...An Investigation of How Culture Shapes Curriculum in Early Care and Education Programs on a Native American Indian Reservation ‘‘The drum is considered the heartbeat of the community’’ Jennifer L. Gilliard1,3 and Rita A. Moore2 This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in three early care and education programs on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed by the following research question: How does the culture of the family and community shape curriculum? Data analysis suggested that ongoing communication with parents and community about teaching within a culturally relevant context, building a sense of belongingness and community through ritual, and respecting children, families, and community were essential to defining the Native American Indian culture within these early learning programs. KEY WORDS: culture; in; tribal; early; education; programs. INTRODUCTION Instruction informed by children’s home and community culture is critical to supporting a sense of belongingness that ultimately impacts academic achievement (Banks, 2002; Osterman, 2000). American school populations are increasingly diversified with immigrants and English language learners; but American teachers are over 90% European American (Nieto, 2000). Educators who are from different cultural perspectives than those present in the families and communities of the children they...
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...Job Advertisement…………………………………..….. Pg 7 Candidate Selection………….…………………….…... Pg 9 Maximizing Candidate Success………….…………… Pg 11 Conclusion……………………………………………..… Pg 15 References…………………………………………..…... Pg 16 Appendix………………………………….…………….... Pg 18 Executive Summary The quest is on for the replacement of Mrs. McBaine, Twinkletoes Early Childhood Centre’s Director for the past 14 years. She has manifested her intention to migrate to another country, thus leaving her post vacant. This paper analyzes her Director position and presents a recruitment process adapted from Pilbeam & Corbridge (2006). Upon learning of the director’s job description and required qualifications of candidates interested in taking over her position, a job advertisement is created to attract qualified candidates. They are thoroughly screened if they have the right educational qualifications and work experience. These do not necessarily have to match Mrs. McBaine’s education and work experience because her credentials as the centre’s pioneering director and teacher are unmatched. Shortlisted candidates go through the selection process of testing and interviews until the most qualified and most...
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...computers and other forms of technology have no place in the curriculum; whereas, the validity that teachers whom have incorporated it within the classroom feel it has enhanced the learning environment and overall, the students have developmentally progressed through documented developmental milestones at a faster rate than without the engagement of technology involved. Young children can be marked through developmental milestones; there are a known sequence of landmarks documented from childhood researchers and theorists. Exposure to certain disruption or not being correctly exposed to the applicable ideally guided assistance can prohibit these events from occurring (Feeney, et al, 2010). Technology exposure is inevitable though, especially within this twenty-first century. In addition to the introduction and development of literacy and numeracy skills and a strong emphasis on the shaping and improving of fine and gross motor skills, interaction and socialization are also key components to a successful Early Childhood Program. When exposing children to technology appropriately, it should not hinder their development and be coherent to developmental stage (2010). “Computers, [should only] supplement but cannot replace the traditional play materials and activities of the early childhood environment” (p. 270). When implementing computer based activities in the early childhood...
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...……………………………………………………………..….. v Abstract ………………………………………………...………………………...vi Acronyms………………………………………………………….…………… vii CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study..…………………………………………………….1 1.2 Statement of the problem.………………………………………….………….5 1.3 Purpose of the study…….…………………………………….……………….6 1.4 Objectives of the study………………………………………………………...6 1.5 Research Questions…….……………………………………………………...7 1.6 Significance of the study.…………………………………………………..….7 1.7 Scope of the study….……………………………………………………..…...8 1.8 Limitations of the study..……………………………………………………...8 1.9 Definition of Terms ……………………………………………….……….....9 1.10 Organization of the study ……………………………….……………….…10 vi CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Historical Development of Early Childhood Care & Education in Kenya……………………………………………………………………...17 2.2 Importance in ECE…………………………………………………...……..19 2.3Factors Causing Low Enrolment in ECE………………………….…….. 20 2.3.1 Poverty.…………………………………………………………….…..... 20 2.3.2 Education Levels of Parents….………...………………………….….…. 22 2.3.4 HIV/AID Concerns…………………………………………………….….24 2.3.5 Curriculum…………………………………………………………….…. 25 2.4 Registration and Policies for ECD……………………….………………… 28 2.5 Financing of...
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...arts Play and creative arts are important aspects of children’s learning that are being used in kindergartens. This action research project explores the using of play and creative arts in a kindergarten classroom. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and analyze how play and creative arts activities enhance and support children’s learning in literacy and numeracy lessons. Qualitative methods were used to gain data that reflect on the implementation of play and creative arts strategies and activities in teaching and the interpretation collected from participants. The three types of tools that used to collect data are observations, interviews and a reflective journal to ensure validity of results. After analyzing the data, two interrelated themes emerged. The first theme highlights the benefits of play and creative arts in early childhood. The second theme shows the benefits of using them can support literacy and numeracy development. Consequently play and creative arts seems to promote development in children’s learning processes and they also offer the learners’ confidence in their learning. To conclude, this study shows that play and creative arts may have positive effect in improving the children’s overall performance and attitudes. Play and creative arts are important aspects of children’s learning that are being used in kindergartens. This action research project explores the using of play and creative arts in a kindergarten classroom. The purpose of this study is...
