As you look back over this summer semester, what do you consider the most important part of program planning in light of child development? For example, if you were to teach at a particular program, what is the number one quality it would need? You can pick a model we studied or a characteristic.
As well, most of the presentation tonight discussed active children, how would you plan for that in your program? Use your child and your experiences with the portfolio to support your conclusions.
34 comments:
I think that the most important part of planning a program is to consider the child. One size does not fit all. Programs that are implimented in early childhood centers should be flexible and allow the teacher the ability to modify when necessary to meet student needs. I also think that a student centered program is one of the best choices. This allows the teacher to feed off of what students are interested in and ready for.
I believe that the most important part of program planning is being flexible. It is great to have a plan and try to stick with it as much as possible, but we know how random children truely are. We all know that children develop at different ages and stages. NO two children are the same and all child development majors or those working with children should always remember that. If I were to pick a program the quality I would look for would be repect for my child and love. Without these two factors the child cannot be comfortable and we willing to learn.
All children are active. In one way shape or form they all are. It is important that teachers have multiple, on-the- go activities that can keee the children busy. It is important to keep the children active. Most importantly, we should allow children to make their own choices. Active or not, the teacher should have multiple activies to allow to children to have options and to explore. With Walker, he was a good kid when he was busy. It was not until he got bored or had nothing to do is when the behaviorial issues emerged.
Ashley Mooneyham
I agree with Ashley when she said it is important to be flexible. Every child is interested in different things and may not always comply to what is planned for the whole group. I think it is important for the teacher to learn about each child as an individual. A teacher must respect the child's home life and culture and know what may be appropriate for each child. The center I observed in allowed each child to pick their activites. They did have some small group activites, but for the most part they were free to go to any center.
I also never witnessed my class get outside. I know that they had gone out for splash day once, but I am not sure how often they got to get out on the playground. This is important for active children ebcause it allows them to run around and be creative outside. I also think that when there is down-time for the overly active kids there needs to be transition activites like Jennifer had discussed.
I completely agree with Mollie. It is very important for teachers to establish the personal connection with each child. It is important that each child feels loved and cared for. They each should be respected for who they are and where they come from. The teachers hould really try to be in tune with their home life as well. I think that how the child is at home and the home situation really has an effect on the child and how they learn.
I also completely agree with outside time. It is so hard in Texas because of temperatures and heat indexes are so high. However, at the center were I was previously employeed, we had an indoor playroom. Although it was not as fun as outside, it was still a great place were active children can really release that built up tension. However, it is still really important that we keep these kids active!
Ashley Mooneyham
I believe that all the models though had different aspects about them, had a common thread to each of consistency and routine. I feel that along with the love and respect, you must have a routine and consistency for the children to feel secure in their environment. Children who know what to expect are usually calmer. For the active child in a classroom, if at all possible take them outside to run off the energy. Inside the classroom the curriculum should be set up where the students are able to move about, doing a lot of hands on in all subjects, communicating with other students to release some of the energy. I personally don’t care if a child sits in a desk, on the floor or in the hall as long as they aren’t keeping others from doing their work and they are doing their work.
I know I've said this in class, but I don't think any one plan is superior to any other. I think all of the ones we studied have the best interests of the children as the focus and all use DAP practices. That being said, if I had unlimited funds, I would love to put my children in either a Montessori class or High Scope class. I would also want the teacher to child ratio to be in the favor of the child.....say 5 children to 1 teacher. I also think it is imperative that the main teacher in the class be a certified teacher, not just someone with experience watching children. I might be biased about this part, but I know personally I have learned so much about child development through my degree that you don't learn from just having experience with children.
To take into account that most children are active, I would have activities that require movement every hour. I've also seen teachers use "shake breaks" in the classroom and have the kids dance around to fun music when test taking to get the blood flowing in their bodies and give their minds a break. The bottom line for me in education is that children need to be treated as such, and not like small adults. They need every chance to learn hands on and to explore subjects that interest them. Children also need to use their large muscles throughout the day, not just during gym and recess.
I have enjoyed learning about the different models this summer and think that all of them have different strengths to offer, all dependent upon what the individual children in our care will need.
I have to say the ECI method has the most impact on the field I will be working in, which it OT. I will be the caregiver of many children with special needs, especially in the first years of life. I will be able to effectively use this method every day with the child or children I am entrusted to care for.
