PEDAGOGY FOR NEW ZEALAND TEACHERS WITH CHILDREN UP TO 3 YEARS

1. Jean Rockel, II World Congress on early childhood: “The formation and in-service training of educational agents for early childhood care” 26 September 2012. PEDAGOGY FOR NEW ZEALAND TEACHERS WITH CHILDREN UP TO 3 YEARS

2. New Zealand inthe world view

3. New Zealand in the Pacific

4. My country ….

5. My city … Auckland Mt Eden … my home

6. Aotearoa New Zealand • 4 and half million people • Originally Polynesian - Maori • Colonized by British; in 1840 Treaty of Waitangi with Maori chiefs: bicultural society. • 3 official languages: English/Maori/Sign • Ethnic diversity: Pasifika people, Asian, Indian and European population. • Equity. • 20 hours free care and education for 3-4 year olds in teacher-led services. Care for under-3 home-based and care and education services.

7. Overview • The New Zealand context: • Curriculum document: “Te Whariki” • History of NZ care and education • Pedagogy • Initial teacher education: diploma/degree • 1 year graduate pathway • Classes full-time/part-time on-campus • ‘Distance learning’: on-line (computer) • Field-based: work and study

8. Te Whariki for a diverse sector. A curriculum for the infant, the toddler and the young child. The context: … to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure intheir sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.

9. Te Whariki

10. “The care of infants is specialised and is neither a scaled-down three- or four-year-old programme nor a baby-sitting arrangement” (p.22). • The notion of ‘teaching’ infants and toddlers is often misunderstood -previously viewed as ‘baby minding’ or modified practice for older children (Rockel, 2009).

11. Policy for ECCE services • 50% of staff with children up to three are required to have an EC teaching qualification recognised by the NZ Teachers Council (Ministry of Education, 2012). • Change in social patterns: 2006-2010 growth in numbers of children under one increased 29.5% and under two by 21.5% (Ministry of Education, 2012).

12. A shift in thinking: from a straight-forward idea based on physical care, to a complexity of ideas involving ethical responsibilities. A different lens Previous century Passive infant Needy, incapable ‘Precious’ objects 21st century Interactive infant With capabilities With rights

13. ‘Passive’ ‘Interactive’

14. DISCOURSE Baby ‘immature’ .. new life Infant ‘no speech’ .. a communicator Toddler ‘can’t walk’ (yet) .. anexplorer

15. Our history: The images that we hold of a child will be In order to look to the future, we need to examine different discourses from the past and present, that will impact upon our view of the infant as learner. ‘Safety’ ‘Free to play’

16. A charitable gaze. 1902 Mother Aubert, and her sisters, opened NZ’s first creche to enable poor and/or unmarried mothers to work during the day,funded by charitable donations. 1907 Home of Compassion, For ‘healthy foundlings and children suffering from incurable diseases and complaints’.

17. The logos of the Plunket Society’s health care movement were ‘To help the mothers and save the babies’. Truby King and the Maori leader Maui Pomare used this slogan as both Maori and Europeanwere concerned about the survival rates of infants. A health gaze Dr. Truby King helped found the Plunket Society in 1907.

18. Truby King believed in a regulated andimposed sense of order. Has this impacted our EC services today? Why?

19. A medical gaze. Protection of newborns from widespread fear of infection- the flu epidemic. Later they were to discover that hospitals could contribute their own risks. 20th century

20. 1949 – the political gaze: Working mothers

21. Identity

22. Liberation for indigenous rights – Te Kohanga Reo, 1982.

23. A’oga Fa’a Samoa Early Childhood Centre, 1990, the first licensed and chartered Pacific islands centre.

24. The modern child – global; less local?

25. Looking back to the 1970s and ‘programmes’ • An emphasis on health and hygiene (medical model of care) • ‘the-more-the-better- (more mobiles, language ‘stimulation’; educational learning materials. Anne Stonehouse (2003)

26. The Aubert Centre, Wellington, continues.

27. The ‘dance’ of relationships: teachers respond to the child Dalli, Kibble, Cairns-Cowan, Corrigan & McBride (2009). title

28. Are practicesempowering?

29. Research initiatives Professional journal for teachers in the first years • Audience - student-teachers; teachers; academics; policy developers.

