This post will look at how the early childhood community truly views parental rights. It will focus in on how "best practices" tries to trump parental rights through the propaganda technic called the bandwagon effect.
A Former Homeschooler's View of Parental Rights
Nothing is more sacred to a homeschooler than parental rights. In our view, the parent has the right to decide every aspect of a minor child's life. The only time a parent's rights can be nullified is when a child's life is in imminent danger not perceived danger but actual danger. Most of the time homeschooling parents fight current trends in parenting because they have a philosophical dispute with current culture and norms. Therefore, a lot of them know what it means firsthand to be on the receiving end of well-meaning social meddlers. Of course, they also have encountered their share of not-so-well-meaning social meddlers. What do I mean by social meddlers? Those are the people armed with the current "best practices" of parenting (the same parenting ideas that those homeschooling parents have purposefully discarded) that try to persuade and sometimes outright force these homeschool parents to conform. We live the double standard. Parental rights are fine as long as you conform. When you cease to conform, there is a problem.
The Early Childhood Community's View of Parental Rights
Having entered the early childhood community from the homeschooling community, I viewed the classes I took on parental involvement from the perspective of a conservative parent. I went home from those classes in tears begging God to explain to me why He had led me to such a liberal field. Most of these classes involved teaching us how to make parents view parenthood from a liberal point of view. Most of the instructors made it abundantly clear that some of the views I held should be considered child abuse. Like all things liberal, everything is fine as long as you agree with the liberals. If you dare to hold a different opinion, they will throw "best practices" in your face in the best case scenario or try to have you arrested for child abuse in the worst case scenario. Agreeing to disagree has long ceased to be an option. Now I know conservative parents also tend to be stay-at-home parents for just these reasons (these were exactly my reasons) but sometimes life does not allow you to stay at home. What are conservative parents supposed to do? Most poor conservative parents either stick their head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong or compartmentalize their beliefs and accept the liberal parenting agenda. Those that cannot, stay at home even if it means greatly diminishing their family's financial well-being. The lucky ones have family to watch their children. Either way, the early childhood field has made it abundantly clear that conservative views will not really be tolerated.
Best Practices and the Bandwagon Effect
First of all, let me define the bandwagon effect. The bandwagon effect is a propaganda technic where a statement is made over and over and over without real verification until it is commonly accepted as truth. It also helps this technic to throw in terminology that gives it the appearance of credibility. Using the term "best practices" is probably the most overused example of the bandwagon propaganda technic in the social science world. In case no one has told you, all social sciences are relative to the underlying culture and worldview. A social science theory cannot be divorced from its underlying philosophical foundation because that foundation determines priorities and outcomes. Therefore, when early childhood theorists state that a certain practice is "best practice," it is necessary to make them state for which philosophical worldview that applies. It is impossible to have "best practice" across worldviews. This propaganda technic remains the favorite weapon of the progressive liberal movement to force their worldview on all other worldviews. This is especially true when it comes to parenting techniques. If you dare to disagree with the "established" view of the progressive left, they will throw "best practices" in your face every single time. If that does not work, they will move on to labeling you a child abuser. Dissent is not allowed.
Child Rights vs Parental Rights: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
As a homeschooling mom of the 1990s and 2000s I was part of the fight against ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This UN resolution would have completely stripped American parents of their rights over their children. We fought this thing tooth and nail. It lay dormant for many years but has reared its ugly head in the last year or so. I recently read an article criticizing the United States for being the only civilized country in the world not to have ratified this particular treaty. To this I say "Thank the Lord." Number one, most countries that have signed this treaty only did it symbolically. It has no teeth where they live and they do not mean to actually enforce it. Number two, because of the structure of our legal system, this would be considered a treaty and would become the law of the land overriding our existing law. Most countries do not have this type of structure for treaties. Number three, does anyone remember the case of the baby that needed a certain type of treatment and the parents had to get permission from the English government? Part of this dilemma had to do with the fact that England has signed the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child. The state had more say over their child than the parents did. That was completely ludicrous. All the early childhood organizations for which I have knowledge push the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. That tells me everything I need to know about how the early childhood field truly feels about parental rights.
Conclusion
Even though many early childhood professionals will tell you that they believe in parental rights, I hope this article has shown that only applies if the parents are liberal. Conservative parents are not afforded the same courtesy.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Cognitive Development for 4 to 5 year olds - Math (Part 3) and Science (Part 1)
This post will continue the discussion for the component - Spatial Sense and Geometry and move on to the component - Problem Solving and Analyzing Data. We will then move on the area of learning - Science and cover the component - Life Science. Remember that I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
We will start with the learning expectation - Explores and recognizes the size, shape, and spatial arrangement of real objects. The performance indicator for this one is - Identifies and labels several shapes (e.g., circle, square, triangle, rectangle). Most children in this age range will conquer this one before their fifth birthday with minimal instruction. Some children will still confuse squares and rectangles on occasion, but that is normal. However, if you expect the children to learn this through only exploration, you will be sadly disappointed. Learning the names of objects requires at least a little direct teacher or adult instruction. That should be obvious.
Now we will move on to the component - Problem Solving and Analyzing Data. The learning expectation for this one is: Begins to develop foundation for linking concepts and procedures with active experiences. The performance indicator is: Demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means for solving problems and determining quantity. Ten years ago children may have conquered this one much easier than they do today. Today's children have WAY too much done for them, and it is destroying their ability to problem solve and compute on even a basic level. We as a society believe that parents should take care of everything for their children and we are ruining them. I have noticed in the schools where I read my books that children in rural areas tend to have more problem solving and natural math ability than children in urban areas. What is the difference? Children in rural areas are not waited on hand and foot for the most part. Children in urban areas are either protected every single moment of their lives or institutionalized every single moment of their life depending on their income level. This has nearly completely destroyed children's self-sufficiency which is vital to the attainment of this performance indicator. In order to counter this phenomenon, direct instruction in quantifying and problem solving has become necessary. Whereas, children in times past picked this up from everyday experiences, you cannot count on that in today's world.
We are now ready for the area of learning - Science. The first component is - Life Science - with the first learning expectation: Recognizes that living things are made up of parts. The performance indicator for this one is: Begins to make comparisons among living things such as flowers, insects and animals. With the decline of outdoor play, children do not get proper science exposure especially life science exposure without deliberate lesson planning. If four year olds are exposed to real flowers, insects, and animals, they will start to notice differences between the various types of each. If they are not exposed to real flowers, insects, and animals, they might pick it up from books. However, that is not a given. If the children are not even exposed to these concepts in books, they will not come close to conquering this performance indicator.
