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of practice within communities changes the role of the teacher and offers new hope for
lonely educators. Teachers see themselves as capable of asking good questions, willing to
debate with one another, and committed to consultation with children’s families (New,
2003).
Community is considered a vital aspect of teaching and learning. It emerges from
individuals. “Community is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace,
the flowing of personal identity and integrity into the world of relationships” (Palmer,
1998, p. 90). Within a community “good talk about good teaching” can transform
teaching and learning (Palmer, 1998, p. 160). What is required is support from leaders to
create a community where dialogue can occur. It requires a shift of power; a shared
context for teacher and child development.
Early childhood teacher education.
In spite of substantial support for emergent curriculum approaches, “traditional
nursery school practices do remain alive and well in part because many of our colleges
and universities continue to reinforce these traditional methods in their teacher education
programs” (Dodge, Dulik, & Kulhanek, 2001, p. 1). Carter and Curtis (1994) refer to a
critical need for “overhauling the approach to training early childhood educators.” They
find “most disturbing” that “few teacher training programs, including those promoting
Piaget and developmental education, use a pedagogy that parallels what we want teachers
to do with young children” (Carter & Curtis, 1994, p. xi).
Ignoring, if not defying the research and implications of constructivist
theory, it appears teacher educators believe that all adults are at the stage
of formal operations. They teach to one learning style that revolves around
lectures, reading, memorization, and imitation. (p. xi)