Family Child Care

Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development

This post is essentially a plug for an incredibly useful site for students on all early years courses. The <a href="http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/en-ca/home.html" target="_blank">Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development</a> is a free-to-access site which is hosted by the <a href="http://www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca/mission.asp?lang=EN" target="_blank">Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development</a> at the University of Montreal. The Encyclopedia contains peer-reviewed articles and research summaries across 42 different early years topics such as play, attachment, parenting and many more. The site has an international focus with contributions coming from all over the globe, including 17 experts who are based in the UK. More information about the Encyclopedia can be found on <a href="http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/pages/PDF/2010-08_CEDJE_promo_Encyclo_EN.pdf" target="_blank">this flyer</a>. I'd strongly recommend that all students bookmark this site as the range of topics it covers mean that it is likely to be of use to you on many occasions throughout your course.

Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development

This post is essentially a plug for an incredibly useful site for students on all early years courses. The Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development is a free-to-access site which is hosted by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development at the University of Montreal.The Encyclopedia c…

29Nov2010

Not Present and Not Correct

Not Present and Not Correct

A new publication from Barnardos tackles the issue of school exclusions by claiming that excluding disruptive pupils can cost three times as much as supporting them in mainstream schools. The report goes on to argue that this money could be better targetted at early interventions with families and o…

29Nov2010

Curiosity

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-jlf551Sk8EsEAiDBTbrSMhJ9_BX7AIO9UpU-R8ZDkdyOX-awjOgNpCJEauDBMebv-2bgD4XqbJJKHekgKGkTdZ1Ny1UCxT1UA3qNZ2r1f0L0qj06jMFa5EowmuluLtP3VY1t4wIT54/s1600/Fall+2010+-+Brynlee%2527s+Brithday+002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544814452638708626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-jlf551Sk8EsEAiDBTbrSMhJ9_BX7AIO9UpU-R8ZDkdyOX-awjOgNpCJEauDBMebv-2bgD4XqbJJKHekgKGkTdZ1Ny1UCxT1UA3qNZ2r1f0L0qj06jMFa5EowmuluLtP3VY1t4wIT54/s200/Fall+2010+-+Brynlee%2527s+Brithday+002.JPG" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> <div>Our cat, Esme, likes to sit by the glass door and watch what is happening outside. I'm sure she is naturally curious because she spends her life indoors. In some ways, watching the outside is like television for the cat. Esme is very curious about everything that happens indoors and outdoors. Young children are very similar. A child's curiosity about the world is natural as he tries to understand and learn about his surroundings. As I have been watching student teaching candidates this semester, I have been observing how some teachers encourage curiosity and interest, but many others do not encourage or even like that basic instinct in children. </div> <div>As a classroom teacher I always wanted to turn my students on to learning about the world and what they can do with new information. Unfortunately, most public school settings today are so structured around test scores that the child can only sit and wait for the information to be dumped in his head. Dumping knowledge has little possibility of sticking and making a difference in the child's life.</div> <div>That brings me back to Esme and her interest in the world around her. I leave the wooden door open (even when it's cold) so that she has the opportunity to look at the world through the glass storm door and satisfy that basic curiosity. Watching safely behind the glass will make sure that curiosity will not kill this cat! Allowing children to be curious and ask questions will not kill the desire to learn, but encourage the interest to grow and continue.</div>

Curiosity

Our cat, Esme, likes to sit by the glass door and watch what is happening outside. I'm sure she is naturally curious because she spends her life indoors. In some ways, watching the outside is like television for the cat. Esme is very curious about everything that happens indoors and outdoors. Young …

