Analysis of Articles about the Education and Method of Teaching - Assignment Example

INTERP & DESIGNING EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH I have chosen four articles on strategy and method of teaching the in different age group with different situation to both the teachers and the students with information on current issues in teaching and learning practice with emphasis on relation building in both the directions. The four articles are as follows: 1. Inquiry as key to early childhood teacher education by Author:Pavia, Louise Publication:Childhood Education Date:Dec 22, 1998 Words:3331 2. Strategies for helping early childhood students learn appropriate teaching practices. (Teaching Strategies) by Author:Williston, Judy Publication:Childhood Education Date:Dec 22, 2002 Words:3283 3. Building on students experiences in teacher education by Author: Griffith, Susan C. Publication:Academic Exchange Quarterly Date:Sep 22, 2003 Words:3028.   4. Bi-directional Learning Through Relationship Building by Author: Theilheimer, Rachel Publication: Childhood Education Geographic Code:1USA Date: Aug 6, 2001 Words:3363. All the articles are related to the education and method of teaching. It deals with various simple and critical situations arisen to the teachers in their course of dealing with students and their analytical power of thinking to deal with such problems. The different strategies adopted by the teachers to solve the problems are discussed. Some of the contemporary issues in dealing with the students are also discussed. The requirement of communication in both the ways in the process of learning is also dealt with. The articles intended audiences are mainly the students of a little bit higher educations, for example graduation onwards and of course the teachers of lower as well as higher education and professors in the subject of education namely B.Ed. and M.Ed. The levels of these articles are medium to comprehend. Though the audience may be of any background to understand the matter of the articles, the background of teaching is more comfortable to comprehend the topics (Bieber and Jacoby 2002). Some of the articles are empirical in nature though various concept are applied to understand the behavior of the students but the nature of these articles are not conceptual as there are various experiments done in the class room to improve the status of the students in terms of memory and learning capacities with various successful results. There are numerous empirical evidences in all the articles to support the claims made by the authors (Bieber and Jacoby 2002). Some of the articles are conceptual in nature as they suggest the theoretical aspect of developments of the students. First article “Inquiry as key to early childhood teacher education” by Louise Pavia is dealing with the method of inquiry about the behavior of a child in the process of learning. When a child is unable to understand the depth of the study the need for inquiry about the learning process, the child is being offered and the areas in which his/ her weakness make hindrances in the process of learning, is being identified with the solutions for eradicating the problems. The inquiry is done to find out whether the students deliberately create the problem or it is due to the mental illnesses, which make the barrier. If the problem is deliberate, the reason to find out the cause is done as either s/he may not be interested in the method and behavior of the teacher or it may be s/he is not interested in the subject matter being offered to him/her. The methodological weakness in the article is that the solution for making the subject interesting with various methods with different learning materials is not mentioned. The methods to find out the reason of not interesting in the subject are to be extracted. Next the need for learning for the teacher is emphasized, as they are responsible for providing the learned material to the students. In the mode of only learning the teacher can deliver their best effort to the students by asking meaningful questions and provide the proper solutions. The methods and inquiries to explore the creative strengths of the students are effectively expressed in the article. Influence of culture on the teaching method is provided in the article. The process of renewing and refining the knowledge for the teachers to provide good help to the students is described. Meaningful requirement of effective tools for mental perspectives and practical means for preparing the question in various contexts is described in the article. The Second article “Strategies for helping early childhood students learn appropriate teaching practices. (Teaching Strategies)” by Judy Williston is about the methods and strategies to be adopted for the student by the teachers with proper link to the courses for the benefit of the students. The conceptual connection with the course content to teaching practices is being established in this article successfully with greater emphasis on the practical aspects of the concept of teaching process in early childhood of the students. The teacher is given due respect in regards to the evaluation of the critical feature in high quality program as the teacher is the most important entity while making any conceptual formulation. Personal narratives provide a means through which teachers can examine the intents, beliefs, and values that are embedded within their teaching decisions and behaviors (Ambrose, 1993). The teachers who are teaching the children in their early childhood age should have good planning for the experiment to be done in the laboratory so that the children can get interesting knowledge by their own hand in the laboratories. The article gives ample emphasis on the experiences gathered by the teachers in the laboratories to provide accurate knowledge to the students. This article gives importance on participation taken by the students in the laboratories and the observations done in the laboratories. The third article on “Building on students experiences in teacher education.” By, Susan C. Griffith is based on the experience of the student in teaching methods to be developed by the research and academy for preparation of further course. The discussion about the practical based experiences from the students in framing the theory with connection with the practical are elaborated effectively in this article with use of writing case studies for the graduate courses on writing materials for teaching the students. The author tells about his personal experiences to put strong background for the concept he has put in the articles. He tells about a mini drama played in teacher education class to show the benefit of what he conceptualizes in the article. He tells about the teaching of writings with his experience of his interest and difficulties. He has put forwards his ideas, theory and research that underpin current thinking about writing with children and invites students to use them to build a frame for thinking about the happening in elementary school. He criticizes the throwing out of suggestions and ideas without any hindrance for looking what might lie following the problems. He emphasizes that with diminutive or no thoughtful distance, the student who has established the problem get the role of assessor. He narrates about his participation in a workshop for use of case study in the classroom of the colleges while finding out the question how to use his theoretical perspective to inform his teaching and what forum might he create to provide the validation of experience essential in learning from that experience (Merriam and Caffarella, 1991; Marienau and Taylor, 1995). The fourth article is on “Bi-directional Learning Through Relationship Building” by Rachel Theilheimer is about the relationship of the students and the teacher in both way of communication to interact with each other to provide better and