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An inspiring environment is essential for helping young children learn. The Rating Observation Scale for Inspiring Environments (ROSIE) is an observation rating scale that challenges teachers to examine classrooms in a totally new way: with an eye for what is aesthetically beautiful and inspiring.
A groundbreaking tool that assesses classrooms in a whole new way! An inspiring environment is essential for helping young children learn. The Rating Observation Scale for Inspiring Environments(ROSIE) is an observation rating scale that challenges teachers to examine classrooms in a totally new way: with an eye for what is aesthetically beautiful and inspiring. Looking through an aesthetic lens of nature, color, furnishings, textures, displays, lighting, and focal points, educators will learn to determine a classroom’s level of aesthetic beauty. ROSIE then provides images and examples to assist in turning learning spaces into inspirational environments in which children can grow and learn.
Now in its third edition, Nature and Young Children promotes the holistic development of children by connecting them with nature. It offers practical advice on how to set up indoor and outdoor nature play spaces as well as encouraging environmentally responsible attitudes, values and behaviour in your early childhood setting. With fully revised chapters in line with recent developments to policy and practice, and brand new material covering Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, the power of pro-nature poetry and philosophical discussions, and children living in urban environments, this book reveals just how important nature play can be in the development of young children. The user-friendly chapters offer guidance on: alternative settings for nature-focused programs culturally sensitive approaches to nature play in early childhood the role of the adult in nature-based learning using nature play for cross-curricular learning environmentally appropriate practices integrating nature education and peace education health, safety, and risky play. Highly accessible, detailed and now extensively updated, Nature and Young Children will provide all early years practitioners, teachers and students with a wealth of ideas on how to foster creative play and learning in nature-focused environments while also encouraging positive connections with nature.
From adding richness and variety to learning, to redesigning a playground, this highly accessible text will provide early years practitioners with a wealth of ideas on how to foster creative play and learning in the outdoor environment with a focus on interacting with the natural world.
Staying strong through ARDS, vasculitis, paralysis, and recovery Did you ever wonder what would happen if your entire life changed completely in a single day? If everything you had ever known was turned upside down? Your health, your family, your job, your identity, your future-all changed forever? Breathless is the story of a woman who faced this terrifying and uncertain fate. Follow along on her journey as she describes her life as a mother, wife, and business executive who is successful, busy, happy, and healthy one day, and the next day is on life support in the ER as her lungs close after collapsing at home. As she endures a month in a medically induced coma while doctors frantically search for a cause, and her chances of survival become dim, her husband, family, and dear friends cover her in prayer beseeching God to spare her life. Miraculously, God spared her life! She recovered from the coma and ARDS, only to awaken completely paralyzed. Life had changed forever, and the battle to return to a sense of normalcy was overwhelming. She was unable to do anything for herself. Doctors anticipated possible recovery of some movement but didn't know for sure what the final outcome would be. After a year of physical therapy, strong determination, endless prayers, and the support of dear friends, she regained her mobility and was able to return to normal activities. The only problem was, life had moved on and her twenty-six-year career was gone. Thus a new battle began-a battle to discover who she was, and what God's plan was for her life. After struggling for a year to return to her "normal" life, only to find that normal no longer existed, what would life mean now? Who was she? What was normal when normal no longer existed? It was there when all else was gone that she discovered peace, comfort, and identity in Jesus. The author shares her poignant story of battling rejection, depression, and loss of identity by staying strong in hope, faith, and trust in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She shares how God became tangible through His word, leading her to a deeper knowledge of her purpose-driven life in Him.
Taking a broader and more holistic approach to early childhood than previous studies, this book provides a comparative analysis of major policy developments and issues in 12 OECD countries, highlights innovative approaches, and proposes policy options that can be adapted to varied country contexts.
The vision of Learning Environments for Young Children: Rethinking Library Spaces and Services is about learning, families, and community, where the public library presents a community-based educational setting in which librarians serve as educators, guides, coaches, and facilitators of lifelong, active learning; access for children to enriching, satisfying, and developmentally appropriate resources and learning opportunities; diverse collections, programs, and technical resources for young children and the adults in their lives; programs and resources that encourage children's focused participation, creativity, critical thinking, cooperation, and problem solving; and a nonjudgmental, integrated, and interdisciplinary approach to lifelong learning, developing the whole person, child or adult. Included in Learning Environments for Young Children are field-tested measuring instruments that you and your staff can use to conduct a qualitative assessment of your library's children's services. These ready-to-use forms will help you collect information that will highlight the importance of early childhood services in presentations to funding sources, trustees, and other key stakeholders.
This book is the result of my hard work on Performance Management in discussion with a variety of management professionals and academicians. I appreciate the continued support of my family, friends, and colleagues. The book focuses on the critical role of performance management systems in an organisation, their dimensions, the dangers of a poorly implemented performance management system, the performance management process, team performance planning, review, and management. The book's main focus is on work-based and research-based learning as a critical component of any development initiative aimed at improving performance inside the organisation. The goal is also to conceptualise the performance management system's process and planning. I am confident in the ability of the organisation to create, implement, and use a performance management system that is fair to all stakeholders and encourages better performance. I eagerly anticipate reviews from the readers, of my book. It is supported by empirical evidence. It is practical and contains no gaps in information or steps. It is written in plain English in simple words, with no jargon, and it includes numerous practical examples and templates to meet your needs. The goal of this book is to make it easier to create individual development plans that influence an employee's personal and professional growth by improving skills, behaviours, and abilities that are needed in both current and future jobs. It is an attempt, in my opinion, to provide a detailed answer for a performance management system.
Programming & Planning in Early Childhood Settings explores a range of approaches to curriculum and to documenting children's learning in early childhood settings. This valuable resource for early childhood education students and practitioners provides a broad view of the concepts and issues in early childhood curriculum. Chapters reflect ongoing discussions about what is meant by the terms 'planning' and 'programming' in the context of early childhood, what is authentic curriculum for young children, and effective teaching strategies to extend young children's learning. The strong focus on sociocultural theories of learning promotes awareness of children's diverse experiences, competencies and learning styles, and helps readers recognise the need for collaborative partnerships between educators, children and families in order to develop appropriate programs. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition shows how chapters of the text are relevant to the Australian Professional Standards for teachers, and highlights connections to the school-based context. Numerous real-life examples, reflections, articles and case studies assist students to understand a variety of educational theories, philosophies and frameworks. Throughout the book there is a focus on the processes of reflection, evaluation and ongoing improvement.