28Nov2010

QR Codes

As promised, an explanation of <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-this.html" target="_blank">last Friday's post...</a> The picture in the post is called a QR code. Essentially it's a 'super barcode', and is used to provide information on... well, whatever you choose. To decode it, you need to have a smartphone (eg iPhone or Android handset) with a barcode scanner installed. Simply read the code with the scanner and the information it contains will appear on your screen, whether it's simple text, a hyperlink, or something else. In the case of last Friday's post, the code contained the following relevant-to-this-site quote: 'Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed' - Robert Gallagher We are considering using QR codes within our library to provide quick access to different types of information, though this will depend on user feedback. If having read this explanation you have any thoughts to offer, please contact me at <a href="mailto:D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk">D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk</a> to pass them on. You can read more about QR codes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code" target="_blank">here</a>. You can experiment with them by generating your own from <a href="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/" target="_blank">this site</a>. And a couple of further examples to give you an idea of what's possible: scan the code below for access to a free ebook of Dr Montessori's Own Handbook. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Od64YQDhCRVWqTUcdpQS_fXHY7VGPuh1Nvlox6XDSO3gC13pzUfC5KyJQ_NFBaE76gLvMHDd9ln8CUDARz6izrs5l3R857uDgbnu-TODlIpyjrd7oEY5sZ1hyeH-sfQgMuVx_1StVA/s1600/DrMontessorisOwnHandbook.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543829942956603346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Od64YQDhCRVWqTUcdpQS_fXHY7VGPuh1Nvlox6XDSO3gC13pzUfC5KyJQ_NFBaE76gLvMHDd9ln8CUDARz6izrs5l3R857uDgbnu-TODlIpyjrd7oEY5sZ1hyeH-sfQgMuVx_1StVA/s200/DrMontessorisOwnHandbook.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a>Or if you'd like to buy yourself a Kindle for Christmas but can't afford one, you can now download free apps for a range of devices which mean that your PC / smartphone can mimic most of the functions of a Kindle, as well as giving you access to its full range of ebooks. Scan the image below to see what's available: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCyBtkNfSHz448oE6PdqaFQ5PmWIYLkICCH5JgY67d0WNczm6I1hW_4tpmfGzQr1kDzERYo7IMedNFarKnU7wLUNpuqpb7HhYwyrxEQ4COGebQjqoypJTil7qwZYcF7wTDr1ki5WPuw/s1600/KindleApps.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543832515910787778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCyBtkNfSHz448oE6PdqaFQ5PmWIYLkICCH5JgY67d0WNczm6I1hW_4tpmfGzQr1kDzERYo7IMedNFarKnU7wLUNpuqpb7HhYwyrxEQ4COGebQjqoypJTil7qwZYcF7wTDr1ki5WPuw/s200/KindleApps.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a> Technical lessons over for now - normal posts about childcare and education research will resume next week :-)

QR Codes

As promised, an explanation of last Friday's post...The picture in the post is called a QR code. Essentially it's a 'super barcode', and is used to provide information on... well, whatever you choose. To decode it, you need to have a smartphone (eg iPhone or Android handset) with a barcode scanner i…

26Nov2010

The Importance of Teaching - The Schools White Paper 2010

The Importance of Teaching - The Schools White Paper 2010

If you watched the news yesterday, you probably saw some coverage of the launch of the government's white paper outlining their plans to reform education in the UK. The paper has largely been reported as a 'return to traditional values', and within its 95 pages there are proposals to tackle teaching…

25Nov2010

Ofsted Annual Report

Ofsted Annual Report

Ofsted's annual report for 2009/10 is published today, with information on all aspects of education and childcare. Ofsted have set up a microsite, which gives you access to the full report, as well as summaries of each of the areas covered in the main document.…