constructive matters in learning process in bi-direction of different nations to exchange the information and education for their mutual benefits. The needs to help the students of migration from these nations are established in this article with extensive research on the information. The needs for cross-cultural skill for the parents of both the nations are emphasized in the article. The intended audience to this article may the professional of the research who are contribution in framing the methods of learning; the students of higher education may also be interested in reading this article. This article is empirical as many evidence of practical experience of his workshop by the author is cited. The information about city population and migration shows that it is an empirical article. This article has several contributions in the field of education with the wide range of information and research in it. Though it does not provide new research in the field of education but the various aspect related to the migration and scholarship to more than one country make this article a valuable one. Synthesis means analyzing a particular topic by comparing and contrasting it with, and thinking about it from the viewpoint of, the class materials from across the semester. These materials include the articles, models, frameworks, guidelines and other concepts weve covered. (Of course, only certain materials will be relevant for any given article.) Bieber and Jacoby (2002). First article “Inquiry as key to early childhood teacher education” deals with the need of inquiry to be conducted for the education of the children in their early age. The little children have very much curiosity to know the world in their own word and learning, so they seem to be the most eager person in the world and they will put forward to the elders, especially the teachers their curiosity which have taken birth in their psyche. They will always asks some questions of general matters which the adults would not have cared due to degradation of curiosity though noticed them daily, as the research shows that the level of curiosity decreases with the advance of the age of the people. So the teachers also need to take care for the student’s query to answer them for their satisfaction with authenticity because the child has no capacity to judge the authenticity of the matter so the elders has the responsibility for the truthfulness to the answers. The teachers have also to take care that the inquiries by the students to be considered to provide better environments to the children. The demographic shifts of the next decade provide the opportunity to thoroughly remake the teaching profession. This is a significant opportunity, given that the evidence suggests that teacher quality is the most important school factor in explaining differences in student performance (Goldhaber, Dan 2002). The difficulty from a policy perspective is that the relationship between readily quantifiable attributes--such as a teachers highest degree attained or level of experience--and student outcomes is tenuous at best, In other words otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , good teachers certainly make a difference, but its unclear what makes for a good teacher (Goldhaber, Dan 2002). The Second article “Strategies for helping early childhood students learn appropriate teaching practices” provide ample emphasis on the strategies to be adopted for the benefits of the children in their early childhood. Appropriate teaching practice is very much essential for the teachers with the knowledge to practical in the class as the early childhood students have tendency to learn the practical things very effectively. So the need to introduce the various practical materials in the classroom cannot be denied. As early childhood education becomes more regulated through a range of education reforms and mandates, early childhood teacher educators are seeking ways to prepare their preservice teachers to address these policy constraints through appropriate teaching practices that foster learning with understanding. Using the National Research Councils conception of learning as a framework for analysis, this article considers strategies to achieve this goal by first presenting findings from a case study that examined the training of a sample of preservice teachers who were both educated in high-stakes learning classrooms as well as taught to be early educators in these same environments. This article then uses these findings to the make case for practical and political approaches to teaching that can assist teacher educators in preparing their students for this regulated field of early education (Brown, Christopher Pierce 2000). The third article on “Building on students experiences in teacher education” emphasis the value of the experience right from the age of childhood as a teacher is produced from a student. So the need for the students to gather their experience and utilize it in their teacher life is very much essential. The students must remember the difficulties they have faced during this period to utilize these remedied when they grow and become a teacher. This analysis of the difficulties of the experience of the teacher in their own childhood will help to frame more efficient theory and strategy to give the children to overcome such problems. The last article deals with the need of bi-directional teaching from one country to another countries. The resources in one country may not be sufficient to fulfill the need of a student as they may have such great dream of study to follow in their life. This can only be had with mutual understanding of the countries. References: Ambrose, R. P. (1993). Personal narratives and professional development. Childhood Education, 69, 274-276. Brown, Christopher Pierce (2000). “Helping Preservice Teachers Learn to Teach for Understanding in This Era of High-Stakes Early Education Reform” (EJ836812). Early Childhood Education Journal, v36 n5 p423-430 Apr 2009 Bieber and Jacoby (2002). “Information System Principles, Spring 2002”, A Public Research University. Retrieved May 18, 2009. http://web.njit.edu/~bieber/CIS677S02/guidelines.html Goldhaber, Dan (2002). “Mystery of good teaching: the evidence shows that good teachers make a clear difference in student achievement. The problem is that we dont really know what makes a good teacher. (Feature).” Education Next. USA. May 19, 2009. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mystery+of+good+teaching%3a+the+evidence+shows+that+good+teachers+make...-a087209056 Merriam, S. B., & Caffarella, R. S. (1991). “Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide.” San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Taylor, K., & Marienan, C. (1995). "Bridging practice and theory for womens adult development." In K. Taylor, & C. Marienau (Eds.), Learning environments for womens adult development: Bridges toward change Vol. 65, (pp. 5-11). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Article 1. Inquiry as key to early childhood teacher education. Author:Pavia, Louise Publication:Childhood Education Date:Dec 22, 1998 Words:3331Previous Article:On your mark, get set, get parents involved! (parent participation in education)Next Article:Home literacy bags promote family involvement. Topics: Early childhood educators Training Teacher education Teachers Training By recognizing that understanding is a personal experience, teachers can advance their involvement in the growth process. One of the values that most early childhood teacher educators attempt to nurture NURTURE. The act of taking care of children and educating them: the right to the nurture of children generally belongs to the father till the child shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and not longer. Till then, he is guardian by nurture. Co. Litt. 38 b.  is that of professional and personal growth. The very act of teaching is potentially a growth process, one that is dependent on being inquiry-oriented. Inquiry means seeking information on the multiple aspects of learning and development, as well as the possible means for enhancing it (Pence, 1988). As Ayers (1995) notes, the process of becoming a teacher is one of continual inquiry and renewal. The challenge for early childhood teacher educators is to create a meaningful context for promoting inquiry as a lifelong endeavor. Two strands of inquiry shape this challenge: 1) the dimensions of the inquiry process itself, and 2) applications of the inquiry process to early childhood teacher education. Dimensions of the Inquiry Process The most important dimension of inquiry is the need to know (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). By recognizing that understanding is a personal experience, teachers can advance their involvement in the growth process (Goffin, 1996). The process of knowing also helps realize the process of inquiry (Walsh, Tobin, & Graue, 1993). These two processes (needing to know and the process of knowing) form the basis of inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Teachers of young children experience these dimensions of inquiry continuously - when a child appears unable to understand classroom lessons or when a childs behavior changes Behavior change refers to any transformation or modification of human behavior. Such changes can occur intentionally, through behavior modification, without intention, or change rapidly in situations of mental illness. ..... . dramatically. Such events expose the limits of what one knows, often prompting teachers to thoroughly study the issues that permeate permeate /per·me·ate/ (-at?) 1. to penetrate or pass through, as through a filter. 2. the constituents of a solution or suspension that pass through a filter. per·me·ate v.  their lives (Jones, 1993). Observation, self reflection, shared study, formal course study, case work, and other inquiry modes offer early childhood professionals "tools for inquiry" (Livingstone & Castle, 1989). The inquiry paradigm provides teachers with a framework for validating val·i·date   tr.v. val·i·dat·ed, val·i·dat·ing, val·i·dates 1. To declare or make legally valid. 2. To mark with an indication of official sanction. 3.  and enriching their learning (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Characteristics of this paradigm include: using natural settings that provide rich and useful contexts for study, recognizing that these contexts include multiple realities that need to be explored, realizing that participants in these contexts can add meaning to the inquiry, recognizing that observation work must account for the various factors being explored, and realizing that the process of inquiry is a partnership between the researcher and the participants (Spencer 1982; Walsh, Tobin, & Graue, 1993). Within a meaningful inquiry structure, three questions related to "knowing" provide further guidance in empowering teachers: 1) Who am I as a learner?, 2) What should I know to be an informed learner?, and 3) How can I be an effective learner? Each element influences the others; combined, they can shape our framework for inquiry. Who Am I As a Learner? In order to structure our inquiry in meaningful ways, we must first know ourselves as learners. Who are we as learners? What are our motivations? What is in our history that influences our questions and approaches? In To Become a Teacher, Nancy Balaban (1995) says: Critical to truly seeing and understanding the children we teach is the courage to reflect about ourselves. Facing our biases openly, recognizing the limits imposed by our embeddedness in our own culture and experience, acknowledging the values and beliefs we cherish, and accepting the influence of emotions on our actions are extraordinary challenges. (p. 49) The need to know and the process of knowing must be guided by self-reflective, growing teachers. Barbara Bowman (1989), for example, shares stories of how unreflective teaching can damage children and erode Erode (ĕrōd`), city (1991 urban agglomeration pop. 361,755), Tamil Nadu state, S India, on the Kaveri River. The city is located in a cotton-growing region, and its industries include cotton ginning and the manufacture of transport equipment.  the critical process of caring in teachers themselves. Bowman tells of being humiliated hu·mil·i·ate   tr.v. hu·mil·i·at·ed, hu·mil·i·at·ing, hu·mil·i·ates To lower the pride, dignity, or self-respect of. See Synonyms at degrade.  by a teacher in front of her peers and explains how that experience has shaped her desire to promote caring and competence in all teachers. What Should I Know? In Growing Teachers (1993), Elizabeth Jones This article is about the Chief Engraver. For the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, see A. Elizabeth Jones. Elizabeth Jones was the eleventh and last Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, holding this position from 1981 until her resignation in 1990. ..... . worries that early childhood professionals too often seek answers instead of exploring the many avenues that emanate em·a·nate   intr. & tr.v. em·a·nat·ed, em·a·nat·ing, em·a·nates To come or send forth, as from a source: light that emanated from a lamp; a stove that emanated a steady heat.  from the learning process. The knowledge base in early childhood education should be merely a starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the  for our inquiries (Katz, 1996). Our conception of "what we should know" and "how we should use our knowledge" reflects our status as either dynamic learners or rigid thinkers. The limitations of most inquiries lie in the myopic my·o·pi·a   n. 1. A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness. Also called short sight. 2.  vision we use to frame them - shaping them in a fashion that fails to account for personal bias, school culture, and community prejudice (Hatch Hatch may refer to: Actions and objects Hatching, also called "cross-hatching", an artistic technique used to create tonal or shading effects using closely spaced parallel lines. Also it is used to create curvature and shape to drawn objects. , 1995). If we use our knowledge to limit our vision, our inquiry questions and methods also will be limited. We can increase our knowledge base in early childhood education and realize its potential for applications in various teaching/learning settings by exploring the following key questions: * What knowledge in early childhood education is especially significant to the issues that teachers face in their work with children and families and with their peers? * What are some of the cultural, social, and intellectual limitations of the existing knowledge base in early childhood education? * How is learning shaped by ones own cultural and individual experience? * What inquiry tools and strategies provide means for transforming our approaches to understanding the various dimensions of the teaching/learning process? How Can I Be an Effective Learner? This is the question that should shadow our lives as teachers. The challenge of exploring the dynamics of our teaching contexts automatically places us in a learning mode. Key to this learning process is asking meaningful questions. As Monroe Cohen cohen  or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male.  (1995) notes: Teaching and learning, process and product, are inextricably in·ex·tri·ca·ble   adj. 1. a. So intricate or entangled as to make escape impossible: an inextricable maze; an inextricable web of deceit. b. ..... . linked. The job of a teacher is to further the process of growth, to remove shackles that might restrict the learner from pursuing explorations that can bring about experimentation, discovery, and self-discovery. Teachers should be free-ers. (pp. 97-98) The key to being an effective learner is to be an explorer of childrens strengths and needs, as well as our own. Powerful inquiry is caring and responsive to the visions and dreams of everyone involved. Two concepts that support meaningful inquiry are constructivisim and the socio-cultural learning paradigm (Brunet, 1996). Constructivisim provides us with the essential frame-work for understanding how we learn (Bruner, 1996). Constructivism constructivism, Russian art movement founded c.1913 by Vladimir Tatlin, related to the movement known as suprematism. After 1916 the brothers Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner gave new impetus to Tatlins art of purely abstract (although politically intended)  is a process of knowing in which individuals continually renew and refine their understanding of concepts and ideas. This recognition of knowledge as personally constructed and continually refined through new experiences and reflection can help us see the value of inquiry in all facets of the teaching/learning process (Jones, 1993). The concept of learning as embedded Inserted into. See embedded system.  in socio-cultural context enriches our learning relationships with self, others, and the environment (Spencer, 1982). As teachers recognize the influence of culture on their knowledge base, for example, they can become more self-reflective and extend this inquiry to their understanding of childrens knowledge and the way social contexts shape childrens development (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). The classroom itself is a socio-cultural context that influences teachers decisions, perspectives, and relationships. Another valuable conceptual tool is Bronfenbrenners (1979) construct of human development and learning. Two especially important elements in this construct are: 1) every facet facet /fac·et/ (fas´it) a small plane surface on a hard body, as on a bone. fac·et n. 1. A small smooth area on a bone or other firm structure. 2.  of a persons ecology ecology, study of the relationships of organisms to their physical environment and to one another. The study of an individual organism or a single species is termed autecology; the study of groups of organisms is called synecology.  influences the persons conceptions of events and experiences, and 2) what happens to one person within a learning system influences other learners in some manner. These interacting elements of learning should alert teachers to the value (and potential harm) that learning activities have for children and themselves. For example, some teachers insensitivity in·sen·si·tive   adj. 1. Not physically sensitive; numb. 2. a. Lacking in sensitivity to the feelings or circumstances of others; unfeeling. b.  to language differences among children can be a negative influence on all of the childrens understanding of language differences and reinforce distorted conceptions of language (Delpit, 1995). Applications to Early Childhood Teacher Education Inquiry in early childhood teacher education can be brought alive in many ways, all of which call for engagement, reflection, collaboration, and continuous study. We review several strategies that promote an inquiring inquiring, v to draw information from a client—whether by verbal questioning or physical examination—to assess the persons state of health.  and caring teaching/learning lifestyle. Personal Relationships. Our own personal relationships bring inquiry alive, in the sense that we "own" these experiences, and they are "us" as we attempt to make our journey meaningful. Two of the authors, Da Ros and Pavia (1996), share their use of "personal relationships" as a means for fostering inquiry: We try to foster risk-taking, encourage them to experience the personal nature of inquiry and caring. For example, one student acknowledged that she had difficulty in getting up in front of people and speaking. Yet, she made a wonderful presentation to the class - and her partner praised her for the performance. It was gratifying grat·i·fy   tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2.  to see her being validated val·i·date   tr.v. val·i·dat·ed, val·i·dat·ing, val·i·dates 1. To declare or make legally valid. 2. To mark with an indication of official sanction. 3.  by her partner. They were both learning the value of having a "relationship" where security and support work to the benefit of everyone. (p. 3) Our relationships with teacher education students can further strengthen this inquiry mode. Our listening and guiding behaviors often provide them with the needed support for building new perspectives about the personal nature of learning (Ayers, 1995). The disequilibrium disequilibrium /dis·equi·lib·ri·um/ (dis-e?kwi-lib´re-um) dysequilibrium. linkage disequilibrium  that occurs when perceptions conflict with new knowledge may lead to anger, confusion, or other strong emotions. Addressing both students and professors emotions can help us become more comfortable with the spirit of inquiry (Schmier, 1995). Continuing relationships between students and faculty that develop through professional association activities also can enrich this growth process. Personal Narratives. Telling our stories is a powerful means of being inquiry- and caring-oriented (Hubbard & Power, 1993). The value of this strategy in early childhood teacher education is highlighted in an example shared by Da Ros and Swick (1995) regarding the socialization socialization /so·cial·iza·tion/ (so?shal-i-za´shun) the process by which society integrates the individual and the individual learns to behave in socially acceptable ways. so·cial·i·za·tion n.  of a teacher assistant: The sharing of personal narratives during team meetings grew out of classroom experiences with toddlers and were then related to broader teaching issues. For example, how to deal with childrens aggression (as it was being positively handled by the staff) was an important concern of the beginning teacher assistant. Dialoguing about the philosophical basis of teacher actions related to childrens aggression provided the neophyte ne·o·phyte   n. 1. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte. 2. A beginner or novice: a neophyte at politics. 3. a. Roman Catholic Church A newly ordained priest. ..... . with a broader understanding of the situation. (p. 15) Personal narratives provide a means through which teachers can examine the intents, beliefs, and values that are embedded within their teaching decisions and behaviors (Ambrose, 1993). This process also helps experienced teachers and teacher educators record their experiences for continuing renewal and reflection. Vivian Gussin Paleys intense search to understand what mattered in her classroom is a stellar example of observing, interpreting, and reflecting on childrens actions (Wiltz & Fein, 1996). Mentoring Relationships. Developing relationships with selective "mentors" who are nurturing, inquisitive in·quis·i·tive   adj. 1. Inclined to investigate; eager for knowledge. 2. Unduly curious and inquiring. See Synonyms at curious. , and caring can take our personal inquiry to another level. Each of us needs a mentor Mentor, in Greek mythology Mentor (mĕn`tər, –tôr), in Greek mythology, friend of Odysseus and tutor of Telemachus.  and each of us needs to mentor others. Mentoring is an essential element of growth, both personally and as a teacher. Good mentors provide us with a "guiding audience," from which we can gain meaningful feedback and yet have room to explore and grow. Wildman, Magliaro, Niles, and Niles (1992) identify the following key attributes of the mentoring process: * Mentors encourage beginners to reach their own conclusions or solutions to problems through reflection. * Mentors work closely with beginning teachers to give them security, while leaving them room to grow. * Mentors provide professional and personal support via caring and nurturing interactions. * Mentors and students learn and grow reciprocally re·cip·ro·cal   adj. 1. Concerning each of two or more persons or things. 