I believe the High Scope method would be most useful for the young man I observed, Landen. Landen works very well when he is interested in the activity he is participating in and especially if he has chosen that activity. I think it could help focus his energy in a positive direction and give his future teacher great insight into his true ability.
I am looking forward to reading more responses....
In my opinion, the most important part if program planning is having DAP for a program, and being flexible in the any curriculum and program. Each child has a different style of learning. A teacher must individualize a program to fit a child’s learning style if needed. As Chandler stated the program must consider the child, and alter when necessary.
For the child in my portfolio, I would change my program to help develop social skills and incorporate emotional development. Those are skills that are needed in the everyday world.
I agree with Barbara when she said she liked the Montessori method. I found it so interesting to see the different ways a child can learn, even if they don't know they are. I did not get the oppurtunity to go to Montessori school because of where I lived when I was younger, but my brother did and he definitly had a different outcome then I did. I know that this would not be the same for every child, because each child has different needs. I just find that learning at your own pace is a very important characteristic. It also seemed that at Montessori school the younger children may be able to learn from the older children, this could be a plus also. I feel that parents really need to do some research before deciding what school/learning method is the best for their child. This could really benefit the child in the long run!
One of the most important characteristics, in my opinon, would be to let the children decide what they want to do. If the children are not interested in what they are doing then they will not learn anything because all they are going to do would be to hurry through the activity. When the children are able to choose their own activities and what they get to learn about they are more interested and will pay attention to what is going on.
Active children is something that every teacher is going to have to deal with at some point. They just need to figure out what keeps that child interested in what is going on. Talking with the parents is also a good idea because you can get a better idea of how they are at home.
I agree with Jennifer, we need to always talk with the parents to see if the child’s behavior at home is the same or different then at school. Working together will help the situation, whether it is activity levels we are concerned about or something else. As teachers we sometimes must redirect the physical activity of child, so not to hurt themselves or others. These are the children who truly need the hands-on physical movement learning style given to them. An example could be to teach the alphabet letters for recognition, place the letters on the floor about a one foot square each and have the student hop to each letter and say the name, tracing the letter as they say the name.
I agree as well that one "size" does not fit all. I didn't even realize all of the options I had for my girls. If I'd had known I probably would have put them in a different program that offered them more. With that said planning is very important but with children you will never follow your plan 100%. Teachers have to be flexible and always have a back up plan as well. That is the great thing about teaching, it's never predictable. Kids should be in a loving, nurturing environment that offers them choices and celebrates their differences. School is so different now than when I was a kid and if anything I am glad programs and classrooms are more child centered and not as much teacher directed now.
I have appreciated reading the comments so far. I noticed the other night that a majority of the presentations mentioned the teacher being unable or unwilling to offer challenges to some children who were apparently ready to move to the next level. I think children are much more capable than we give them credit for and we have to be willing to move at their pace as caregivers. It takes being sensitive to the needs of each child and making sure each child feels successful, no matter what method is used or not used.
Thinking back on everything we have learned, I have to say that to me; the most important factors of program planning that could truly make a difference in a child care program are: knowledge, willingness, and love. I firmly believe that knowing and understanding about how children develop, gives teachers, caregivers, and others the opportunity to offer children better teaching experiences and a better future. Knowing about how children develop help people to see and understand about the different needs and the uniqueness of each child. When understanding that each child is different, then I think, that individuals are more open to see that what works for one child does not means that it would work with others. This would take individuals to another level in which they would need to invest their time in learning about different models, guidance strategies, teaching strategies, and many other things that only someone who has an special love for children and is willing to put the effort can do it. When all this elements are put together, then I think that a person would be more ready and able to provide the children a good childcare service. A Program to me is only as good as the persons who work in the program. Someone could have design the best program ever using DAP, and other great things but if the people who work there don’t have the knowledge about why this factors are necessary and can’t offer children love, patience, consistency, and other elements, then the program wont work. As for the second question, I think that it is important to understand that children are active learners and that any second of their days is crucial for their development. Children have their needs and one of them is the need to go outside and explore, and play. I think I would definitely plan for more outside time and if weather does not allows it, then I would need to plan for activities that would allow children used their energy in appropriate ways.