23Nov2010

What's This? Part Two

Congratulations to Lisa Perrett on providing the correct answer to Friday's puzzle (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-this.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>). To others who've attempted to solve it, it's nothing to do with Magic Eye posters... :-) Some clues: the picture - I've posted it again below - is called a QR code, and you'll need a smartphone to decode it. Again, if you can work out what it says, please contact me at <a href="mailto:D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk">D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk</a> - otherwise, an answer and explanation will be provided later this week. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqv3JxHgdlmGdTBFrpOHbAV-yAsu5kwtF3M3jSDTwdw-DWierj43moDtnDMN6g-N-2B-zylogTOkpwxqSrZglfQIn3kKk4PnwXdd3_b7_eN2WKQGPWSxHCJn3XWbyiHG_EPfbNe7WzA/s1600/qrquote2.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542372417084373810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqv3JxHgdlmGdTBFrpOHbAV-yAsu5kwtF3M3jSDTwdw-DWierj43moDtnDMN6g-N-2B-zylogTOkpwxqSrZglfQIn3kKk4PnwXdd3_b7_eN2WKQGPWSxHCJn3XWbyiHG_EPfbNe7WzA/s200/qrquote2.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a>

What's This? Part Two

Congratulations to Lisa Perrett on providing the correct answer to Friday's puzzle (see previous post). To others who've attempted to solve it, it's nothing to do with Magic Eye posters... :-)Some clues: the picture - I've posted it again below - is called a QR code, and you'll need a smartphone to …

22Nov2010

What's This?

We're always investigating new ways to communicate news & information with our users, so today's post is a bit of an experiment (and hopefully fun!) with a new form of technology. If anyone can decode the puzzle below, I'd love them to contact me - <a href="mailto:D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk">D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk</a> - with the details of what it says and who said it. No further clues for now! There's no prize as such, but if anyone solves the puzzle and is a fan of old, saggy, cloth-eared cats, then you can have the small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpuss" target="_blank">Bagpuss</a> toy that currently lives on my desk... :-) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDnFioyvA5c_Qm_CfPSgHxPG-fAxRsODud4HHPmtUsW1d0Td5kqY7eIyw4322CYlTXVoeFv8zV6MECtB2aIdZgyoLdzu_8hizjw_eiGtlsWbSjUoWj0ez-Vb0oYVb9Eve2FewRS47cg/s1600/qrquote2.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541259711223826578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDnFioyvA5c_Qm_CfPSgHxPG-fAxRsODud4HHPmtUsW1d0Td5kqY7eIyw4322CYlTXVoeFv8zV6MECtB2aIdZgyoLdzu_8hizjw_eiGtlsWbSjUoWj0ez-Vb0oYVb9Eve2FewRS47cg/s200/qrquote2.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a>

What's This?

19Nov2010

Reading By Six

Reading By Six

Ofsted's latest report highlights the success of using phonics as a tool to teach children how to read. Reading by Six: how the Best Schools Do It uses 12 infant and primary schools dotted around England as case studies, and concludes that systematic synthetic phonics should be regarded as an "indis…

18Nov2010

Children's Sector Reforms

Children's Sector Reforms

The latest government changes to childcare provision have been published today, with the announcement that children's centres will no longer have to offer full-time childcare. Other changes include the abolition of the Children's Workforce Development Council, with its powers transferring to the Dep…

16Nov2010

Children and Alcohol

The <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/" target="_blank">Joseph Rowntree Foundation</a> has been carrying out research into the relationship between children and alcohol, and recently published two studies on the topic. Both reports should be relevant to any readers who have an interest in this subject, and they are each freely available either in full or in a summarised version. <ul><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/alcohol-family-life-full.pdf" target="_blank">Family Life and Alcohol Consumption: a Study of the Transmission of Drinking Practices</a></li><li><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/pre-teens-and-alcohol-full.pdf" target="_blank">Summary</a></li></ul> <ul><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/pre-teens-and-alcohol-full.pdf" target="_blank">Pre-teens Learning about Alcohol: Drinking and Family Contexts</a></li><li><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/pre-teens-and-alcohol-summary.pdf" target="_blank">Summary</a> </li></ul>

Children and Alcohol

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has been carrying out research into the relationship between children and alcohol, and recently published two studies on the topic. Both reports should be relevant to any readers who have an interest in this subject, and they are each freely available either in full or…

12Nov2010

Born Creative

Born Creative

A major new report from the Demos think tank entitled Born Creative is published today, and explores the issues surrounding creativity in the early years. The publication comes at a sensitive time, as the Creative Partnerships and Find Your Talent programmes which were aimed at children were axed in…

