Introduction

This blog is to be used regularly with frequent posts reflecting on my experiences of educational
contexts. To help with my research there will be links, images and also videos within some of the blogs.

My four chosen contexts are:

·         Learning Outside the Classroom
·         The Foundation Phase
·         Welsh Language Development
·         Montessori

Each blog goes into detail on the usefulness of each context and may also comment on some negative criticisms that have been voiced about them.  

Learning Outside The Classroom

Learning in outdoor environments can have many benefits on children’s education as it can help them to develop new skills and become much more engaged with other pupils. Learning in outdoor contexts beyond the classroom can involve things like school trips, enabling children the opportunity to gain a new experience from an educational visit. Not only can children learn from such trips, but it also allows for a new, fun and interesting way for them to gain new knowledge, improving their attitude towards learning to be far more positive.

From my own experience of visiting a context of learning that children could benefit from I took a visit to the Plantasia in Swansea, Wales. From this trip I discovered that the layout of the Plantasia was very colourful which helped to attract the younger children, as well as lots of images around the area of different species and plants. Small information posts were also spread across the Plantasia, offering children the chance to gain new knowledge independently by reading and taking in the information given.

 The Plantasia offered an enjoyable and exciting experience for children with living animals and the chance to have an insight into what a real rainforest would look and feel like to be amongst.

Experiences like these are important for children as they can be encouraged to discuss with others about what they have seen and learnt, and also have the chance to reflect back on the experience after.

Whilst researching I came across this website http://www.lotc.org.uk/, The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom which promotes that all young children should have as much experience as possible of outdoor learning activities and experiences. The website offers up many opportunities for teachers or anyone working amongst younger kids to seek for educational trips and visits that may help with children’s learning. It is a great resource providing events to encourage learning through first hand experiences. 

Learning Outside the Classroom: Play

'Besides creative activity in play; dancing, making rhymes and tunes, painting and dramatics were profoundly expressive' (E. R. Boyce, Stepney, London, 1936)

By encouraging children to learn through play it can help to develop positive attitudes towards learning, and also improve on their language and communication skills amongst and around others.

The positive aspects of learning through play:

• Children can explore new feelings and ideas
• They can develop on skills or even develop new skills
• Help to build children's confidence and personalities
• Encouraged to use their imagination and their own experiences
• Opportunity to think for themselves

Children need to be given the opportunity to work collaboratively with others, and by learning through play they are experiencing team work from a very young age, putting new skills into practice and being able to become far more confident in thinking for themselves.

Professor Tina Bruce CBE, supports the importance of play within children’s education, and that children should share new knowledge about the world with adults as they can further this knowledge into play situations from real life experiences. Bruce argues ‘the importance of play for children as a rehearsal for the future’. I agree with this statement as I too believe play can help guide and support children for future situations that might formulate in reality.

http://www.froebeltrust.org.uk/docs/Froebel-Conference-at-Canterbury.doc (2014)

   

I came across this video whilst researching the use of play within schools. It shows schools which use natural resources for play such as tyres, trees, sand and plants. This enabled and encouraged the children to use their imagination to the best of their ability, and fully involves them in using the natural play resources to build areas and create games as well as exploring with different materials.

The video does comment on the risks that have to be considered when children are using play as a technique of learning, such as the children not using the resources in the right way.

There have been some criticisms of children learning through play with risk taking being the main issue, but also the consideration that children can develop emotions from play as it allows them to deal with different issues. Play needs to be appropriate for the children, in order for them to benefit and learn from it positively. 

The Foundation Phase

'Most children do three extraordinary things in the first two years of brain development. They begin to think, walk and pretend.' [1](Dfes 2008)

The Foundation Phase is the curriculum for children ages 3 to 7 based in Wales. It is a combination of the Early Years Education and Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. It largely emphasizes and encourages the ability for children to learn through play and active involvement, by giving them more opportunities to explore the world around them and learn from real experiences, and also to enable a sense of continuity throughout a child's learning and development. Pritchard supports the encouragement of active involvement towards children saying,

 “We have seen that without engagement with the content of an activity, effective learning is far less likely to be the result of anything that teachers ask children to do.” [2] (Pritchard, 2005:39)

http://www.torfaenfis.org.uk/default.asp?page=5&menu=1&fsize=1&lang=e

The principles of the Foundation Phase are:

• Empowerment

(The curriculum of the Foundation Phase should encourage and empower all children in their motivation and ability to learn as well as grow)

• Family & Community

(Family and community should be an essential part of the Foundation Phase)

• Holistic Development

(The curriculum should reflect the integrated way all children learn)

• Relationships 

(Reflection on the responsive and reciprocal way of children learning) 

A very important factor in the Foundation Phase is to help children to gain knowledge and understanding of the world. This area of the Foundation Phase encourages children to develop independently in their understanding of the environment and to explore their own surroundings. Children are able to learn about the concerns of the environment and what they can do to help as they research into the wider world, developing on their own opinions and feelings on the topic. Children need to learn from real experiences to understand how to react to certain situations.

