BOOST CHILDREN'S LEARNING

I will like to share with the class something I found that interests me while I was reading this week.

My interest, like i shared last week is a search, to know what are best tools to engage when assessing children. I found something on research about the effect of qualitative assessment in young children.

The article is: Baroudi,Z.M (2007) Formative Assessment: Definition, Elements and Role in Instructional Practice. Post Script, (1444-383x), 8 (1), 37-48. Retrieved from Walden University Library

Baroudi,2007 wrote about a research carried out by Butler (1987) who compared the responses of
four groups of Year 6 and 7 students. Three out of the four groups had been given praise, and the fourth group was given no praise at all. Those who had received comments showed the greatest motivation to carry out further tasks in the second lesson even when the later task was tougher.

Based on this effect of Praise feedback on learners, it was discovered and established that feedback can stimulate better performance in lessons. Thus Dweck 2000 carried out a study to check for the quality of feedback in its language that conveyed the feedback. He wanted to see how far a child can go when you offers descriptive information about the work, or performance relative to the intended learning goals. It avoids marks or comments that judge the level of achievement or imply that the learning journey is over” (Chappuis & Chappuis, 2008). 

Further studies revealed that the descriptive language of feedback goes a long way to determine learners’ response behavior. Baroudi (2007) cited Dweck’s (2000) work in a study carried out to check this response in a group of kindergarten children. Two different groups of children after completing a task successfully were given some forms of complements. Some received praise on their personality traits, such as: you are a good boy, I am so proud of you, etc.  Others received praise on their efforts or the process followed that sounded like: you tried hard, could you think of better ways to do it or you found a good way to do it, could you think of other ways that could also work?   Subsequently, these children were faced with a more challenging task, which they found difficult to complete, and the study revealed that those children who were given personality trait praise feedback were more critical of their work, and lacked motivation to carry on in the task. They even rated their intelligence as lower than the other group that received descriptive praise on their work (Baroudi, 2007). 

  CONCLUSION:

In summary, I would like to say that I have learned a great deal about early assessment in these three weeks. My affinity to formative assessment is to employ age appropriate, individually responsive practice as we 

assess young children In a most suitable way. I believe that assessment should do more than judge learners, it should help both teacher and learner improve on learning. It a tasking model to work with and teachers will need to go through mind renewal for teachers who are willing to work. It does not replace summative assessment but can be used to improve the outcome of summative assessment.

My ReSEarcH JouRnEY

"What should children be taught in the years from birth through age 8? How would we know if they are developing well and learning what we want them to learn? And how could we decide whether programs for children from infancy through the primary grades are doing a good job?" NAEYC, 2009

HOW SHOULD WE ASSESS THEIR LEARNING?
My interest for study has been channeled to seeking to know what the best practices are when we assess young children. I have seen young children being taught then, tested periodically and then graded and I have since wanted something more but I've been unskilled and unlearned, so I saw this opportunity and I seized it with lots of zest to be schooled in the principles of sound and appropriate assessment practices.

I work with young children and the field of early childhood like I shared in the last course is yet to have the recognition of the Governments and policy makers as it deserves to enable it thrive and become a full fleshed body having affiliates and investors as it is in some advanced countries. This is the dream that I have for the field of Early Childhood in Nigeria, and lately, there is a faint sound of hope that I hope will grow. Thus, there are no guides, no uniformity, no structure and no regulation as it were. Thriving early childhood programs seek best practices and this is why I want to know about the principles of effective quality assessment in early childhood.

It has been really tedious learning about assessment because its like starting from ABC, as I had no prior  knowledge about anything. So to pick my sub topics got me reading wide to see what kind of assessments are there for me to make a choice of the one I think I would want  to learn more about. My reading led me to make a choice of formative assessment and I have learned a few vital things about how this is a very good practice to employ when working with young children.

The three articles I chose to do my research simulation on had a lot to say about what studies already exists concerning formative assessments. They all shared similar features of what one should look out for in a formative assessment. Their writing styles and focus were all different as I believe that their objectives too were different.
Formative assessment is a systematic process to continuously gather evidence about learning. The data are
used to identify a student’s current level of learning and to adapt lessons to help the student reach the desired
learning goal.  I think this practice is child centered and therefore a good choice when assessing young children as children are able to get involved in their own learning.

Building research competence via the structured chart is a good guide by my opinion because it helps to keep one guided in the midst of the so wide issue of research in which there s a lot to learn.

My reading this week brought me to something I think we should pay closer attention to. One of the authors did say that the field of early childhood needs to pay closer attention to the issue of assessment. She did share that assessment has traditionally not been a focus of preservice and inservice courses. Teachers learn how to teach without learning much about how to assess. Even  their administrators lack training in assessment and therefore do not have the skills to support the development of assessment competencies (Heritage, 2007).

Here are the links to some of the resources I worked with this week.

Chappius, J., & Chappius, S. (2008). The best value in formative assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 14–19.

Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89(2), 140–145.