I wanted to say that I enjoyed reading all comments and I think all of you have posted great answers. I can agree with many statements but I wanted to say to Chandler Gonzales that I support 100%her statement about the centers needing to be more flexible and allow the teachers to modify curriculum when necessary to meet the needs of the students.
Lorie also talked about consistency and routine...This is truly a very important factor.
Ashley talked about having a connection with the child, a good relationship...this also its a very important factor, especilly if for some reason or another the school setting might be the only place where the child gets that close relationship with someone. I think this need of security, love, acceptance, etc its the foundation for the learning of a child.
I believe that really active children also need as much play time outside as possible to play and explore. A lot of these kids need one on one attention and just aren't always going to get it in a daycare/pre-school setting. For one thing I think the teacher/student ratio is too high. I believe that is true for elementary school too. I think that is why I really like the Montessori approach because the kids have lots of choices and they are allowed to work on an activity as long as they like and they are hands-on activities. The daycare I observed at did not offer the little boy I observed many options. There just wasn't any real centers, his only choice was to play with the same worn out toys everyday. I even asked them if they took toy donations because I felt sorry for the kids. It just made me sad to watch those kids in that plain room with white walls and hardly anything on the walls to look at. They could see the playground from their room window and they always watched the other kids play. I know the teachers can only work with what they have but as a teacher I would want more for those kids. How can you really find out what kids are interested in if you don't give them lots of choices and great centers to participate in.
Most of our comments always talk about how important it is for the children to be challenged and the teachers inability to do so. I know that it is difficult for teachers to pay attention to each children needs and work with their strengths but any effort is a good effort. As many of the comments have mentioned, over active children need special attention and alot of outside play time. Living in Texas makes this task difficult because the summers can be so hot but the teachers need to figure out another way to have the children work off some of their energy. For the most part, teachers are doing their best with what they have to work with but a little more attention to certain children could make a world of difference.
i think the most important part of program planning is considering the child and being flexable. all children are different and you have to be flexable so you can change plans or modify it according to an individual child. there is always going to be that one kid that on the day you learn about monkeys, he is deathly afraid of monkeys! then you are going to have to be flexable and consider the child when changing plans. if i were to teach at a program, i think the one quality it would need is flexability.
All of the posts made me think of one of the damaging effects of NCLB.....the shortening of the amount of physical education. A few people have mentioned the importance of kids burning off energy, but when there is such a focus on not "wasting" time on the arts and recreation, there doesn't seem to be a place for physical activity in school anymore. I've heard of some school districts of limiting PE to once a week!! When I was in school, it was everyday, no exceptions unless you were sick or injured. I know I'm going off on a tangent here, but I think this trend to cut PE time might even be related to an increase in misbehavior and possibly ADD/ADHD incidents.
While we have learned so much from the theorists, and how to better plan curriculum and scheduling...I also think there needs to be a "getting back to the basics" in education where kids can be kids and the focus isn't just on education but overall health, socialization, and fun!!!
Most children are going to be active it is part of growing up and is a natural part of being a kid. In a program I would plan for all children because all children are active at some point. I agree with lorie whith her idea to learn and be active. If the school takes away pe time or recess I would think of plans to go outside and learn. that way the children have time to go outside and learn and run. One idea would be to learn about something outside, such as leaves, then I would have the children run to a tree and pick some leaves then run back. Leaves arent the only thing to study outside and i would keep doing different objects outside so they can get out and run off some energy.
I think that the most important part of program planning is to consider what is interesting to the children. Children are going to retain more information if the subject is meaningful to them and if they are interested in what is being taught. Whenever activities are fun and engaging and incorportate material which is intereting ot the children the quality of the program increases. Several different models included teaching what is interesting to the children and therefore covering this type of material would fit into various models of teaching.
Active children are another aspect of planning which must be considered. These children need several different activities to work on, and activities which are hands-on and include movement or something fun and interesting. Some of the observations from my portfolio showed the child to be interested in certain centers, but also that the child was an active child and liked moving and to be constantly going. When planning it would be beneficial to incorporate fun activities and activities that keep the child moving while still using materials from the centers the child likes. For example, my child loved to dance and is developing his language skills and needs the most work in that area. In order to accomplish the language development goals set for the child and to incorporate dancing and movement into the curriculum I may plan an activity for the child that includes singing songs while dancing. This way I am covering language development through the singing and allowing the child to move and to dance like he loves to do.
