Issues in the development of children’s centres on nursery and primary school sites

This paper explores the development of children’s centres in England between 2004 and 2008, focusing on the newly created centres that have been located on primary and nursery school sites. Using both an analysis of policy documents and interview data from three urban local authorities, we examine the use of premises and the differing priorities of centre staff and school heads, particularly in relation to the balance of services between early years education, childcare and family support. We also explore governance issues, focusing especially on patterns of accountability. In so doing, we also examine the tensions that exist between children’s centres located on primary and on nursery school sites and the schools themselves.     

Footprints in the woods:‘tracking’ a nursery child through a Forest School session

Forest School has become increasingly popular in the UK, although little is known about what actually happens in sessions and how these sessions are planned. Using observations of two sessions and semi-structured interviews with two adult leaders this article sets out to explore how the sessions are planned, alongside a young child (aged 2–4 years) is involved and how adults participate in activities. This was achieved by ‘tracking’ one child over two one-hour sessions using the Leuven Involvement and Participation Scales as a diagnostic, analytical tool. The two sessions were then compared. This case study approach indicates that there is a link between adult participation and child involvement, alongside training which have implications for the impact and development of Forest School pedagogy and reflective practice.     

Mothering in public: The division of organized child care in the kindergarten and day nursery,St Louis, 1886–1920

Two case studies from turn-of-the-century St. Louis, the public school kindergarten and a privately run day nursery, reveal that both organizations provided compensatory child rearing, yet one was legitimated through the public school and the other continued as an impoverished, largely illegitimate institution. Distinctions were supported by leaders' overt and covert intentions and organizations were kept separate through the elimination from the kindergarten of the “nursery element” and resistance to educational offerings in the day nursery. Implications for merging the two organizations and for attitudes about working mothers and the public care of children are discussed.     

‘Row,row, row your boat’: singing,identity and belonging in a nursery

The concept of belonging is widely recognised as a fundamental part of human development and a key element of early childhood curricula. The research presented here explores the role of singing in the development of children's sense of belonging in a day nursery for children aged from six months to two years. The research design incorporated ethnography and portraiture, an approach to narrative inquiry. Data were collected over seven months, with the researcher adopting a participant observer role during regular visits to the nursery. Observation and interpretation of singing focused on relationships between children and adults and between peers. Themes of identity, togetherness, intersubjectivity and communicative musicality were identified in the analysis of data. The portrait shows the intrinsically interactive nature of singing, providing rich evidence of ways in which singing both supports and reflects the children's relationships and hence their sense of identity and belonging. This research contributes to literature on the musical lives of infants and toddlers that supports the value of music, especially singing, in early childhood.     

Naïve change agent or canny political collaborator? The change in leadership role from nursery school to Children's Centre

This article presents initial findings from a consideration of early years Labour government policy from 1997 to date and from a case study of an early years leadership journey. The article explores the social policies underlying early years initiatives that have impacted upon early years leadership journeys and roles. The challenge of the role is highlighted through the first author's (Lesley Curtis) leadership experiences and we suggest that limited support for leaders of integrated centres has been available to date. The case study questions and explores whether Curtis is a naïve change agent or a canny political collaborator as she travels on her leadership journey and discovers new insights into the nature of her early years leadership role.     

Understanding ‘Together and Apart’: a case study of Edward’s explorations at nursery

Edward was one of 58 children studied by workers and parents as part of a study on Well‐being and Resilience at the Pen Green Nursery. Within the larger study, eight children were studied in greater depth in order to explore connections between cognitive and emotional development. Schematic theory and attachment theory were used as frameworks for analysing the observations. Video observations were made over a period of 18 months. These were viewed and analysed by a researcher, Edward’s mother and Edward’s Key Person in the nursery. Edward found separating from his mother extremely painful and repeatedly used his play with objects to explore ‘separation’ and ‘connection’. It is argued that children’s repeated actions may be prompted by current emotional needs and that links can be made between children’s schemata (repeated patterns of action) and emotional development by drawing on psychoanalytic theory. The author also acknowledges the novelty of this approach for her, as a teacher, although these kinds of interpretation are common within the fields of play therapy and psychotherapy and are used increasingly in education.     

‘School doesn't feel as much of a partnership’: parents' perceptions of their children's transition from nursery school to Reception class

This small‐scale study explores a group of English parents' perceptions of their relationships with their child's nursery school and, after the transition to Reception class, their primary school. It references current research and literature on the issues of transition and the role of parents in their children's education. Findings from semi‐structured interviews with parents, and with the children's key workers, were analysed for emergent themes. Parents felt very positively about their relationship with their child's nursery, and that they were fully involved in, and informed about, their child's learning. However, the transition to school heralded a change in their relationships. Most parents felt that they had a more distant and less reciprocal relationship with their child's teacher than they had had with their key worker at nursery. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research.     

