctors can use the results as research findings and help other children who have her same problems.
I am proud to say this was a successful surgery; however, my daughter will never be totally out of the woods. We have to have kidney and bladder scans every 3 months (for the rest of her life0, we have to have 2 month checks ups (for the rest of her life) as well as trying to build up her immunities. This has, however, been quite challenging for my daughter as she has to leave class to perform her self-catherization. What I am most proud of is my daughter took this challenge on and has done wonderful. She is an avid athlete! She runs cross country, track, basketball, as well being a cheerleader. She has not let this set her back.
So, my opinion has somewhat changed in the name of research. Because of the surgery performed on my daughter, the results can be used for research. I am very thankful to my co-worker for making me re-think some opinions I had about research.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Week 2; My Research Journey
Hello, classmates!!
I am currently a preschool teacher, and I am very interested in social-emotional development, and I am currently a supporter of play. So, while I was considering my subtopics, I thought of the two areas I want to know more about, and I combined them. I decided to begin researching how play in preschool promotes healthy social-emotional development. I have always been intrigued by play and social-emotional development. I also want to ensure I am doing what is necessary to promote healthy social-emotional development for my preschoolers.
I have seen the benefits of play in my classroom, but I am curious as to what different researchers are saying about play and social-emotional development. I have had several students who were very reserved and did not want to play in learning centers with other children, but through continual play and socialization time, those children are becoming very social and are not reserved. They are learning through play on how to be good citizens and control their emotions.
Because social-emotional development is such a broad topic, I am glad I have narrowed down my subtopic. Researching play has been much easier; however, I am having difficulty with a developing a general research question, but I am confident I will get to that point. I am feeling quite overwhelmed with the chart and literature reviews for our application assignments, but I know it will aid me in the future. Before reading about research, I had never heard the term, "triangulation" before. I had no clue what it meant and how it applied to research. However, I now know it means using different ways of conducting and using research.
I am still quite scared with the whole research "process" and any insights would be greatly appreciated. If any of you have any useful insights that would work for me and others to help alleviate such stress when it comes to the entire research process, I would certainly benefit from those!
I look forward to any and all comments from each of you!
Blessings,
Susan
I am currently a preschool teacher, and I am very interested in social-emotional development, and I am currently a supporter of play. So, while I was considering my subtopics, I thought of the two areas I want to know more about, and I combined them. I decided to begin researching how play in preschool promotes healthy social-emotional development. I have always been intrigued by play and social-emotional development. I also want to ensure I am doing what is necessary to promote healthy social-emotional development for my preschoolers.
I have seen the benefits of play in my classroom, but I am curious as to what different researchers are saying about play and social-emotional development. I have had several students who were very reserved and did not want to play in learning centers with other children, but through continual play and socialization time, those children are becoming very social and are not reserved. They are learning through play on how to be good citizens and control their emotions.
Because social-emotional development is such a broad topic, I am glad I have narrowed down my subtopic. Researching play has been much easier; however, I am having difficulty with a developing a general research question, but I am confident I will get to that point. I am feeling quite overwhelmed with the chart and literature reviews for our application assignments, but I know it will aid me in the future. Before reading about research, I had never heard the term, "triangulation" before. I had no clue what it meant and how it applied to research. However, I now know it means using different ways of conducting and using research.
I am still quite scared with the whole research "process" and any insights would be greatly appreciated. If any of you have any useful insights that would work for me and others to help alleviate such stress when it comes to the entire research process, I would certainly benefit from those!
I look forward to any and all comments from each of you!
Blessings,
Susan
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Week 8 - International Insights
Well, unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to have any type of contact with anyone outside of the United States. However, that certainly did not mean I didn't gain valuable information through the many resources available to me. I thoroughly enjoyed my podcast participants as they helped inform me of the many issues and trends in education internationally.
Before this course, I did not give a second thought to how things worked outside of the United States in early childhood education. I was sadly mistaken. I was very impressed with how Meridas Yora built a school for those who lost everything in a devastating storm. He wanted to ensure these children and family members had shelter, but he also wanted a quality education for them. His desire was wonderful, and I admired that. This again made me rethink my professional goals, as I have a strong desire for my children, but it needs to be a deeper desire to provide a high quality education for all children.