I believe the most important part program planning is to teach the child to flourish in their development in respect to all aspects through play, constant involvement with the child's environment, and open opportunities. Doing everything possible not to teach to the test and to teach to the child's strengths, assist with their weaknesses, and never underestimate the child's limitations. Keeping to this will allow active children the opportunities to learn as much as they can in their own manner.
As others have stated, one of the most important aspects of program planning in early childhood is the ability of the teacher, or program planner, to be adaptable to the individual needs of the children in his or her program. This applies to planning for 'active' children in the classroom. If you suddenly find yourself with a classroom full of bouncy children, you have to have resources available to adapt your curriculum and find something that works.
If I were to teach in a particular program such as the behavioral approach, a good quality to have above all others is patience. This likely applies to all programs and anything involving children.
Everyone's comments concerning physical education/activity as a means to burn off energy in active children raise great points. Like Jennifer said, playing outside is often difficult in Texas summers and as such, it is important for the teacher to be able to plan around this and come up with other activities. Most schools have indoor gyms of some kind. If that's not available, there is a vast array of movement activities available for teachers to find on the internet and use in the classroom.
Every classroom is going to have a wide range of children and activity level. The best way for teachers to deal with this is to be prepared and have 1st 2nd and 3rd plans. You cannot expect young children to be on task and perfect for the whole day. So you just have to make sure to take advantage of those moment when they are eager and ready to learn.
Every child is different and every program has their qualities. Taking bits and pieces from models you agree on help the child grow and develop. The Bank Street approach believed in a democratic environment, let the children ask the question and keeping the classroom going based on their interests. I think this a good way to manage a classroom. Children are different at their interest many be different or executed differently.
An active child can be hard to handle, but like on a previous blog about planning, many agreed that planning for the unexpected is essential. Active children need to be taken into consideration when planning. Like Chandler said on the first post "one size does not fit all".
Adding to what I said earlier, I agree with Jennifer, a child must be interested in what they are learning. If not they will not learn. That is how I am. Like the High Scope model, I believe a child should have a first hand choice in what they want to learn. By having a choice they will have a higher potential of learning a particular skill. But with their learning process a teacher must show interest and help further their learning process.
Using what children are interested in to fill a curriculum with both what they need to learn with their target interest is a way to make learning how it should be. It should be fun and interesting to the children. When handling an active child, the educator needs to find what interests him/her and that child will be able to stay in the activity longer, especially if it is a self initiated activity instead of always teacher initiated and teacher driven. Children are learners and teachers of their own learning experience.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IN MY OPINION IS TO FOCUES ON THE CHILD COGNITAIVELY. I THINK THAT WE AS FUTURE EDUCATORS HAVE THEW OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE CHILDREN THE EDUCATION THEY NEED AND TO LEAD THEM ON THE CORRECT PATH. I REALLY ENJOYED MONTESSORI'S APPROACH BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK IN THEIR LATTER YEARS. I SUPPORT HER IN SAYING THAT CHILDREN ARE "BLANK SLATES" AND WE DO MOLD THEM EDUCATIONAL WISE. THE ONE QUALITY THAT TEACHERS WILL NEED IN THIS WOULD BE RESPECT. RESPECT THE CHILD AS AN INDIVIUAL. SOME TEACHERS UNDERESTIMATE WHAT STUDENTS KNOW. MY CHILD HELP ME REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING ISN'T WHAT IT SEEMS ON THE OUTSIDE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT''S GOIONG ON AT HOME.
I agree with chandler. As I stated before there are teachers who don't "focus" on the child and just focus on doing the curriclum. They need to know what fits each student.
Well,
If I have learned nothing at all, I have learned to be organized. Poor planning can lead to chaos. Anotherr thing I think is that to be an effective teacher I not only have to be empathetic but I need to be observant. I really enjoyed doing the Bank street approach but tend to lean more towards the project based approaches. Hands on learning is much more useful than reading or lecturing to a child. They can get more from touching, feeling, and exploring than they ever could on paper.
I agree with Chandler, considering the child when planning the curriculum is definitly a major role in the whole process. Making bnecessary changes to a lesson is the best way to ensure that a child is getting the most out of the lesson.
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