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...EFFECTS OF EVALUATION AND MONITORING OF ECDE PROGRAMMES ON PERFORMANCE OF ECDE CHILDREN IN KIPLOBOTWO ZONE, LONGISA DIVISION, BOMET COUNTY. PRESENTED BY CHEROTICH NAOMI INDEX NO. 50802011 A Research project Report submitted to Kenya National Examination Council in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education of Longisa ECDE Teachers Training College. November 2011 DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION DECLARATION This research project is my original work and has not been present for the award of diploma in this or any other college. Signature_______________________ Date_______________________ Name: Cherotich Naomi Index No. 50802011 RECOMMENDATION This research project has been submitted with the approval of college supervisor. Signature________________________ Date________________________ Name: Mrs Lena Rono DEDICATION Dedicated to my beloved husband, Tim, Max, Mom and Dad, and anyone else who baby-sat for me so that I could go to college and write this research. Thanks to Mary, Lilian, Jacob, Christine and Anne. Thanks to Joseph for reading my research and urging me on. Thanks also to my editors, Winnie and Norah. Thank you Mum and Dad again for supporting me. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would wish to express my sincere gratitude to our Almighty...
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...Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings: Best Evidence Synthesis July 2003 Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings: Best Evidence Synthesis October 2003 This report is one of a series of best evidence syntheses commissioned by the Ministry of Education. It is part of a commitment to strengthen the evidence base that informs education policy and practice in New Zealand. It aims to contribute to an ongoing evidence-based discourse amongst policy makers, educators and researchers. The best evidence synthesis approach is being developed in collaboration with researchers. It draws together in a systematic way the available evidence about what works to improve education outcomes, and what can make a bigger difference for the education of all our children and young people. Prepared for the Ministry of Education Authors Linda Mitchell and Pam Cubey Copyright © Ministry of Education PO Box 1666 Wellington ISBN 0-478-18773-4 Web ISBN ISBN 0-478-18774-2 www.minedu.govt.nz Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings Best Evidence Synthesis Report prepared for the New Zealand Ministry of Education Linda Mitchell and Pam Cubey July 2003 New Zealand Council for Educational Research P O Box 3237 ...
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...This essay will aim to look at how curriculum and assessment are being operated in two different early years settings. The settings under examination are 3-5 year olds and 5-8 year olds. We will start with the definitions of curriculum and assessment and the relationships between them. After that, I will explore similarities and differences between approaches to curriculum and assessment in the two settings. Curriculum is an integrated system drawing together every element for learning and teaching, including learning outcomes, learning areas, teaching strategies, evaluation and assessment to help with children’s learning progression (MacLachlan, Fleer& Edwards, 2010). Curriculum refers to “all the experiences, activities and events, whether direct or indirect, which occur within an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development” (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 1996). Early childhood educators regard ‘the curriculum’ as a guidance of learning instructions and assessment (Baxter, 2012). A good curriculum can offer the expert guidance, evidence of effectiveness and flexibility. It enables early childhood educators to draw upon a comprehensive view of early years education linked to their own observations and experiences; therefore educators set up and modify learning programs accordingly and timely (Early Childhood Australia, 2013). Assessment can be described as the process of finding out what children know, understand...
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...includes the following communities: Indianola, Moorhead, Inverness, Sunflower, Drew, Ruleville, and Doddsville. The school district has approximately 120 teachers who are serving 4200 students on a daily basis. The district is designed to promote students to achieve, develop leadership, impact the lives of students, empower their staff, and engage the community. Within the school district, the emotional intelligence that the employees need to consider is relationship management with building cultural diversity among...
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...at the new benchmark levels set by our district through Common Core has become increasingly difficult. In this article, the teacher researchers found that many kindergarten and first-grade students did not have the reading readiness skills to be reading at their benchmark target. The purpose of the project was to improve the students overall reading ability. The project was for about four months. There were 74 students and 74 parents that participated in this research study. The teacher researchers noticed that the students lacked reading readiness skills that were necessary to meet grade level benchmarks. The teacher researchers used a parent survey, baseline assessments, and observational checklist to document evidence. The teacher researchers found from the parent survey that students who lacked interest in books and reading them demonstrated low reading readiness skills. The baseline assessment the students took showed an overall weakness in letter identification, initial sounds, medial sounds, and ending sounds. The observational checklist indicated difficulty with segmenting sounds, letter sound knowledge, inability to rhyme, decoding difficulties and reading miscues, poor comprehension, lack of interest in books, lack of print awareness skills, poor attentions spans, lack of response during whole group instruction, and off-task behaviors. The teacher researchers used a variety of interventions to improve their students overall reading skills. These interventions included...
