Xinhuanet is a leading news media in China. Xinhuanet published an interview about Orientation project that considers the connections between learning, well-being and physical activity. In the interview the importance of wholesome development is emphasized. Hopefully the interview instigates a discussion! You can read the interview here.
The research permits for parents have been translated. Still under construction are Albanian, French, Somalia and Turkey. If the research permit has not been translated to the language parents understand, an interpreter needs to be used. The research permit forms can be downloaded from here.
The amended observation tools and observation training materials are now ready. The finishing touches of the training were completed during Taiwanese colleagues visit 16-28.8.2014. In the observation training we will use the same video material and same example coding in every country to make the observations as reliable across countries as possible. In Hong Kong the training will start on 4th September, in Singapore on 10th September and in Finland on 16th September. The purpose of the observation is to find out what really happens in early childhood education and which paths increase children’s balanced learning and well-being.
At the EARLI Conference on SIG 5 Learning and Development in Early Childhood August 25-27, 2014 Jyväskylä, Finland three papers about Orientation project plans and results were presented:
Our precious colleagues from Taiwan arrived in Helsinki today. Their input is essential in agreeing on the final versions of the 2015 data collection. We need to go through the observation definitions, interview questions, child evaluations and the learning environment evaluations. Furthermore, we also need to agree on the definitions of the observation training videos. A laborious but exciting work ahead! We will use the results in the Finnish, Hong Kong, Singaporean and Taiwanese training.
The second phase of Or.project is starting. Here are some dates for 2014:
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has decided to grant Orientation project. The sum is 180 000 euro and the funding is for 2014-2016. The funding is for enhancing the positive feedback loop of early childhood physical activity. The evaluation of the funded projects was carried on in cooperation with the Academy of Finland, which allowed an international comparison of scientific competence. The funding is a significant recognition of the work done in the Orientation project and it enables a more flexible work in the future. Thank you for the participants in the project, who have made this grant possible.
In child evaluation one evaluated item was children’s creativity in pretend play. Now our article Children’s Creativity in Day Care has been accepted for publication in Early Child Development and Care. Creativity is not restricted to art or educational processes, rather, it manifests itself most clearly in children peer relations where children create their learning environment in a shared processes.
Reunamo, J., Lee, H-C., Wang, L-C., Ruokonen, I., Nikkola, T. & Malmstrom, S. (In print). Creativity in day care. Early Child Development and Care.
The seminar on Children’s Living and Learning at the Department of Child Education and Care at Chang Gung University of Science and Technology presentations are now available!