Throughout this course, I did not have any type of information on poverty, equity, or excellence in education outside of the United States. However, through my work in this course, I feel as if I am educated, as well as humbled. Just because children and families overseas are living in poverty does not mean there is not a desire for schooling. This also applies within the United States. As I have learned, many families are living in poverty within my own community, but that certainly does not mean they do not want their children to attend schooling. Meridas Yora enabled this for many families as he built a shelter/school that would aid in the education of children.
Blessings,
Susan
Before this course, I did not give a second thought to how things worked outside of the United States in early childhood education. I was sadly mistaken. I was very impressed with how Meridas Yora built a school for those who lost everything in a devastating storm. He wanted to ensure these children and family members had shelter, but he also wanted a quality education for them. His desire was wonderful, and I admired that. This again made me rethink my professional goals, as I have a strong desire for my children, but it needs to be a deeper desire to provide a high quality education for all children.
Throughout this course, I did not have any type of information on poverty, equity, or excellence in education outside of the United States. However, through my work in this course, I feel as if I am educated, as well as humbled. Just because children and families overseas are living in poverty does not mean there is not a desire for schooling. This also applies within the United States. As I have learned, many families are living in poverty within my own community, but that certainly does not mean they do not want their children to attend schooling. Meridas Yora enabled this for many families as he built a shelter/school that would aid in the education of children. Because of the numerous international resources I was able to view, I will be a more humble, compassionate teacher. All children, despite where they live or what type of home background they have, deserve an education from a professional that is loving and willing to give 110% of their time to these precious children. If I did not have a teenager and a husband, I would exhaust every resource given to me to teach outside of the United States. I have a desire to help all children, and now, because of the things I have learned, I want to help internationally. It may be years down the road, but I pray I am given the opportunity to be an educator to children in 3rd world countries!!
Thank you to all of my classmates! It has been a fast 8 weeks, but such an informative 8 weeks! I pray you have gained many valuable resources in this course, and I hope to "see" you again in another course!!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
International Contacts - Part 3 (Alternative Assignment)
Well, with week 7 now here, I have had absolutely no contact with anyone I have emailed. However, I have gained some new insights through browsing the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage.
*UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. (UNESCO)
*Global Action Week is from April 22-28, 2012. Global Action Week is a worldwide annual campaign organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to raise awareness of the importance of Education for All. UNESCO actively supports the campaign by organizing activities in its Headquarters and Field Offices, mobilizing networks and encouraging Ministers of Education and all EFA partners to participate.
*UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. (UNESCO)
*Global Action Week is from April 22-28, 2012. Global Action Week is a worldwide annual campaign organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to raise awareness of the importance of Education for All. UNESCO actively supports the campaign by organizing activities in its Headquarters and Field Offices, mobilizing networks and encouraging Ministers of Education and all EFA partners to participate.
Under the slogan "Rights from the Start! Early Childhood Care and Education Now!", Global Action Week 2012 will focus on the first of the six Education for All (EFA) Goals:
"Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children". (UNESCO)
*It seems, in many countries, that poor children are not given assistance; rather, they are given "alternatives." I do not see the equity in this as all children deserve the same education as their peers, regardless of income!
"Countries often promote alternative services for poor children with limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services which can be cost-effective and pedagogically innovative, but often raise concerns about sustainability and quality. In cases where the government has limited resources, a pro-poor policy can redistribute resources by reducing state support for the more privileged." (UNESCO)
UNESCO also discusses the quality of a child's education; early childhood programs should emphasize the holistic development to aid in the transition to formal schooling. It stresses the importance of a child developing as a whole. In Early Childhood, that should be the goal of all educators - to aid in the development of a child as a whole. Below are the words written from UNESCO's view on Quality Education.
"Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness.
There are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality but useful factors to consider include pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement. Learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centred interaction. Where appropriate curricula exist, there can be problems with implementation with the emphasis remaining on early primary education and preparation for formal schooling due to pressure from parents and the fact that it is easier for teachers than child-centred learning.
The ECCE workforce is often made up of a diverse group of pre-school teachers, care workers, informal carers and other professionals. Adequate training and work conditions are essential so they can integrate the content and practice of early childhood care and education and address the transition to formal schooling. The service setting and physical infrastructure may vary greatly within countries. Regular inspection and follow-up of the service setting as well as adequate health and nutrition components are also crucial for meaningful learning to take place.