NAEYC/NAECS/SDE (2009) Where we stand on curriculum assessment and program evaluation .http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/StandCurrAss.pdf

CONSEQUENCES OF MY LEARNING FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

COLLECTIVE GOAL OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD

One collective and common goal I percieve as I read through the lines of the issues and trends related to tyhe field of ECduring this eight weeks is

THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD GLOBALLY, IS INTERESTED IN MAKING CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE QUALITATIVE FOR EVERY CHILD  AND TO DEMONSTRATE  EQUITY IN THE PROCESS OF THIS QUALITY  SERVICE TO FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.

CONSEQUENCES OF MY LEARNING

1.  The global perspective of early childhood studies has afforded me the opportunity to learn that different locations may have their distinctive peculiarities but that generally, similar and same situations face early childhood field, irrespective of the location. A typical example is the issue of poverty. a lot of the issues that trail early childhood revolves around insufficient fund. Hawaii is so plagued with poverty that children of homeless parents take their bath in the school bathroom facility. Poverty in Nigeria makes education inaccessible to lots of young children whose parents are not able to afford to pay for the high cost of preschool and forever, such children have lost that opportunity.

2. With my education, the awareness of the value of the early years has increased and improved. the awareness of professionalism has increased with me and with all who are in my class. Early childhood filed has gained and is gaining more professionals.

3. My immediate community of early childhood, which includes families of children in our care, our workforce and children in our care will gain illumination and feel the impact of what I have learned. Already I have introduced topics like DAP, intentional teacher, language rich environment in the infant and toddler class etc in our PLC class and my early childhood colleagues are always eager to know.

 These past eight weeks have been exciting with new collaborative learning experiences. I usually look forward to our discussion forum and I enjoyed the inputs and the contributions. The blog postings were very enlightening as we saw how much support the filed is blessed with in spite of our many issues.. it is beautiful to be so far apart yet able to rapport together the way we do. One reason we can do this is our common commitment and I honestly salute every one of us. Our common goal is obvious : We seek the best for every child. Our classroom is also peculiar in that it views are global and intended for a global impact.

Thank you, everyone of you contributed and added to me. I sincerely enjoyed this class.

Thanks Jeannie & Stella, your supports in spite of your busy schedule were deeply appreciated. You are both incredible!

All learning without practice will actually not amount to anything. The EC seeks the impact of the much that we have learned, let us begin to contribute in whatever capacity we find our ability. Together, we can make the global early childhood dream of equity and excellence every child's experience.

GETTING TO KNOW MY INTERNATIONAL CONTACT part 3

I feel extremely blessed to have the two professionals I have on board during this course. Their wealth of  experience and knowledge shared with me and in turn the class have definitely added to what we have. Jeannie Farr has shared a lot of insights from Hawaii and Stella Edemekong has made us known what is obtainable from Nigeria. 

Jeannie and Her very strong support

Jeannie Farr shares her aspiration from Hawaii:    

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed in Hawaii ?

 There is great need for funding and training in my area.  Currently there is focus on sustainability.  Hawaii has begun to focus on building a strong infrastructure, investing in a data system and research to support a comprehensive early childhood system.  They are also working on embedding prekindergarten into the school funding formula to increase and support quality and access to those services.  Hawaii is also working towards creating a greater flexibility of funding streams to support seamless services by blending federal and state funding.  With these plans comes a need for efficiency, which is another area of focus, reducing administrative costs and ensuring equitable distribution of programs and services. 

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

Currently in my area we just opened the Center for Early Education and Development, a grant funded Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) to provide education and training to early educators utilizing advanced technology, it now serves as a community hub as part of the new early learning system being designed by the state.  The center provides opportunities for educators to improve their levels of education and offers job-embedded training that relates to best practices in the field of early education.  The CEED provides national resources and technology to assist early educators in expanding their knowledge and expertise in providing quality learning opportunities for children.  CEED is the only facility in the islands that is specifically designed for early education.  It provides technology such as closed-circuit demonstration observing and coaching, video conferencing, web-based course/resources to ensure instructional opportunities are available for working professionals.  A demonstration Pre-K Classroom, located on the first floor of the facility, is designed to enable student teachers and researchers, whether located on campus or on a neighbor island, to observe best practices in action. The classroom was designed to support job-embedded professional development for future teachers. At the same time, the classroom provides learning experiences for up to 24 pre-kindergarten students.  The Adult Training Room upstairs has a large meeting space that can be divided into two smaller rooms to suit program and community.

What are some of your professional goals? 

My current goal is to complete my Masters in Early Childhood Studies with a Specialization in Administration, Management, and Leadership.  I hope to become a Director of a program and in the near future an Instructor at a nearby Community College, impressing upon Adult Learners my love for Early Childhood Education.

What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges? 

My hope for Early Childhood is equity for children, families, and professionals.   It is time that the field be recognized as a Profession, and Early Educators as a Specialized field of Educators.  My hope is that we can learn, teach, and play on equal playing fields as our education counterparts.  It is my dream to have funding that exceeds our need and quality infrastructure. 

