Reggio Emillia Essay Example for Free

Reggio Emillia Essay ‘A Reggio pre-school is a special kind of place, one in which young human beings are invited to grow in mind, in sensibility and in belonging to a broader community. ’ (Learning and teaching Scotland, 2006) For this case study I am going to look at the four themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage, also known as the EYFS. The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn, develop well, and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that will provide the right foundation for good future progress, throughout school, and adult life. (Hutchin, 2012) I will be highlighting links between the EYFS’s four main themes; A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Developing, and discussing how the Reggio Emilia Approach supports these themes. The Reggio Emilia Approach is focused on preschool and primary education, originally set up in the northern Italian town of Reggio Emilia. It has a reputation for forward thinking and excellence in its approach to early childhood education. It is an approach where the expressive arts play a central role in learning and where a unique reciprocal learning relationship exists between practitioner and child. (Tornton, 2006) According to Locke and Rousseau children are born as â€Å"blank slates† completely free of any predisposition or vulnerabilities, and that everything the child would become was due to the effects of their environment. (Moyles, 2010) Though within the Reggio Emilia approach they see children as slightly different, they believe children are empty vessels waiting eagerly to be filled with knowledge. Reggio educators believe strongly that a child has unlimited potential and is eager to interact with, and contribute to the world. (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2006) The way the Reggio Emilia Approach views their children is much like the Early Years Foundation Stage. The EYFS states ever child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. (EYFS, 2012) Both the EYFS and the Reggio Emilia Approach see children as individuals; this is conveyed throughout the EYFS, as one of its main themes is : A Unique Child. The EYFS states practitioners should understand and observe each child’s development and learning, assess progress, and plan for the next steps. (EYFS, 2012) The Reggio Emilia approach tackles this in a very different way in relation to the UK. Children’s work is documented throughout the year on walls to display a story of the child’s learning; it is not something that is made after the child has finished working. Educators observe, document and analyse children’s learning journeys, they are able to make informed hypotheses about how to guide children in their learning. It is obvious then that documentation is far removed from photographic displays of completed project work. (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2006) Throughout the Reggio Emilia buildings there are many long, child height mirrors. This is designed to support children to help them develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture. This is one of the practices of the Unique Child theme in the EYFS. Another way the Reggio Emilia Approach supports children finding their own identity is ‘pedagogy’ this means that art is seen as another way of communicating and expressing ideas. Children are also encouraged to raise their own questions and answers, and this re-enforces the child’s opinion that their thinking is valued. Education is based on relationships. Reggio Emilia teachers are seen as partners in learning, (Tornton, 2006) for example pupils and teachers work together aiming towards a common purpose: the building of a culture. This respects childhood as a time to explore, create and be joyful. Participation begins even before the children have started school, through a comprehensive integration programme. This involves meetings between children, parents and teachers to build an image of the child as an individual. This often involves the child doing a task such as making a ‘holiday booklet’ of photographs and favourite nursery rhymes; this can be used as stimulus for discussion between child and teacher. (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2006) The teacher`s working with the child links to one of the four themes within the EYFS- Positive Relationships. The EYFS states you should be supportive of the child’s own efforts and independence (EYFS, DATE). By the teacher being a partner in learning, suggests that children could have the freedom to convey their thoughts and ideas more freely. To give an example: The teacher strives to support and encourage the child on the learning journey, encouraging them to reflect and to question. In this sense, the role of the teacher is not to dispense information or simply to correct. Rather, the teacher is like a tool that the children use when most needed. (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2006) This also links