2. Interchanged, given, or owed to each other: reciprocal agreements to abolish customs duties; a reciprocal invitation to lunch.  from the mentoring relationship. A mentor, says student Jilian Resnick, "is a person you value - one who has knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that you admire. You want to know and learn from that person. My teacher education adviser was that way. He was more than the person who signed my forms - he listened to me, asked questions, engaged me in challenging experiences, and supported me as I re-examined many of my personal beliefs about learning and living." Da Ros and Swick (1995) note that some of the most valued aspects of mentoring include personal trust, supportive leadership, and skill in helping young learners acquire confidence as independent learners. Community Building. All learning is contextualized within socio-cultural settings (Bruner, 1996). Within the language of cooperative learning cooperative learning Education theory A student-centered teaching strategy in which heterogeneous groups of students work to achieve a common academic goal–eg, completing a case study or a evaluating a QC problem. See Problem-based learning, Socratic method. , peer learning teams, and community building is the recognition that inquiry is best realized through the combined efforts of teams. If teacher education students are placed into teams early in their professional courses they will grow as members of a learning community. This initial teaming experience can be instigated in various ways: * Have students do a group research project that requires each person to contribute specific skills and resources. Then, have the groups share their findings with students in other classes. * Assign child study observations as a group experience; group members share, contrast, and discuss their observations. * Have groups of students plan and carry out service-learning activities, such as helping out at child care programs for homeless children, at centers for victims of child abuse, and with parent and family support programs. Community building also is fostered when students can share stories, achievements, concerns, and issues in an open and trusting manner. Learning that each of our contributions is critical to a sane sane (san) sound in mind. sane adj. Of sound mind; mentally healthy. sane  and healthy community is the most important inquiry lesson that can be engendered in early childhood teacher education programs (Ayers, 1995). Using Inquiry Tools. Meaningful inquiry requires the use of "tools" that include both mental perspectives and practical means for shaping our questions and studying the contexts and experiences needed for growth (Hatch, 1995). Earlier, we explored "mental perspective tools" within the discussion of the various dimensions of inquiry. Here, we briefly discuss some of the tools for use in exploring and studying teaching and learning. * Observe, Record, Reflect, Discuss: Find out how children and families function by doing guided-observation. Have students record, and reflect on, their "field notes" in relation to key questions. Bring the field notes into group discussion, so that students can share, react, and apply insights. * Action Research Projects: Engage students and experienced teachers in hands-on research projects, in which they will conceptualize con·cep·tu·al·ize   v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es v.tr. To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way:  and articulate hypotheses, plan their methodology, collect and analyze data, and share conclusions. The lead author taught two teachers (one 2nd-grade teacher and one high school art teacher) who collaborated in engaging their students in a shared project on using visual learning to enhance self-esteem and social skills. They spent two years building and refining refining, any of various processes for separating impurities from crude or semifinished materials. It includes the finer processes of metallurgy, the fractional distillation of petroleum into its commercial products, and the purifying of cane, beet, and maple sugar  their schemes for using peer learning, group functioning, and cross-age grouping as means for furthering their students inquiry skills. The participants gained many insights about issues beyond the focus on visual learning. The adolescents learned how young children think and feel, and the young children gained "mentors" who enjoyed being with them. * Participate, Reflect, and Report: In addition to having students write practicum practicum (prak´tikm), n See internship.  reports, also engage them in teaching mini-lessons, reflecting on their experience, and then reporting on the results to the entire class. Have experienced teachers use this same process with various aspects of their work, such as analyzing parent-teacher conferences or specific classroom learning issues. * Interviewing, Conferencing See teleconferencing. , and Visiting: Have students participate in parent-teacher conferences. Ask them to observe specific parent and teacher behaviors and attitudes, and then to share their observations. Assign each student a "parent interview," whereby they learn about one parents views on child development, parenting, and family-school relations. Have them share and discuss the results. Match students with experienced teachers who perform home visits. Have students and teachers share their findings. Inquiry perspectives and tools should free us to realize new insights and strategies for growth as teachers and learners. This process needs to become the very center of how we function in early childhood teacher education. The knowledge base generated through the multiple disciplines of early childhood education can serve as an initial framework for guiding our inquiry; however, our individual interactions with the learning process must serve as the source of our "dialogue" in gaining new and richer perspectives about our relationships with children, families, and ourselves. We have the tools of inquiry to help us gain multiple perspectives on issues, ideas, and experiences that evolve in our work. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these tools is determined by how we use them, in terms of posing questions that help to further our journey of learning and growing. Perhaps our greatest challenge is in transforming our vision of ourselves as learners, and acknowledging that our primary task is to grow. Without teachers who are committed to growth, children are destined des·tine   tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2.  to have static and rather boring learning experiences. As Ayers (1989) so aptly states: Teaching is an achievement, not an endowment A transfer, generally as a gift, of money or property to an institution for a particular purpose. The bestowal of money as a permanent fund, the income of which is to be used for the benefit of a charity, college, or other institution. . Teaching is created in an intersubjective reality, in webs of relationships, in community. Because teachers are the instruments of their own teaching, they are thrust back on themselves as inventors of their own developing practice. (p. 141) It is when we are thrust back on ourselves that we must confront our growth as persons, and as teachers and learners. It is in the moments of confusion that we have real opportunities to accept new challenges and create new possibilities for ourselves. If we answer this challenge in nurturing and responsive ways, children are certain to benefit. In effect, our involvement in pursuing the inquiry process through personal assessment, continued professional development, and the use of various inquiry strategies strengthens our skills in fostering caring and competent early childhood teachers. References Ambrose, R. P. (1993). Personal narratives and professional development. Childhood Education, 69, 274-276. Ayers, W. (1989). The good preschool teacher A Preschool Teacher is a type of early childhood educator who instructs children from infancy to age 5, which stands as the youngest stretch of early childhood education. Early Childhood Education teachers need to span the continum of children from birth to age 8. . New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Teachers College Press. Ayers, W. (1993). To teach: The journey of a teacher. New York: Teachers College Press. Ayers, W. (Ed.). (1995). To become a teacher: Making a difference in childrens lives. New York: Teachers College Press. Balaban, N. (1995). Seeing the child, knowing the person. In W. Ayers (Ed.), To become a teacher: Making a difference in childrens lives. New York: Teachers College Press. Bowman, B. (1989). Self-reflection as an element of professionalism. Teachers College Record, 90, 444-451. Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (Eds.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice Developmentally appropriate practice (or DAP) is a perspective within early childhood education whereby a teacher or child caregiver nurtures a childs social/emotional, physical, and cognitive development by basing all practices and decisions on (1) theories of child development, (2)  in early childhood programs 2. .). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest nonprofit association in the United States representing early childhood education teachers, experts, and advocates in center-based and family day care. ..... .. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press The Harvard University Press is a publishing house, a division of Harvard University, that is highly respected in academic publishing. It was established on January 13, 1913. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. . Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Cohen, M. (1995). Reconstruction alternatives: Opening the curriculum. In W. Ayers (Ed.), To become a teacher: Making a difference in childrens lives (pp. 95-106). New York: Teachers College Press. Da Ros, D., & Pavia, L. (1996, April). Using teacher inquiry to engage undergraduates in developmentally appropriate practices. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Childhood Education International, Minneapolis, MN. Da Ros, D., & Swick, K. (1995). The socialization of beginning teachers. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 16, 13-17. Delpit, L. (1995). Other peoples children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press. Goffin, S. (1996). Child development knowledge and early childhood teacher preparation: Assessing the relationship - A special collection. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 117-132. Hatch, J. (Ed.). (1995). Qualitative research Qualitative research Traditional analysis of firm-specific prospects for future earnings. It may be based on data collected by the analysts, there is no formal quantitative framework used to generate projections.  in early childhood settings. Westport, CT: Praeger. Hubbard, R., & Power, B. (1993). The art of classroom inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Jones, E. (1993). Growing teachers: Partnerships in staff development. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Katz, L. (1996). Child development knowledge and teacher preparation: Confronting assumptions. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 135-146. Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic nat·u·ral·is·tic   adj. 1. Imitating or producing the effect or appearance of nature. 2. Of or in accordance with the doctrines of naturalism.  inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Livingstone, C., & Castle, S. (Eds.). (1989). Teachers and research in action. Washington, DC: National Education Association. Pence, A. (Ed.). (1988). Ecological ecological emanating from or pertaining to ecology. ecological biome see biome. ecological climax the state of balance in an ecosystem when its inhabitants have established their permanent relationships with each  research with children and families. New York: Teachers College Press. Schmier, J. (1995). Random thoughts: The humanity of teaching. Madison, WI: Magna Publications. Spencer, G. (Ed.). (1982). Doing the ethnography ethnography: see anthropology; ethnology. ethnography Descriptive study of a particular human society. Contemporary ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork. ..... . of schooling: Educational anthropology anthropology, classification and analysis of humans and their society, descriptively, culturally, historically, and physically. Its unique contribution to studying the bonds of human social relations has been the distinctive concept of culture.  in action. New York: Holt holt   n. Archaic A wood or grove; a copse. [Middle English, from Old English.] holt Noun the lair of an otter [from , Rinehart & Winston. Walsh, D., Tobin, J., & Graue, M. (1993). The interpretive in·ter·pre·tive   also in·ter·pre·ta·tive adj. Relating to or marked by interpretation; explanatory. in·terpre·tive·ly adv.  voice: Qualitative research in early childhood education. In B. Spodek (Ed.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (pp. 228-246). New York: Macmillan. Wildman, T., Magliaro, S., Niles, R., & Niles, J. (1992). Teaching mentoring: An analysis of roles, activities, and conditions. Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 205-213. Wiltz, N., & Fein, G. (1996). Evolution of a narrative curriculum: The contributions of Vivian Gussin Paley. Young Children, 51, 61-68. Kevin J. Swick is Professor, Early Childhood Education, University of South Carolina-Columbia. Denise Da Ros is Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education, and Louise Pavia is Assistant Professor, Human Ecology Human ecology The study of how the distributions and numbers of humans are determined by interactions with conspecific individuals, with members of other species, and with the abiotic environment. , Youngstown State University Youngstown State University, at Youngstown, Ohio; coeducational; est. 1908 as a department of the Youngstown Association School sponsored by the Young Mens Christian Association. ..... ., Ohio. COPYRIGHT 1998 Association for Childhood Education International No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyright 1998, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company. Article 2 Author:Williston, Judy Publication:Childhood Education Date:Dec 22, 2002 Words:3283Previous Article:To be successful--let them play! (For Parents Particularly).Next Article:Arnosky, Jim All About Frogs.(Book Review) Topics: Early childhood education Analysis Teachers Education Teaching methods http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Strategies+for+helping+early+childhood+students+learn+appropriate...-a096193638 Strategies for helping early childhood students learn appropriate teaching practices. (Teaching Strategies). This is the final article in our series on teaching strategies to help college and university teacher educators think about and plan for linking course content and the learning process (see the Teaching Strategies columns from the Winter 1998/99 and the Summer 2001 issues of Childhood Education). In this article, we want to focus on ideas about connecting course content to teaching practice. We continue to encourage readers to examine critically their conceptual frameworks For the concept in aesthetics and art criticism, see . A conceptual framework is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to present a preferred approach to a system analysis project. , teaching methods, strategies, and techniques, and to dialogue with colleagues to make more thoughtful decisions regarding their teaching practices.