 

SHARING WEB RESOURCE

A CALL FOR EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

I came across this NAEYC published article which promotes accessibility, excellence and equity in early childhood. There are two important factors to note: There is a growing demand for early childhood education and care, owing to economic reasons. There is also a growing awareness of the importance of early learning. These reasons put a high demand on child care.

             The EARLY YEARS ARE LEARNING YEARS,
             EARLY CARE IS (and must be), Education. Ginsberg (2008)
                                                          

This is a wake up call to close the gap between what we know and what we practice. The Importance of the early years calls for commitment from professionals, communities, state and nations. I think it has gone beyond the primary family's responsibility. Like the African proverb says, a child is born for the whole community to nurture. Our Knowledge is gathering and and increasing, but our action needs to also increase so that our knowledge can be justified.

Young children are born learners. Although individual differences are present at birth, most set out to explore their world with unbridled eagerness and curiosity. Perhaps, more than any other time of life, early childhood is a period of never ending possibilities. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2008)

To maximise this opportunity and to promote equity, We can invest now in our children and families and enjoy long-term savings, with a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children and more stable families. Or, we can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children. Federal, state and local government, communities, parents, and the private sector must share in the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of children and families (NAEYC)

.NAEYC offers six points that can take us to the point that we need to get to. they believe

That all young children deserve excellent early care and education

That high quality early experiences make a difference in children’s lifelong academic and social success

 That these programs must be accessible to all families

That early childhood professionals must have excellent preparation, ongoing professional development, and compensation commensurate with their qualifications and experience 

That effective early education must be both challenging and appropriate to young children’s ages, individual needs, and culture 

That everyone needs to work together to build a successful future for our youngest children  

One of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is access to quality child care in the early years. This will bring us to the place of equity. Lack of access to quality programs will generate inequity both in the short and in the long term. 


THE SEED OF SUCCESS IS SOWN EARLY_  Ginsber,  (2008)


 A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education | National ...
http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence
National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC .... must be guided of principles of Excellence, Access, Equity, Diversity, and Accountability.


 Mark R Ginsberg 2008,
 ginsberg_ppt.ppt


 

Gettin to Know My International contacts. Part 2

My international professional contacts have been very helpful. This week, my Hawaii contact has responded but I suspect my Nigerian contact is unable to attend to her messages because unlike her, I still have no response from Stella. 

 

These are some of Jeannie's view from Hawaii:

The greatest challenge facing early education in Jeannie's area is funding.  There is a great need to raise public awareness of how quality early learning services and programs can make a difference for young children, especially those at-risk, their families, and their communities and I could not agree with you more

Another step is providing information to parents and the political, business, and civic leaders across my state regarding funding and early education to encourage them to make informed decisions in support of children especially the way we invest our public resources. 

Here are some current statistics

ONLY 1 out of 5 kindergarten classes have the majority of their students entering school with essential reading and math skills.

LESS THAN ½ of Hawai‘i’s public school kindergarten students attend preschool before starting school (2011).

A child is born into poverty every 5 hours.

1 out of 3 children are not reading at 3rd grade level.

A child is abused or neglected every 4 hours.

A child dies before his or her 1st birthday every 3 days.

We can do better with spending

Every $1 spent on quality early childhood services in Hawai‘i produces $4.20 return on investment in reduced spending on social welfare services.

Early identification of special needs can save schools more than 50% per child, saving taxpayer dollars.

Where tax dollars are currently spent

Hawai‘i currently dedicates less than 3% of its resources to young children and their families.

The state spends almost $40,000 on prisoners, just over $11,000 on children in school and much less for children under the age of five.

Overall, I feel that funding can further support early childhood in developing well qualified teachers, compensating well qualified teachers who are then capable of meeting standards through developmentally appropriate practices.  Funding further supports the school readiness gap through support of infrastructure.  Here locally many families opt out of paying for preschool as they cannot afford it and instead elect to have family members care for their children.  Child care subsidies are available in my state however you must qualify by income and must be employed.  Many who do not have jobs find it hard to find gainful employment without guaranteed childcare.  Also, as your pay increase you risk losing childcare and therefore, eventually you could lose your job for lack of childcare.  So , many young children are being cared for by grandparents here.  Head Start provides free half day preschool programs for those families who qualify.  Again, middle income families do not qualify and with the high cost of living here often times find themselves sacrificing preschool for rent or car payment.

My Views:  

 More money is put into prisons than into schools. We are going to build a lot more prisons if we do not deal with the schools and their inequalities.  —Jonathan Kozol, American educator and activist

It is so sad that children who ought to be our pride and hope are this marginalized.

I would vote for more children and raise my voice to speak on their behalf as much as lies in my power.  The field needs to enlighten the professionals on how to do advocacy with results.

I used to think that poverty was a third world's business. Right now, I see that collectively we need to fight poverty because it is the remote cause of eery inequity.