‘People at the heart of our processes’, a case study of how a nursery school and children's centre promotes community cohesion

This article reports on a doctoral case study of how an English integrated nursery school and children's centre fulfils its legal duty to promote community cohesion. The provocation for the enquiry derives from the author's growing unease over the perceived limitations of a target-driven culture currently pervading English schools. A case is made for the importance of schools’ community cohesion work; presented here as a potential vehicle with which to broaden and extend the school experience beyond the narrow individualistic confines imposed by current accountability frameworks.     

Meals in a Hurry in America

Americans eat breakfast and lunch quickly unless it is a social, business or family occasion (需要). The evening meal is usually longer and a time for families to get together. Rushing through daytime meals is part of the fast pace (快节奏)in America. Another     

A Child in Fantasia ——Anti-hero in the Catcher in the Rye

Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye has aroused various disputes after its publication.Either standing on the bestseller list or got banned from reach of juveniles,the book could hardly define a definite position for long.A lost hero with the low-pitched author offered the work to the world without much comment or declaration against vicious criticism.However,read within a certain historical environment,ignoring the content which may have triggered positive or negative responses from the society,the work well explains its intension of expression as well as a function calling for caution.Holden’s mind originates from that contemporary world,manipulated by the postwar Salinger who has got a full brain of mind.The degenerated anti-hero is the outcome of both the outer society of decaying and inner complex of childhood innocence.This essay is going to analyze the above mentioned aspects to better understand the meaning of the Catcher in the Rye,a certain work within a certain social background,which may provide some constructive methods in interpreting works under different environments.     

Fast Food in Slow Lane in US

Fast food, a mainstay1 of American eating for decades, may have reached a plateau2 in the United States as the maturing baby-boom3 generation looks for a more varied menu.     

in空间

希望——[大长今](国语)——歌词看天空飘的云还有梦看生命回家路路程漫漫看明天的岁月越走越远远方的回忆的你的微笑天黑路茫茫心中的彷徨没有云的方向心中的翅膀一天中展开飞向天上看天空飞的鸟还有梦看清风像白鹭吹散大雾看冬天飞的雪越来越远昨天的曾经的我的微笑看天空飞的鸟还有梦看清风像白鹭吹散大雾看冬天飞的雪越来越远昨天的曾经的我的微笑天黑路茫茫心中的彷徨没有云的方向希望的翅膀一天中展开飞向天上放飞到天上心中的彷徨有天冒出想象心中一个梦想化作彩虹挂在天空in空间~~     

“Learning in Depth” in teaching education

The “Learning in Depth” program is a simple but radical innovation, which was first implemented in Canada in 2008/2009 and is now being used in a dozen countries with many thousand students. The aim of the program is to ensure that every student becomes an expert on something during schooling. The unusualness of the program and the fact that it stimulates controversy easily makes it useful in education courses and teacher education programs. The program raises a number of profound educational issues and offers itself as a stimulating addition to courses which focus on practical educational programs and assessment of their success and also to courses and programs that wish to raise a wide range of important educational issues vividly.     

Life in the City and in the Country

Life is exciting and convenient in the city.People can enjoy all sorts of services and entertainments such as restaurants,shopping centers,hospitals,cinemas and so on.     

Teachers' in‐service training needs in Cyprus

Needs‐identification studies should be systematically conducted to bring clarity to the decisions about the expectations from particular in‐service training schemes. This article aims to present the results of a research study diagnosing teachers' in‐service training needs in Cyprus. For the purposes of the study, questionnaires were distributed to a random stratified sample of schools state‐wide. Findings outline teachers' preferences on aspects of professional development, such as content, teacher participation, efficiency and organization. Despite the resulting diversity of collected views, emerging recommendations focus on the adoption of preferred thematic orientations, the development of alternative forms of in‐service training, the establishment of links with school improvement, the shift of organizational models from the central to the local level and the enhancement of teacher involvement in in‐service training activities. These findings can prove significant in shaping professional development policies within the framework of a recently announced initiative for educational reform in Cyprus.

Il serait indispensable de mener systématiquement des études d'identification de besoins afin d'apporter des clarifications sur les attentes de différents programmes de formation continue. L'objectif de cet article est de présenter les résultats d'une étude de recherche menée dans le but de diagnostiquer les besoins de formation initiale des enseignants à Chypre. A cette fin, des questionnaires ont été distribués à un échantillon stratifié aléatoire d'écoles dans tout l'état. Les résultats schématisent les préférences des enseignants sur des aspects du développement professionnel, tels que le contenu, la participation du professeur, l'efficacité et l'organisation. En dépit de la diversité résultante des points de vue rassemblés, les recommandations présentées se focalisent sur l'adoption d'orientations thématiques préférées, le développement de formes alternatives de formation continue, l'établissement de liens avec l'amélioration d'école, le déplacement de modèles d'organisation du niveau central au niveau local et l'encouragement de la participation des enseignants dans les activités de formation continue. Ces résultats peuvent prouver importants à la formation des politiques de développement professionnel dans le cadre d'une initiative récemment annoncée pour la réforme de l'enseignement à Chypre.