Well-being, cultural diversity and personal and social development are key areas of learning to the Foundation Phase. Children need to be aware of the fact they can feel accepted in a class environment and be given the opportunity to gain full confidence in their work and their own thinking. They also need to know the importance of personal safety and health and nutrition, understanding where to go when feeling unsafe and the fact that food and water are necessities in life as they develop their health.

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[1] (Dfes 2008)

[2] Pritchard, A. (2005) Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Welsh Language Development

“The Welsh Language is one of the seven areas of learning in the Foundation Phase.” [1] (Keane, A)

The Welsh Language Development within the Foundation Phase means to learn the language naturally and gradually through the use of first hand experiences and active involvement. Children are found to be making progress in the development of the welsh language but it is found that their reading and writing skills are not as well developed and of as high standards.

Schools can offer many opportunities to help children succeed with their welsh language skills, with such things as learning through structured activities, active learning such as play, rhymes and songs that will allow children to become familiar with the language, and also the use of repetition. If children are to enjoy the way they learn, it will benefit themselves as well as the teacher by creating a positive attitude towards the welsh language. Although it has been noticed by ESTYN that the encouragement towards learning welsh from some teachers has been very limited, supported by Ann Keane, “In the best schools teachers are highly skilled, passionate and plan fun and stimulating activities that engage and excite children, but in minority of schools staff are not devoting enough time to developing Welsh language.” [2]

Activities encouraged developing Welsh speaking skills include:

·         Nursery rhymes

·         Singing

·         Greeting and expressions

·         Active play

·         Story

Whilst doing my own research I came across this website containing an article titled ‘Teachers tongue-tied over Welsh language’. Reporter Darren Evans comments on the sudden drop in the number of people who speak welsh over the years, ‘from 21 percent of the population in 2001 to 19 percent in 2011’. [3]

Experiencing the study of Welsh language throughout my primary and secondary education I felt as though as I moved on through the years the encouragement to continue my studies of the Welsh language was reduced significantly in secondary education. As soon as children have the choice as to whether they wish to continue with learning the Welsh language, there becomes no need to push that this is something they should aim for by teachers. This is something that campaign group, Rhag, have highlighted, according to them ‘the teaching of Welsh as a second language had been a ‘failure’.

It is not known whether the Welsh language will be around in years to come with the decreasing amount of people speaking and learning it, and the lack of encouragement from the education system.

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[1] Keane, A. ESTYN Chief Inspector

[2] http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/news/news/children-in-wales-are-making-progress-in-developing-their-welsh-language-skills-in-the-foundation-phase/ (accessed 2014)

[3] Evans, D. http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6314569 (18/01/2013)

Montessori

“The essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.” (Montessori, M. The Absorbent Mind 1949)

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first qualified physician in Italy, and took it upon herself to question what ‘normal’ education was. Montessori aimed for an educational environment where children’s freedom was significantly highlighted. Montessori opened the first Children’s House, otherwise known as Casa dei Bambini, in 1907, which became a model for Montessori childhood education. Important elements of the Montessori approach to education are the recognition of learning through the use of senses and using educational toys to help develop children’s learning.

The Montessori approach has three key concepts to education:

·         The child

·         The environment

·         The teacher

And three stages of development

·         The absorbent mind

·         Childhood

·         Adolescence

Montessori’s aim was to nurture and support children in order for them to reach their full potential. Her approach “has made an impact on today’s understanding of early years education and has influenced present day good practice.” (Isaacs, 2010:1) [1]

In a Montessori classroom it is encouraged for children to help look after the classroom environment. Children are free to roam and find activities that best suit them for that day, they may choose to get involved in group work, or work independently, or simply just sit and watch others for a small period of time. This freedom to choose activities for themselves is known as ‘Auto-Education’.[2] Movement and manipulation are two key areas that uphold the Montessori approach in all classes. There is a lot of emphasis on learning through practical activities, with the role of the adult being to help encourage children to show off their abilities. Materials help generate spontaneous activity and helps children with skills such as keeping concentration and developing on skills independently.

“Montessori’s ideas have had a greater influence on early childhood education than recognized”.[3] (Feez, 2010:2)

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[1] Isaacs, B. (2010) Bringing the Montessori Approach to Your Early Years Practice, 2^nd ed. Milton Park: Routledge.

[2] http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/acatalog/What_is_Montessori_.html (01/21/2014)

[3] Feez, S. (2010) Montessori and Early Childhood: A Guide for Students. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.