Where government resources are limited, the last year of pre-primary education is frequently placed in a formal school setting or there may be efforts to lower the entry age. Such trends dilute the importance of holistic development by placing too much emphasis on preparing children for formal schooling. However, when pre-primary education cannot be afforded as part of early childhood, it is more strategic to consider ways of improving the pedagogy of pre-primary education placed in the formal school setting.
Active involvement from parents and communities and relevant play and learning materials ensure that early childhood services remain relevant to the needs of the children and all other stakeholders and increases sustainability" (UNESCO)
This is quite an interesting website. If you have an opportunity, I would encourage you to take a look at this site, especially the information on Global Action Week!
Blessings!
Susan
References:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/
Friday, April 6, 2012
Resources - Week 6
Hello, all!!
I have been receiving newsletters from NIEER, (www.nieer.org) and it has some valuable information! For this week, however, I found an outside link that caught my attention pretty quickly. The city of Manhattan is considering killing Pre K classes to accommodate waistlined kindergartners. (http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners)
The city is facing the problem of space for kindergartners, but should pre k be eliminated just because there is not enough space for all kindergarten students? I am shocked that the Department of Education in this state is considering getting rid of one program to make room for yet another program! Maybe this would be a time to consider more schools? Below is the link to this full article:
http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail
I would love thoughts on this.......I know it is difficult to obtain adequate funding for building new schools; however, there are many grants and other funding options out there. I believe ALL children deserves an education, starting at the preschool level. I believe it is crucial for children to come to preschool; the social/emotional development is of the utmost importance! Thoughts?? How does this show equity to all children? There are several parents within this article that believes preschool should be eliminated just so their children can attend kindergarten. How is that fair? It seems to me that somehow, funding should be made available to, one, build new schools, or two, find buildings that can be renovated and used as schools.
I believe, since I am an early childhood educator, that all children need to attend formal schooling. I have witnessed the benefits of preschool. Having the social/emotional development is crucial for children to be successful. We are in a world where everything is a team playing position, and we must be able to work as a team, or with a partner. Without that social/emotional development, one will not be successful. I have seen children become better problem solvers, and not always run to me and say, "But I don't know how to do this! or, I can't do this, Mrs. Franklin! It is too hard!" They are now experienced problem solvers, and I will observe them actually solving something on their own without help.
How, then, by removing a preschool program offer any type of equity, or excellence for that matter? If preschool is removed from this state to offer more room for kindergarten, I do not see the fairness in this. As I previously stated, all children should be entitled to an education that offers excellence and fairness.
Please, I welcome any comments you may have! I am truly appalled at this! I truly feel as if the Department of Education could do more for this state, as I have read about the lottery (supposedly) going to the education fund. One person who commented on this article stated it was a "scam." I will definitely follow this story and see where this goes.
There are MANY, MANY resources available on this site. I actually went to another outside source, and there is a blog from the Huffington Post discussing teachers are rarely asked about teaching. I think you will find it interesting. I will copy it below:
From the Huffington Post, by Linda Darling Hammond
American teachers deal with a lot: low pay, growing class sizes and escalating teacher-bashing from politicians and pundits. Federal testing and accountability mandates under No Child Left Behind and, more recently, Race to the Top, have added layers of bureaucracy while eliminating much of the creativity and authentic learning that makes teaching enjoyable. Tack on the recession's massive teacher layoffs and other school cuts, plus the challenges of trying to compensate for increasing child poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and you get a trifecta of disincentives to become, or remain, a teacher.
Indeed, this year's MetLife teacher satisfaction survey, the 28th such assessment of teacher, parent, and student perspectives on how school life is going, shows the impact of these conditions. Teacher job satisfaction has dropped 15 points since 2009, from 59 percent who were very satisfied to 44 percent, the lowest level in over 20 years. The percentage of teachers who say they are likely to leave the profession has increased by 12 points -- from 17 percent to 29 percent -- now nearing a third of all teachers.
Much has changed in those two years; in 2009, the impacts of recession-based cuts had yet to fully hit schools. Larger classes; laid-off colleagues; cuts to libraries, physical education, foreign languages, arts and music; and reductions in supports like health care, counseling, and afterschool programs that help low-income students overcome impediments to effective learning -- all factor into teachers' decisions about whether to stay on the job. Teachers, parents and students surveyed all reported rising levels of economic insecurity, hunger, poor health, homelessness and anxiety over lack of sufficient resources to pay for household basics. In my own region of Northern California, child homelessness has increased by more than 30 percent in the last two years, with some districts seeing more than 1 in 10 of their students without homes.