The next learning expectation is: Recognizes that people use their 5 senses to explore their environment. The performance indicator for this one is: Expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things and natural processes. One word in that performance indicator knocks out nearly half of four year olds, and that word is observe. Natural curiosity among children has taken a huge hit in the last decade, and it only grows worse with every passing year. Too many children have developed the habits of their adult counterparts and stick their noses in a phone or other electronic device a large portion of their time. A child cannot observe the world with their nose in an electronic device. Period. Now we look at the rest of that performance indicator. I have talked extensively about the problems with language development in this country. Those language delays affect everything including and maybe especially science. You must have the language capabilities in order to describe and discuss. Many four year olds do not have that capability. The cause is linked to the same problems as the observing but it also involves a lot of other detrimental habits of our culture. In order to help children conquer this performance indicator, you will have to give them opportunities to experience the natural world AND you will have to talk and talk and talk about what the children are experiencing to give them the language foundation to be able to describe and discuss.
The last learning expectation for this component is: Recognizes that living things live in different environments. The performance indicator is: Expands knowledge of and respect for her body and environment. Expanding knowledge requires that knowledge be presented to the child. Unfortunately, very few programs and the early elementary grades in schools have the time and energy to really present good science knowledge to children. I have actually seen some improvement in some of the schools I frequent but early childhood programs too often are overwhelmed with dealing with emotional issues and discipline problems to cover science in a meaningful way. I do not fault them. Our culture at large seems to be going to pieces around us, and it falls on us to try to put the pieces back together, and teach the children everything they need to know to be successful in school. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in a day to accomplish that no matter how hard we try. All we can do is give it the best we have and try to give them as many quality experiences with their world as we can.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
We will start with the learning expectation - Explores and recognizes the size, shape, and spatial arrangement of real objects. The performance indicator for this one is - Identifies and labels several shapes (e.g., circle, square, triangle, rectangle). Most children in this age range will conquer this one before their fifth birthday with minimal instruction. Some children will still confuse squares and rectangles on occasion, but that is normal. However, if you expect the children to learn this through only exploration, you will be sadly disappointed. Learning the names of objects requires at least a little direct teacher or adult instruction. That should be obvious.
Now we will move on to the component - Problem Solving and Analyzing Data. The learning expectation for this one is: Begins to develop foundation for linking concepts and procedures with active experiences. The performance indicator is: Demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means for solving problems and determining quantity. Ten years ago children may have conquered this one much easier than they do today. Today's children have WAY too much done for them, and it is destroying their ability to problem solve and compute on even a basic level. We as a society believe that parents should take care of everything for their children and we are ruining them. I have noticed in the schools where I read my books that children in rural areas tend to have more problem solving and natural math ability than children in urban areas. What is the difference? Children in rural areas are not waited on hand and foot for the most part. Children in urban areas are either protected every single moment of their lives or institutionalized every single moment of their life depending on their income level. This has nearly completely destroyed children's self-sufficiency which is vital to the attainment of this performance indicator. In order to counter this phenomenon, direct instruction in quantifying and problem solving has become necessary. Whereas, children in times past picked this up from everyday experiences, you cannot count on that in today's world.
We are now ready for the area of learning - Science. The first component is - Life Science - with the first learning expectation: Recognizes that living things are made up of parts. The performance indicator for this one is: Begins to make comparisons among living things such as flowers, insects and animals. With the decline of outdoor play, children do not get proper science exposure especially life science exposure without deliberate lesson planning. If four year olds are exposed to real flowers, insects, and animals, they will start to notice differences between the various types of each. If they are not exposed to real flowers, insects, and animals, they might pick it up from books. However, that is not a given. If the children are not even exposed to these concepts in books, they will not come close to conquering this performance indicator.
The next learning expectation is: Recognizes that people use their 5 senses to explore their environment. The performance indicator for this one is: Expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things and natural processes. One word in that performance indicator knocks out nearly half of four year olds, and that word is observe. Natural curiosity among children has taken a huge hit in the last decade, and it only grows worse with every passing year. Too many children have developed the habits of their adult counterparts and stick their noses in a phone or other electronic device a large portion of their time. A child cannot observe the world with their nose in an electronic device. Period. Now we look at the rest of that performance indicator. I have talked extensively about the problems with language development in this country. Those language delays affect everything including and maybe especially science. You must have the language capabilities in order to describe and discuss. Many four year olds do not have that capability. The cause is linked to the same problems as the observing but it also involves a lot of other detrimental habits of our culture. In order to help children conquer this performance indicator, you will have to give them opportunities to experience the natural world AND you will have to talk and talk and talk about what the children are experiencing to give them the language foundation to be able to describe and discuss.
The last learning expectation for this component is: Recognizes that living things live in different environments. The performance indicator is: Expands knowledge of and respect for her body and environment. Expanding knowledge requires that knowledge be presented to the child. Unfortunately, very few programs and the early elementary grades in schools have the time and energy to really present good science knowledge to children. I have actually seen some improvement in some of the schools I frequent but early childhood programs too often are overwhelmed with dealing with emotional issues and discipline problems to cover science in a meaningful way. I do not fault them. Our culture at large seems to be going to pieces around us, and it falls on us to try to put the pieces back together, and teach the children everything they need to know to be successful in school. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in a day to accomplish that no matter how hard we try. All we can do is give it the best we have and try to give them as many quality experiences with their world as we can.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Friday, May 26, 2017
The Early Childhood Community and the Individuality of the Child
This post will look at how the early childhood community handles the individuality of children in the real world. It will specifically look at how developmentally appropriate practice influences this reality.
