Family Child Care

Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum

No doubt about the big childhood and education story for this post; today sees the publication of Sir Jim Rose's final report on the primary Curriculum, which the DCSF commissioned back in January 2008. The report details a review of the existing Curriculum currently used by primary schools, and contains recommendations for how teaching should be delivered in the future. Press coverage so far has highlighted two themes to emerge from the review; the first is that the Curriculum itself may be slimmed down to enable <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/30/primary-school-reforms" target="_blank">teachers to have more freedom</a> in selecting lessons, while there is also to be an increased emphasis on <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8025157.stm" target="_blank">using technology</a>. The final report is available online now. Follow <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/primarycurriculumreview/" target="_blank">this link</a> which will take you to a page where you can download the final review, as well as a host of supporting documents including an executive summary.

Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum

30Apr2009

How do you Use the Web?

We are currently carrying out a survey within the library to find out what internet applications students within the College are using. The purpose of gathering this information is to get a picture of our users online browsing habits, with a view to developing new services which students will find relevant and easy to use. If you'd like to help us with this, you can pick up a copy of our questionnaire from the subject librarian's office; alternatively you can download a copy from <a href="http://www.box.net/shared/qbgpmc9jvf" target="_blank">this link</a>. There are only 18 'tick box' questions so it should take no longer than 2 minutes to complete. Answers will be kept anonymous unless you would be interested in helping us further, in which case there is a space at the end of the document for you to enter your email address. When you have completed the survey, it should be returned to the subject librarian's office. Thank you! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-CH_toDiPWzrxMDzSdF94uB16Pfo52dnmrEv5AJVHOyZKGewXePU2UY2PaRf72V6ubYVZFzRNt3ysE3e9eh_JHavzZub5pYGZZkCOIJMqZaJ_tGjBS2-QJPXF31zCy8Y3paqXmOmIA/s1600-h/internet.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330054117906093986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-CH_toDiPWzrxMDzSdF94uB16Pfo52dnmrEv5AJVHOyZKGewXePU2UY2PaRf72V6ubYVZFzRNt3ysE3e9eh_JHavzZub5pYGZZkCOIJMqZaJ_tGjBS2-QJPXF31zCy8Y3paqXmOmIA/s200/internet.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 167px;" /></a>

How do you Use the Web?

29Apr2009

The Children's Plan - How's It Going?

The Children's Plan - How's It Going?

It's a quiet news day so today's post points you towards a site which is following the progress of the Children's Plan.Launched in December 2007 (see previous post for details), the Children's Plan was designed to shape children's services for the next decade. This mini-site, developed by the people…

28Apr2009

Education in England

A tip today to help those students who make enquiries about historical attitudes to education or childcare. While the library has a number of books that are useful for this topic, you should also have a look at <a href="http://www.dg.dial.pipex.com/index.shtml" target="_blank">Education in England</a>. This is a website which has been put together by a retired headmaster named Derek Gillard, and provides access to the full text of a growing number of historically important educational reports such as the <a href="http://www.dg.dial.pipex.com/documents/plowden.shtml" target="_blank">1967 Plowden Report</a>, the <a href="http://www.dg.dial.pipex.com/documents/docs3/warnock.shtml" target="_blank">1978 Warnock Report</a>, and the <a href="http://www.dg.dial.pipex.com/documents/docs1/des1992.shtml" target="_blank">1992 'Three Wise Men' Report</a>. The site also contains some useful articles by Derek himself which help to put some of the reports into context by explaining the educational developments that were occurring at the time that they were compiled. If you are researching the work of an educational thinker from some time ago, there is always the chance that the full text of their work can be found online as it is no longer in copyright. Students learning about John Dewey may want to have a look at a complete version of <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/852/852-h/852-h.htm" target="_blank">Democracy and Education</a>, while those of you finding out about Maria Montessori can read her 1917 book entitled <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24727/24727-h/24727-h.htm" target="_blank">Spontaneous Activity in Education</a>.

Education in England

27Apr2009

Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)

Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)

Following a couple of requests for information about the SEAL programme, students with an interest in this topic should take a look at the SEAL section of the National Strategies website, which provides a comprehensive overview of the rationale behind the project and resources for use within schools…

23Apr2009

The Roadmap

I appreciated all the comments from my last entry about teaching children not subjects. I do sympathize with the constant pressure for teachers to follow the standards, as I think they should. Our challenge is to organize learning experiences that meet the needs of the children and support each skill. I am a firm believer in looking at the core curriculum and creating a 'road map of skills' in the order that supports development and learning. It is like having a GPS system for the year. Each week when I did my lesson planning I looked at my road map to see which skills needed support. Then I chose activities that suited the group of children I had at the moment. In the early childhood years, you can adapt almost any activity to provide support for a certain skill. This kind of planning kept me on track with the core curriculum and it also helped me choose developmentally appropriate activities for the children in my class. I also read my class. If the group (or individual children) was restless or bored, I adjusted the activity. The test scores were high because the interest level was kept high.  Children do learn more when engaged in the learning experience.

