E111 Tma02 Essay Example

red and green signs, such as those used in traffic control. This approach, known as constructivism, aligns with Jean Piaget's theory that emphasizes the significance of children's direct engagement with their surroundings (ST3.1 page 20). The children are acquiring the principles of participating in a physical education class, including being barefoot and stopping when they see the red sign. These skills can be applied in various settings, such as at home or outside, and are consistent with the school's policies. By acknowledging the child's achievements, the teacher boosts their self-esteem, as discussed in ST4 p11.

Furthermore, the teaching assistant (TA) is promoting "inclusive development" (Hancock 2005 p25) for hearing-impaired children, emphasizing its significance for effective learning. Through observation, adults can gain insight into how the children interact and collaborate to achieve goals, enabling them to incorporate this knowledge into future lessons to further enhance outcomes. Piaget's constructivism influence (ST3 p26) is evident in this passage as well. By creating a stimulating environment equipped with hands-on materials, the teacher has fostered the children's innate curiosity.

By incorporating Vgotsky's theory of socio-constructivism (ST3 p20), she encourages the children to interact with each other. Additionally, by structuring the lesson, she acknowledges Vgotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) of the children. The ZPD represents the gap between the child's actual development level (where they can solve a problem independently) and their potential development level (what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable individual).

The concept of achieving the potential development level is known as 'scaffolding' and was created by Barbara Rogoff. In the UK, curriculum guidance documents highlight the significance of building relationships with students and fostering their social and

emotional growth, as discussed in ST4. This is evident in the passage, as the TA maintains a positive rapport with the hearing impaired children and they frequently seek her reassurance regarding their safety.

According to ST5 (p25), positive teaching relationships between TAs and children should encompass empathy, acceptance, trust, approachability, and a willingness to exchange ideas and experiences. This seems to be evident in this particular excerpt. Additionally, the adults are also boosting the children's learning by offering praise and encouragement, which helps to enhance their self-esteem. Excerpt 5 Description This passage appears to take place in an Early Years setting where children engage in various activities such as playing with sand, water, and a playhouse.

The TA has the youngest children in the class. She is sitting with a group of children who are drawing with chalkboards. She then walks around the play area to check on the other children. They all appear to be playing nicely with each other. The TA mentions that the children like playing at the water or in the house and they talk a lot while playing together. After checking in the house, she goes to a boy named Josh, who she says is a loner and prefers doing things alone.

The TA and Josh engage in a learning activity at the water table. The TA counts in Welsh as they pass boats to Josh. Although Josh seems hesitant at first, he quickly catches on and repeats the numbers. This experience helps the children develop social and economic skills by teaching them the importance of teamwork and communication in achieving individual and group goals.

This passage seems to be demonstrating the children's

exposure to various concepts such as art, science, and imaginative play. Some children are engaged in drawing pictures, others are observing how sand or water moves, and some are involved in pretend play within the house. It is evident that the children are familiar with the classroom rules, as those playing with water are wearing aprons and those drawing are sitting calmly at the tables. These rules assist the children in understanding the specific regulations that exist within the school community. By allowing the children to work independently, the teaching assistant is supporting them in utilizing their own expertise and knowledge and exchanging it with one another.

By acknowledging the skills of the children, she is fostering their self-worth, an essential aspect of social development and learning. As mentioned in ST3 (p18), the play area is a crucial part of the classroom as it allows children to establish themselves as group members and explore various roles. The mentioned passage demonstrates the children's comfort with one another and offers the teaching staff an opportunity to observe them informally, as social coping directly influences their learning.

The TA demonstrates her understanding of Josh's preferences by approaching him at the water table and allowing him to play alone. This recognition of individual differences and response to children's learning is crucial for staff members. By respecting Josh's desire for solitude, the TA acknowledges his feelings and empowers him while boosting his confidence. Schools commonly highlight the significance of children's beliefs and emotions in their inclusion/exclusion policies.

This passage exemplifies Barbara Rogoff's Scaffolding Theory, which states that for successful learning to occur, the more knowledgeable other must:

• Work with the learner's existing
  

knowledge and build upon it

The TA clearly understands Josh's Actual Development Level and is scaffolding his learning process to help him reach his Potential Development Level, specifically achieving the ability to count to five in Welsh. The TA provides emotional support to Josh by allowing him to work individually and facilitates his learning by guiding him through his Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).
In conclusion, both excerpts illustrate how Piaget and Vygotsky's theories of constructivism and socio-constructivism are applicable in modern educational environments.

The text underscored the significance of teaching staff's awareness of children's individual needs, beliefs, and attitudes towards learning. It acknowledges the challenge of maintaining this awareness in a busy classroom and emphasizes the necessity for staff communication to keep the children's needs up to date. Excerpt 10 exemplifies how the teacher and TA collaborate to ensure inclusion of hearing impaired children. Additionally, the children in this class are proficient in sign language, which further facilitates inclusion.

At my infant school, there is a girl named Jane who is in Year 2. Jane has a physical disability, and it is important to respect her privacy and identity, as stated in the ethical guidelines of BERA, 2004. Since the Foundation Stage, Jane has been in the same class as her peers. Her classmates are considerate and make sure there is enough space

in the classroom or hall for her wheelchair or walker to pass through easily. Additionally, they take turns getting her cushion during assembly so she can sit comfortably. Despite being only 6 or 7 years old, these children do not treat Jane differently in social situations. However, they do understand that she has unique physical needs compared to them.

This example demonstrates how the children have learned about their class community of practice. Their class community of practice has different rules compared to their home life. Additionally, their class is unique as it is the only one with a wheelchair, so they have a distinct set of unwritten rules compared to the other Year 2 classes. Learning about their class community of practice has also enhanced their personal and social education (PSE) by developing their empathy for others, specifically Jane. This is similar to how the children in excerpt 10 have learned sign language and those in excerpt 5 have learned to allow Josh to play on his own.

Both excerpts emphasize the significance of embracing children's differences and nurturing their self-esteem, which is crucial for their personal, social, and emotional development. If I were Josh's TA, I would have relocated the water table to the main room to encourage potential interaction with other children. Reference List Shaw, L (2005) "Supporting Human Rights" in Hancock, R & Collins, J (eds), Primary Teaching Assistants: Learners and Learning, London. David Fulton Publishers Ltd. 1759 WORDS