All Children Are Individuals
The previous statement should be a no-brainer. We all know that we are unique individuals with different personalities. However, when it comes to education that fact sometimes falls prey to the latest fad of the educational elite. Even the fad that involves individualizing instruction actually has a one-size-fits-all foundation. In early childhood speak, individualizing instruction usually involves the discovery style of instruction almost exclusively. I have yet to really see individualization of instruction occur outside of the homeschooling movement. I truly believe this is a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. Standardization and the creation of an educational establishment have been baked into our national psyche to the point where we cannot reach true individualization. It is like removing an entitlement. Once it becomes an established idea, all future models must start from its foundation. But standardization and our present model of education are part of the problem. We believe we must group children according to age. We believe that group instruction is absolutely necessary for development. We believe socialization and education must be joined at the hip. All of these beliefs stand in the way of true individualization of education. The only group in this nation that defies all of these beliefs is the homeschooling movement. All "schools" that try to deviate from educational norms are demonized including homeschooling parents. We cannot fix this problem until we change the conversation on educational choice.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Now let us take this into the early childhood realm. What educational standards and norms have done for the public school system, developmentally appropriate practice does for the early childhood front. Everything in the early childhood world revolves around developmentally appropriate practice. It is preached at those studying early childhood at all levels. Anyone who dares question developmentally appropriate practice is considered a heretic at best. Some poor souls have suffered considerably for making that egregious error. However, if you look at the foundational principles of developmentally appropriate practice, you might begin to see the same issues with standardization. Those practices were built on norms. That means that they only apply to those children that fit the middle range of the tested population. Those children that fall outside the middle range on both ends do not comply with these standards. I have had my share of heated discussions with assessors over the application of these standards when dealing with autistic and developmentally delayed children. I had the same objections with advanced and gifted children but did not even attempt that war. Children with disabilities do have protected status in our culture to some degree. Unfortunately, advanced and gifted children have nothing. Even then with their protected status as children with disabilities, developmentally appropriate practice is the sacred cow that no one could touch. It does not matter that these standards did not fit the children. Developmentally appropriate practice is the irrefutable foundation that all practices in early childhood MUST be built upon. To even propose anything other than this is heresy. As I said before, this problem is like removing an entitlement.
How Does Developmentally Appropriate Practice Hurt Individuality of Instruction?
Because this concept is so ingrained in the psyche of early childhood professionals, I know I will have to really spell this out. Around the age of 2 children begin what I like to refer to as the split in ability. Some 2 year olds can speak in complete sentences and some children barely put two words together. This split increases in intensity as children age. Those children that are at the top of their age group outpace the rest of their age group, and those children that are at the bottom of their age group drag behind consistently. This widens the gap with the passage of time. By the time children are 4 years old the difference in actual ability can span what most consider two or three grade levels of instruction. This huge span of ability makes group instruction very difficult. As I have stated before, developmentally appropriate practice was built on norms. What is considered developmentally appropriate practice for each age group really only applies to the middle of the pack. Those children on the top and bottom end of this huge chasm of ability either are not challenged or cannot possibly keep up. A great deal of issues in group instruction can be attributed to those children that are not challenged or in over their head. They often disrupt because the instruction does not fit their need. Some four year olds are absolutely ready to start reading instruction and some four year olds barely know their body parts and basic colors. Developmentally appropriate practice acts as if these children do not exist.
How to Encourage Individuality of Instruction for Children
The first step is to acknowledge the huge spread of ability. That should seem obvious but our culture has a tendency to ignore the obvious when it does not fit their narrative. Remember developmentally appropriate practice is THE narrative in early childhood circles. Once you admit the obvious, you begin to group children by ability instead of age. Some four year olds should be grouped with 3 year olds with the same ability level. Some two year olds can hang with some 4 year olds easily. However, the best way to insure individuality of instruction involves actually teaching children one-on-one instead of in groups. This is the only method of teaching that allows you to tailor instruction to the strengths and weaknesses of each child. We really should not rely so heavily on group activities in the early years and let children develop group social skills during free play time. We could accomplish so much more with each and every child if the instruction were truly tailored to that child. When we do that, then developmentally appropriate practice becomes irrelevant. I like to use the term individually appropriate practice. What is appropriate for some two year olds would not be appropriate for some three year olds. Each child develops at his/her own pace regardless of how we want them to develop. This mindset frees up those with advanced and gifted children to teach them to read when those children are ready. It also frees up those with developmentally delayed children to let them hit the educational milestones when they are ready. This is a win-win situation for everyone.
Conclusion
As a former homeschooling mom of a gifted child and as a childcare provider that has had quite a number of children on the autism spectrum, I speak with years and years of expertise on this matter. Children are individuals. They need to be taught the way and pace suited for them and not some concocted standards.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
All Children Are Individuals
The previous statement should be a no-brainer. We all know that we are unique individuals with different personalities. However, when it comes to education that fact sometimes falls prey to the latest fad of the educational elite. Even the fad that involves individualizing instruction actually has a one-size-fits-all foundation. In early childhood speak, individualizing instruction usually involves the discovery style of instruction almost exclusively. I have yet to really see individualization of instruction occur outside of the homeschooling movement. I truly believe this is a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. Standardization and the creation of an educational establishment have been baked into our national psyche to the point where we cannot reach true individualization. It is like removing an entitlement. Once it becomes an established idea, all future models must start from its foundation. But standardization and our present model of education are part of the problem. We believe we must group children according to age. We believe that group instruction is absolutely necessary for development. We believe socialization and education must be joined at the hip. All of these beliefs stand in the way of true individualization of education. The only group in this nation that defies all of these beliefs is the homeschooling movement. All "schools" that try to deviate from educational norms are demonized including homeschooling parents. We cannot fix this problem until we change the conversation on educational choice.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Now let us take this into the early childhood realm. What educational standards and norms have done for the public school system, developmentally appropriate practice does for the early childhood front. Everything in the early childhood world revolves around developmentally appropriate practice. It is preached at those studying early childhood at all levels. Anyone who dares question developmentally appropriate practice is considered a heretic at best. Some poor souls have suffered considerably for making that egregious error. However, if you look at the foundational principles of developmentally appropriate practice, you might begin to see the same issues with standardization. Those practices were built on norms. That means that they only apply to those children that fit the middle range of the tested population. Those children that fall outside the middle range on both ends do not comply with these standards. I have had my share of heated discussions with assessors over the application of these standards when dealing with autistic and developmentally delayed children. I had the same objections with advanced and gifted children but did not even attempt that war. Children with disabilities do have protected status in our culture to some degree. Unfortunately, advanced and gifted children have nothing. Even then with their protected status as children with disabilities, developmentally appropriate practice is the sacred cow that no one could touch. It does not matter that these standards did not fit the children. Developmentally appropriate practice is the irrefutable foundation that all practices in early childhood MUST be built upon. To even propose anything other than this is heresy. As I said before, this problem is like removing an entitlement.
How Does Developmentally Appropriate Practice Hurt Individuality of Instruction?