At the same time, public discussion and policy increasingly place the full weight of these problems on teachers alone. Despite repeated warnings from leading scholars that test-based "value-added" ratings cannot be reliably used to evaluate individual teachers because they reflect home and other school factors as much as the teacher him or herself, more states are urging that they be used to fire and reward teachers. This is particularly problematic given evidence that teachers' ratings decline when they teach the neediest students -- especially new English learners and students with disabilities.
Indeed, New York State's new policy effectively makes continuing to teach contingent on such test-based ratings, and New York City recently insisted on publishing teachers' names alongside their ratings. This created a furor as it became clear that the scores are wildly unstable from year to year and across subjects, are often based on inaccurate data, and appear unrelated to the known successes of good teachers or the failings of poor ones. This is prompting many great teachers to make plans to leave a profession they loveand children who need them.
Bill Gates noted in a recent op-ed in the New York Times that "using employee evaluations to embarrass people," is something a smart firm like Microsoft would never even contemplate, "much less publish in a newspaper." Even if it is legal, he points out, "as a harbinger of education policy in the United States, it is a big mistake," because "the surest way to weaken [systematic teacher development] is to twist it into a capricious exercise in public shaming."
The problem is not only that the ratings are poor measures of actual effectiveness, but that such policies fundamentally misunderstand what drives teachers to improve and to stay in tough jobs. In his recent best-seller Drive, Daniel Pink draws on years of research to confirm that the personal satisfaction of getting the job done right -- in this case, teaching students well -- is at the core of our drive. That's why bonuses handed out to teachers based largely on test scores turn out not to improve achievement and are often resisted by teachers who want support to succeed, not bribes that undermine intrinsic motivation and collaboration.
We have never heard more policy rhetoric about the importance of developing, recruiting, and retaining strong teachers, especially in our most troubled schools. Ironically, our policies have also never done more to ensure that good teachers will have little incentive to serve and stay in those schools. We need to get the incentives right. According to the Met Life survey, that means enacting a Broader Bolder Approach: treating teachers as professionals, providing them with opportunities to learn with one another and improve their practice, ensuring that schools offer decent teaching and learning conditions, and supporting children with the services that enable them to be ready to learn each day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education
Blessings!
Susan
References:
www. nieer.org
http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education
I have been receiving newsletters from NIEER, (www.nieer.org) and it has some valuable information! For this week, however, I found an outside link that caught my attention pretty quickly. The city of Manhattan is considering killing Pre K classes to accommodate waistlined kindergartners. (http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners)
The city is facing the problem of space for kindergartners, but should pre k be eliminated just because there is not enough space for all kindergarten students? I am shocked that the Department of Education in this state is considering getting rid of one program to make room for yet another program! Maybe this would be a time to consider more schools? Below is the link to this full article:
http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail
I would love thoughts on this.......I know it is difficult to obtain adequate funding for building new schools; however, there are many grants and other funding options out there. I believe ALL children deserves an education, starting at the preschool level. I believe it is crucial for children to come to preschool; the social/emotional development is of the utmost importance! Thoughts?? How does this show equity to all children? There are several parents within this article that believes preschool should be eliminated just so their children can attend kindergarten. How is that fair? It seems to me that somehow, funding should be made available to, one, build new schools, or two, find buildings that can be renovated and used as schools.
I believe, since I am an early childhood educator, that all children need to attend formal schooling. I have witnessed the benefits of preschool. Having the social/emotional development is crucial for children to be successful. We are in a world where everything is a team playing position, and we must be able to work as a team, or with a partner. Without that social/emotional development, one will not be successful. I have seen children become better problem solvers, and not always run to me and say, "But I don't know how to do this! or, I can't do this, Mrs. Franklin! It is too hard!" They are now experienced problem solvers, and I will observe them actually solving something on their own without help.
How, then, by removing a preschool program offer any type of equity, or excellence for that matter? If preschool is removed from this state to offer more room for kindergarten, I do not see the fairness in this. As I previously stated, all children should be entitled to an education that offers excellence and fairness.