to Jerome Bruner’s theory of scaffolding, this is the idea that you can give children support in their learning. Froebel also stressed the significance of building positive relationships within an educational environment; his most important gift to children was the classroom, symbolically viewed as an extension of a lovely, thriving garden. This enabled the teacher to take on the role of a loving, supportive parent. (Bruce, 2012) This shows that from a personal view he thought teachers should be like an empathetic parent. Environment plays a key role in supporting and extending a child’s development. Vygotsky believed that we learn from our environment and the people around us. (Vygotsky, 1978) His view is much like the teachings of the Reggio Emilia Approach, for example one of their fundamental principles says the environment is the third teacher, the environment is recognised for its potential to inspire children. (Tornton, 2006) Kerka (1999) suggests that an environment that nurtures learning provides the necessary resources and time for investigative play and experimentation. It is one in which children are free and motivated to make choices and to explore for answers without feeling intimidated. (Cited, Danko-Mcghee, 2009) Within the Reggio Emilia settings children have lessons outside in the community, making great use of the Piazza’s, which are squares within the town, where children can learn alongside the community, as well as making the most out of the outdoors. This also has an impact on positive relationships between both the community and the children, which links to the enabling environment within the EYFS. Reggio Emilia buildings and spaces link to what the EYFS suggests practices should offer, stimulating recourses, relevant to all the children’s cultures and communities. Reggio Emilia settings, buildings and spaces reflect their relationships and view of the child. There are lots of long windows, this is so that the children can interact with the outside community, and also it reflects the idea that education is not just what you learn in the classroom. It is seen as less restricting to have long windows, and lets a lot of light into the setting creating a more natural airy environment. Within the setting there are a lot of natural materials used, from the children’s toys and equipment to the building and furniture inside. This is much like Steiner’s view, in his schools all toys are made from natural materials, this is because simple toys stimulate and encourage imagination, as children can interoperate natural materials to be anything they want. Throughout this assessment I have been linking the key themes of the EYFS and relating them to the Reggio Emilia Approach, I am now going to discus whether or not the approach can be taken from Italy and brought to the UK. As I have mentioned above a big aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach is the environment, I believe this may be a problem as many of our English calendar months can be wet, cold, and miserable. Children spend the majority of time indoors during the winter months, even sometimes on dry days largely due to protests from parents that the damp weather is bad for the children. Though in Italy they do not have this problem, if it is wet or cold they just see this as an opportunity for children to wrap up warmer. I do believe it is counter-productive to wrap children up in cotton wall, I think that sometimes it is good for children to be taken out of their comfort zones. This will benefit a child’s emotional development by trying and exploring new things and gaining self-confidence. Maybe we need to look at our cultures upbringing of our children and let children explore the different seasons. Even though the outdoors isn’t a major part of the Reggio Emilia is it still highly valued, as they like to encourage a lot of natural materials and bring the outdoors in, whilst exploring the different environments. Also we lack in open out door spaces within the community for example in Italy they have plazas Bringing this approach to the UK may cause some trouble for children who do not have a secure home setting; this is because going to school creates a secure environment. Whereas, with the Reggio Emilia approach, children may find their education too unstructured. Instead of choosing their learning methods, they might prefer a setting with secure guidelines and learning outcomes. Furthermore I think the transition from the Reggio Emilia Approach to mainstream higher education may be difficult as the children, as they are so used to the freedom and the scaffolding of the teachers, that they might not be able to settle into the strict curriculum. I believe this quote sums up my opinion perfectly, ‘It is a mistake to take any approach and assume like a flower you can take it from one soil and put it in another one. That never works. We have to figure out what aspects of that are most important to us and what kind of soil we need to make those aspects’ (Gardner, 1993)