Because this concept is so ingrained in the psyche of early childhood professionals, I know I will have to really spell this out. Around the age of 2 children begin what I like to refer to as the split in ability. Some 2 year olds can speak in complete sentences and some children barely put two words together. This split increases in intensity as children age. Those children that are at the top of their age group outpace the rest of their age group, and those children that are at the bottom of their age group drag behind consistently. This widens the gap with the passage of time. By the time children are 4 years old the difference in actual ability can span what most consider two or three grade levels of instruction. This huge span of ability makes group instruction very difficult. As I have stated before, developmentally appropriate practice was built on norms. What is considered developmentally appropriate practice for each age group really only applies to the middle of the pack. Those children on the top and bottom end of this huge chasm of ability either are not challenged or cannot possibly keep up. A great deal of issues in group instruction can be attributed to those children that are not challenged or in over their head. They often disrupt because the instruction does not fit their need. Some four year olds are absolutely ready to start reading instruction and some four year olds barely know their body parts and basic colors. Developmentally appropriate practice acts as if these children do not exist.
How to Encourage Individuality of Instruction for Children
The first step is to acknowledge the huge spread of ability. That should seem obvious but our culture has a tendency to ignore the obvious when it does not fit their narrative. Remember developmentally appropriate practice is THE narrative in early childhood circles. Once you admit the obvious, you begin to group children by ability instead of age. Some four year olds should be grouped with 3 year olds with the same ability level. Some two year olds can hang with some 4 year olds easily. However, the best way to insure individuality of instruction involves actually teaching children one-on-one instead of in groups. This is the only method of teaching that allows you to tailor instruction to the strengths and weaknesses of each child. We really should not rely so heavily on group activities in the early years and let children develop group social skills during free play time. We could accomplish so much more with each and every child if the instruction were truly tailored to that child. When we do that, then developmentally appropriate practice becomes irrelevant. I like to use the term individually appropriate practice. What is appropriate for some two year olds would not be appropriate for some three year olds. Each child develops at his/her own pace regardless of how we want them to develop. This mindset frees up those with advanced and gifted children to teach them to read when those children are ready. It also frees up those with developmentally delayed children to let them hit the educational milestones when they are ready. This is a win-win situation for everyone.
Conclusion
As a former homeschooling mom of a gifted child and as a childcare provider that has had quite a number of children on the autism spectrum, I speak with years and years of expertise on this matter. Children are individuals. They need to be taught the way and pace suited for them and not some concocted standards.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Cognitive Development for 4 to 5 year olds - Math (Part 2)
This post will continue the discussion of the component - Patterns and Algebra and move on to Measurement and Spatial Sense and Geometry. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
The next learning expectations for the component, Patterns and Algebra, is: Identifies, describes, and extends patterns. The performance indicator for this one is: Copies repeating patterns and begins to construct own patterns. Many four year old children have not had enough experience with patterns to copy repeating patterns much less construct their own patterns. Many children walking into four-year-old programs have never even attempted a pattern before in their life. This one must definitely be taught. Most of the time I will talk them through the pattern using rhythm to help them to pick up on the basic pattern. Even if the pattern uses different color blocks, I will give the pattern a basic rhythm. Somehow the combination of musical concepts and math helps struggling students to grasp the concept quicker. Also, be patient. You will have to repeat the pattern over and over the first several times before the child will understand what is expected. Do not even expect the child to be able to create their own patterns until you have exposed the child to the concept for at least 3 months. Even then, it will take children that struggle with math concepts longer than 3 months to be able to reach that level of competency.
Now we will move on to the component - Measurement. The learning expectation for this one is: Begins to demonstrate understanding of time, length, weight, capacity, and temperature. The first performance indicator for this one is: Constructs a sense of time as it relates to his daily life. This one only develops for children with a structured lifestyle. It does not have to be rigid, but their day must proceed in a predictable way. Nap comes after lunch. Snack comes after nap. Etc, etc. When a child's day is utter chaos from start to finish, they will not develop a sense of time. Small children need structure so much more than most people even realize. This particular performance indicator is one of those reasons.
The next performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Participates in measuring activities using conventional and nonconventional measuring tools. This has to be adult-directed to be accomplished. Most children never see this at home unless their father is a builder or their mother is a baker. Therefore, they will not participate in this on their own until they see it modeled over and over again. Children in high-quality programs will get exposed to these types of activities, but this is not true for many, many children. Adults must demonstrate the use of measuring tools at least once per week to give children the exposure they need for this performance indicator.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Uses conventional measurement, time, and money terms with some accuracy. This one very much depends on the child's exposure to these concepts. Those with a rich exposure will conquer this one easily. Those with poor exposure will not. Children need the adults in their life to expose them to as many concepts as possible before they enter formal schooling. Our crazy hectic lifestyles leave us at a disadvantage in this department compared to our more laid-back ancestors. The slow-pace of their lifestyle lent itself to a lot more of this exposure. We must be purposeful in this to make up for our lack of opportunity on this front. Make time to talk to the children about measurement, time, and money as much as possible.
Now we will move on to the component - Spatial Sense and Geometry. The first learning expectation for this one is: Becomes aware of personal space during active exploration of physical environment. The performance indicator for this one is: Builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind. Years of teaching preschool has taught me to never assume a four year old knows any of these concepts. It takes exposure to these concepts to develop an understanding for them. Exposure these days seems to be a rare commodity. No matter what age a child is when they walk through my door, I start with these concepts. Many, many four year olds had no clue about top, middle, bottom or even over and under. They must be directly taught in today's society, but all it takes is deliberate demonstrations over a few days for the children to comprehend each concept.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
The next learning expectations for the component, Patterns and Algebra, is: Identifies, describes, and extends patterns. The performance indicator for this one is: Copies repeating patterns and begins to construct own patterns. Many four year old children have not had enough experience with patterns to copy repeating patterns much less construct their own patterns. Many children walking into four-year-old programs have never even attempted a pattern before in their life. This one must definitely be taught. Most of the time I will talk them through the pattern using rhythm to help them to pick up on the basic pattern. Even if the pattern uses different color blocks, I will give the pattern a basic rhythm. Somehow the combination of musical concepts and math helps struggling students to grasp the concept quicker. Also, be patient. You will have to repeat the pattern over and over the first several times before the child will understand what is expected. Do not even expect the child to be able to create their own patterns until you have exposed the child to the concept for at least 3 months. Even then, it will take children that struggle with math concepts longer than 3 months to be able to reach that level of competency.
Now we will move on to the component - Measurement. The learning expectation for this one is: Begins to demonstrate understanding of time, length, weight, capacity, and temperature. The first performance indicator for this one is: Constructs a sense of time as it relates to his daily life. This one only develops for children with a structured lifestyle. It does not have to be rigid, but their day must proceed in a predictable way. Nap comes after lunch. Snack comes after nap. Etc, etc. When a child's day is utter chaos from start to finish, they will not develop a sense of time. Small children need structure so much more than most people even realize. This particular performance indicator is one of those reasons.
