You do not fit the child into the theory
The word theory has its roots in ancient Greek, basically meaning a view, a notion or contemplation. In the domain of early childhood education, theories are the overarching ideas that influence our pedagogical practices, and each theory or theorist has a perspective that has generally evolved over long periods of time. Iterative in nature, theories are often contributed to and...
Welcoming New Families to Your Service
Welcoming New Families to Your Learning Service Choosing an early childhood service is a significant decision for most parents of young children. Having strategies to make new families feel welcome and included is so important. Here are some tried and tested suggestions to help a new child and their family feel a sense of belonging in your learning service: Keep in...
Leading Children in Practicing Citizenship
A teacher’s governing role serves as the foundation of their student’s experimental learning in the room. Styles can range from traditional authority, which is about obeying and not questioning rules. It can be adult-driven rather than child-centred. Democratic leadership involves participation, respects its students’ opinions, increases cooperation and gives instruction only after consulting with the group. You may find that...
Technology is a gamechanger at Central Michigan learning lab
Mount Pleasant in Central Michigan is home to one of the state’s largest universities. Central Michigan University, with 20,000 students, almost double the population of the city and is known as a “college town”. From its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the university now offers programs ranging from health and science, engineering, business and communications, and technology. The student and...
What does it mean to be a Reggio Emilia inspired early learning service?
What does it mean to be a Reggio Emilia inspired early learning service? You do not need to look hard to find early learning services aligning their programs and practices with the Reggio Emilia educational project. Early learning services often describe themselves as ‘Reggio inspired’ while others may recruit for educators that demonstrate an understanding of the ‘Reggio approach.’ It...
Communicating the Benefits of Art Therapy
Veronica Bestall has a vision. A vision to create more awareness of the benefits Art Therapy provides for understanding emotions, being fully self-expressed, processing grief and trauma and developing healthy social skills. Storypark is helping her do this. Veronica shared with us how she is using Storypark to support children with ASD and anxiety who attend art therapy sessions at...
Ministories – A way of making visible context, strategy and assessment
The rapid expansion of technology in everyday life has meant that the tools available to early childhood educators to use in pedagogical documentation are many. The early childhood sector has responded enthusiastically to their arrival and a lot of documentation in children’s programs reflects some use of technology. This makes sense. Photographs and visual artefacts can be gathered over a...
The digital space as a Piazza of participation
What is in your head? What is in my head? What is the gap in between? Digital software for use in early learning environments has transformed the way that information about children and programs is generated, documented and distributed. Advantages that are proffered with these types of technologies are that they provide to educators and families increased flexibility, greater...
Storywriting with intention
Come on a journey with me through time. Watch with me the growth of a flower, the wind in the trees, the chirping of the bird known to take haven in the shelter across the playground. Come on a journey with me as we capture the aesthetics of the natural environment that intrigues you so, bundling this up digitally in...
Translating pedagogy into practice
Indulge for a minute on your image of the child. As you are capturing the delight in their smile through a photograph; watching them as they stand back and look at the amazing play dough creation that they have just constructed. For a moment there are mixed feelings arising because you (the educator) are the person who gets to witness...