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...Abstract Researchers seek to gain understanding of phenomenon through observations and interviews in a given setting - and in the analysis to faithfully communicate to others the results of their study. The key is for the researcher to present the understanding from the participants’ perspective and not the researchers. The researcher can also employ outside methods to validate information. All ethical guidelines are applied in the process and participants were made aware of the study. The important ideas of research design and approach were applied in developing and performing the research. Data collection methods that are valid and reliable were applied in the study. Research Simulation - How do fostering physical activities in children relate to child outcomes including family attachment, physical fitness level and obesity, social skills and effectiveness overtime? This research study simulation is on the effects of fostering physical activities in children and the effects in outcomes overtime. The overall topic is on enhancing physical opportunities for children at the school, home and the outdoors in a structured manner. Introducing the physical activity habits at early ages will increase the possibility of continued physical activity in all stages of life resulting in increased lifelong health benefits. The goal is to establish the existence of a relationship between physical activity and the overall well being of the child later in all aspects of life. ...
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...Administrative Interview Donna Kapoi HCS/335 August 29, 2015 William Bross Administrative Interview The person that I interviewed was my center director, Susan Lynn Rosaldo, she began her career in the Early Childhood Field on September 24, 1986 as an Associate Teacher. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Management and is a proud graduate of University of Phoenix, Hawaii campus, on 2005. She slowly got promoted in April 1989 as a Lead Teacher teaching children ages 2 to 5 years of age. In January 2001, she highly got promoted as Preschool Center Director for the site of Kama’aina Kids Waipahu. As a preschool center director, her position with Kama’aina Kids involved maintaining the Health and Safety of children at all times, while overseeing the operations to include, fiscal management, communicating with “The Department of Human Services, Licensing Division, supervising, mentoring and coaching staff to ensure that they are following the set guidelines to provide a well-rounded, aged-appropriate curriculum which supports each individual child’s growth and development which relates to social, emotional, physical, cognitive, language, and creative development. Kama’aina Kids is a non-profit organization. All employees, managers, center directors, and so forth highly follows the mission and vision statement which is to serve children, families and our communities by providing ongoing quality education and enrichment programs to help build a sense of...
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...Brittany Mobley Ms. Amy Warren ENGL 1101 20 March 2012 My college major and why writing about this topic will be beneficial to me: My major is Early Childhood Education. After I graduate I want to eventually open my own daycare center but before that I will probably get some teaching done first. Researching about the most effective teaching methods will help me run a more beneficial daycare center in the future. My purpose: The purpose of my final research paper is to educate my audience of what the most effective teaching method(s) are. I want my reader to know what the benefits are for children whose daycare teachers use the Montessori teaching method. I will prove to them that the Montessori teaching methods are very beneficial to infant-toddler and primary students and that it should be one of the leading methods used. My working thesis and any assumptions: Childcare providers for children ages 0-4 should follow the Montessori teaching method because teaching methods used in children’s early ages has a long term impact on them. My approach to the subject of my paper: In the structure of my paper I will first define what a childcare/daycare is, what is actually considered to be a daycare. After I will tell about different types of teaching methods used and what some outcomes from previous studies have shown about different ones. I will then prove why the Montessori teaching method is the best one to use for children ages 0-4 and show the benefits that children will have...
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...Running head: Administrator and Teacher Interview Administrator and Teacher Interview Administration and Teacher Interview I remember sitting in the Principles Office one day during recess unsure of why she would want to meet with me. My knees were knocking, my palms were damp, and you could sense the amount of fear that was present in my body. As Ms. Bagakowski called me into her office she reassured me that this was a friendly visit and not one of discipline. She wanted to ask if I would be okay with moving into a different class because I was struggling in my current class. As I look back now on the experience I understand more of the reasons behind the switch and I also understand the role that both my Teacher and the Principle play in the school. The assignment this week was to interview both an Administrator and a Teacher and compare and contract their roles in the education system. I like that you used a personal example. When I went into Ms. Vance’s office I was quickly reminded of the fear I felt waiting for Ms. Bagakowski. Ms. Vance is the Director for Madison Christian Children’s Center in Phoenix, Arizona. As I began the interview Ms. Vance expressed her passion for children and how she became the director of Madison Christian Children’s Center. It wasn’t until she was mother that she really found her true calling to be a Teacher. She ran her own daycare from him and after her children were old enough to attend Preschool she went to work...
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...Acknowledgements This report would not have been possible without the support of two research assistants, Caroline Scott and Karin Barty. We thank them for their enthusiasm for the project and the many hours they spent searching the literature. The Early Childhood Education Research Team would also like to acknowledge the parents, primary school teachers, school principals, early childhood professionals and other support staff who were willing to provide their views on what they considered to be a successful transition to school. A very special thank you to the kindergarten teachers who, at the time, were very busy writing Transition Learning and Development Statements yet somehow put time aside to answer our questions. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the support and colleagueship provided by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, especially Pippa Procter, Gina Suntesic and Karen Weston. This has been an interesting and stimulating project for us all. The Early Childhood Education Research Team Victoria University December, 2009 Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction • Background • Purpose Methodology • Literature Review • Participants • Data Collection • Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework (Victorian Framework) • Outcomes • Indicators • Measures • Tables Outcomes & Indicators of a Positive Start to School • For Children • For Families • For Educators • Table 1: Outcomes & indicators of a positive start to school...
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