Parenting Education Essay -- Parenting

In a perfect world, every child would be wanted and loved, and all parents would have the capacity and the desire to raise children who are healthy, mentally and physically strong, and displaying high moral integrity. Sadly, this is not the case. Some parents are, unfortunately, not interested in what happens with their children. Other parents are not pleased with what is happening in the home with their children but do not know what to do to create effective change. Still other parents are unaware that there is another way, a better way, of parenting. Parent education could help in all of these scenarios. Studies reviewed showing that positive parenting through parenting education is an intervention that improves the quality of the relationship that parents have with their children; as well as, improving their children’s social behavior. There are a number of other teaching programs that have been particularly effective when delivered to motivated parents. Motivated parents seem to be a key to success in education programs. There has been little study of the success of programs that serve as interventions aimed at preventing and stopping a wide range of antisocial behavior of children in their teens. There have however been assessments assessed though results of troubled teenagers and the risky lifestyles that have led them to get into trouble. These older children come from broken homes with poor parenting interaction. Risky lifestyles can be gang related activities, drugs/alcohol, and truancy).There seems to be a lack of satisfactory friendships, support systems or supervisio n in these children’s lives. There are, of course, problems associated with delivery of parenting programs; the greatest challenge is getting paren... ...nteractive part. Works Cited Barna, Jennifer S., and Brott, Pamela E. â€Å"How Important is Personal/Social Development to Academic Achievement? The Elementary School Counselor’s Perspective.† Professional School Counseling 14.3 (2011): 242-249. Brannon, Diana. â€Å"Character Education—a Joint Responsibility.† Education Digest 73.8 (2008): 56- 60. Parker, David C., Nelson, Jennifer S., and Burns, Matthew K. â€Å"Comparison of Correlates of Classroom behavior problems in schools with and without a school-wide character education program. Psychology in the Schools 47.8 (2010): 817-827. Reinberg, S. (2010). U.S. kids using media almost 8 hours a day. HealthDay News January 20, 2010. Scott, Stephen; O’Connor, Thomas G.; Futh, Annabel; Mathias, Carla; Price, Jenny; and Doolan, Moira. Child Psychology & Psychiatry 51.12 (2010): 1331-1341.

How Does Owen Convey Negative Feelings in the Send-Off

How does Owen convey negative feelings in The Send-Off? In this poem Wilfred Owen conveys negative feelings with his clever use of language that can be interpreted in many ways. This poem actually conveys a message that war is not as glorious and honourable as it is always portrayed as. Even the title, The ‘send-off' could mean two things. Firstly, it could mean that the soldiers were being sent off to war. However, it could also mean that the soldiers were being â€Å"sent off† to their deaths. This emphasizes the fact that war actually is not what it is portrayed to be.It is not glorious and honourable to fight in war but the people and soldiers going through it suffer greatly and most do not survive. In â€Å"The Send-Off†, Owen conveys his feelings about the war and the young soldiers going off to die. You can tell he has a very pessimistic attitude to the likelihood of the soldiers surviving. You can see this from his frequent references to death, for example â€Å"Their breasts were stuck all stuck with wreath and spray. † which could refer to how the dead are garlanded with wreaths of flowers before their burial. Line six, says, â€Å"Dull porters watched them / and a casual tramp / stood staring hard. The train station porters stand back, watching and listening to the soldiers as they wait for the train with no emotion at all, it is as if it is just one of those regular things in life that one gets on with, without much interest as it is such a common event. In line 3, Owen uses the oxymoron, â€Å"grimly gay†, this gives the impression that the soldiers know what is going to happen to them and they are scared, but they put on a brave face anyway so as not to upset their families, each-other and also, if they don’t admit their fear to themselves, then maybe it will go away.Owen uses similes such as â€Å"so secretly like wrongs hushed up† show the conspiracy of the war kept from the soldiers for assurance that men would continue to join. Repetition of â€Å"a few, a few, too few† emphasises and shows the reader that many soldiers would not return from war. It continues by suggesting that the small amount of soldiers returning from war would not be greeted by celebration but by silence and still villages. The use of imagery â€Å"white flowers† shows two meanings, flowers for celebrating and white for mourning.In giving the flowers to the departing soldier, the women who thought they were supporting the soldiers were actually garlanding them for death. To conclude, the use of language; similes, repetition, imagery and so on all channel feelings of negativity within the poem. Although not directly pessimistic it is relatively easy to spot the depressing nature of the poem but nonetheless Owen displays obvious negativity towards the state of how no one showed feelings towards the soldiers fate and how it was so hushed up.

