Conclusion and referencing

Conclusion 

Looking at different perspectives and different types of learning enables viewers to decide what would be best for them, or their children. The Montessori, Te Whariki and Foundation Phase have similarities, for instance they are all child focussed, play, self confidence and problem solving are at the heart of them all, although they have dissimilarities too, like the teaching, culture and implementation. 

However I feel that all three approaches would be beneficial for children into the teenage years and early adulthood. Maybe by following these approaches there will be less difficulties with regards to the lack of education in adults, which has a knock on effect to employment, self esteem, and mental health issues. However there will always be a need for adult provision.

References

Bibliography: Boyce, E. (1938). Play in the infants' school. London: Methuen & Co.

Feez, S. (2010). Montessori and early childhood. Los Angeles: SAGE.

May, H., Carr, M. and Podmore, V. (2000). National curriculum, assessment and evaluation. [Wellington, N.Z.: Institute for Early Childhood Studies.

 Montessori, M. (1989). The Montessori method. New York: Schocken.

Nutbrown, C., Clough, P. and Selbie, P. (2008). Early childhood education. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Nuttall, J. (2013). Weaving Te whāriki. Wellington, N.Z.: NZCER Press.

 O'Grady, A. (2013). Lifelong learning in the UK. New York, NY: Routledge.

Adult and Community learning

Adult and Community Learning

  Life long learning, This is something that we may take for granted, We exercise and explore our brains daily, but why is it that there are so many people not educated, or in work. 

Our community in which we live has an impact on education, such as the area and resources.

Specific groups that are considered socially constructed are the poor, unemployed, uneducated, migrants and many more. There are different reasons why people fall in to these specific groups. There can be economic, ambition, morality and social environment.

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Over the last few decades there has been an awareness to increase support for these groups. This has formed the basis of Adult and Community Learning. ( A O Grady 2013). The Government wanted to enhance civic responsibility within communities. The focus to be for people to be inspired to return to learning, either educationally or vocationally.
John Hayes who is a skills minister said "Learning is the lifeblood of personal and economic growth" realising that peoples lives can be transformed, through the attitude and abilities they acquire.

http://www.niace.org.uk/

Various organisations, many voluntary aid adult learning, this depends on what social group you find your self in. For some reason the opportunity was missed for many through the formal learning system. Within this huge spectrum you can find groups for single mothers to help with childcare,  for them to learn new skills such as how to organise finances or help with parenting skills. There is discussion groups for over 55s, or retired, to keep active and learn new skills such as being computer literate. Substance abuse is normally high in under privileged  areas, there are support groups in place to help, with a view to encourage learning and building on self esteem. For migrants there are many English language classes which are a necessity for them to adjust to the new area.
 The constructs of a community are varied and depend on location, but having a mechanism in place to diagnose what area of education is needed is paramount to the effectiveness of the learning experience.

 A great example of adult and community learning is in Townhill, Swansea The phoenix centre https://sites.google.com/site/thephoenixswansea/home

Here there are so many classes, groups and organisations to aid with the variety of needs in this area, Its an under privileged community, but the centre is the heart of the community, 

TE WHARIKI

              

TE WHARIKI - NEW ZEALAND  

In New Zealand in 1996 was the introduction to the new curriculum called Te Whariki. Although it was ten years of consultation and construction before it was applied to the early years education system. the main principles were.  (Nuttall, 2013)

1. Empowerment
2. Holistic Development
3. Family and Community
4. Relationships

This placed the responsibility to the child, making them feel that what they have to say is important, their opinion was valued. This method develops the child as a whole, the philosophy is that the child finds meaning,identity and its purpose in life. They believe that family and community learning should be an integral part of their education. The relationships they have with each other, peers, and places and important to their learning.

 

In addition to the four main principles were what they called strands, or goals.

1. Well-being - Known as Mana Atua           
2. Belonging - Known as Mana Whenua
3. Contribution - Known as Mana Tangata
4. Communication - Known as Mana Reo
5. Exploration - Known as Mana Aoturoa              

   Incorporating these five stands are the fundamental principles, how are they implemented?              