The Roadmap

22Apr2009

Child Wellbeing in the UK

Child Wellbeing in the UK

A new briefing issued by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has caused a minor stir by suggesting that in a league table measuring children's wellbeing in European states, the UK comes 24th out of 29 countries. The research, which was carried out by staff at the University of York examined issues…

21Apr2009

Recession & Families

Recession & Families

Given the endless credit crunch stories at the moment, the Family & Parenting Institute has recently published a timely study which looks at how families are likely to tackle the challenges facing them. The short report, with the self-explanatory title of What do we Know about the Impact of Recessio…

20Apr2009

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

One topic that students are always enquiring about is the subject of education and services for children for whom English is an Additional Language (commonly abbreviated to EAL). A common complaint that I hear from these students is that "I typed in EAL but nothing came up..." so before getting onto some suggested web resources, here's a quick tip; if you instead use the word 'bilingual' as one of your search terms, you will often find a lot of material that is relevant. Also, the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy which can be accessed through the Sage Journals Online site has published a number of articles on this topic in recent years. First, the 'official' sources: the DCSF Standards site has a <a href="http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminorities/raising_achievement/763697/" target="_blank">section</a> devoted to information about / links to reports about EAL issues. The Teachernet website has a <a href="http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/library/EALteaching/" target="_blank">similar page</a>, while the QCA's <a href="http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_5094.aspx" target="_blank">'Useful Weblinks'</a> page is possibly the most comprehensive of all of these three. Elsewhere, the National Literacy Trust has a <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/database/ealindex.html" target="_blank">mini-site devoted to EAL issues</a> (use the links on the left to navigate) and the Teachers TV website has <a href="http://www.teachers.tv/eal" target="_blank">26 EAL-related films</a>. You may also want to visit the <a href="http://www.naldic.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC)</a>, which contains details of and links to both their own publications and reports by other organisations. And finally, if figures are your thing, have a look at this <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi-bin/rsgateway/search.pl?keyw=050&q2=Search" target="_blank">list of statistical reports</a> by the DCSF, which provides a breakdown of pupil achievement by various categories, of which EAL is one.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

17Apr2009

Sir Alan Steer's Behaviour Review

Sir Alan Steer's Behaviour Review

No doubting the big story in education over the last couple of days - the publication of Sir Alan Steer's review of pupil behaviour issues, entitled Learning Behaviour: Lessons Learned. Altogether the report makes 47 recommendations for improving behaviour within schools, although so far the report …

16Apr2009

Improve Your Searching

Improve Your Searching

Do you want to improve your search skills? If so, try taking a look at an excellent short video entitled Web Search Strategies in Plain English which has been put together by a company called Commoncraft. You may find it particularly useful if you are a visual learner, as it explains how to formulat…

15Apr2009

Teaching the Child, Not the Subject

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJxjqociYof26rHyakI3KxmTgPfEzYN0s_jHe4sCwhMs3v6icyATiHIPy6HyRefls3hLrv9qvf4GT99hPWIRgZxE_X27_JUeQpqNOhZo0gnsx4G5a0udWv_ewyQrnx2CxEXIkUeK2uMc/s1600-h/P1010104.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324632381685571330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJxjqociYof26rHyakI3KxmTgPfEzYN0s_jHe4sCwhMs3v6icyATiHIPy6HyRefls3hLrv9qvf4GT99hPWIRgZxE_X27_JUeQpqNOhZo0gnsx4G5a0udWv_ewyQrnx2CxEXIkUeK2uMc/s200/P1010104.JPG" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 67px; height: 200px;" /></a> We recently viewed a video by the creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson. (http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66) In this video he told the story of the choreographer of "Cats" and other Broadway shows. As a child, she could not hold still in class and her parents were told she had a learning problem. Fortunately, her mother and doctor discovered that she did not have a disability, she was a dancer. A dancer who could not sit still all day in a desk. She was sent to a performing arts school and became very successful in her field. My Introduction to Teaching students tell me stories about their visits to classrooms where the teacher is so structured that there is no room for children with diverse learning styles. In these cases, I think the teacher is only concerned with covering the material, not with turning the light switch of learning on for each child. We can use excuses like class size and high-stakes testing all we want. The bottom line is to be a good teacher is to provide support for learning basic skills through the learning style of the child. It is not impossible, it is just not 'assembly-line' work with dittos. Teachers need to work smarter, not harder. We teach children, not standards.