The next performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Participates in measuring activities using conventional and nonconventional measuring tools. This has to be adult-directed to be accomplished. Most children never see this at home unless their father is a builder or their mother is a baker. Therefore, they will not participate in this on their own until they see it modeled over and over again. Children in high-quality programs will get exposed to these types of activities, but this is not true for many, many children. Adults must demonstrate the use of measuring tools at least once per week to give children the exposure they need for this performance indicator.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Uses conventional measurement, time, and money terms with some accuracy. This one very much depends on the child's exposure to these concepts. Those with a rich exposure will conquer this one easily. Those with poor exposure will not. Children need the adults in their life to expose them to as many concepts as possible before they enter formal schooling. Our crazy hectic lifestyles leave us at a disadvantage in this department compared to our more laid-back ancestors. The slow-pace of their lifestyle lent itself to a lot more of this exposure. We must be purposeful in this to make up for our lack of opportunity on this front. Make time to talk to the children about measurement, time, and money as much as possible.
Now we will move on to the component - Spatial Sense and Geometry. The first learning expectation for this one is: Becomes aware of personal space during active exploration of physical environment. The performance indicator for this one is: Builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind. Years of teaching preschool has taught me to never assume a four year old knows any of these concepts. It takes exposure to these concepts to develop an understanding for them. Exposure these days seems to be a rare commodity. No matter what age a child is when they walk through my door, I start with these concepts. Many, many four year olds had no clue about top, middle, bottom or even over and under. They must be directly taught in today's society, but all it takes is deliberate demonstrations over a few days for the children to comprehend each concept.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Early Childhood Community and Diversity of Thought
This post will look at the role of diversity of thought in diminishing the effects of groupthink on our early childhood field.
What Do I Mean By Diversity of Thought
This has to be one of the most important concepts of our time. For years we have had diversity shoved down our throats, but that diversity did not include diversity of thought. Diversity of thought happens when a group can entertain widely differing views without feeling the need to shut down the free speech of one group or the other. In other words, everyone is entitled to their opinion and no one is allowed to harm you physically or emotionally because of that opinion. This is the essence of the first amendment. However, we see everywhere in this country one group shouting down, harassing, or physically abusing people with a differing viewpoint. College campuses are the worst. So much violence has broken out because they have ceased to be places where diversity of thought is celebrated. Many people feel "triggered" because someone dares to have a viewpoint that differs from their own. Someone's viewpoint should never force you into a "safe space" and if it does, you live in a bubble. We as a society have ceased to debate issues. Now we scream at each other and bully our opponents into silence. So many of our institutions and fields of study have become poster children for groupthink. We have a serious problem on our hands.
The Difference between Diversity and Diversity of Thought
With all the talk of diversity these days, many might be confused by all the talk of the lack of diversity of thought. Let me try to explain the difference to you. Diversity as it has come to be defined by the political correctness movement involves the acceptance of many points of view that have previously been held in disdain. For example, the latest push for diversity comes for transgenderism. It also encompasses multiculturalism, where all the cultures of the world should be celebrated. In theory, these ideals seem good to discourage discrimination. However, once you begin to pull back the layers of the onion, you will begin to notice that only one viewpoint holds supremacy - the progressive secular humanistic viewpoint. Even the multiculturalism that is pushed involves only the aspects of those cultures that fit the progressive secular humanistic viewpoint. All other worldviews especially the Christian worldview are held in disdain. Basically, diversity has come to mean that all the worldviews that once held the progressive secular humanistic worldview in disdain are now fair targets for discrimination, but you do not dare discriminate against the progressive secular humanistic worldview. To do so will bring the complete and unfiltered wrath of the progressive left. This is not diversity. This is a tyrannical movement that means to squash all other worldviews into oblivion. Diversity of thought means actually accepting differing points of view without hostility. It does not mean you have to agree with those points of view. It does mean you have to respect the other person's right to hold that opinion. Only in that circumstance can we have civil discourse. What we have today is vitriol.
The College Conundrum
Nowhere in our country is this problem more prevalent than on college campuses. Almost all of the departments especially all the ones dealing with the humanities and culture have been taken over by secular progressive liberals. The ratio on most college campuses for college professors is 20 liberals to one conservative. In some places it is much higher. That one lone conservative does not dare voice his/her true opinions for fear of losing his/her job. Free speech does not exist on college campuses anymore. This lack of diversity of thought has created entire fields of study including the early childhood field that has started down the rabbit hole into irrelevance. Training in these fields does not truly build up the field. It is simply a means to indoctrinate those that do not have the same level of education. Anyone wanting to advance in any of these fields better wholeheartedly embrace the progressive secular humanistic worldview or face blacklisting on a scale not seen since the days of McCarthy. What happened? Colleges used to be bastions of free speech and exposure to differing points of view. That only held when conservatives were in the majority. We have been under a slow revolution since the 1960s where progressive thought has taken over our colleges and as it has, it has sought to silence all other viewpoints through intimidation. People, that is the very definition of fascism.
How to Push for Diversity of Thought
Number one, I implore/plead/beg that those in power in the national early childhood organizations will see the peril of our situation and begin to seek out people with moderate or conservative points of view to serve. As it stands now, they will not give even moderates the time of day. I am not talking about having a "token" conservative that still fears opening his/her mouth. I am talking about having someone like me that speaks her mind despite the consequences. We need people to be bold on this matter. No change has ever come with timidity. Number two, colleges and training organizations need to seek out moderates and conservatives to teach and train. This area probably has the most ground to cover. I would dare say that if you have conservatives functioning in this capacity, they have completely compartmentalized their personal beliefs. All training that I have ever encountered has had a very, VERY liberal bias unless I was doing it. I have also been blacklisted in many circles and not allowed to present unless I tailor my workshops to at least appear somewhat liberal. I have had many places where I have not been invited back because my points despite being valid and very well-researched have offended someone. Number three, the rank and file childcare workers need to demand better training and understand that they are being indoctrinated. Some do understand this but are afraid to say anything. People have had witch hunts launched against them for less. However, as I said change never comes for the timid.