     

 The system previous to the Te Whariki for childhood services for under 5s were kindergartens, play groups, Montessori centres or home based education. The most important event in the history of education here, was the integration of all services for care and education. The need to incorporate the history of the Maori and Pakeha (white folk) www.nzhistory.net.nz › … › Pre-1840 contact › Go-betweens This was important not to lose the heritage and accustoms of both. It has had some amazing results.

Te Whariki teaching is based on the socio-cultural theory of ( Rogoff 1995, Vygotsky, 1978, Wertsch, 1995) which views that children interactions and  relationships form the basis of their learning. Language, history, and people have a powerful influence on their development. The everyday activities  they encounter are rich in cultural and social  practices. Having the opportunity to participate in constructing their activities gives a sense of empowerment.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLDDFedc0zM

Learning stories is a method used to assess the children, Developed by Carr (2001) this was a formative procedure with the focus of children becoming confident and competent communicators and learners. By learning stories it avoided assessing specifics, Instead it looked at how the child looked at the topic, the involvement, the challenge and taking responsibility and overcoming difficulties, using a variety of tools, such as written, word processing and videos. This approach strives towards learning goals, not performance goals. (May, Carr and Podmore, 2000).

 There has been some criticisms on Te Whariki, mainly that for it to become successful depends on whether there are well qualified teachers with ongoing training.and professional development. Of course Politics and funding will always have an effect on education, and it has been reported that there has been budget cuts, which is not productive to Te Whariki.

Foundation Phase

What is the foundation phase

                                                                                                     

                                      

Its the statutory curriculum for 3 to 7 year old children in Wales. The ethos of the foundation phase is to be creative, imaginative, and enjoyable. The results of this type of learning is that its going to be more effective.

There are so many conflicting views, from parents, teachers, politicians, and researchers with regards to how we teach our young. So what is the appropriate way to teach?

According to (Boyce,1938) when children are free to explore, behave naturally, and talk freely about the world around them and their experiences, that these children are happier. They have gained a good understanding of general knowledge and the ability and confidence to ask questions. Opposed to the children that are in an environment where the teaching is organised by time-tables, rules and regulations, tests or exams, and very disciplined. These children are sometimes reported to be anxious and their behaviour forced. Should children be free to express themselves? Or is the more traditional method of teaching superior? 

Child research is growing, Now the heart of learning is play. 
The early years should provide a sound foundation for future learning. This vital part of their lives is a time when they should feel happy and confident. The emphasis is on children learning by doing, by having first hand experiences through active involvement and play. The variety of tasks and outdoor play, also has an important part in the foundation phase. Maths, English, and Science are given greater time than other subjects that make up the curriculum. However all are taught through play and problem solving.
How a teacher assesses the pupil is by observation, with no formal tests, until Key stage 2.

http://www.swanseagfl.gov.uk/learn_agenda/foundation_p/index.asp


One of the first theorists to research early years education was Jean Piaget. We owe the research to the development of childrens understanding to him. He observed, listened and talked to the children whilst they were completing tasks he set. It emerged that children have an amazing capacity to understand their world as they grow providing they have reached the maturity to do so. This is known as cognitive constructivism. He gave stages to cognitive development by age, His theories were supported by Vygotsky and Bruner, although they placed emphasis on other people enabling learning.


The foundation phase was launched in Wales September 2008, so its still in early stages for us to see what kind of outcomes it may produce. However it has had some criticisms in the press. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-14898083  Although when you look at other education systems in counties with similar set ups, There has been positive results. Evidence suggests that where ever a child is from, if the concepts of foundation phase are applied, the child appears to be happy, thrive, and have confidence to progress on to next stage of learning.
Although Traditional methods of teaching will remain in the education of our children in their later years.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaECwZS2wMI

wh

Montessori

What is learning?

When we think about the term learning, what do we think of?

School, The teacher, Information, Lessons, Play, are all words that spring to mind. To learn, children and adults need to obtain information, understand it, process it and retain it, It can then be applied to situations and contexts as needed.

So how do we learn? In what environment? At what age is best? In what context?

These are some of the questions to be looked at, and examined.