THE IMPLICATIONS OF NATIONAL POLICIES IN THE UNITED STATES,BRAZIL, EL SALVADOR,AND PERU ON EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION

It may seem obvious but the world is filled with believers in the value of good care and attention to children during the earliest months and years. That belief is embedded in virtually all cultural traditions. Indeed, both common wisdom and hard scientific research evidence lead to the forceful conclusion that the earliest years of life are critical in the development of the intelligence, personality, and the social values and behaviors that will characterize later life... But if the value of the early years is so evident... why is there such neglect by families and social institutions? Among the reasons that might be offered are the following: Families living in extreme poverty or victimized by war and famine, may be so busy surviving that they cannot give the

loving attention to their children they would like to give. Families living in luxury may be too busy making money, or spending it, to give the needed time to their children. At the same time, some institutions that could help families to help their children take the position that the child development is best left to families. ‐‐Robert G. Myers, 1991     

Involving families in training early childhood educators: Developing a framework for family centeredness

Abstract

More early childhood programs are including young children with disabilities, thereby creating inclusive environments. In order to adequately prepare personnel for working in these inclusive settings and because of the major focus on family involvement, teacher preparation programs have developed competencies related to family centered practices. One of the most valuable methods for assisting students in developing a family‐centered philosophy is to involve families in the training process. Families of children with disabilities already have much experience in dealing with the many diverse services provided to young children such as, medical staff, social service agencies, specialists (i.e., physical therapists, occupational therapists), early interventionists and teachers and therefore, could provide extensive learning opportunities for students especially from a parents’ perspective. While there are many advantages for involving family members in training activities, there are also some challenges. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of involving families in early childhood teacher preparation programs, different strategies for including them, and the benefits and challenges of partnering with them. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.     

CULTURALLY SITUATED EXPLORATIONS OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT: A HOME VISIT PROJECT FOR PROSPECTIVE EARL Y CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

As part of a child development course in an undergradute early childhood teacher preparation program, students completed a home visit project with a family of a culture other than their own. This report examines the assignment's effectiveness in helping students become aware of the cultural nature of human development and the role of the family in the child's growth and development. Student responses obtained through focus groups, papers, field notes, and course evaluations included 1) reflections on the nature of the experience; 2) reactions to the role of researcher in the home of relative strangers and 3) evaluation of the learning. Although students seem to have achieved some understanding of the role of family and culture, the further step of recognizing culture as fundamental to development was generally not an outcome of the present intervention.     

The effects of formative assessment pre-lecture online chapter quizzes and student-initiated inquiries to the instructor on academic achievement

This study's goal was to quantify the effects pre-lecture online quizzes and student-initiated inquiries to the instructor, either virtually or in person, had on students' achievement. Pre- and post-course tests were also implemented to an experimental and a comparison section of the same course. The number of electronic administrative contacts was positively related to achievement, and the number of in-person contacts was negatively related. The number of quizzes taken in the first section of the course was positively related, while the number of quizzes taken in subsequent sections of the course was not related, nor was quiz performance. Perhaps providing the opportunity to take the quizzes prompted the students to become involved in the course earlier on, thus establishing a sound basis for the following material. Complementing traditional teaching methods was not intrusive to highly structured course content already in place.     

Qualitative research and making meaning from adventure: A case study of boys' experiences of outdoor education at school

Abstract

This article details the process and analysis of a case study, conducted over a six week period, involving an outdoor education class in an all-boys Catholic, New Zealand secondary school. The questions explored by the case study were the subjective meanings of adventure experiences in outdoor education and the benefits of qualitative research for assessing the value of outdoor education. The methodological techniques used were observation, involving some researcher participation, and in-depth interviewing. Subsequent data analysis was based upon theories of experiential education and adventure education, and concepts of leisure and human agency. The results of the study suggest that the meanings participants make of their experiences, and the value they derive from them, exceed those that may conventionally be sought and measured as an improvement in self-concept. These findings suggest that learning through adventure is potentially valuable as a holistic and life-long form of activity that enhances the capacity to enjoy and engage in living. This is an important extension beyond its often limited and compartmentalised applications, which are rationalised by specific outcome based objectives. A qualitative methodology was indispensable to an inquiry of this kind and warrants further attention in the process of understanding the meanings of adventure and learning.     

FOURTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR JEWISH EDUCATION

Successful career development involves balancing the values and expectations held by oneself and by others regarding one's position and the roles played as part of the position. Due to the nature of their work, rabbis face special challenges with regard to balancing professional roles and expectations. Results from a study of Conservative rabbis are reported here, including the variety of roles played by rabbis, the value and expectations placed by rabbis regarding each of these roles, and his or her perception of the value and expectations placed by lay leaders on these roles. Implications related to rabbinic identity and education are discussed.     

Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress,Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy

Despite the crucial role of teachers in fostering children's academic learning and social–emotional well‐being, addressing teacher stress in the classroom remains a significant challenge in education. This study reports results from a randomized controlled pilot trial of a modified Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction course (mMBSR) adapted specifically for teachers. Results suggest that the course may be a promising intervention, with participants showing significant reductions in psychological symptoms and burnout, improvements in observer‐rated classroom organization and performance on a computer task of affective attentional bias, and increases in self‐compassion. In contrast, control group participants showed declines in cortisol functioning over time and marginally significant increases in burnout. Furthermore, changes in mindfulness were correlated in the expected direction with changes across several outcomes (psychological symptoms, burnout, and sustained attention) in the intervention group. Implications of these findings for the training and support of teachers are discussed.     

The Right Book on the Right Shelf: Missing and Misshelved Books—How Bar Code Scanning Inventories Can Solve the Patrons’ Dilemma

After more than 30 years of failing to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the book collection at a large liberal arts library, our patrons complained that they could not find one in five books. A study of the problem indicated that in fact 20% of our books were either missing or misshelved. This article discusses the investigation of the problem and the impact after five years of conducting an annual inventory by using handheld devices to gather bar codes and interface these with our catalog records to find the missing and misshelved books. The missing book rate dropped from 5.6% to less than one half percent. The misshelved book rate dropped steadily every year from 11.6% to 3.1%. The number of books reported as missing by our patrons dropped 90%.