Evolving Innovations: Developing Quality Professionals

for the Early Years

Bernadette L. Dean PhD

Director and Professor

VM Institute for Education

The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.

– Article 25 A: Right to Education, Constitution of Pakistan

‘Education should develop each child’s

personality, talents and abilities to the fullest’UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 29a

‘... schools have to prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created, technologies that have not yet been invented and problems that we don't yet know will arise’

Schleicher, Andreas OECD Education Directorate, 2010

The World Today

• Globalization: increased competition for fewer jobs therefore high levels of creativity and innovation in order to stay competitive.

• Information and Communication revolution: rapid technological advances and unprecedented access to information, emphasis therefore on ‘how to learn’

• Advances in brain science: provide new insights into how children learn

• Corporate change: Because of technology, globalization, competitive forces, companies have radically restructured how work gets done. Work more collaborative, with self-managing work teams tackling major projects, often global in nature. Jobs have become less predictable and stable requiring employees to adapt to new challenges and demands.

• Demographics: Pakistan has a ‘youth bulge’, if we are to obtain a youth dividend, need to develop this human resource

• Automation: Computers good at doing ‘routine jobs’ therefore replacing humans

If our world is different today and we do not know what our world will be like tomorrow, should the education we provide our young people be like yesterday?

Research on 21st Century EducationBuild a strong foundation• Children from the early years need to learn and

develop strong math, language, science and social skills to succeed in life, work and as citizens.

• Children do not need knowledge that they ‘reproduce’ on tests but the ability to apply their learning to real-world challenges.

• It is in the early years that we need to begin developing strong technological skills.

Critical Thinking Communication

Collaboration

Cultural Diversity

Creativity & Innovation

Connectivity for Learning

Citizenship

Character

Develop the 8 C’s

Use a new model for teaching and learning

• Recognize and develop the unique gifts and talents of each child

• Shift the focus of pedagogy from teaching to learning

• Curriculum, teaching, assessment and learning environments created to intellectually engage diverse children

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

• Use the VMIE teacher education model

Technology to support teaching

& learning

DAP modeled in

teacher education

programs as foundational knowledge,

8Cs &

values developed

Knowledge of:

• Child developmen

t & learning

•Curriculum standards

Real Classroom / school experiences: Observation Guided Practice Teaching

DAP practices used in real classrooms

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP)Theory

Theory

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP)

Technology to support teaching

& learning

DAP modeled in

teacher education

programs as foundational knowledge,

8Cs &

values developed

Knowledge of:

• Child developmen

t & learning

•Curriculum standards

Reflection on teaching for learning

Early childhood educators who can create safe,

engaging & active learning environments for diverse learners.

Real Classroom / school experiences: Observation Guided Practice Teaching

Reflection on teaching for learningDAP practices used in real classrooms

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

•Use the VMIE teacher education model

• Teacher education programs prepare early childhood teachers who meet the following professional standards

Professional Standards for ECECD teachers

• Know and promote child development and learning: theory and research

• Know and understand the children they teach• Know and use content knowledge to make the

curriculum meaningful • Know and use developmentally appropriate

and effective practices to promote learning• Plan, teach, evaluate and reflect on teaching

and learning so as to improve

• Create and maintain safe, supportive and challenging learning environments for diverse learners

• Know and use observation, recording and reporting strategies to support learners, for planning and reporting to families

• Know and use effectively information and communication technologies

• Build relationships with families and community• Use a variety of self and collaborative strategies to

continue growing professionally

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

• Use the VMIE teacher education model that draws on research, our experiences and our context

• Realize the professional standards for early childhood educators

• Reconceptualize ECECD from birth to 10 years

Reconceptualize ECECD from birth to 10 years and develop supporting curriculum standards

• There is considerable research evidence on the benefits of ECECD for children, their families and the larger society

• Early childhood internationally defined as 0 to 8 years, but the structure of education, the high drop out rate in primary school and the social changes in our society- suggests revising the ECECD age-bracket.

