Transcript Critical Components of Early Learning Data Day

February 8, 2012
Our Day
Why is data necessary?
How does the quality of our environments improve
learning?
How do we use data to make improvements?
How do we collect data from the learners in our
classroom digitally?
How do I prepare for learning/intervention, when I
have data collected?
Seven principles of mastery
teaching
 Start where your students are.
 Know where your students are going.
 Expect to get your students to their goal.
 Support your students along the way.
 Use feedback to help you and your students get better.
 Focus on quality rather than quantity.
 Never work harder than your students.
How to plan rigorous instruction: Mastering the principles of great teaching, Robyn R. Jackson, 2011
Teachers blaze the path to knowledge
generation when pairs, small groups and
entire faculties intentionally and
purposefully use data as a source for
analyzing progress and proactively
planning for improvement.
- Wellman & Lipton, 2004
Data Givers
Data Users
Document Your Learning Today
 Photographs
 Videos
 Tweets
 Blog: www.blogger.com
 Facebook
 NESD Parking Lot
Four Driving Forces of School Change
Shifting From
1. A teaching focus
2. Teaching as private
practice
3. School improvement
as an option
4. Accountability
Shifting To
1. A learning focus
2. Teaching as a
collaborative practice
3. School improvement
as a requirement
4. Responsibility
The Third Teacher
The Learning Environment
 How does your classroom reflect your image of the child? Your views
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about families and communities? Your beliefs about children’s
learning?
What have you done so far to make your Kindergarten classroom
environment welcoming for all children and their families?
How is your classroom space divided? Does it enable a variety of
activities?
Does your environment invite the children to explore the contexts of
the curriculum?
What elements in the classroom support children in developing a sense
of well-being and belonging?
What attractive and engaging materials are present in your classroom
that invite children to explore, inquire and investigate – PLAY?
Share Your Environments
Alicia
Karen
Karyn
Sandra
Sharon
Jamie
Lana
Collette
Melissa
Sherry
Tracy
Connie
Brita
Danelle
Raquel
Raylene
Len
Yvonne
Amanda
Darla
Chris
Ensuring “Quality and Developmentally
Appropriate” Programming for Young Children
As we strive to provide quality and excellence in
our programming with children, there is a
critical need for resources and tools that help
us measure our practices and our
environments.
Accurate measurements help us to integrate
sound practices that are responsive to child,
family, and community.
Our Commitment and Responsibility
 Knowing what we do from the research, then we
should feel compelled to support what we know…….
“ that our programs – what we do, what we offer, how we
practice …..are all crucial to children’s development
and learning.”
Our responsibility…..
 a commitment to our own learning…so we can
continually strive for excellence in our own
practice and own programs.
 To understand the latest research that will show us
that our words, our actions, and our programming
will greatly influence a child’s development and
learning capacity.
What does the research say?
There is compelling evidence that regular connections
with the natural world can support children’s healthy
development and assist them in meeting daily
challenges.
 Children develop enhanced powers of observation and
creativity through appropriate interactions with nature
(Crain, 2001)
 Children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder who have
regular, appropriate connections with the natural world show
an improvement in concentration (Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan,
2001).
 With teacher support, nature-filled spaces become safe places
where children can express positive emotions, begin to
manage negative emotions, learn courage and confidence,
and explore the wonders of nature with others (Miller, 2007).
 Creating Responsive Environments – Video
 Record ideas that you can adapt to implement in
your program.
 List various materials that you notice in the
video environments that you could add or
change in your program to make your space more
inviting to children.
Inspiring Spaces
 http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=2RD9XOow20E&feature
=related
 ECERS-R Materials/Centers
Checklist
Evaluating our programs
It is essential that evaluations and assessments be
based on credible, realizable and evidence-based
tools that provide a baseline in regards to the level
of quality .
The results of such evaluations can provide us the
information to improve programs and learning
outcomes for children.
The
Early Childhood Environment
Rating Scale – Revised
(ECERS-R)
Evaluating Early Childhood Programs
The ECERS-R is a tool that can be used to evaluate the
level of quality within early learning environments.
Evidence based research outline quality indicators that
determine the level of quality which is closely related
to learning outcomes for children.
ECERS-R Basic Training
Understanding the Scale
The Early Childhood Environment
Rating Scale – Revised Edition
The ECERS-R is a tool for both research and program
improvement.
The original ECERS tool was published in 1980. In 1998 the
revised edition was published. It was updated and expanded
(ECERS-R) to:
 be more attentive to family concerns and individual
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children's needs
reflect the changes in early childhood, particularly
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
be inclusive of children with disabilities
include greater emphasis on cultural diversity
Similar tools include ITERS-R, SACERS-R, FDCRS.