--S.G. & J.W. ********** The most critical feature in any high-quality program for young children is the teacher (Lay-Dopyera & Lay-Dopyera, 1987; Stronge, 2002). We believe that educators need to model the qualities and characteristics that make their practice effective; in turn, students need to observe these teachers and supervisors in action, discuss the strategies with them, and begin to recognize the behaviors within their own repertoires. These qualifies include, but are not limited to, self-awareness, enthusiasm, compassion, naturalness, vitality vi·tal·i·ty n. 1. The capacity to live, grow, or develop. 2. Physical or intellectual vigor; energy. , flexibility, sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didnt appreciate my humor"; "you cant survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour , physical stamina Stamina Staying power, endurance. Mentioned in: Tai Chi , self-confidence, and the ability to encourage childrens efforts to learn and to sustain teacher-child relationships. Competent teachers are also skilled in observing children, fostering childrens interactions, and using a variety of strategies for teacher-child dialogue and classroom management (Stronge, 2002). In addition, excellent teachers can identify, plan, and implement space to enhance childrens learning; they also can plan for childrens differences by developing specific goals and objectives (Benham, Miller, & Kontos, 1988; Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). University teacher preparation requirements generally include both a pre-student teaching practice and a final student teaching experience or internship internship /in·tern·ship/ (in´tern-ship) the position or term of service of an intern in a hospital. internship, n the course work or practicum conducted in a professional dental clinic. . Pre-student teaching experiences have been recognized for decades as a valuable component of the education process for students preparing to teach children from birth to the middle years. As stated in the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI ACEI Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor ACEI Association for Childhood Education International ACEI Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland ) position paper on the preparation of early childhood teachers (ACEI, 1997), Early childhood teachers should have well-planned laboratory experiences under the supervision of experienced and qualified teachers of young children ... experiences should include observation, participation, student teaching, and seminar discussion. (p. 165) The proliferation proliferation /pro·lif·er·a·tion/ (pro-lif?er-a´shun) the reproduction or multiplication of similar forms, especially of cells.prolif´erativeprolif´erous pro·lif·er·a·tion n.  of field-based experiences (Erdman, 1983; Zeichner, 1978) and the discontinuity dis·con·ti·nu·i·ty   n. pl. dis·con·ti·nu·i·ties 1. Lack of continuity, logical sequence, or cohesion. 2. A break or gap. 3. Geology A surface at which seismic wave velocities change.  between early childhood course content and students practicum practicum (prak´tikm), n See internship.  experiences have been described by many educators (Clawson, 1999; Gilbert, 1999; Horm-Wingerd, Warford, & Penhollow, 1999; Katz, 1992). Pre-student teaching experiences are not always designed to complement academic preparation for the early childhood student, nor do they always add an important dimension to the educational process. While the academic setting emphasizes students acquisition of knowledge and cognitive growth, the early childhood setting should emphasize the direct application of students knowledge through supervision by competent classroom teachers. Both of the authors are products of high-quality undergraduate early childhood programs, with many campus and community field experiences as part of our training. We credit these early experiences with helping us to develop our basic understandings about children, make sense of the theoretical content we were learning in the college classroom, and become reflective Refers to light hitting an opaque surface such as a printed page or mirror and bouncing back. See reflective media and reflective LCD.  pre-professionals. Today, we share with our students our enthusiasm about learning and teaching in high-quality environments, and we teach them strategies that we think will improve their observation skills and teaching effectiveness. In previous articles on connecting course content and the learning process, we have discussed professionalism and reflective thinking as major components of our teaching model. This article will present the third and final component, learning to use appropriate teaching practices. We want to describe some strategies that we believe are important for both the teacher educator and teacher supervisor. In our university classrooms, assignments and discussions center on the following themes: demonstrating positive personal qualities, attitudes, and behaviors (QABs); reflective practice; and planning, executing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate practices Developmentally appropriate practice (or DAP) is a perspective within early childhood education whereby a teacher or child caregiver nurtures a childs social/emotional, physical, and cognitive development by basing all practices and decisions on (1) theories of child development, (2) ..... . (see Figure 1). We expect teacher supervisors to give descriptive feedback, reinforce, coach, prompt and give suggestions, ask questions, and model professional behaviors. A glimpse through the sequence of pre-professional experiences will tell the reader that we begin with those experiences in which students are most likely to be successful before going on to the next level. Having learners succeed and having them see their success almost immediately is a powerful incentive for learning. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Briefly, the two courses we discuss in this article are The Developing Professional, taken by students entering the early childhood program, and Implementing the Curriculum in Early Childhood Education, taken by students at the intermediate stage of their program. Each course has: * A co-requisite with another course and cannot be taken out of sequence * A weekly 1-1/2 hour recitation rec·i·ta·tion   n. 1. a. The act of reciting memorized materials in a public performance. b. The material so presented. 2. a. Oral delivery of prepared lessons by a pupil. b.  class, with additional hours of weekly guided experiences with children at the Childrens Institute, the campus child care center * Its own content, although it shares concepts and strategies with the other course in a developmental framework. In The Developing Professional course, students learn and practice communication skills, learn how to interpret child and adult behaviors, and learn how to build professional relationships with children, peers, and teacher supervisors, as well as how to use appropriate teaching practices. Implementing the Curriculum teaches students how to implement and evaluate curriculum for young children; how to plan safe and creative environments; how to effectively interact with peers, teachers, and parents in the Childrens Institute; and how to continue their professional practices. Although we have frequent contact with the teacher supervisors via phone, E-mail, or visits to the Childrens Institute, we also meet with the entire teaching staff at least once each semester se·mes·ter   n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s  to discuss the children, the college students, their assignments, and evaluation expectations. This meeting gives us a chance to share changes that we have incorporated in our classes, and to interact with students who might need some additional attention or feedback. The teacher supervisors also discuss childrens needs and provide information that we clarify in the university classroom. This two-way contact is important to the students and to the children, as well as key to the professional development of the teaching staff and ourselves. Strategies To Help Students Learn To Observe As former teachers of young children, we reflect on our early opportunities to enhance students use of observation methods and techniques. We both remember learning through faculty lectures and discussions, followed by observation assignments in laboratory and community settings. For example, we realized that as we watched a child assemble a puzzle “Puzzle solving” redirects here. For the concept in Thomas Kuhns philosophy of science, see normal science. A puzzle is a problem or enigma that challenges ingenuity.  