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PRE-K UPDATE
NOVEMBER 28, 2018
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Here's the latest news from The Long Island Pre-K Initiative, your source for
expert training and useful resources:
www.nassauboces.org/pre-k
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From child development expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a road map for parents concerned about children and screens
"Young Children in the Digital Age: A Parent's Guide" is a new downloadable publication from one of the best-known development experts in the U.S. And--in keeping with her focus on research-based practice--the guide offers six "core ideas"
about young children rather than prescribing a list of do's and don'ts. "We can use these ideas," writes Carlsson-Paige, "as a guide to help us make decisions and support kids in this tech-saturated world of ours."
The expert wants parents to know that young children:
#1 Use their whole bodies and all of their senses to learn about the world.
#2 Learn from direct, first-hand experiences in the real world.
#3 Learn by inventing ideas.
#4 Make sense of their world through play.
#5 Build inner resilience and coping skills through play.
#6 Live and learn in a context of social relationships.
Each "core idea" is discussed, including real-life examples, before Carlsson-Paige offers parents 10 suggestions for putting the ideas to use. These include: "Avoid using screens to occupy children or to distract them from difficult feelings or moments" and "Try to pay conscious attention to [your] own use of mobile devices in the presence of children."
Photo: Carlsson-Paige speaking at our 2016 conference, "Best Practices for Teaching Pre-K & K."
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Remember fears
about
"the digital divide"? It hasn't turned out the way we thought it would
Once upon a time, there were significant fears that "rich" kids would have access to the internet and "poor" kids would be left behind. Now that concern has been turned
upside down: children from lower-income neighborhoods are being "raised by screens," while more affluent youngsters are being kept away from electronic devices. What's more, according to a recent series of articles from The New York Times: "Two studies that look at race have found that white children are exposed to screens significantly less than African American and Hispanic children."
The Times looked at Silicon Valley parents in particular. "While the private Waldorf School...popular with Silicon Valley executives, eschews most screens, the nearby public Hillview Middle School advertises its 1:1 iPad program."
It seems as if the people most involved in tech are most wary of it for the children. Here's what the CEO of a robotics company told The Times about the addictive nature of a screen and the developing brain. "On the scale between candy and crack cocaine, it's closer to crack cocaine." In fact, The Times reports, Silicon Valley parents are "now asking nannies to sign stringent 'no-phone use' contracts" to avoid exposing their children to screens.
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The backlash against online preschools--and why are they even a thing?
In mid-October, 110 child development experts from around the U.S. signed on to a public statement. What they all agreed on: So-called "online preschool" is only a marketing ploy by ed-tech firms. "What these companies offer is not preschool, but a marketing scheme designed to sell a virtual facsimile of real preschool. By adopting online pre-K, states are selling out kids and families for the benefit of private industry."
Why are states such as Utah and Mississippi funding electronic learning programs for young children? In some cases, it's to overcome time and travel obstacles in rural areas; in others, it's sold as a way to offer parents a choice. "If a parent wants to keep a child in the home, which we know some parents do, [online preschool] can help them get ready for school," says an ed-tech executive in an analysis from The Hechinger Report education news site.
The problem, according to the anti-online preschool statement, is that "online pre-K may expose kids and families to new types of risks....Extended time on screens diminishes time spent on early learning experiences such as lap-reading, creative play, and other social forms of learning." The conclusion: "Virtual preschool may save states money, but it's at the expense of children and families."
Click here to read the statement, which was jointly issued by Defending the Early Years and Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.
Click here for a round-up of articles on the controversy over online Pre-K.
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But what about screens in classrooms? Isn't "personalized learning" the wave of the future?
More and more schools have introduced tablets such as iPads and other instructional technology. They're used in a variety of ways depending on children's ages and the
school's philosophy. And because phones and other electronic devices are so
ubiquitous in our society, parents may not stop to question whether this is a good idea.
Earlier this month, The Atlantic magazine took a look at the so-called "personalized learning" trend, in which computers are relied on for literally hours of instruction every day. The supposed benefit: "...students, aided by technology and tech-savvy teachers, would learn at their own pace, based on their interests and aptitudes."
In a California school visited by Atlantic reporter Rob Waters, students spend 90 minutes a day in the Learning Lab--"a large room where kids sit at long tables, wearing headphones and working on laptops, supervised by classroom aides." Even the school staff could see the issues: "Ninety straight minutes on computers is way too long. Kindergarteners will focus for 15 minutes. Some kids get dizzy or have problems with their vision."
And they report that some parents seem to put more faith in software than in trained teachers, with an understanding of learning and child development. What's worse, the human interactions that support learning are missing. "They're developing a relationship with their tablet but not with each other."
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This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below
Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart.org or fax to 631-758-2953
Full-Time Teacher Assistant
Full-Time Family Advocate
Full-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Long Island Head Start, various
Full-Time Teacher II (Infant/Toddler)
Long Island Early Head Start, Huntington
Full-Time Family Educator/Home Visitor--Bilingual
Long Island Early Head Start, Islip Patchogue
Full-Time Teacher Aide
Long Island Head Start, various, Islip Early Head Start
Part-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Long Island Head Start, North Fork
Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Huntington
Full-Time Cook Assistant
Long Island Head Start, Wyandanch
Full-Time Parent Involvement Specialist
Full-Time EHS-CCP Family Service Worker--Bilingual
Full-Time Nutrition Specialist
Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue
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Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
For our records:
- Your name
- Your position
- Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter
- The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
- A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
- Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org")
It's important to understand that:
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be mailed on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations.
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a grant-funded project that seeks to strengthen partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations and to share information about research, policy and best practices for early learning. Administered by Nassau BOCES, it is supported with expertise from The Early Years Institute and funds from the Rauch and Hagedorn Foundations. Our partners: Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Western Suffolk BOCES, and the Child Care Councils of Nassau and Suffolk.
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NASSAU BOCES DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org
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