Personal and Community Reflections Reading Journal

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READING JOURNAL

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Personal Reflections

a). The two  key  terms that were identified from the weekly reading and  that were not clear to me or I  was not familiar with initially involves the term contestations which  was retrieved from  Hayden (2000) and pedagogy retrieved from Nuttall and Edwards (2007) respectively. However, contestations from the context in which it was used in the reading means continued struggles for superiority or even control over or victory between two rival or competing groups. Thus it may be used to mean  competing or striving for something of common interest  to different groups. In addition, it  implies a call into question which leads to taking of active standpoints against a challenge or a dispute (Cannella, 2002).

The other key term which was identified is pedagogy and was retrieved from Nuttall and Edwards (2007) book. This term was used either to mean the study of being a teacher or the teaching process. Therefore, the term is generally used refer to  the strategies that are used in instruction as  well as styles of instructions in teaching.   Thus, it can be referred to  as the use of instructive strategies that in correlation with the philosophical beliefs of the instructor are governed by the background knowledge and experience of the pupils, environment, situation, as well as the class learning goals usually set  by the teacher and the students.

b).  After  consideration of the weekly reading an issue that proved to be hard for me to understand involved some of the challenges that were  currently  facing the early  childhood education in Australia as they were presented in the book written by Nuttall and Edwards (2007). These challenges that posed difficulties to me were to understand the involved challenges in involved such as the reconsideration of the social justice and anti-bias issues, as well as the implications of critical pedagogies together with the pedagogical documentation involved in the traditional approaches that  are used in the early child hood education planning. These were to  take me  sometime in order to explicitly understand them and their actual meaning in the context of their application in Australia’s early education.

c). Considering the early childhood services offered in Australia it is undoubtedly crucial to note that they really needs proper policies formulations that will go a long way in ensuring that the sector is effectively managed and regulated. This was very vital in enabling my understanding of the conceptual overview of the policies required to ensure early childhood education is adequately  controlled. Moreover, the global overview of the of this education sector was also of critical significance (Sumsion et al. 2009). Finally, I was able to understand the  early  childhood pedagogy in the Australian education system which is very helpful in ensuring that I understand the services offered  by such early childhood centres.

Community Reflections

d). The key quote that  I have identified in the weekly readings is in the third reading which is concerned with the challenges that are facing  the arena of the early childhood education. Therefore, the need for succinct understanding of the early childhood pedagogy  arises.  However, according to Nuttall and Edwards (2007) there is need for  ensuring  that  the  developments that are taking place as a result of postmodern  perspectives in the early childhood education needs  to be totally considered. This reading continues to further elaborate on the challenges facing the early childhood as well  as the social constructions of childhood learning  and in developing childhood pedagogy (Sumsion et al. 2009).

However,  this reading is closely related to the one used by the student I am responding  to which is Goldfield and Oberklaid’s (2005)  reiterates on the importance of the early childhood education without negligence. For instance, the student’s  article is mainly  concerned with the importance of the family  functioning  which is crucial factor in the facilitation of the formulation and implementation of policies  that are crucial in boosting the early childhood pedagogy. Additionally, it is also crucial to ensure  that the conduct of  various students at that level requires keen attention in order to  determine the crucial factors that affect their learning (Penn, 2007). Hence, there is need for a collective approach towards formulating policies that are intended  to regulate the early childhood education rather than an autocratic approach which is not likely to be a representative of all the stakeholders (Woodrow & Brennan, 2001).

e). The other link which  seem  to be closely related with the weekly topic of discussion is the (Kagan, S.L. and Neuman, M. J. (2003). Integrating early care and education, Educational Leadership, 60(7), April, 1-8). This is mainly because this article  discusses very crucial things  that are important in facilitating amicable formulation of policies that are vital in the governance of the early  childhood education. Moreover, this article also provides insights as to why a collaborative and integrative approach is necessary in addressing the challenges currently facing the early childhood education in the country. Hence, this link has a lot of relevance and usefulness to the weekly topic which was policy formulation in early childhood  education.

Overview

f).  Considering the five above discussed entries in this reading journal it is likely to determine that they absolutely correlate with the topic of discussion during that week. Moreover, the sources of the points discussed in both the personal and community reflections seem to indicate a coherence in the presented ideas that are undoubtedly  closely related to the policy formulation and perception of the global contexts of the early childhood education (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2003). Additionally, they have also been indicated to be in a unanimous correlation with the necessary understanding of the early childhood pedagogy. This crucially significant since it formed the basis of our learning topic this week which was to ensure an overall understanding of the policies that  regulate early childhood, the global contexts  band comparisons of early childhood education as well as the understanding of the early childhood pedagogy and the challenges that face the early childhood education (Robertson, 2006).

In addition, a keen evaluation of the central issues presented in the sources that have been used to do this task it is apparently clear that the most fundamental issues discussed are aimed at ensuring the streamlining of the early childhood education in Australia (Woodrow & Brennan, 2001). This is through leveraging on the understanding of the  challenges that face early childhood sector as well as understanding of the early childhood pedagogy both of which collaboratively leads to ensuring that there is formulation of effective policies that are capable of making sure that there is a smooth operation of the entire early childhood education system.
                                            

References

Cannella, G. S. (2002). The genealogy of childhood. Chapter 2 in Deconstructing early childhood education: Social justice and revolution. New York: Peter Lang.

Ebbeck, M. & Waniganayake, M. (2003). Globalisation and the futures, (pp 211 – 238). Sydney: Elsevier.

Goldfield, S. & Oberklaide, F. (2005). Maintaining an agenda for children: the role of data in linking policy, politics and outcomes. Medical Journal of Australia, 183(4), 209 –211.

Hayden, J. (2000). Policy development and changes on the Australian landscape: A historical perspective. In  J. Hayden (Ed.), Landscapes in early childhood education. (pp. 49-68). New York: Peter Lang.

Nuttall, J. & Edwards, S. (2007). Theory, policy and Practice: Three contexts for the development of Australasia’s early childhood curriculum documents. In L. Keesing-Styles and H. Hedges. Theorizing early childhood practice: Emerging dialogues. Castle Hill, NSW: Pademelon Press.

Penn, H.  (2007). Childcare market management: how the UK government has reshaped its role in developing early childhood education and care, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 8(3), 192-207.

Robertson, J. (2006). Reconsidering our images of children: What shapes our educational thinking? In A. Fleet, C., Patterson and J. Robertson (Eds.). Insights: Behind early childhood pedagogical documentation. Sydney: Pademelon Press.

 

Sumsion, J., Barnes, S,. Cheeseman, S,. Harrison, L., Kennedy, A. & Stonehouse, A. (2009). Insider Perspectives on Developing Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34 (4), 623-629.

Woodrow, C. & Brennan, M. (2001). Interrupting dominant images: Critical and Ethical issues. In J.A Jipson and R.T. Johnson. (Eds.) Resistance and representation: Rethinking childhood education. New York: Peter Lang