• Develop curriculum standards in the development domains: physical, social, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and language

• Determine benchmarks for standards at ages 2/3, 5/6 and 9/10

• Review and make changes to existing curriculum based on this reconceptualization

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

• Use the VMIE teacher education model that draws on research, our experiences and our context

• Realize the professional standards for early childhood educators• Reconceptualize ECECD from birth to 10 years

• Offer a world class quality teacher education program at home

Offer world class teacher education at home

• The 4 year teacher education program developed by VMIE uses a cohesive curriculum, that sequences and integrates learning, provides purposeful field-based experiences to situate theoretical learning, facilitate systematic child study and promote reflection and pays attention to teachers as learners

• Offers a mentoring program to support teachers during the induction into teaching phase

• Provides opportunities for continuing professional development

7 TEACHING PRACTICUM: • One day a week in an ECECD centre, two short and one long practicum

10 EDUCATION FOUNDATION COURSES: • Human Development and Learning: The Early Years X2, • Setting up an Inclusive, Safe and Supportive Learning Rich Environment for Diverse Learning• Creating Partnership with Families and Communities• Philosophical Approaches to ECE• Developmentally Appropriate Engaging and Effective Methodologies• Observation, Recording and Reporting for Learning• Health, Safety and Nutrition• Building Curriculum, Connections and Continuity• Reflective practice & Critical thinking

10 EDUCATION FOUNDATION COURSES: • Human Development and Learning: The Early Years X2, • Setting up an Inclusive, Safe and Supportive Learning Rich Environment for Diverse Learning• Creating Partnership with Families and Communities• Philosophical Approaches to ECE• Developmentally Appropriate Engaging and Effective Methodologies• Observation, Recording and Reporting for Learning• Health, Safety and Nutrition• Building Curriculum, Connections and Continuity• Reflective practice & Critical thinking

7 COMPULSORY COURSES:• Computer Literacy• EnglishX3 • Pakistan studies • Islamiat/Ethics• General Math

7 COMPULSORY COURSES:• Computer Literacy• EnglishX3 • Pakistan studies • Islamiat/Ethics• General Math

ADE- B.Ed: ECECD (45 Courses)

18 CONTENT, PEDAGOGY, ASSESSMENT and TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED COURSES: • Literacy X 3, • Numeracy X 3, • Learning about our world X 3, • Creative and critical thinking: An Early Start X2• Creative Arts: The Visual Arts• Creative Arts: The Performing Arts• Play in the Early Years, • ICT in Early years• Building Character• Respecting Diversity• Becoming Citizens

18 CONTENT, PEDAGOGY, ASSESSMENT and TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED COURSES: • Literacy X 3, • Numeracy X 3, • Learning about our world X 3, • Creative and critical thinking: An Early Start X2• Creative Arts: The Visual Arts• Creative Arts: The Performing Arts• Play in the Early Years, • ICT in Early years• Building Character• Respecting Diversity• Becoming Citizens

7 TEACHING PRACTICUM: • One day a week in an ECECD centre, two short and one long practicum

3 RESEARCH COURSES: • An introduction to educational research• Conducting research• Writing up research project

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

• Use the VMIE teacher education model that draws on research, our experiences and our context

• Realize the professional standards for early childhood educators• Reconceptualize ECECD from birth to 10 years,• Offer a world class quality teacher education program at home

• Develop an education and career ladder to motivate ECE teachers to stay and grow within the sector

Diploma (01 Year)

ADE (02 Years)

B. Ed(04 Years)

Ongoing development through CPD

Masters in ECE

Assistant to Teacher

Teacher

Lead Teacher

Coordinators:subject/ class

level

Subject Specialists/Curriculum

Developers/Teacher Education

Master in Leadership & Management in the

Early Years

3-5 years post masters experience and

evidence of development from

CPD

5-8 years leadership and management experience and

evidence of development from

CPD

Section Head/Manager Child Service

Director of ECE schools/ Child Services

Regional Academic Coordinator for

ECE /Child Services General Manager

Preparing early childhood educators: research, experience and context

• Use the VMIE teacher education model that draws on research, our experiences and our context

• Realize the professional standards for early childhood educators• Reconceptualize ECECD from birth to 10 years,• Offer a world class quality teacher education program at home • Develop an education and career ladder to motivate ECE teachers to stay

and grow within the sector

• Develop a family/community education program

Design a parent/family/community education program

• Design a comprehensive parent/family/ community education program• Parent/family seminars• Publication of materials • Dissemination of key message using the media

• Student-teachers engage in a 100 hour community service learning program• Educate parents in their homes• Identify problems and refer to experts

THANK YOU