Conclusion
If nothing else, pray that the liberal elites will lose their stranglehold on power in our field. Events over the last six months have given me hope that a silent majority can rise up and throw off the shackles of the progressive left. O Lord God, please let that continue!!!!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
What Do I Mean By Diversity of Thought
This has to be one of the most important concepts of our time. For years we have had diversity shoved down our throats, but that diversity did not include diversity of thought. Diversity of thought happens when a group can entertain widely differing views without feeling the need to shut down the free speech of one group or the other. In other words, everyone is entitled to their opinion and no one is allowed to harm you physically or emotionally because of that opinion. This is the essence of the first amendment. However, we see everywhere in this country one group shouting down, harassing, or physically abusing people with a differing viewpoint. College campuses are the worst. So much violence has broken out because they have ceased to be places where diversity of thought is celebrated. Many people feel "triggered" because someone dares to have a viewpoint that differs from their own. Someone's viewpoint should never force you into a "safe space" and if it does, you live in a bubble. We as a society have ceased to debate issues. Now we scream at each other and bully our opponents into silence. So many of our institutions and fields of study have become poster children for groupthink. We have a serious problem on our hands.
The Difference between Diversity and Diversity of Thought
With all the talk of diversity these days, many might be confused by all the talk of the lack of diversity of thought. Let me try to explain the difference to you. Diversity as it has come to be defined by the political correctness movement involves the acceptance of many points of view that have previously been held in disdain. For example, the latest push for diversity comes for transgenderism. It also encompasses multiculturalism, where all the cultures of the world should be celebrated. In theory, these ideals seem good to discourage discrimination. However, once you begin to pull back the layers of the onion, you will begin to notice that only one viewpoint holds supremacy - the progressive secular humanistic viewpoint. Even the multiculturalism that is pushed involves only the aspects of those cultures that fit the progressive secular humanistic viewpoint. All other worldviews especially the Christian worldview are held in disdain. Basically, diversity has come to mean that all the worldviews that once held the progressive secular humanistic worldview in disdain are now fair targets for discrimination, but you do not dare discriminate against the progressive secular humanistic worldview. To do so will bring the complete and unfiltered wrath of the progressive left. This is not diversity. This is a tyrannical movement that means to squash all other worldviews into oblivion. Diversity of thought means actually accepting differing points of view without hostility. It does not mean you have to agree with those points of view. It does mean you have to respect the other person's right to hold that opinion. Only in that circumstance can we have civil discourse. What we have today is vitriol.
The College Conundrum
Nowhere in our country is this problem more prevalent than on college campuses. Almost all of the departments especially all the ones dealing with the humanities and culture have been taken over by secular progressive liberals. The ratio on most college campuses for college professors is 20 liberals to one conservative. In some places it is much higher. That one lone conservative does not dare voice his/her true opinions for fear of losing his/her job. Free speech does not exist on college campuses anymore. This lack of diversity of thought has created entire fields of study including the early childhood field that has started down the rabbit hole into irrelevance. Training in these fields does not truly build up the field. It is simply a means to indoctrinate those that do not have the same level of education. Anyone wanting to advance in any of these fields better wholeheartedly embrace the progressive secular humanistic worldview or face blacklisting on a scale not seen since the days of McCarthy. What happened? Colleges used to be bastions of free speech and exposure to differing points of view. That only held when conservatives were in the majority. We have been under a slow revolution since the 1960s where progressive thought has taken over our colleges and as it has, it has sought to silence all other viewpoints through intimidation. People, that is the very definition of fascism.
How to Push for Diversity of Thought
Number one, I implore/plead/beg that those in power in the national early childhood organizations will see the peril of our situation and begin to seek out people with moderate or conservative points of view to serve. As it stands now, they will not give even moderates the time of day. I am not talking about having a "token" conservative that still fears opening his/her mouth. I am talking about having someone like me that speaks her mind despite the consequences. We need people to be bold on this matter. No change has ever come with timidity. Number two, colleges and training organizations need to seek out moderates and conservatives to teach and train. This area probably has the most ground to cover. I would dare say that if you have conservatives functioning in this capacity, they have completely compartmentalized their personal beliefs. All training that I have ever encountered has had a very, VERY liberal bias unless I was doing it. I have also been blacklisted in many circles and not allowed to present unless I tailor my workshops to at least appear somewhat liberal. I have had many places where I have not been invited back because my points despite being valid and very well-researched have offended someone. Number three, the rank and file childcare workers need to demand better training and understand that they are being indoctrinated. Some do understand this but are afraid to say anything. People have had witch hunts launched against them for less. However, as I said change never comes for the timid.
Conclusion
If nothing else, pray that the liberal elites will lose their stranglehold on power in our field. Events over the last six months have given me hope that a silent majority can rise up and throw off the shackles of the progressive left. O Lord God, please let that continue!!!!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Cognitive Development for 4 to 5 year olds - Math (Part 1)
This post will begin the discussion of the area of learning - Math starting with the component - Number and Operations. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
The first learning expectation is: Begins to identify and label objects using numbers. The performance indicator for this one is: Develops increased abilities to combine, separate and name "how many" concrete objects. Some children will conquer this one easily and some will struggle horribly. The biggest factor usually involves whether or not the child has been exposed to number concepts during his/her toddler years. Adults in previous times used to talk to small children about "how many" during many everyday conversations. Now, that just is not the case. Unless the child has been exposed to number concepts in a childcare setting or had parents/caregivers that purposefully exposed him/her to these concepts, four year old children will struggle with number concepts above two or three objects.
The second learning expectation is: Develops understanding of numbers and their association with objects. The first performance indicator for this one is: Begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and numerals in meaningful ways. This is the point where teaching style comes very much into play. Teachers that rely on exposure and exploration will not be able to have the same results as teachers that handle number concepts with direct instruction. Number concepts for the most part are a left brain function, and left brain function concepts need direct instruction. Students that have teachers that work with them one-on-one using direct instruction have an even greater result than direct instruction in a group setting. I have seen this first hand. Many "experts" have been blown away by how much I accomplish with direct instruction especially with children with delays and immaturity issues. Small children need one-on-one instruction more than older children and older children benefit from that method as well. Maybe someday this revelation will move outside of the homeschooling movement and into the mainstream.
The second performance indicator is: Develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond. Truthfully, I expect my 3 year olds to count to 10. I expect my 4 year olds to count much higher than that. By the time they are 5 years old, I expect them to be able to count to 100 or pretty close to it. Of course, I work them in this department. I make them count almost daily if not daily and most normally developing children conquer this one with that kind of practice. This is a skill and requires daily practice. Please, do not let a skill like this rely on exposure and discovery to develop. That is ludicrous. Practice makes perfect!!