we could learn about her cognitive processes Cognitive processes Thought processes (i.e., reasoning, perception, judgment, memory). Mentioned in: Psychosocial Disorders , her approach to a new task, her response to mistakes or frustration, her persistence (1) In a CRT, the time a phosphor dot remains illuminated after being energized. Long-persistence phosphors reduce flicker, but generate ghost-like images that linger on screen for a fraction of a second. , and her attention span. This was in addition to the more obvious information we received about the childs muscle development (and perhaps her social skills). We also learned that our interpretations of behavior were in large part subjective and must be worded as possibilities, not facts. While these experiences seemed to bolster This article is about the pillow called a bolster. For other meanings of the word "bolster", see bolster (disambiguation). A bolster (etymology: Middle English, derived from Old English, and before that the Germanic word bulgstraz  a developing skill in separating fact from interpretation and noting how a mature teacher handles challenging child behaviors, we still did not develop a profound understanding of the importance of using these observations until we became teachers. What we did retain was the knowledge that the ability to look carefully at children develops over time and is deepened only with extensive teaching practice. We share these early learnings with our students today. Remembering the developmental path we moved along, we try to help students find their voices regarding their own sense of teacher, sharing those perceptions with each other, and connecting those self-observations or reflections to what they see practicing teachers do. In class, we discuss teachers they had in their early school years, those they have observed as visitors in classrooms, and any they may have worked with as aides or pre-professional interns This article or section is written like an . Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . . Over a semester (15 weeks), students become more circumspect cir·cum·spect   adj. Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. [Middle English, from Latin circumspectus, past participle of circumspicere, to take heed :  as well as more constructively critical, of the teachers they observe, and more sensitive and aware of the difficulty and complexity of carrying out the tasks of a classroom teacher. At the beginning level ("The Developing Professional" class), we introduce the concept of observation in the university classroom setting by asking students to look around the room for objects and furnishings furnishings the extra type or quantity of hair on the head, tail, ears or legs, specified for a particular breed. For example, the feathers in setters, the beard in Bearded collies, the eyebrows in Schnauzers.  that they have never seen before, look carefully at each other (each student changes an item of clothing), and look for something on the way back to their living quarters that they have never before seen. These simple activities give them the sense of how to observe without the pressure of writing anything down. The next step is to learn to record child observations while avoiding value judgments, such as "Sheneka is a sweet thing who always minds the teacher." When students learn to make this shift in thinking, they are ready for the next level of observation. As one student commented in her final self-evaluation: Watching and recording the actions of children is invaluable. There is no better way to learn about the children around you than to watch them, carefully and with an objective eye. Writing down exact conversations ... helps to portray por·tray   tr.v. por·trayed, por·tray·ing, por·trays 1. To depict or represent pictorially; make a picture of. 2. To depict or describe in words. 3. To represent dramatically, as on the stage.  how children think and where they get their ideas from. Its also a good way to find out whats going on Whats Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), Whats Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music.  in the childs life without putting [her] on the spot by asking. At the intermediate level (the "Implementing the Curriculum" class), students continue to record observations, selecting one child in their practicum classroom and keeping written notes while acting as an assistant teacher throughout the semester. As a written assignment in the form of a letter to the childs parents, students must translate their notes into language that parents can understand and accept. The parents do not actually receive this letter, which allows students the freedom to make mistakes without causing parents distress. One of the foundations of developmentally appropriate practice is knowledge, gained through observation, of the individual children. Once students have an emerging understanding of how to obtain this knowledge, we move on to a discussion of other appropriate teaching practices in the classroom. Strategies To Improve Students Teaching Practices We use many methods, techniques, and strategies (MTSs) to help students apply principles of child development and appropriate teaching practices. Modeling: Teaching practices involve teachers actions as they prepare for, go about, and evaluate their work in the classroom, and include interactions with children, parents, and colleagues. Students often come in with many experiences in early childhood settings. We begin to teach them about appropriate teaching practices on their first day in our university classrooms. As we greet them and introduce the semesters goals and objectives, we present ourselves as professionals who are interested in and have high expectations for each student. We are warm and friendly, organized and prepared. We clearly explain our expectations of them with regard to their work, as well as their behavior and dispositions. We make our policies explicit so they know what to expect of us as instructors. We hope that they emulate em·u·late   tr.v. em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing, em·u·lates 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated. 2.  these practices in their classrooms. Observing Teachers in Action: At the beginning level, students observe teacher behaviors and characteristics that reflect best practices. They record situations in their practicum classroom exactly as they see and hear them, then highlight the MTSs they saw and heard teachers use. This process helps them to focus on the ways in which teachers deal with individual children, extend childrens learning, and teach problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error.  and conflict resolution, among other practices. At the intermediate level, students act as teacher assistants in the classroom and are encouraged to question teachers respectfully re·spect·ful   adj. Showing or marked by proper respect. re·spectful·ly adv.  about practices they observe. In the university classroom, the instructor might model the wording of a question that a student feels uncomfortable asking. Instead of phrasing a question in a way that could sound rude rude - [WPI] 1. Badly written or functionally poor, e.g. a program that is very difficult to use because of gratuitously poor design decisions. Opposite: cuspy. 2. Any Read More