Education Commons^™

Facilitating Effective Mathematical Teaching Practices In Preschool, Funda Gonulates, Jasook Gilbert

Journal of Global Education and Research

Initial seeds for mathematics literacy are planted during early childhood. Children benefit when they are exposed to and provided with opportunities for math experiences that emphasize their holistic development and not just mathematics proficiency in isolation. This way of viewing and presenting mathematics to young children requires teachers who are equipped with strong mathematics teaching skills. This study examined a 21-hour professional development series for public school preschool teachers on early numeracy, geometry, mathematical reasoning, and teaching pedagogies. This professional development series aimed to help preschool teachers incorporate effective mathematical practices and increase their comfort level in teaching mathematics. Participants …

Learning To Lead: Lessons Taken From The Wisest People We Know, Christine Kenney, Aviva Dorfman, Sapna V. Thwaite

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

How we engage and interact with young children and what we know about supporting them as they grow into the best versions of themselves is a window into what we also know about adults as they grow into the best leaders they can be. How we support and teach children has informative parallels for what leaders in education might learn and draw upon in their interactions and engagements with the people with whom they work. The goal of this paper is to introduce four principles of early childhood education (emotions and feelings are important, relationships are vital, process orientation is …

Implementing Inclusive Education In Early Childhood Settings: The Interplay And Impact Of Exclusion, Teacher Qualities And Professional Development In Ghana, Francis R. Ackah-Jnr, Hyacinth Udah

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Inclusive education (IE) in the early years enhances young children’s learning, socialization, and development; yet, children with disability are one group that is often isolated, excluded, or marginalized in early childhood education. This paper examines jointly the perceived exclusion practices, teacher qualities, and professional development and the interplay and impact of these factors on effective inclusive early childhood education. Drawing on data collected from individual interviews with teachers and headteachers in a large early childhood and school setting in Ghana, findings of this qualitative study indicate the exclusion practices of teachers. The findings suggest that resistance to IE limits learning, …

Honoring Knowledge And Experience: Highlighting Caregiver Voices In A Professional Development Curriculum, Margie Brickley

Occasional Paper Series

Infant/toddler caregivers are often portrayed as undereducated and unprofessional. The same is true for family child caregivers. In this piece, the author describes an approach that takes a different point of view – assuming competence and knowledge - and building on the existing experiences of the people working with infants, toddlers and their families. The philosophy behind the professional development experience is delineated. The voices of the caregivers, instructors, and coaches who participated in this program are highlighted.

Getting It Right From The Start: A Retrospective And Current Examination Of Infant-Toddler Care In Jamaica, Zoyah Kinkead-Clark, Kerry-Ann Escayg

Occasional Paper Series

Despite acknowledging that early childhood spans from birth to eight years, in Jamaica, similar to many other developing countries, predominant interest in early childhood care and education has typically been centred on the education children three to six years receive rather than the care of infants and toddlers. With the current thrust towards improving access to childcare in Jamaica it warrants an examination of the sector and the issues affecting infants/toddlers and the persons who care for them.

Guided by the findings of the ground breaking 1993 UNICEF funded report which evaluated the state of nursery care in Jamaica, this …

Was The Professional Development I Conducted In South Africa Evident In Teachers’ Practices Many Years Later?, Darlene Demarie

Journal of Practitioner Research

I conducted professional development by working alongside the teachers I hired at a child development center in South Africa. I spent one year and 9 months there while I was a Fulbright CORE Scholar from 2007 to 2009. After 8 years with only two short visits back, the digital tools (photographs and videos) I used and reviewed with teachers at the time of the professional development also helped me to assess the impact of that professional development. I saw how it influenced the teachers' practice and noted what was similar and what had changed over the years.