Teaching the Child, Not the Subject

We recently viewed a video by the creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson. (http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66) In this video he told the story of the choreographer of "Cats" and other Broadway shows. As a child, she could not hold still in class and her parents were told she had a learning problem. Fo…

14Apr2009

Changes to Sage Journals Online

Changes to Sage Journals Online

A couple of students have mentioned in recent days that they no longer seem to have access to any journal titles on Sage, although actually all of our subscriptions are still working. What is causing the confusion is that the site no longer displays a 'this article is available to you' message next …

09Apr2009

Life in Children's Homes

Life in Children's Homes

A new series of reports from Ofsted examines the views of children and young people living in various residential settings. In total there are four reports, which contain information about children's homes, residential further education, residential special schools and secure care, and links to all …

07Apr2009

Changing the Curriculum?

Changing the Curriculum?

Following on from my last post (click here for details) and its mention of a House of Commons report which calls for a slimmer National Curriculum, the BBC has published an article by Mike Baker entitled Tide Turns Towards Trusting Teachers, which explores the issue in greater depth. The article als…

06Apr2009

Put the Rosey Glasses Away

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k9pJnDfi2Fk1tgTnpp2dX8rPWaZn6QO_ZmGAW6pTVPdTlPorSZhk-F2ECw0cLo6KRWGK00sdbzw5yDP9fIsM8J0rVcrPk5gbP9jSwuhpuLE9kk5PmWVHh_qUFmMq-DZMY6ukMx8k3J0/s1600-h/The+Book+Thief.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321399875161735474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k9pJnDfi2Fk1tgTnpp2dX8rPWaZn6QO_ZmGAW6pTVPdTlPorSZhk-F2ECw0cLo6KRWGK00sdbzw5yDP9fIsM8J0rVcrPk5gbP9jSwuhpuLE9kk5PmWVHh_qUFmMq-DZMY6ukMx8k3J0/s200/The+Book+Thief.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a> I know I am a couple of years behind, but I just read, "The Book Thief" by Marckus Zusak. The perils of Liesel and Max during the Nazi occupation reminded me of the Head Start classroom that I used to supervise at the homeless shelter. I don't work with truly at-risk children on a daily basis any longer. I sometimes forget that we have children living in cars, living in foster care until a parent 'gets on their feet,' going to school or bed without food, etc. My heart always breaks for the children. They have no control over their circumstances and they live not knowing what tomorrow might bring. I worry that the current economy might leave more children in heartbreaking situations. I babysat three grandchildren yesterday. It hurts me that all children don't have the same safety, love and security that they enjoy. I wish I had a magic wand...

Put the Rosey Glasses Away

I know I am a couple of years behind, but I just read, "The Book Thief" by Marckus Zusak. The perils of Liesel and Max during the Nazi occupation reminded me of the Head Start classroom that I used to supervise at the homeless shelter. I don't work with truly at-risk children on a daily basis any lo…

05Apr2009

Bumper End of Week Edition!

I've been at a conference for a few days, hence the lack of updates in the past week. So here's a round-up of what's been going on: <ul><li>Those of you with an interest in international issues should take a look at a new Eurydice report entitled <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/ressources/eurydice/pdf/0_integral/098EN.pdf" target="_blank">Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social and Cultural Inequalities</a>, which contains detailed information about individual countries throughout the continent.</li><li>Issues surrounding parenting of very young children are discussed in the Centre of Research for the Wider Benefits of Learning's <a href="http://www.learningbenefits.net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep30.pdf" target="_blank">Nurturing Parenting Capability: the Early Years</a></li><li>Also on the topic of parenting, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has just published <a href="http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publicationsandresources/Documents/Equalities/Work_and_care_modern_parents_15_report.pdf" target="_blank">Work and Care: a Study of Modern Parents</a></li><li>Finally, the House of Commons' Children, Schools and Family Committee has issued <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmchilsch/344/344i.pdf" target="_blank">National Curriculum: Fourth Report of Session 2008–09</a>, which calls for a slimmed down national curriculum that is designed from the learner's perspective. </li></ul>

Bumper End of Week Edition!

I've been at a conference for a few days, hence the lack of updates in the past week. So here's a round-up of what's been going on:Those of you with an interest in international issues should take a look at a new Eurydice report entitled Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social …

03Apr2009