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211 Self-Image. Initially, Mary was confident when challenged by this new approach but soon realized she was unprepared. With little opportunity to absorb and learn about the Reggio approach before being placed in a classroom filled with behavioural issues, Mary now has doubts about her abilities. When asked about her self-image Mary qualifies her answers – “somewhat satisfied” or “pretty satisfied.” While satisfied with establishing classroom control and confident of providing curriculum that covers “all developmental areas,” she has not fully incorporated the emergent quality of a Reggio-inspired curriculum. When she compares herself to the other focus group members, she is less satisfied with her level of expertise and practice. Mary admitted to a conflicted inner dialogue in which she questioned whether she could completely accept this alternative approach to her practice. Part of me didn’t feel very good about myself after some of the conversations. These people were all here and I was way down there. I don’t think I am ever going to get there. I don’t know whether I believe in all of this. Mary was concerned about whether she was “doing Reggio” in the right way. She participated less when the discussion turned to curriculum. Her focus was with classroom control. Mary’s goal was to create a space for the children “to learn and to grow” and before she could do that she needed to continue to improve the social atmosphere of the classroom. Metaphor of teaching. In describing her teaching, Mary employs two separate metaphors. In the first, Mary sees teaching as a garden where children have a place to grow.
212 The children are the seeds. They require a good base to establish their roots. They require a balance of light and water. Teachers provide the materials for exploring and experimenting during their process of growth. Learning naturally flourishes. Mary’s second metaphor demonstrates the need to balance “a place to grow” with the need to maintain control. According to Mary, teaching is like a scale as the teacher needs to find the “balance between structure and free rein.” In order to equalize the two the teacher must be able to “give and take.” Issues of control continue to dominate Mary’s thinking. She realizes the empowering possibilities of “always allowing for choice” but does not know how much choice to give. Emerging directions. In the Reggio philosophy, teachers and children share power, control, and ownership of the curriculum. Mary is unsure of what it means to “do Reggio.” She has difficulty articulating the philosophy and is limited in her ability to theorize as she deliberates on practice. She is reflecting on beliefs and assumptions and seems ready to absorb new ideas. “I can’t say that I am a type of person that follows any particular philosophy. There are certain things that I do believe that reflect the way that I teach.” Mary expresses her beliefs easily. She believes that every child deserves to be treated with respect. She believes that parents have a right to be involved and interested. She promotes collaboration and encourages support amongst her peers. She is encouraged and excited about the children’s learning. It is her desire to create a classroom where children are cared for, accepted, and stimulated. She believes in a child-centred philosophy but “can’t imagine following one philosophy all the time.” If she went to another centre she would be content to return to a theme approach with an emphasis on worksheets as “the kids love it.”
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REACHING THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN: T
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Acknowledgements I wish to express
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Teacher as Theory Builder .........
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Dedication This dissertation is ded
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2 are inextricably linked to issues
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4 2. What is the perception of the
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6 educators who have adapted a refr
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8 constructive process. It is based
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10 Experiential or active learning
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12 through active involvement with
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14 Relevance of Study When I took a
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16 the centre of the labyrinth can
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18 without walls, the teacher calle
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20 As a very young child, the teach
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22 of completing my education and r
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24 what the learner already knows t
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26 unsure of my direction; still I
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28 the centre or return to the entr
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30 here, though, is that these expe
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32 of fixing children by teaching t
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34 relates to those aspects of acti
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36 As I articulate my experiences w
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38 An essential part of who I am an
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40 teacher-centred practice. Teache
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42 well was gradually undergoing re
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44 While education staff in public
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46 school settings, has an equally
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48 In Ontario, over 90% of the 300,
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50 knowledge and skills not possess
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52 staff members who do not have sp
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54 Content and pedagogy should be i
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56 order to remain competitive, it
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58 those employed in child care are
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60 and/or co-workers (Doherty & For
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62 exacerbated by the findings that
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64 Québec a public education campa
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66 You Bet I Care! (2000) examined
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68 coupled with feelings of inadequ
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70 dimension as “it takes place i
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72 thirds of assistant teachers and
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74 psychological and physical safet
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76 Certification. Certification is
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78 aspire to (CCCF, 1995). The beli
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80 According to Bertrand (2003), co
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82 difficulty with recruitment and
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84 childhood educators. Perhaps a v
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86 teaching staff in order to help
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88 The disappointing findings helpe
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90 curriculum. The former rather th
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92 evolves, diverging along new pat
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94 require the abandonment of a wid
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96 consideration of how children le
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98 may involve recognition of child
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100 prematurely is that those who c
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102 1996). Some of the criticism su
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104 best from activities they thems
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106 The Reggio Emilia Approach The
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108 4. documentation: teachers and
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110 change their interactions based
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112 Documentation in this form is n
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114 own evolving authentic curricul
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116 lead “into an expanding world
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118 gap between what “the child i
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120 to visit the programs appeared
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122 lack of research and its limite
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124 classroom, teachers learn and r
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126 issues, a self-directed orienta
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128 changes within the school as a
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130 of practice within communities
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132 outcomes for programs with a so
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134 This program began in 1975 and
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136 reflective practice involving j
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138 beginning teachers.” Interest
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140 In the Forward to Developmental
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Chapter Four: Methodology What you
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144 (multiple realities are sociall
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146 are issue oriented and are “n
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148 implications to halting the pra
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150 my research participants and wi
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152 was the child, not her teacher.