Now we move on to the component - Patterns and Algebra. The first learning expectation is: Explores and begins to sort and classify objects. The first performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Shows understanding of and uses comparative words. For those that have not worked in early childhood in the last five years, this one would seem to be easy to conquer. However, I have had to directly teach so many four year olds these types of words because they walked through my door without any prior knowledge of these types of words. We really need to have an intervention with some of these parents and help them understand how important it is to talk and read to their children. The smartphone has greatly diminished family conversations in many households. Children pick up these types of concepts from everyday conversation with adults, and if they do not, you, the teacher, will have to directly teach these concepts.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Groups common related objects: shoe, sock, foot; apple, orange, plum. This one comes easier to children that the previous one, but still depends on a child's prior knowledge base. Some children conquer this one easily but those with language delays struggle. Many people do not understand how much language delays affect every other area of learning. So much in the early years depends on a child's working vocabulary. When a child's vocabulary is limited, everything else suffers. However, exposure to grouping activities helps with both categories. Grouping improves as well as a child's working vocabulary.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
The first learning expectation is: Begins to identify and label objects using numbers. The performance indicator for this one is: Develops increased abilities to combine, separate and name "how many" concrete objects. Some children will conquer this one easily and some will struggle horribly. The biggest factor usually involves whether or not the child has been exposed to number concepts during his/her toddler years. Adults in previous times used to talk to small children about "how many" during many everyday conversations. Now, that just is not the case. Unless the child has been exposed to number concepts in a childcare setting or had parents/caregivers that purposefully exposed him/her to these concepts, four year old children will struggle with number concepts above two or three objects.
The second learning expectation is: Develops understanding of numbers and their association with objects. The first performance indicator for this one is: Begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and numerals in meaningful ways. This is the point where teaching style comes very much into play. Teachers that rely on exposure and exploration will not be able to have the same results as teachers that handle number concepts with direct instruction. Number concepts for the most part are a left brain function, and left brain function concepts need direct instruction. Students that have teachers that work with them one-on-one using direct instruction have an even greater result than direct instruction in a group setting. I have seen this first hand. Many "experts" have been blown away by how much I accomplish with direct instruction especially with children with delays and immaturity issues. Small children need one-on-one instruction more than older children and older children benefit from that method as well. Maybe someday this revelation will move outside of the homeschooling movement and into the mainstream.
The second performance indicator is: Develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond. Truthfully, I expect my 3 year olds to count to 10. I expect my 4 year olds to count much higher than that. By the time they are 5 years old, I expect them to be able to count to 100 or pretty close to it. Of course, I work them in this department. I make them count almost daily if not daily and most normally developing children conquer this one with that kind of practice. This is a skill and requires daily practice. Please, do not let a skill like this rely on exposure and discovery to develop. That is ludicrous. Practice makes perfect!!
Now we move on to the component - Patterns and Algebra. The first learning expectation is: Explores and begins to sort and classify objects. The first performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Shows understanding of and uses comparative words. For those that have not worked in early childhood in the last five years, this one would seem to be easy to conquer. However, I have had to directly teach so many four year olds these types of words because they walked through my door without any prior knowledge of these types of words. We really need to have an intervention with some of these parents and help them understand how important it is to talk and read to their children. The smartphone has greatly diminished family conversations in many households. Children pick up these types of concepts from everyday conversation with adults, and if they do not, you, the teacher, will have to directly teach these concepts.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Groups common related objects: shoe, sock, foot; apple, orange, plum. This one comes easier to children that the previous one, but still depends on a child's prior knowledge base. Some children conquer this one easily but those with language delays struggle. Many people do not understand how much language delays affect every other area of learning. So much in the early years depends on a child's working vocabulary. When a child's vocabulary is limited, everything else suffers. However, exposure to grouping activities helps with both categories. Grouping improves as well as a child's working vocabulary.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
Sunday, February 26, 2017
The Early Childhood Community and Groupthink
This post will start a series on the present state of the early childhood field as a whole. Specifically, it will focus on the problem of groupthink and how to fix it. This particular post will lay out the case for our guilt as it pertains to groupthink.
What is Groupthink?
Wikipedia defines Groupthink as "a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences." A lot has been said in the media lately about various groups of people living in a "bubble." That "bubble" mentality could also be considered groupthink. When a group of people too closely share a worldview or viewpoint, groupthink becomes a danger. This is especially true if this group vehemently opposes differing views. In fact, that is the truest sign of groupthink. Does the group tolerate differing views or do they try to squash differing views?
What is the Big Deal?
You may be wondering (especially if you are part of a bubble) why groupthink is such a big deal. Groupthink has several negative consequences. The first one is the demise of innovation. When a group especially an entire field of study becomes guilty of groupthink, then the next generation of innovations suffers. Whether you like to admit or not, the next wave of innovation usually comes from the opposing view of the majority. Why is that? It is because they are trying to fix the status quo. Innovation always flows from that mindset. If a field of study stifles or actively demonizes all opposing views, the field becomes stagnant and in danger of being replaced by an outside force of opposition. The next danger of groupthink involves becoming blind to their own state of affairs. When a group or field of study cannot be challenged, they become almost inbred. They believe they are continuing to innovate when in reality they are only doing variations of the same theme. How many times have you attended a workshop because the title intrigued you only to leave the workshop disappointed because it was the same old stuff wrapped up in a new package? More times than I can count. The last danger of groupthink comes about when they have been in that state for a considerable amount of time. I call it "going down the rabbit hole." They become so blind to their own state of affairs that they begin to do harm instead of good. I also call this "being upside down and backwards." In trying to innovate without outside or opposing forces to control the process, they truly become inbred and take off on dangerous tangents. They take good ideas to horrible extremes and take what should be a great idea and mutate it into something detrimental to all involved. The greatest example of this has to be political correctness. The beginnings of political correctness probably had good intentions but the nature of the beast stifled opposition and became inbred. Now we have an uncontrollable monster that makes most of us completely miserable.
Where are all the Conservatives?
At this point, many of you may be horrified and wondering if I mean to accuse the early childhood community and field of groupthink. I do. To prove my point I want to pose some questions. Number one, where are all the conservatives? I want you to consider this carefully. How many true conservatives (not moderates) do you know in this field that have a bachelor's degree or higher? Those with degrees embody the group in this field that make all the regulations and standards and/or provide all the training and technical assistance. How many of those people are true conservatives? Number two, how do those in power react when someone questions concepts like developmentally appropriate practice and "best practices?" If you do not know the answer to that question, try it. I have, and the result is venomous. They will treat you like you are guilty of child abuse. Number three, do the people in this field feel pressured to "tow the party line" in order to be employed in this field? This one I know first hand. I cannot get a teaching job in this field because of my conservative views. They will never come out and say that, but they scrutinize my credentials much more than those with the same credentials and a liberal worldview. I have been told more times than I want to acknowledge that my credentials do not fit the job just to have them hire someone with the exact same degree. Lastly, are people with strong religious convictions forced to compartmentalize their faith in order to be taken seriously in this field? This one I will cover in the next section.
