1. My image of the Child
1.1. My Personal Experience
1.1.1. In my limited experience I have always imaged the children as competent little individuals. Although they are children still seeking what adults believe as general knowledge, they are capable of anything. A child's natural sense of curiosity Is what largely allows them to be such dependent learners. Through their play and creative experiences, they can produce any outcome. Within the last year I had the opportunity to become a Nanny for a family friend. While taking care of their child daily, I found that he was extremely knowledgeable regarding technology, he knew more about it than I di myself. Over our time together he has been able to teach me the many different functions technology, specifically his iPad has that I was unaware of. My view of the child is that they are equal, not only are they daily learners but they also teach their educators things as well making educators and children co-learners and educators.
1.2. Literature, Theories and Pedagogical Approaches
1.2.1. - In the article Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins by Loris Malaguzzi, Malaguzzi claims that “It’s necessary that we believe that the child is very intelligent, that the child is strong and beautiful and has very ambitious desires and requests. This is the image of the child that we need to hold.” (pg. 5)
1.2.2. It is important to show the children that we believe that they are smart, strong and beautiful individuals with such strong ambitions. It is important to show the child that we have such a positive and capable image of them. This relates to my personal experience while being a Nanny as I tried to display to the child that I knew he is a very competent. I allowed him to teach me about what he was interested in in order to show him that I value his contributions and I am willing to learn from him just as much as he is willing to learn from me.
1.2.3. - Malaguzzi, L. (n.d.). Your image of the child: Where teaching begins. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.reggioalliance.org/downloads/malaguzzi:ccie:1994.pdf
2. The Image and Role of the Educator
2.1. My personal experience
2.1.1. My image of an educator and their role includes an educator that is multidimensional and able to adapt to meet the needs of each child. It is important to observe each child and provide them with learning experiences that can help them grow and develop as individuals. An educator's role is to not only to educate the children but to also to be advocators for the children’s general well-being and rights.
2.2. Literature, Theories and Pedagogical Approaches
2.2.1. According to How Does Learning Happen? By The Ministry of Education, “Educators use this knowledge, gained through observing and discussing with others, and their professional judgement to create contexts to support children’s learning, development, health, and well-being.” (pg. 21)
2.2.2. It is important that educators need to be knowledgeable as it is their role to observe the children and use their judgement in order to produce learning opportunities that foster the healthy development, health as well as the well being of all the children. It is Important that show the children that we are co-learners with them by becoming involved in the children’s play and promote their development.
2.2.3. How does learning happen - ministry of education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2021, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/HowLearningHappens.pdf
3. The View of Families and Communities
3.1. My personal experience
3.1.1. From my experience I have learned that children's families and communities have a big impact on their development. A child's interactions with their community is important as they learn how to make connections with other as well as learn what their contributions to the community and society is. While watching Tv with the child I babysat one morning we where able to have a conversation on how to keep the earth green. After our conversation, we also discussed what where some contributions we could both make in order to preserve our earth, one of his ideas was cleaning up trash. The following day we put on gloves and went for a walk collecting trash, allowing him to feel as if he was contributing not only to his community but his planet as well.
3.2. Literature, Theories and Pedagogical Approaches
3.2.1. According to How Does Learning Happen? By The Ministry of Ontario, “Programs are most effective if the primary focus stays on supporting the child within his or her family and community. Child, family and community well-being must be equally valued, since they are inextricably linked” (pg. 21)
3.2.2. It is important that children understand how their family and community supports them as well as they ways that they could be effective family and community members. A child needs to be surrounded by a family and community that contributes to their growth and development, as they are what largely impacts the well-being of the child.
3.2.3. How does learning happen - ministry of education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2021, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/HowLearningHappens.pdf
4. The View of the Environment
4.1. My Personal Experience
4.1.1. From my experience it is hard to feel fulfilled with your education and to grow and develop if you are trying to do so from a negative environment. The environment is also a large component in a child's education as the environment acts as a third teacher. The environment in which a child learns in needs to provide a plethora of experiences for the children to explore, engage, experiment and try out their ideas. It is important to provide the children with a well thought out and age-appropriate environment that is ready for the children to explore and engage in.
4.2. Literature, Theories and Pedagogical Approaches
4.2.1. According to How Does Learning Happen? By The Ministry of Ontario, “Children thrive in indoor and outdoor spaces that invite them to investigate, imagine, think, create, solve problems, and make meaning from their experiences – especially when the spaces contain interesting and complex open-ended materials that children can use in many ways.” (pg. 22
4.2.2. It is important that the indoor and outdoor learning environments provided to the children allow them to thrive by providing opportunities for them to imagine, think critically, problem solve, and make meaning of the world around them. An environment is one of the main educators of a child as they do their most learning and developing when they are fully engaged in their play and learning experiences.
4.2.3. How does learning happen - ministry of education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2021, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/HowLearningHappens.pdf