Educator licensure overlap in the early grades: Why it occurs, why it matters, and what to do about it

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17
Author(s):  
R. Clarke Fowler

In the United States, 48 states have recognized the educational importance of the early years by awarding stand-alone early childhood education (ECE) licenses that require specialized training in teaching young children. Yet, at the same time, teachers with elementary education (ELED) licenses are allowed to teach kindergarten in 34 states and 1st through 3 rd grade in more than 45 states. This means that teachers may be licensed to teach young children without receiving specialized early childhood training. R. Clarke Fowler explores the extent of the licensure overlap, the reasons for it, and the effects it has on early childhood education. He recommends moving toward a preK-3 license that requires teachers to learn developmentally appropriate practices for the education of young children.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-188
Author(s):  
Samuel Oppong Frimpong ◽  

An individual is born with millions of neurons and the quality of the experiences he/she will have at the early years can potentially determine the future life of that person. This makes quality early childhood education pivotal. However, the perception people have about this influence how they prepare themselves to provide that quality early childhood education for young children. Thus, this qualitative research purposively sampled 26 participants to elicit their views about the perception they have about the criticality of early years experiences and how the perception influenced how they were providing the early childhood education within the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. Data in the form of interview were analysed thematically. The study found that experiences through the early childhood education are criticality serving as the foundation for future education. The study also found that developmentally appropriate infrastructure (such as tables and chairs sized to the height of learners, spacious and well-ventilated classroom), teachers who are specifically trained in early childhood education and child friendly pedagogy should be in place to ensure quality early childhood education and that how early childhood education was perceived greatly influenced how it was provided. The recommendations based on the findings are that, there should be more advocacy by teachers and headteachers on the criticality of early years experiences to ensure people’s sufficient appreciation for quality early childhood education for young children. Importantly, early childhood education should be completely detached from the primary and basic school to enable it receive the due attention and the needed provision. Individuals with the right perception should be engaged with the provision of ECE.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1650-1668
Author(s):  
Sally Blake ◽  
Denise L. Winsor ◽  
Candice Burkett ◽  
Lee Allen

This chapter explores perceptions about technology and young children and includes results of a survey answered by Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) and Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals in relation to age appropriate technology for young children. Integration of technology into early childhood programs has two major obstacles: (a) teachers’ attitudes towards and beliefs about technology and (b) perceptions of what is developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in their classrooms. The issue of what constitutes developmentally appropriate practice for young children in relation to technology in early childhood education classrooms is one that may influence technology use in educational environments. The framework for this chapter explores perceptions of early childhood and instructional technology practitioners and their views of what is and is not appropriate technology for young children.


2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-240
Author(s):  
Franz-Michael Konrad

As a historian of early childhood education in German-speaking Europe, I am struck by the outstanding role that Friedrich Froebel, or rather his ideas, played in all the countries described in the six essays. This is not really new since even the first historiographic articles in German-speaking countries already pointed out Froebel's role internationally. The worldwide spread of Froebel's educational teachings remains the subject of German research to this day. And yet it is still so remarkable to see how Froebel's philosophy of education—which had its origins in the spirit of romanticism and which seems strange even to German audiences—has succeeded in establishing itself in different cultures and for different reasons. Just think of Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century (James C. Albisetti), of post-revolutionary Russia ruled by the Bolsheviks (Yordanka Valkanova), of Great Britain, France, and the United States. Even in Asian countries we can find evidence of Froebel's influence, for example, in Korea and in Japan (on Japan, Kathleen Uno). In spite of the differences between these countries and their cultures, Froebel's pedagogy has succeeded in playing an influential role in all of them. Extant institutions for the care and education of preschool children developed into modern kindergartens under the influence of Froebel's teachings. In the end it was always about making it possible for young children to learn and, at the same time, taking into account the very special way learning occurs in these early years as an active, action-based and almost effortless kind of learning. Froebel found an answer to this problem. With his gifts he gave the answer in a simple and yet brilliant manner which was, despite its origins in German idealism, apparently unrelated to culture.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-75
Author(s):  
Hani Yulindrasari ◽  
Heny Djoehaeni

Abstract Since 2012, Indonesia has been obsessed with the notion of melestarikan budaya lokal (preserving local culture) as part of Indonesian Cultures. In West Java, Indonesia, the cultural revitalisation program is called “Rebo Nyunda”. Rebo means Wednesday; nyunda means being Sundanese. Sunda is the dominant ethnic group in West Java and the second largest ethnic group in Indonesia. Childhood often becomes a site for implanting ideologies, including nationalist ideology through the rhetoric of anti-West. Rebo Nyunda is expected to be able to shape future generations with strong cultural roots and unshaken by negative foreign ideas. Using focus group discussions this paper investigates the extent to which teachers understand Rebo Nyunda as a mean of cultural resistance to foreign forces amid the wholesale adoption of early childhood education doctrines from the West, such as the internationalisation of early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practices, neuroscience for young children, child-centred discourse, economic investment and the commercialisation of childhood education. This paper examines the complexity of and contradictions in teachers’ perceptions of Rebo Nyunda in Bandung, a city considered a melting pot of various ethnic groups in Indonesia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
LG Phillips ◽  
Jenny Ritchie ◽  
JK Adair

© 2018, © 2018 British Association for International and Comparative Education. Recognition of young children as citizens is relatively new in sociology, with translation emerging into education. Discourses of children and childhood shape ideas of young children as citizens and national discourses of citizenship frame what civic participation can be. The authors analysed national early childhood education curricula frameworks of Australia, New Zealand and the United States to understand how discourses authorise constructions of children as citizens and opportunities for young children’s civic participation. They sought to locate how children are positioned as citizens and what opportunities there are for young children’s citizenship participation in national early childhood curricula documents of Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Illustrative examples of children’s citizenship membership and participation from the three nations’ early childhood curricula were critically read to locate how prevalent discourses of children, childhood and citizenship in each nation define children as citizens and shape possibilities for citizenship participation for young children.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Pollock ◽  
Jane Warren ◽  
Peter Andersen

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR environmental sustainability (ECEfES) has become significant in the early years, as highlighted by the inclusion of ECEfES in Australia's first and current National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care (ECEC). This article reports on the major findings from a case study (Pollock, 2014), which aimed to uncover what lies between theory and practice, as ECEC educators attempt to support young children to become environmentally responsible, through the implementation of the NQF. This article discusses some of the findings from an analysis of the documents central to the NQF as well as semi-structured interviews with three university-qualified educators. Thematic analysis revealed that although challenging educators in some respects, the introduction of the NQF has enhanced their sustainability practices. This has emphasised the importance of listening to the voices of young children, a ‘whole of settings' approach, and engaging in reflection.


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