Originally published in 1989, this book differed from others on the topic of microcomputers and education at the time, in that it focuses on the influence that microcomputer technology has on children in their early years, specially pre-school and elementary ages. Microcomputers have the capacity to do great harm as well as good and a full explanation of the technical and philosophical issues involved will be of interest to a number of disciplines. Other topics explored are – the potential uses of microcomputer-technology in early childhood education and current research and theory building on microcomputers and early education. This book should be read by teachers, sociologists, psychologists and researchers in education.
Originally published in 1989, this book differed from others on the topic of microcomputers and education at the time, in that it focuses on the influence that microcomputer technology has on children in their early years, specially pre-school and elementary ages. Microcomputers have the capacity to do great harm as well as good and a full explanation of the technical and philosophical issues involved will be of interest to a number of disciplines. Other topics explored are – the potential uses of microcomputer-technology in early childhood education and current research and theory building on microcomputers and early education. This book should be read by teachers, sociologists, psychologists and researchers in education.
The chapters in this volume are divided into three sections. In the first section, the authors provide a framework for the reader by setting ethnography in context. Chapters cover definitions of ethnography, its basic underlying principles, and propose ways in which it can be useful to education. The second section presents a range of ethnographic studies. The research presented defines by illustration some essential characteristics of ethnography. Chapters in the third section reflect on the different themes, issues, and concerns of the field of ethnography and education in general, and of the articles in the volume in particular. The central themes are continuity vs. discontinuity in children's lives; the role of folklore in education; researcher/ educator collaboration; and micro vs. macro levels of analysis. Children Reading and Writing: Structures and Strategies
Over the years, educational scholars have proposed different conceptions of the curriculum. It is as if each scholar, researcher, university educator, and practitioner has developed her or his own personal definition. Unfortunately, there is no one single definition that everybody has agreed upon. Table 1 presents a sample of these definitions. A universal definition for curriculum may continue to be elusive and may even change through the years to address changes in the social forces and changes in related school goals. Nonetheless, the approach in curriculum development is consistent. Curriculum developers establish goals, develop experiences, designate content, and evaluate experiences and outcomes. Most curriculum developers consistently use such terms as curriculum planning, curriculum development, curriculum implementation, and curriculum evaluation, and many others to describe curriculum related activities. Unfortunately, without a consistent definition of curriculum, it is difficult for the curriculum developers to identify what it is that needs to be planned, developed, implemented, or evaluated. If curriculum developers rely on the curriculum experts’ definitions, they will find that their definitions identify a product, a program, determine goals and objectives, and learner experiences. However, its heterogeneity may be inspiring if curriculum developers rely on the components of each definition that depict the richness of the field, which in turn, can provide a foundation for contemporary content, concepts, and creativity. A curriculum is an anthology of learning experiences, conceived and arranged based on a program’s educational goals and the community’s social forces. Each curriculum manifests an image of what children "ought to be and become" (Biber, 1984, p. 303) grounded on the awareness of social values and a system that interprets those values into experiences for learners. The concept of curriculum, as a distinctive domain of study within education, arose from the demand to arrange, organize, and translate such awareness into educational programs of study. It integrates the historical study of the goals and content of schooling, analyses of curriculum documents, and analyses of the children’s experiences in school. The first formal curriculum text was published in 1918 (Bobbit, 1918), although in the United States contemporary curriculum study goes back to the early 1890's, when lead committees challenged the form and structure of public schooling. Presently curriculum development is fundamental at all educational levels.
The provision of early childhood educational and psychological services has been an area of considerable growth over the past 25 years. As a result of far-reaching trends in both public policy and clinical practices, there is a growing need for professionals appropriately trained to address the assessment and intervention issues involved in early childhood programming. To take advantage of current opportunities for extending their role and to meet the challenge of early childhood service delivery, school psychologists must expand their professional skills and broaden their knowledge base. With the publication of this volume, the Advances in School Psychology Series changes to adopt a specific thematic focus and include reviews directly related to a common theme. This volume studies the subject of early childhood education and treatment directions. The chapters address a range of specific topics and research representing advances in the field of early childhood services for school psychology -- allowing school psychologists to examine and integrate current information from multiple perspectives -- educational and sociological as well as psychological. Topics that collectively represent important developments for school psychology include current early childhood education program models, preschool handicapped children, parental involvement, peers and socialization, stress and coping, and computers and young children. To date, more efforts have been directed toward devising and validating instruments that predict failure or success among preschoolers than on designing and evaluating approaches for treating them. Although assessment is critical for meeting individual needs, the primary emphasis of this volume is on fostering cognitive, academic, social, and emotional growth of young children.
In this important new book for pre- and in-service teachers, early math experts Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama show how "learning trajectories" help teachers become more effective professionals. By opening up new windows to seeing young children and the inherent delight and curiosity behind their mathematical reasoning, learning trajectories ultimately make teaching more joyous. They help teachers understand the varying level of knowledge and thinking of their classes and the individuals within them as key in serving the needs of all children. In straightforward, no-nonsense language, this book summarizes what is known about how children learn mathematics, and how to build on what they know to realize more effective teaching practice. It will help teachers understand the learning trajectories of early mathematics and become quintessential professionals.
Collected are 68 articles on a wide range of topics related to the education of young children in the schools. Section One offers historical perspectives of early childhood education. Section Two samples policy decisions about present and future issues, especially those with economic, social, and philosophical importance. Section Three explores issues, trends, and directions related to unanswered questions and sources of conflict and choice in early education. Section Four goes to the heart of the issues by focusing on preschool programs. Section Five, which concerns curriculum issues, aims to provoke thought by exploring what to teach, and why, how, and how not to teach it. Evidence and evaluation are discussed in Section Six, which summarizes some of what is known and what should be evaluated in the future. Section Seven explores both research and common-sense frameworks for thinking about electronic technology, particularly computers, for early childhood programs. Section Eight concerns parent involvement and partnerships between parents and teachers. Section Nine, which advocates nonviolent childhood, discusses child behavior and discipline. Section Ten probes future issues. Discussion questions are included at the end of each article. Numerous acknowledgements, footnotes, and references are listed by article in the final 33 pages of the book. (RH)