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154 In making the study accessible,
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156 these categories: current pract
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158 widely used by market researche
Page 167 and 168: 160 particular project topic brough
Page 169 and 170: 162 collaboration involving mutual
Page 171 and 172: 164 The Weary Traveler: Roadblock F
Page 173 and 174: 166 Conclusion In collecting data,
Page 175 and 176: 168 the experience of teachers who
Page 177 and 178: 170 twenty bucks for Chinese New Ye
Page 179 and 180: 172 The centre now occupies space i
Page 181 and 182: 174 for the kid’s interests. You
Page 183 and 184: 176 analyzed by the group. At the p
Page 185 and 186: 178 Figure 5. The weather project d
Page 187 and 188: 180 program more theirs” Subseque
Page 189 and 190: 182 teachers, the rest see them as
Page 191 and 192: 184 It makes you pumped. Sometimes
Page 193 and 194: 186 Case Study Number Two: The Spir
Page 195 and 196: 188 the various levels of the organ
Page 197 and 198: 190 volunteers her time to facilita
Page 199 and 200: 192 willing to learn. It is not som
Page 201 and 202: 194 Challenges. Given the limited h
Page 203 and 204: 196 educational model, the oppositi
Page 205 and 206: 198 Emerging directions. Rose has n
Page 207 and 208: 200 There was a discernable absence
Page 209 and 210: 202 preschool age children (2 1/2 t
Page 211 and 212: 204 Mary was satisfied with this th
Page 213 and 214: 206 community helper is.” Communi
Page 215 and 216: 208 Recognizing the children’s in
Page 217: 210 Mary believes that child care h
Page 221 and 222: 214 Mary would advise others to est
Page 223 and 224: 216 Figure 17. Splat, splat like Ja
Page 225 and 226: 218 As a result of fees and capacit
Page 227 and 228: 220 work. Felicia was solicited by
Page 229 and 230: 222 Felicia’s co-worker was the f
Page 231 and 232: 224 curriculums and criticism was i
Page 233 and 234: 226 children could have a really ex
Page 235 and 236: 228 feelings of confidence mixed wi
Page 237 and 238: 230 you can answer that question ho
Page 239 and 240: Chapter Six: Discussion If nature h
Page 241 and 242: 234 The Impact of Context The situa
Page 243 and 244: 236 Feeling valued and supported in
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Page 247 and 248: 240 in the field. Rose has been tak
Page 249 and 250: 242 practice with the chance to att
Page 251 and 252: 244 are interested and they are pas
Page 253 and 254: 246 primarily to the teachers. Mary
Page 255 and 256: 248 learners. While this is a “de
Page 257 and 258: 250 “not engaged” with an emerg
Page 259 and 260: 252 alternative perspective, a teac
Page 261 and 262: 254 had difficulty reconciling the
Page 263 and 264: 256 the project determined its dire
Page 265 and 266: 258 Layla recalled the experience o
Page 267 and 268: 260 information. A newsletter produ
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262 order to ascertain future direc
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264 (Rankin, 2004). In Reggio Emili
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266 theory is just a proposed expla
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268 Table 1 Katz’s Model of Teach
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270 Katz’s conceptualization (200
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272 Table 2 Kashin’s Model of Eme
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274 availability could produce the
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Chapter Seven: Future Directions If
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278 as I have been, to detach thems
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280 objects created by adults remov
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282 winter semester of 2006, I am o
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284 Emilia to early childhood educa
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286 within a Reggio-inspired enviro
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288 However, the ship cannot be rep
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290 curriculum choices from a broad
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292 editor, a friend, and the parti
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294 As I envision the future, it ho
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296 of custom, of the normal, of th
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298 theory in practice take place f
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300 The question being pondered was
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302 developmentally appropriate to
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304 with this perception of my fiel
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References Adcock, S. G., & Patton,
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308 appropriate practice in early c
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310 Corbett, B. E. (1989). A centur
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312 Ferguson, E. (1994). Child care
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314 Griffin, S. (2002). To be or no
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316 Katz, L. (1999). Curriculum dis
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318 Miller, S. M., & Shoptaugh, S.
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320 Palmer, P. J. (1998). The coura
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322 Schön, D.A. (1996). Educating
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324 Weber, S., & Mitchell, C. (1995
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Appendix A: Invitation to Participa
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328 I am free to decline to answer
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330 4. What are the strengths of th
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Appendix E: The Image of the Teache
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334 Image: 1. How does the image ot
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336 obvious to me and I react with
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338 Layla: That was the place with
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340 table relates to the topic. The
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342 supply teacher has a child in h
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344 the children regarding the char
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346 conversation about A R T contin
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348 22 going on, puzzles or another
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