30. Slide title • Features – New researPeer reviewed, quality assured articles; ch; curriculum matters; position papers; reviews; cultural perspectives

31. Expansion of domain knowledge for initial teacher education: • National ‘priorities’ – IT, literacy, numeracy. • Research on neurobiology • Cultural studies • Ethics; social justice • Health studies, environmental factors and infection control • Multi-disciplinary frameworks • Philosophy • Politics and policy • In addition to psychology and education.

32. University of Auckland • Bachelor of Education (Teaching) (ECE) • 3 years (or equivalent) Content: History & society; Te Whariki; Development, learning and teaching Health and wellbeing Technology; Science; Maths; Social sciences Arts (art/music/drama/dance); Language and literacies; te reo Maori Play and pedagogy; Infant-toddler pedagogies.

33. Office of Children’s Commissioner report (2011) • “The regulatory regime has minimum standards that are too low; the infant and toddler content in teacher education programmes is too meagre.” (p.xx)

34. The dilemma … • what to reduce or remove – pragmatic attempts are made to distribute content across several units of study with a birth-to-five focus. Ultimately this reduces content with the focus on the very first years.

35. Findings of document analysis 2012:Sample of 11 of 21 ITE programmes. • 5 providers (all universities) with specialised courses • Specialised courses had substantive, up-to-date references • In-depth assessments for UtoT. • Specialised lecturer knowledge. • 6 providers with material spread across • Content birth to five years, minimal content children up to 3 • Assessment optional • Insufficient specific research Clarity in content UtoT Lack of visibility of UtoT

36. Budapest – Pikler Institute training • International reputation for institutional care • Paediatricians; pedagogues (Masters degree; caregivers (College degree). In-house training (2 year mentoring) • Content: child development; movement; play; education during care; observation; theories of learning (Vygotsky/Winnicott/Meltzoff); self-awareness – personal stories of relationships; working with parents; philosophy of respect.

37. NZ – Examples of synergy with EC curriculum (1) “Jack” infants-toddler & families course • Quality in group settings • Te Whariki • Understanding self – understanding others • Discourses of care • Environments and spaces • Transitions: emotional, cultural and linguistic continuity • Philosophies of practice • Diverse perspectives/diversity • Teacher panel.

38. (2) Jill – infant-toddler pedagogies • Socio-cultural historical-political issues of care and education. • Philosophies of practice and cultural perspectives • Infant-toddler learning and development and analysis of selected theoretical perspectives • Three themes: Security (brain research); identity (diversity); and exploration (play) • Care in curriculum; learning environments. • Selected curriculum topics for student research, e.g. music.

39. Pedagogies • Philosophies of practice, for example: • ‘Respect’ – Resources for infant educarers (RIE) (Magda Gerber) • ‘Free movement’ Pikler Institute • ‘Image of the child’ Reggio Emilia • Indigenous models: • Tapa wha – holistic wellbeing philosophy (Maori) • Samoan spirituality

40. Wellbeing • Rosemary Roberts (2010) .. Interdependence of four constructs: • “Firstly, agency; • Secondly, belonging; • Thirdly, communication • Fourthly, physical wellbeing?” (p.29)

41. Using their ‘agency’/actions to chose or remove items.

42. Making care pedagogical “What is the place of love and care in our profession?” (Dalli, 2006; Hughes, 2010) “Is education inclusive of care?”

43. BELONGING

44. Caring encounters are learning experiences for the very young … “it is by being the cared-for that he or she will learn how to be the one-caring”. (Goldstein, 1998, p.3, in Rockel, 2009)

45. Communicating

46. Socio-political context A professionalidentity? • Is the person with infants a ‘caregiver’… • primary caregiver or key teacher/key person? • worker, director, supervisor, educator • teacher? Whaea/kaiako, faiaoga?

47. Carer or teacher? A caring teacher as smiling with warm hugs obscures the complexity and intellectual challenges for teachers (Goldstein, 1998).

48. Contemporary beliefs are based on a culture of thinking, reflection, debate and dialogue by adults; • deep and broad knowledge of child development • appreciation of the active role infants play in their own learning. Anne Stonehouse (2003)

49. An ethic of care • Involves the ‘big picture’ of caring • Showing empathy • Caring about the quality of services • Social justice

50. We can also think more deeply about caring for the environment • Sustainability – recycling (Tromso, Norway)