Current Context Early Learning and Care

1. Current Context Early Learning and Care

2. Whitty/ECC Research Group International Influences: Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) oecd.org Office of Early Childhood Education Care Country Reviews including Canada John Bennett: Starting Strong Papers

3. Whitty/ECC Research Group ECEC Branch -OECD �It (ECEC) is a small unit �its potential strength has come from the way it structured its review process. It carried out its work in such a way as to draw in and develop a transnational network of early childhood specialists and advocates.� Rianne Mahon

4. Whitty/ECC Research Group International Influences Office of Early Childhood Education and Care (Bennett): What are they advocating? shift from cognitive goals to broad developmental goals (domain, subject based approach) social-pedagogical approach - the child, family and community in the social-cultural context (values, guidelines, frameworks, local)

5. Whitty/ECC Research Group International Concern Schoolification : Related to the emphasis on school readiness; future life of the child;downward extension of schooled practices.(cognitive) Todayness: Related to the quality of a child�s everyday learning and caring experiences; present life of the child; upward extension of educare values and practices.(social-pedagogical)

6. Whitty/ECC Research Group Influential Publications: OECD Five Curriculum Outlines Belgium: Experiential Education New Zealand: Te Whariki Sweden : Preschool system Italy: Reggio Emilia USA: High Scope Oecd.org

7. Whitty/ECC Research Group Influential Publications: OECD Early Childhood Education and Care Policy: Canada Country Note (UK, Finland, Belgium, OECD) OECD Thematic Review: Early Childhood Education and Care - Canadian Background Report (Doherty, Friendly, Beach)

8. Whitty/ECC Research Group National Influences: Canadian Child Care Federation Child Care Advocacy Child Care Human Resource Sector Campaign 2000 Canadian Council of Social Development Dissemination of Knowledge Advocacy of Issues around Quality including Curriculum

9. Whitty/ECC Research Group National Influences Multilateral Framework Early Learning and Care Federal commitment - QUADI Principles Quality Universality Accessibility Developmental Learning Inclusivity

10. Whitty/ECC Research Group National Realities Increasing Participation of Women in Workplace Increasing recognition of the importance of quality care and learning for infants, toddlers, young children Increasing child care sector initiatives Increasing research, development, policy initiatives

11. Whitty/ECC Research Group �It (ECEC) is a small unit �its potential strength has come from the way it structured its review process. It carried out its work in such a way as to draw in and develop a transnational network of early childhood specialists and advocates.� Rianne Mahon

12. Whitty/ECC Research Group We are part of the network Child Care Practitioners Early Childhood Staff /Services for Children and Families Family &Community, Health & Wellness, Education, Culture &Sport Early Childhood Associations; Professional Development Consultants UNB Early Childhood Centre Research Grp

13. Whitty/ECC Research Group �Ideally the curriculum would be suited for use in home and centre based day care, yet also serve as a source of information on children's learning and care for parent and staff in other programmes and services designed for children and young families.�

14. Whitty/ECC Research Group What�s new in curriculum? Taking a Children�s Rights Approach Building a Generative Curriculum Developing Cooperative Community Sowing Seeds for Farm Safety

15. Whitty/ECC Research Group What�s new in curriculum? Five curriculum outlines OECD Experiential Education Te Whariki High Scope Reggio Emilia The Swedish Curriculum Starting Strong Paper March 2004

16. Whitty/ECC Research Group Social Contextual Approach to Curriculum �Most experts agree that the best curricula are organic. They evolve with changing values, reflect new philosophies, and adapt to current research about how we learn. There appears to be a global trend toward developing children�s curriculum based on societal goals, while embracing philosophies that focus on the individual child as subject.� Interactions Winter 2005: p.27

17. Whitty/ECC Research Group Eve Hujala: Curriculum Components Conception of the child Complexity of interactions Environment as Teacher

18. Whitty/ECC Research Group Eve Hujala: Curriculum Components The conception of the child as an active participant in her-his own daily life, with opportunities to access meaningful child initiated and child directed experiences.

19. Whitty/ECC Research Group The Child Belgium - degree of a child�s emotional well-being and the level of involvement Sweden : Opportunities for democratic actions and opportunities for the child to have influence

20. Whitty/ECC Research Group Interactions Recognition of the complexity of interactions within the child�s environments; that is child-child interactions; child-adult interactions and internal interactive thought.

21. Whitty/ECC Research Group Interactions Belgium: Action strategies for self-assessment on how the educator engages the child Sweden: quality of the interactions Reggio: active listening Emerging research on friendship

22. Whitty/ECC Research Group The environment as teacher An understanding of the role of the early childhood educator as designer of an active learning environment

23. Whitty/ECC Research Group Designing an Active Growth Environment Creating an environment that acts as a third teacher supports the perspective that knowledge is constructed not in isolation but within the social group Documentation of children�s learning speaks to child�s interests shaping the physical environment. Displays Reggio Emilia

24. Thank you! Pam Whitty