Los estudios de las necesidades‐identificación se deben realizar sistemáticamente para traer la claridad a las decisiones acerca de las esperanzas de la instrucción de esquemas particulares de instrucción interna. Este artículo se propone presentar los resultados de un estudio de investigación diagnostica de las necesidades en instrucción interna de los maestros en Chipre. Por eso, los cuestionarios fueron distribuidos a una muestra estratificada aleatoria de escuelas en todo el país. Las conclusiones resumen las preferencias de los maestros en aspectos del desarrollo profesional, tal como: contento, la participación del maestro, la eficiencia y la organización. A pesar de la diversidad resultante de vistas completas, las recomendaciones que surgieron, enfocan en la adopción de orientaciones temáticas preferidas, el desarrollo de formas alternativas de la instrucción interna, el establecimiento de conexiones con la mejora de la escuela, el cambio de modelos de la organización desde el central al nivel local y el aumento de la participación del maestro en las actividades de la instrucción interna. Estas conclusiones pueden ser importantes en la formación de las políticas profesionales del desarrollo dentro del marco de una iniciativa recientemente anunciada de la reforma educativa en Chipre.

Studien zur Identifikation von Bedürfnissen sollten methodisch durchgeführt werden, um Klarheit zu schaffen hinsichtlich der Erwartungshaltung gegenüber speziellen betrieblichen Berufsförderungsprogrammen. In diesem Artikel möchte ich die Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung betrieblicher Berufsförderung von Lehrern in Zypern darstellen. Im Rahmen der Untersuchung wurden, als Stichproben, Fragebögen an Schulen in ganz Zypern ausgeteilt. Die Resultate zeigen die Präferenzen der Lehrer hinsichtlich Aspekten beruflicher Bildung, wie Inhalt, Teilnahme der Lehrer, Effizienz und Organisation. Obwohl die Ergebnisse unterschiedliche Ansichten aufzeigen, fokussieren sich die präsentierten Empfehlungen auf die Annahme bevorzugter thematischer Zielrichtungen, die Entwicklung alternativer Formen in der betrieblichen Berufsförderung, die Einrichtung von Mitteln zur Verbesserung der Schulen, die Verschiebung organisatorischer Vorbilder von der zentralen auf die lokale Ebene, sowie ein gesteigertes Engagement der Lehrer in der betrieblichen Berufsförderung. Im Rahmen einer kürzlich angekündigten Initiative für die pädagogische Verbesserung in Zypern können sich diese Resultate als bedeutend erweisen für die Herausbildung beruflicher Entwicklungsmethoden.     

‘Practice in teaching should be practice in caring’ fidelity in teacher education

Abstract

As we move forward in the new millennium, the call for reform in teacher education programs increases. One reform model, offered by Nel Noddings, focuses on the students’ affect, emotion, and intellect. Noddings proposes the use of fidelity—focusing on the individual and the quality of relationships—as a cornerstone in teaching and teacher education. Fidelity in teacher education utilizes a process that includes modeling, dialogue, practice, and confirmation. This paper explores the fundamentals of a fidelity‐based approach to teacher education and examines a university course and its fieldwork component by analyzing the structure and methods of each using the fidelity framework. If we expect our pre‐service teachers to create caring learning environments, they must first be taught about caring environments by their professors. The use of fidelity in teacher education programs is one model that allows for caring environments as well as content application.     

Teaching writing in grades 4–6 in urban schools in the Greater China Region

A random sample of 1102 grade 4–6 Chinese language arts teachers in Beijing, Macao, and Taipei City were surveyed about their instructional writing practices. Seventy-eight percent (n = 857) of the teachers completed the survey. Teachers were generally positive about the usefulness of their college teacher preparation program. They slightly agreed that they liked to write, teach writing, and were effective writing teachers. Their beliefs about writing were related to the instructional practices they reportedly applied, and textbooks along with school guidelines played a prominent role in shaping their overall writing program. Teachers’ programs emphasized product-based instruction, but also placed considerable emphasis on writing process and content. They further indicated an average writing class lasted 69 min, but almost 80 % of teachers indicated they taught writing only once every 2–4 weeks, raising a concern about amount and timing of writing instruction. Consistent with social/cultural theory, Chinese writing teachers in these three urban locations evidenced differences on almost every variable studied. We expected such differences as macro-level features involving government and educational policy varied across locations. The observed differences were mostly a matter of degree (i.e., teachers applied certain practices more or less frequently) versus a more general difference in how writing was taught.     

Discomfort in the field—The performance of nonhuman nature in fieldwork in South Devon

Outdoor learning experiences can invoke feelings of uncertainty and discomfort, acting to disrupt human-environment narratives. In this article, the “performance” of nonhuman nature and discomfort in outdoor learning is considered, told through two vignettes from residential field trips with secondary age students, held at Slapton Ley Field Centre in South Devon, UK. This article asserts that discomfort associated with outdoor learning and fieldwork creates opportunities for learners to challenge their own environmental beliefs, values and attitudes. In particular, it is suggested that learners enter into a coproduction of place through interaction with nonhuman nature, and that this can, in turn, lead to a development of environmental sensitivity beyond the normally instrumental focus of such field trips.