Please, I welcome any comments you may have! I am truly appalled at this! I truly feel as if the Department of Education could do more for this state, as I have read about the lottery (supposedly) going to the education fund. One person who commented on this article stated it was a "scam." I will definitely follow this story and see where this goes.
There are MANY, MANY resources available on this site. I actually went to another outside source, and there is a blog from the Huffington Post discussing teachers are rarely asked about teaching. I think you will find it interesting. I will copy it below:
Did you ever notice how teachers are rarely asked about teaching?
American teachers deal with a lot: low pay, growing class sizes and escalating teacher-bashing from politicians and pundits. Federal testing and accountability mandates under No Child Left Behind and, more recently, Race to the Top, have added layers of bureaucracy while eliminating much of the creativity and authentic learning that makes teaching enjoyable. Tack on the recession's massive teacher layoffs and other school cuts, plus the challenges of trying to compensate for increasing child poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and you get a trifecta of disincentives to become, or remain, a teacher.
Indeed, this year's MetLife teacher satisfaction survey, the 28th such assessment of teacher, parent, and student perspectives on how school life is going, shows the impact of these conditions. Teacher job satisfaction has dropped 15 points since 2009, from 59 percent who were very satisfied to 44 percent, the lowest level in over 20 years. The percentage of teachers who say they are likely to leave the profession has increased by 12 points -- from 17 percent to 29 percent -- now nearing a third of all teachers.
Much has changed in those two years; in 2009, the impacts of recession-based cuts had yet to fully hit schools. Larger classes; laid-off colleagues; cuts to libraries, physical education, foreign languages, arts and music; and reductions in supports like health care, counseling, and afterschool programs that help low-income students overcome impediments to effective learning -- all factor into teachers' decisions about whether to stay on the job. Teachers, parents and students surveyed all reported rising levels of economic insecurity, hunger, poor health, homelessness and anxiety over lack of sufficient resources to pay for household basics. In my own region of Northern California, child homelessness has increased by more than 30 percent in the last two years, with some districts seeing more than 1 in 10 of their students without homes.
At the same time, public discussion and policy increasingly place the full weight of these problems on teachers alone. Despite repeated warnings from leading scholars that test-based "value-added" ratings cannot be reliably used to evaluate individual teachers because they reflect home and other school factors as much as the teacher him or herself, more states are urging that they be used to fire and reward teachers. This is particularly problematic given evidence that teachers' ratings decline when they teach the neediest students -- especially new English learners and students with disabilities.
Indeed, New York State's new policy effectively makes continuing to teach contingent on such test-based ratings, and New York City recently insisted on publishing teachers' names alongside their ratings. This created a furor as it became clear that the scores are wildly unstable from year to year and across subjects, are often based on inaccurate data, and appear unrelated to the known successes of good teachers or the failings of poor ones. This is prompting many great teachers to make plans to leave a profession they loveand children who need them.
Bill Gates noted in a recent op-ed in the New York Times that "using employee evaluations to embarrass people," is something a smart firm like Microsoft would never even contemplate, "much less publish in a newspaper." Even if it is legal, he points out, "as a harbinger of education policy in the United States, it is a big mistake," because "the surest way to weaken [systematic teacher development] is to twist it into a capricious exercise in public shaming."
The problem is not only that the ratings are poor measures of actual effectiveness, but that such policies fundamentally misunderstand what drives teachers to improve and to stay in tough jobs. In his recent best-seller Drive, Daniel Pink draws on years of research to confirm that the personal satisfaction of getting the job done right -- in this case, teaching students well -- is at the core of our drive. That's why bonuses handed out to teachers based largely on test scores turn out not to improve achievement and are often resisted by teachers who want support to succeed, not bribes that undermine intrinsic motivation and collaboration.
We have never heard more policy rhetoric about the importance of developing, recruiting, and retaining strong teachers, especially in our most troubled schools. Ironically, our policies have also never done more to ensure that good teachers will have little incentive to serve and stay in those schools. We need to get the incentives right. According to the Met Life survey, that means enacting a Broader Bolder Approach: treating teachers as professionals, providing them with opportunities to learn with one another and improve their practice, ensuring that schools offer decent teaching and learning conditions, and supporting children with the services that enable them to be ready to learn each day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education
Blessings!
Susan
References:
www. nieer.org
http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)