11Nov2010

Connecting the Dots

I am attending the annual NAEYC Conference in Anaheim. I always enjoy this conference because it is wonderful to see such a large group of people come together to learn what are the best practices when working with young children. One of my favorite stories is The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Vashti, the young girl in the story, learns how a simple dot can lead you on a creative and exciting journey. I feel the same way when I attend conferences. I have been attending workshops and trainings for over 30 years and you might think that I have heard everything by now. It is just the opposite. I think I am just beginning to really 'get it' about working with young children. I made a goal early on that I would make a strong effort to learn at least one new thing at every conference that would make me a better teacher. That goal has helped me develop better teaching skills as an early childhood educator and now as an adult educator teaching students to work with young children. One example of this happened to me years ago when my school district sent me to a math workshop at Boise State University. Most of the workshops were labeled K-3 and did not have much content for me as a kindergarten teacher. However, I did learn to make little journal books at that conference. I used those books continually in my teaching from that point on and they became a major tool for teaching children to think and be creative. For me that long 3-day workshops was work every minute and dollar spent. It made me a better teacher by teaching me about a very useful tool. Those of you attending conferences and workshops should make a goal to find something that will profoundly improve your teaching and learning.

Connecting the Dots

05Nov2010

Class Blogs

Looking for ideas on how to use online teaching tools with children? An article from the Guardian website entitled <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2010/nov/04/class-blog-alex-wilson" target="_blank">Class Blogs: a Better Way to Teach?</a> contains plenty of suggestions for useful free applications and links to examples of how teachers are already including online technology in their work.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8hLcAjRUckt_vVxhH9QA9z4_7t8zlp5ZNrV5esAgs7DWMWq2e-lbm7DV9oNxLPX0UxJRGe9nvdjlzhNn8e0E-1-uqgpx2_6htKW3vq0kt8JVsQ1idDupUPBqatLZUc1zzPe1oiaXCw/s1600/ChildComputer.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536049531124047010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8hLcAjRUckt_vVxhH9QA9z4_7t8zlp5ZNrV5esAgs7DWMWq2e-lbm7DV9oNxLPX0UxJRGe9nvdjlzhNn8e0E-1-uqgpx2_6htKW3vq0kt8JVsQ1idDupUPBqatLZUc1zzPe1oiaXCw/s200/ChildComputer.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a>

Class Blogs

Looking for ideas on how to use online teaching tools with children? An article from the Guardian website entitled Class Blogs: a Better Way to Teach? contains plenty of suggestions for useful free applications and links to examples of how teachers are already including online technology in their wo…

05Nov2010

Playwork Education & Skills Strategy

Playwork Education & Skills Strategy

SkillsActive have today published a new five year strategy to encourage workforce development in the play sector. The document has been written to echo Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (which recognises play as fundamental to children’s quality of life), and contains 4 aims…

02Nov2010

New DfE Research

The end of each month usually sees the publication of a collection of new research reports from the Department of Education (DfE), and October was no exception. Below is a selection of the reports which were published at the end of last week: <ul><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR054-WEB.pdf" target="_blank">Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2009</a> </li><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR043.pdf" target="_blank">Improving the Outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils: Final Report</a></li><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR045.pdf" target="_blank">The Use of Whole Family Assessment to Identify the Needs of Families with Multiple Problems</a></li><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR046.pdf" target="_blank">Redesigning Provision for Families with Multiple Problems – an Assessment of the Early Impact of Different Local Approaches</a></li><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR042-WEB.pdf" target="_blank">Extended Services Subsidy Pathfinder in Schools: Evaluation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR049-WEB.pdf" target="_blank">Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Programme in Secondary Schools: National Evaluation</a></li></ul>Full access to all DfE research reports, as well as those published by the previous Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Department for Education and Skills (DfES), is available from <a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/research/" target="_blank">this link</a>.

New DfE Research

01Nov2010