Compartmentalization
What do I mean by compartmentalization? If a person of faith has to put that faith in a box separate from their career, that should be the greatest indicator of a field enveloped in groupthink. I know many Christians in this field, but they believe that their faith should only be a personal matter and should not bleed over into their work. Why in the world should a person of faith feel the need to completely divorce their faith from their work? That only happens when the field of work has been completely dominated by the secular progressive liberal worldview. These people cannot apply their faith to their work because they would be ostracized or worse. Unfortunately for me, I did not get the memo on compartmentalizing my faith. Actually, I know the Bible too well to get away with that. Our faith is our faith at work, play, and all other aspects of our life, and if our work forces us to lay that faith aside, something is seriously askew.
How to combat Groupthink
The only way to combat groupthink involves diversity of thought. I will cover this in more detail in my next post on this series, but I will give the short version here. We have got to get to the point as a society where we can handle an opposing view without requiring a safe space. I have had to sit through more trainings and had to read more books that drove me nuts than I can count. I had to learn to find the nuggets of truth in the most ridiculous arguments or lose my sanity. Therein, lies the trick. You have to listen to people to find those nuggets. If we all learned to listen to one another and find those common ground nuggets of truth and apply them to the problems of this world, we might just get somewhere someday.
Conclusion
Many different fields of study and work have fallen prey to groupthink in our present society not just the early childhood field. However, this is my field and I want to fight for its longterm viability. I challenge early childhood professional groups and training colleges to hire more at least moderates if not conservatives. Groupthink will make us irrelevant unless we begin to take steps to rectify it.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
What is Groupthink?
Wikipedia defines Groupthink as "a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences." A lot has been said in the media lately about various groups of people living in a "bubble." That "bubble" mentality could also be considered groupthink. When a group of people too closely share a worldview or viewpoint, groupthink becomes a danger. This is especially true if this group vehemently opposes differing views. In fact, that is the truest sign of groupthink. Does the group tolerate differing views or do they try to squash differing views?
What is the Big Deal?
You may be wondering (especially if you are part of a bubble) why groupthink is such a big deal. Groupthink has several negative consequences. The first one is the demise of innovation. When a group especially an entire field of study becomes guilty of groupthink, then the next generation of innovations suffers. Whether you like to admit or not, the next wave of innovation usually comes from the opposing view of the majority. Why is that? It is because they are trying to fix the status quo. Innovation always flows from that mindset. If a field of study stifles or actively demonizes all opposing views, the field becomes stagnant and in danger of being replaced by an outside force of opposition. The next danger of groupthink involves becoming blind to their own state of affairs. When a group or field of study cannot be challenged, they become almost inbred. They believe they are continuing to innovate when in reality they are only doing variations of the same theme. How many times have you attended a workshop because the title intrigued you only to leave the workshop disappointed because it was the same old stuff wrapped up in a new package? More times than I can count. The last danger of groupthink comes about when they have been in that state for a considerable amount of time. I call it "going down the rabbit hole." They become so blind to their own state of affairs that they begin to do harm instead of good. I also call this "being upside down and backwards." In trying to innovate without outside or opposing forces to control the process, they truly become inbred and take off on dangerous tangents. They take good ideas to horrible extremes and take what should be a great idea and mutate it into something detrimental to all involved. The greatest example of this has to be political correctness. The beginnings of political correctness probably had good intentions but the nature of the beast stifled opposition and became inbred. Now we have an uncontrollable monster that makes most of us completely miserable.
Where are all the Conservatives?
At this point, many of you may be horrified and wondering if I mean to accuse the early childhood community and field of groupthink. I do. To prove my point I want to pose some questions. Number one, where are all the conservatives? I want you to consider this carefully. How many true conservatives (not moderates) do you know in this field that have a bachelor's degree or higher? Those with degrees embody the group in this field that make all the regulations and standards and/or provide all the training and technical assistance. How many of those people are true conservatives? Number two, how do those in power react when someone questions concepts like developmentally appropriate practice and "best practices?" If you do not know the answer to that question, try it. I have, and the result is venomous. They will treat you like you are guilty of child abuse. Number three, do the people in this field feel pressured to "tow the party line" in order to be employed in this field? This one I know first hand. I cannot get a teaching job in this field because of my conservative views. They will never come out and say that, but they scrutinize my credentials much more than those with the same credentials and a liberal worldview. I have been told more times than I want to acknowledge that my credentials do not fit the job just to have them hire someone with the exact same degree. Lastly, are people with strong religious convictions forced to compartmentalize their faith in order to be taken seriously in this field? This one I will cover in the next section.
Compartmentalization
What do I mean by compartmentalization? If a person of faith has to put that faith in a box separate from their career, that should be the greatest indicator of a field enveloped in groupthink. I know many Christians in this field, but they believe that their faith should only be a personal matter and should not bleed over into their work. Why in the world should a person of faith feel the need to completely divorce their faith from their work? That only happens when the field of work has been completely dominated by the secular progressive liberal worldview. These people cannot apply their faith to their work because they would be ostracized or worse. Unfortunately for me, I did not get the memo on compartmentalizing my faith. Actually, I know the Bible too well to get away with that. Our faith is our faith at work, play, and all other aspects of our life, and if our work forces us to lay that faith aside, something is seriously askew.
How to combat Groupthink
The only way to combat groupthink involves diversity of thought. I will cover this in more detail in my next post on this series, but I will give the short version here. We have got to get to the point as a society where we can handle an opposing view without requiring a safe space. I have had to sit through more trainings and had to read more books that drove me nuts than I can count. I had to learn to find the nuggets of truth in the most ridiculous arguments or lose my sanity. Therein, lies the trick. You have to listen to people to find those nuggets. If we all learned to listen to one another and find those common ground nuggets of truth and apply them to the problems of this world, we might just get somewhere someday.
Conclusion
Many different fields of study and work have fallen prey to groupthink in our present society not just the early childhood field. However, this is my field and I want to fight for its longterm viability. I challenge early childhood professional groups and training colleges to hire more at least moderates if not conservatives. Groupthink will make us irrelevant unless we begin to take steps to rectify it.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
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