Declaration of sentiments Essay

Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of sentiments for women’s rights suffrage at Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19, 1848. (Scholastic) It was based on the Declaration of Independence and described the types if discrimination women faced in America. She presented at the first women’s rights convention. Other women like Lucrettia Mott helped play a major role. There was a list of issues that were â€Å"resolved† during this convention. Also, Stanton stated things such as women having to be obedient to their husbands, if married they were civilly dead in the eye of the law, and in case of separation, she loses all power goes to the man. This declaration stated that â€Å"all men and women were created equal,† and demanded that women be given â€Å"the sacred right of elective franchise.† (Womes Vote, Womens voices) Stanton not only spoke up about women’s rights, but also against slavery. She believed in equality for all of humanity. (Womens Vote, Womens Voice) The unfair treatment of women by men was one of the most important points of the Declaration of Sentiments. The demand make known by this document was the demand for women to get equal rights as men that also included suffrage. Stanton specifically and purposely listed ways some were treated unfairly. This document was written to show that women shouldn’t be treated an insignificant or unimportant part of America. They had a voice and they had something to offer. They didn’t want to be seen as property. It wasn’t until many years later when the 19th amendment for women’s right came but this was the very first time women had stood up for themselves against men and the government. Throughout the entire document, Stanton referred to our country as â€Å"He† This shows me that at that time there were no rights for women at all. She is outright holding responsible the lawmakers and leaders who were all men. The women who put this together went against what was acceptable for the time and were all very brave. Of course they were made fun of by the newspapers and were criticized for their behavior. (Women’s Rights) This kind of conduct was radical for that time. If it wasn’t for Elizabeth Stanton and the other women activist that day, who knows if women would have equality. This gave other women the courage to stand up for themselves. I am thankful for this declaration because I know that women are sometimes looked at a lesser power even today in the 2000s, I could only imagine what the women of the 1800s had to deal with. This text is still significant today because women can learn from what Stanton did and use her ways and ideas hundreds of years later. By looking back and seeing that they were able to make a change even though it seemed impossible is very liberating. The document is both socially and historically important because of how effectively it represents the women’s rights struggle of the nineteenth and later centuries and because of what the document and societies reaction to it tells historians about this period in American history. The documents format and wording, in many places word for word, are the same as what was used in the Declaration of Independence which is one of the nation’s most respected documents. By mimicking the struggle of America’s founders and the women’s rights movement the document uses the most extremely held beliefs of the American people as its base. This makes the document dramatic, unforgettable, and powerful. It is compared to the declaration of independence many times, proving that women’s suffrage is an imperative matter. The words are strong and open the eyes of Americans that women shouldn’t be treated any less. Works Cited â€Å"Elizabeth Cady Stanton: The â€Å"Voice† of Women’s Rights.† Washington State Historical Society. N.p.. Web. â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, Seneca Falls.† Scholastic. N.p., 9 May 2005. Web. . â€Å"A â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† is Drafted.† Women’s Rights. N.p.. Web. .

Free Essays on Differences

Should teens be able to obtain contraceptive services without parental consent? Teenagers that are sexually active take the risk that comes with sexual intercourse such as sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) and pregnancies. Yes, teens are too young to be having sex and usually do not think of the risks or consequences that comes with having sexual intercourse. And this is why birth control is an important part a teenager’s life today. Definitely, teens should be able to obtain contraceptive services without parental consent. Personally speaking, I felt awkward taking to my parents, even my mother about sex – let alone birth control. So, I am sure that teens feel awkward asking parents for birth control. Many teens do not want to get caught or let their parents know that they are having sex. I honestly feel that is the major reason why teens do not use birth control. And no matter what the teens are still going to have sex with or with out contraceptives. Again, this causes problems, STD’s and pregnancies. Teens must be provided with contraceptives to protect themselves and also their futures. If teens cannot or will not get the contraceptives from their parents or guardians, then it should be easily accessible to them from another source, with or without parental consent.... Free Essays on Differences Free Essays on Differences Should teens be able to obtain contraceptive services without parental consent? Teenagers that are sexually active take the risk that comes with sexual intercourse such as sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) and pregnancies. Yes, teens are too young to be having sex and usually do not think of the risks or consequences that comes with having sexual intercourse. And this is why birth control is an important part a teenager’s life today. Definitely, teens should be able to obtain contraceptive services without parental consent. Personally speaking, I felt awkward taking to my parents, even my mother about sex – let alone birth control. So, I am sure that teens feel awkward asking parents for birth control. Many teens do not want to get caught or let their parents know that they are having sex. I honestly feel that is the major reason why teens do not use birth control. And no matter what the teens are still going to have sex with or with out contraceptives. Again, this causes problems, STD’s and pregnancies. Teens must be provided with contraceptives to protect themselves and also their futures. If teens cannot or will not get the contraceptives from their parents or guardians, then it should be easily accessible to them from another source, with or without parental consent....

