LeeHighSchool

Whatinnovativemethodsdoearlychildhoodteachersusetomeetthechangingneedsoftheir
students?

RoughDraft

JiselOchoaMendoza
LeeHighSchoolSeniorCapstone
BrianCahoon
March27,2016

Ochoa1

JiselOchoaMendoza
Mr.Cahoon
Capstone
Match27,2016
EarlyChildhoodEducation
HenryFordoncesaidAnyonewhostopslearningisold,whetherattwentyoreighty.
Anyonewhokeepslearningstaysyoung.Lifeisaboutteachingandlearninghopingtogoout
intotherealworldandapplyingeverythingweveseen,felt,andlearned.MichaelStutman
impliedthateducationandlearningarethemostimportantingredientstobecomingaperson
withapotentialgreaterthanlifeitself
.
Hebelievesthathowopenandwillingyouaretolearning
willhelpdetermineyourpathinlife.(Stutman),alsoknowsthateducationandlearningdoesnt
justhappeninschool.Yes,ofcoursewelearnmath,science,andEnglish,butreallearning
happensoutsidethefourwallsyouspendmostofyourlifein,waitingforthebelltoring,the
nexttest,andwhenlunchtimeis.Stutmanimpliedseveraltimesthatlearningwithapurposeis
thebestlessoninlifeyoucouldlearn.Learningisalifelongprocess,butlearningcanhelpyou
reachyourlifesfullpotentialandhelpyoubecomethebestpossibleversionofyourself.
Today
teachersuseacombinationoftechnology,creativity,andinnovationtomeetthechanging
needsoftheirstudents.
Usingtechnologyinthe21stcenturyhasbecomeamajorfactortohowearlychildhood
studentslearn.Ithasbecomelessofanoutlineandmoreofmeetingthestudentsneeds.The
teachingstrategiestheyusedtenyearsagoareconsideredancientnow.Thesechildrenhavea
powerfultoolandarelearninghowtouseitatayoungage,technology.AsBevinReinen(2016),

Ochoa2

impliedtodayschildrenwereborninadigitalageandaremoretechnologicallysavvythanthe
adults.Theylearnhowtouseanipad,iphone,orcomputerinamatterofseconds,whilesome
adultshavetoreadinstructionsandcarefullypinpointhowtousetheinstrument.Inordertouse
technologytoteachchildren,educatorshavetoknowhowtouseitbeforethem.Otherwiseits
uselesstoteachwithoutamotiveorendgoal.Technologyismorethanjustwatchingamovieon
anipad,whentechnologyisusedcorrectlyitsconsideredintegratingtechnology.BevinReinen
definesintegratingtechnologyas
tappingintostudentsinterestsandstrengtheningtheir
technicalskills,allwhileprovidingenrichinglearningopportunities.Todayslearningprocess
inearlychildhoodschoolsareverydifferent.Ratherthangivingastudentaworksheetandcrafts
tolearntheyletthestudentpickwhatintereststhemandgoonfromtheir.So,letssaythe
studentsayshewantstobeadoctorwhenhegrowsup,wellthisistheperfecttimetogoover
thesciencecurriculumandfindawaytoteachthemwhattheywant,butkeepinginmindwhat
theyhavetolearn.Thiswayitsmoreinterestingforthekidsandtheygettoresearchdoctors
onlineandsoon.Teachersareteachingstudentshowtousetechnologytherightwayandatthe
sametimelettingtheirstudentsimaginationrunfree.
Therearefivecharacteristicstocreativityasauthor
RebeccaCheung(2013),suggested
startingwith
novelty,product,problemsolving,cognitiveprocessesandpersonalattributes.Paul
Collard(2013),alsobelievesthatcreativityisapriorityforeducationandiscentraltothe
discourseon21stcenturylearning.Inorderforteacherstounveilastudent'screativesidethey
themselveshavetofindinspirationintheireverydaylife.Ifyoureateacheryoumusthavean
appreciationforyourcareerotherwisethestudentscreativityandlearningisthrownoutthe
windowinamatterofseconds.FirstgradeteacherDeedeeStasiak(2016),affirmedyouhave

Ochoa3

togiveyourselftimebecauseifyoutryandtakeontoomuchyoubegintoloseit.Manypeople
thinkthatbeinga1stgradeteacheriseasy,buttheconstantneedtofindinspirationneverends,
studentsgetboredandwanttomoveontothenextthingthenextday.Creativityinteachers
playsahugeroletomeetingthechangingneedsofstudents.
Innovationisdefinedas
anewmethod,idea,productandsoon.Noteveryschooldistrict
isfortunateenoughtohaveeveryresourcetheyneed,buttheyarefortunatetohaveteacherswho
haveinnovativeideas.Tobeateachermeanstobeinnovativeatalltimes.Firstgradeteacher
KelseySvrcina(2016),saidthatjustbecauseyoudonthavetheresourcesdoesntmeanyouget
tositandcomplainaboutit,youhavetousewhatyouhaveandfindawaytoteachthestudents.
Beinginnovativedoesntjustmeaninnovativeideasonhowtousetechnology,buthowtouse
paper,crafts,glue,glitter,markersandsoontofindfunandinterestingwaystoteachchildren.
Sometimestheinnovativeideasyouusearebetterthanwhatyoucouldhaveexpected.Keeping
inmindthatthechildrenarethepriority.
IgnacioEstradaoncestated,"Ifachildcantlearnthewayweteach,maybeweshould
teachthewaytheylearn."Teacherstodayuseacombinationoftechnology,creativity,and
innovationtomeetthechangingneedsoftheirstudents.

Ochoa4

WorksCited

Cheung,RebeccaHunPing,andMagdalenaMoChingMok."AStudyOfEarlyChildhood
TeachersConceptionsOfCreativityInHongKong."
EducationalPsychology
33.1
(2013):119133.
TeacherReferenceCenter
.Web.28Mar.2016.

Collard,Paul,andJanetLooney."NurturingCreativityInEducation."
EuropeanJournalOf
Education
49.3(2014):348364.
TeacherReferenceCenter
.Web.28Mar.2016.

Reinen,BevinK.
EarlyChildhoodTeacher
.N.p.,2015.Web.28Mar.2016.

Stasiak,Deedee.Personalinterview.Mar.2016.

Stutman,Michael.
InspireMyKids
.N.p.,20May2013.Web.28Mar.2016.

Svrcina,Kelsey.Personalinterview.23Mar.2016.