Five Main Questions for Final Test

Question 1

What is an Early Learning Framework?

Answer 1

• A curriculum framework is a document that supports early learning communities and the value they place on children’s exploration, autonomy and desire to take risks and seek new ideas and learning
- Put simply, is the frame of a house. Consists of basic necessities that contribute towards the overall wellbeing of children. Very broad in nature

Question 2

In what ways do children actually have mental health?

Answer 2

• Shanker stresses the fact that humans are the most adaptable species and that this is driven by the fact that when we are born, our brains are essentially immature
• How the brain develops has a great deal to do with how caregivers interact with the child

Question 3

What is the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 3

• The Amygdala: A pair of almond-shaped structures deep within the brain’s limbic system that acts as the brain’s ‘security guard’ by triggering an automatic reflexive response of “fight, flight or freeze” when it perceives a threat and
• The Prefrontal Cortex: The learning, reasoning and thinking center of the brain, located behind the forehead

Question 4

What are some indicators of children who have experienced trauma?

Answer 4

When working with children who have had trauma - the FFR is firing off in the back of the brain which is in the low center of our brain
• The amygdala is sending all the perceived threats the lower part of the brain – The FFR
• Their pre-frontal cortex is less developed and therefor not used in any situation that may be perceived as threatening

Question 5

What are the examples of FFR?

Answer 5

• Fight: Defensive, argumentative, negative, reactive, angry, tantrums
• Flight: Runs away, hyper-vigilant, stress-filled, anxious, fearful
• Freeze: Shuts down emotions, shuts down learning, disassociates

Question 6

What are some signs of a child who is stuck in FFR?

Answer 6

• Lying
• Stealing
• Controlling
• Pushing limits
• Impulsiveness
• Lack of eye contact

Question 7

What are the outcomes of extended FFR?

Answer 7

• Digestive Problems
• Ulcerative Colitis
• High Blood Pressure
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Migraine Headaches
• Anxiety
• Depression

Question 8

What is the Early Developmental Indicators (EDI)?

Answer 8

• Kindergarten teachers administer this tool (a 104-item questionnaire) during the second half of kindergarten, after they have known the children for several months

Question 9

What is the purpose of the EDI?

Answer 9

• Respond to policymakers’ questions concerning how well society and families are doing in assuring the healthy and positive development of young children
• Identify communities and regions where the state of early child development is less than it should be
• Guide community and government leaders in planning programs to enhance children’s growth and development

Question 10

What are some pluses and limitations of the EDI?

Answer 10

Pluses:
• EDI is widely credited with increasing community awareness of early childhood issues and engaging the community in working toward solutions
• Coalitions among server providers and advocates were created, strengthened and better focused
Limitations:
• Funding constraints and program rules make it difficult to adapt programs based on EDI results, making it difficult to maintain community enthusiasm
• Data have been used inappropriately or have been taken wrongly as a poor reflection on schools

Question 11

What is an ideology?

Answer 11

• The concept of ideology refers largely to a “world view, or collective mind-set, that characterizes a population”

Question 12

What are the three different streams of educational ideologies?

Answer 12

1. Romantic: developmental theories, early learning programs are child-initiated, child-centred
2. Cultural Transmission: passing down information to generations, direct instruction
3. Progressive: use community as a source of knowledge, create knowledge through human and environmental resources around them

Question 13

What is the difference between the social pedagogy approach and infant school?

Answer 13

• Social Pedagogy: reflect diversity, outdoors, pedagogical documentations, children’s interests
• Infant School: readiness for school, teacher-directed, evaluations

Question 14

How did the different ideologies from the babies settings/cultures differ?

Answer 14

North american and Asian babies: sterile, pre-planned programs, inauthentic (baby rocks itself), many restrictions

African & Mongolia: natural, close relationships, limited rules, exposure to the elements