NEW: 2011 ECERS-E focusing on Literacy, Math, Science &
Diversity
Environment
ECERS-R defines ENVIRONMENT in a broad
sense and includes:
 the arrangement of space both indoors and outdoors
 the materials and activities offered to the children
 the supervision and interactions (including
language) that occur in the classroom
 the schedule of the day, including routines and
activities
 the support offered to parents and staff
ECERS-R Scale
Each item is expressed through a 7 point scale with descriptors :
1 for inadequate
3 for minimal
5 for good
7 for excellent.
 Levels of program quality are based on current
definitions of best practise and on research relating
practise to child outcomes.
Quality….What does it look like?
 And how do we measure it?
Overview of the Subscales of the
ECERS-R
The seven sub-scales of the ECERS-R are:
 Space and Furnishings
 Personal Care Routines
 Language-Reasoning
 Activities
 Interaction
 Program structure
 Parents and Staff
Space and Furnishings
Indoor space
2. Furniture for routine, care, play, learning
3. Furniture for relaxation and comfort
4. Room arrangement for play
5. Space for Privacy
6. Child-related display
7. Space for gross motor play
1.
Personal Care Routines
9. Greeting/Departing
10. Meals/ snacks
11. Nap/Rest
12. Toileting/Diapering
13. Health Practises
14. Safety Practices
Language-Reasoning
15. Books and pictures
16. Encouraging children to communicate
17. Using language to develop reasoning skills
18. Informal use of language
Activities
19. Fine Motor
20. Art
21. Music/movement
22. Blocks
23. Sand/water
24. Dramatic Play
25. Nature/Science
26. Math/number
27. Use of TV, video, and/or
computers
28. Promoting acceptance of
diversity
Interaction
29. Supervision of gross motor activities
30. General supervision of children (other than gross
motor)
31. Discipline
32. Staff-child interactions
33. Interactions among children
Program Structure
34. Schedule
35. Free Play
36. Group Time
37. Provisions for children with disabilities
Parents and Staff
38. Provisions for parents
39. Provisions for personal needs of staff
40. Provision for professional needs staff
41. Staff interaction and cooperation
42. Supervision and evaluation of staff
43. Opportunities for professional growth
Practice with ECERS-R
 Space & Furnishing: (4) Room Arrangement for Play
Darla
Amanda Sherry
Melissa
Len
Raylene
Sharon
Karyn
Colette
Chris
Jamie
Alicia
Tracy
Karen
 Activities: (22) Blocks
Lana
Yvonne
Raquel
 Activities: (23) Sand/Water
Connie
Sandi
Danelle
Brita
And So?
Now that you have
this information/knowledge
about ECERS
and some practise in using it,
how do you think this tool
can benefit K programs?
Advantages of the Environment
Rating Scales –
article from Child Care Exchange Sept/Oct 2005
Program improvement tool
Comprehensiveness
Process measure
Research based
Efficient
Easy to use
Transferable
Popular measure in early
childhood
9. Quantitative data
10. Popular with decision makers
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Where Do We Go From Here?
How do we use the information from the ECERS-R
 For PROGRAM direction and planning
 BUDGET preparation
 COMMUNICATION to Boards, Parents, Community
 Self EVALUATION and LEARNING
Developing a Plan
Collaborative : needs to be
developed by those who will
have involvement in the
implementation
Based on information
gathered through the
ECERS-R
Resources
 All About the ECERS-R
 Play and Exploration: Early Learning Program
Guide
 Inspiring Spaces for Young Children
 YOU
 You are your best resource!
 Plan for Annual Evaluation
Digital Documentation
Assessment evidence
Quality Assessment Events
 Assessment Events are the opportunities or
activities that allow you to formatively or
summatively assess a student.
 We collect data (documentation) during these
assessment events and measure our findings through
the assessment tool (rubric).
What are quality assessment
events in Kindergarten?
 How does the environment impact our assessment event?
 Does the assessment event match the criteria as outlined in
the rubric? Does this experience match the criteria?
 Does this assessment event seem more formative or
summative? How do you know?
 What are other possible ways to assess this same criteria?
What changes in the environment needs to occur?
 What happens when children are not engaged in the event?
How do we measure their developmental readiness with an
outcome?
Professional Collaboration
Alicia
Karen
Raquel
Yvonne
Chris
Jamie
Lana
Darla
Danelle
Sandra
Raylene
Len
Brita
Melissa
Karyn
Sharon
Connie
Sherry
Amanda
Collette
Tracy
Learning from each other...
 Twitter #nesdele #kinderchat
 http://blogs.gssd.ca/smuir/?tag=kindergarten
 http://blogs.gssd.ca/smuir/
 Pinterest
A metaphor
How our brains work...
Exceeding
Meeting
independently
Mostly meeting
with assistance
Not yet meeting
Meeting expectations
Independently
Exceeding expectations
Mostly meeting expectations with
assistance
Not yet meeting
Orientation for our new K’s
Orientation & Screening
 Articulation
 Language
 Hearing