Family Child Care

Goodbye Teachers TV

Goodbye Teachers TV

The Teachers TV service will no longer be available from Friday 29th April. The channel was originally set up by the previous government and broadcast through Channel 88 on Freeview, but due to funding cuts it has only been available via its website since last year, and is now set to close completel…

27Apr2011

The Science of Discovery

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvMSP3rpIrJLMlF-WSALdaMyWLO5EWwamodQJvL_k1DW9hBlNbrswJA66zwi9W4jcEsc9B0Cc9w8is5C1JP6QpAAQUX-7CWU_c2Vgf7VRH2shrJMcdHuwE-q7gYTUIkDkz85N-nQesSg/s1600/Classroom+Centers+5-10+016.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595171473820582290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvMSP3rpIrJLMlF-WSALdaMyWLO5EWwamodQJvL_k1DW9hBlNbrswJA66zwi9W4jcEsc9B0Cc9w8is5C1JP6QpAAQUX-7CWU_c2Vgf7VRH2shrJMcdHuwE-q7gYTUIkDkz85N-nQesSg/s200/Classroom+Centers+5-10+016.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> <br /><div>Recently, we were talking in one of my university classes about creativity in science. Our discussion led to how important it is to help a child 'discover' or learn about the world around her. In fact, in this age of technology and electronic gadgets, I think that many people fail to observe what is happening to the Earth around them. It usually takes something devastating, like the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, to bring people back to the reality of how our world functions. Providing science discovery activities in the classroom can help the child understand when events like this do happen.</div><br /><div>To me, the biggest reason to provide great science discovery is to help the child enjoy and notice the beauties of the world. I think this discovery leads to more respectful citizens who value the earth and perhaps will be more inclined to care for our precious environment and resources. I also think that teachers who 'don't have time to teach science,' don't understand how science reinforces reading and math and science activities can be used just as effectively as activities we usually label math and reading. When I have children sort and classify <a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=16927&es=10490500000" target="'_New">seashells</a> or leaves in the science center, they are using skills that will help them sort mathematical items and letters of the alphabet. All the world can work together if we just give it a chance.</div>

The Science of Discovery

Recently, we were talking in one of my university classes about creativity in science. Our discussion led to how important it is to help a child 'discover' or learn about the world around her. In fact, in this age of technology and electronic gadgets, I think that many people fail to observe what i…

13Apr2011

Latest from Ontheweb

<a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/what-we-offer/information/ontheweb/" target="_blank">Ontheweb</a> is a monthly service from the <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/" target="_blank">NFER</a> which lists education-related reports and research which has recently been published. The reports it links to come from all over the globe, and cover a huge range of different topics, so it's well worth subscribing to if you want to stay on top of what's going on in the education sector - you can sign up for free alerts by filling in the simple form at <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/nferdirect/" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br /><br />The latest issue has just come out and as usual contains plenty of useful material. I've been through it and although quite a few of the reports it covers have already been mentioned on here in recent weeks, here's a pick of some of the other information which this site's readers may find interesting:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/teenage-drinking-culture-full.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Teenage Drinking Cultures</span></a> is a report by the <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/" target="_blank">Joseph Rowntree Foundation</a> which examines young people's behaviour towards alcohol.</li></ul><ul><li>The <a href="http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Office of The Children's Commissioner for England</a> has published a study of <a href="http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/force_download.php?fp=%2Fclient_assets%2Fcp%2Fpublication%2F465%2FLanding_in_Kent_-_The_experience_of_unaccompanied_children_arriving_in_the_UK.pdf"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Experiences of Unaccompanied Children Arriving in the UK</span></a>.</li></ul><ul><li>The <a href="http://endchildpoverty.org.uk/" target="_blank">End Child Poverty</a> campaign group has produced a <a href="http://endchildpoverty.org.uk/files/child-poverty-map-of-the-uk-part-one.pdf" target="_blank">Child Poverty Map of the UK</a>.</li></ul><ul><li><a href="http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/pdfs/browseit/9610041E.PDF" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Trends Shaping Education 2010</span></a> is a report with an international focus from the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/" target="_blank">OECD</a> which "provides an overview of key economic, social, demographic and technological trends and raises pertinent questions about their impact on education."</li></ul><ul><li>The <a href="http://www.commissioningsupport.org.uk/" target="_blank">Commissioning Support Programme</a> has concluded its work with the publication of <a href="http://www.commissioningsupport.org.uk/pdf/CSP%20final%20report.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Commissioning of Children’s Services in England: Learning from the Sector, Providing for the Sector</span></a>.</li></ul>

Latest from Ontheweb

Ontheweb is a monthly service from the NFER which lists education-related reports and research which has recently been published. The reports it links to come from all over the globe, and cover a huge range of different topics, so it's well worth subscribing to if you want to stay on top of what's g…

11Apr2011

Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

This week the government has announced <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1064114/New-body-set-check-Government-hits-targets-child-poverty-social-mobility/" target="_blank">the creation of a Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission</a> to oversee progress in tackling child poverty and inequality in the UK. At the same time a new <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/CM-8061.pdf" target="_blank">Child Poverty Strategy</a> and <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://download.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social-mobility/opening-doors-breaking-barriers.pdf" target="_blank">Social Mobility Strategy</a> have been published, which contain detailed information on how the government intends to tackle the issue of child poverty over the coming years; they have re-affirmed the commitment of the previous Labour administration to end child poverty by 2020.<br /><br />On a similar note, the <a href="http://www.ippr.org/" target="_blank">IPPR thinktank</a> has just published <span style="font-style: italic;">Parents at the Centre</span>. This research report investigates why disadvantaged families who might be expected to benefit most from the support provided by early years services are often among the least likely to use them. To read a summary of this study, <a href="http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=813" target="_blank">click here</a>; if you wish to access the full report then you will need to register with the site, though this is free and only takes a moment.

Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

This week the government has announced the creation of a Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission to oversee progress in tackling child poverty and inequality in the UK. At the same time a new Child Poverty Strategy and Social Mobility Strategy have been published, which contain detailed informa…

07Apr2011

Education Free For All!

Education Free For All!

Throughout April Routledge are offering free access to over 200 Education journals on the InformaWorld site as part of their Education Free for All campaign, so if you're in the middle of doing some research then now would be an excellent time to use this service! A list of the titles which you will…

04Apr2011

Tickell Review - Handy Guide

Tickell Review - Handy Guide

As a follow-up to Wednesday's post, Nursery World have now released a simple bullet-pointed guide to the recommendations of the Tickell Review. Very handy if you don't fancy wading through the 108 pages of the full report!To view the EYFS Review guide, click here.…

01Apr2011