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells - Essay Example 4). While prokaryotes are single-celled, most eukaryotes are multi-celled which influences the cells mobility and defines their function. The simplicity and specialization of the prokaryotic cells and the complexity of the multi-celled structure of the eukaryotic cells limit and allow for the unique functions of each classification. The simplicity of the prokaryotic cell gives it an independence and mobility that most eukaryotic cells do not possess. Prokaryotic cells are the building blocks of our immune system and have the ability to attack foreign life forms that invade their sphere. They form the bacteria in our intestines that provide necessary vitamins as well as preventing the growth of harmful fungus within our body. Prokaryotic cells are located almost everywhere in nature and are continually in the process of decomposing and recycling dead organisms (Campbell and Reece, 527). This process returns the basic chemical elements back to the earth, which will be used to fertilize plants and feed animals. It is the simplicity of the parkaryotic cell that gives it the diversity and flexibility to support the eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells are typically multi-celled organisms that have a complex DNA structure that has evolved from prokaryotic cells.

UK Retail Market and Financial Comparison of GAP and NEXT Case Study

UK Retail Market and Financial Comparison of GAP and NEXT - Case Study Example This paper illustrates that the top five clothing retailers, M&S, Next, Arcadia Group, Matalan, and BHS, claimed 44% of sector sales in 2004 making the UK one of the most concentrated clothing sectors in Europe. In spite of this, value-led retailers, such as TK Maxx, ASDA (George range) and Tesco outperformed the rest of the market, continuing to be the fastest growing channel and generating  £2 billion in clothing sales. Next retail also continued to grow, overtaking the Arcadia Group and moving into second place behind M&S. The value clothing market has become increasingly competitive. Not only have many of the retailers in this sector really got their act together in terms of upgrading store environments and enhancing their product offers - becoming, in effect, the new lower middle market, but the middle market has been fighting back. The last 18 months have seen a strong recovery at M&S, and BHS - that describes itself as premium value- is also a much stronger player. Therefore , there is more and better choice for consumers. However, while 2001 and 2002 were buoyant years for retail and for clothing, 2003 is seeing a significant slowdown. It is much quantifiably harder to persuade consumers to spend. A key factor is that value clothing retailers now know that they cannot succeed with low prices alone. Consumers expect a pleasant environment and mainstream-quality merchandise even if they are paying very little. So they have had to make very significant investments in their store estates - at a time when many are expanding rapidly too. Also, this space and product expansion has been very challenging. Many have found that their infrastructure, systems, IT and logistics have just not been up to it and this has affected their sales performance. In 2004, the competitive environment in the UK retail market has experienced a dramatic re-shape. This re-shape has been led by the acquisition of the Safeway supermarket chain by Morrisons, which has created the count ry's fourth-biggest retailer and has given Morrisons the chance to pose a real threat to Sainsbury's, in the fight for third place behind the UK's biggest retailers, Tesco and Asda. According to new research analyzing the Retailing industry in the UK by Euromonitor International, the move towards greater consolidation continue to impact the UK retail industry over the next five years. Euromonitor suggests that future mergers and acquisitions in UK food retailing are likely both to be on a smaller scale and to involve the take-over of convenience retailers by hypermarket chains wishing to strengthen their presence in the UK's high streets. According to Raphael Moreau, Retailing Analyst "Diversifying into convenience stores is on the agenda for the UK's top hypermarket chains because this retail format offers good growth prospects. Convenience stores have increased their share of the UK food retailing market from 20% to 21.9% between 1999 and 2003. Clearly, these stores are appealing to UK consumers, thanks to their convenient locations and extended opening hours. Hypermarket retailers want to make sure they don't miss out on this growing area of the UK market." High Street convenience stores are also particularly attractive to hypermarket retailers, due to strict planning rules restricting the opening of new out-of-town hypermarkets. Euromonitor International believes that this trend is likely to intensify in the next five years.