The Foundation Stage Forum Community
Welcome to the FSF – a community for early years professionals. Engage in conversations, offer and receive advice and support, make connections. Discover our library of education articles and podcast episodes to enhance your reflective practice. Working together to achieve high-quality early childhood education.
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Everything You Need To Know About Observation - and Why We Do It
by Michaela Machan
As a student getting to grips with the world of early years, the word ‘observation’ filled me with fear and trepidation. I knew it was important but what exactly, was it that I was being asked to do? I didn’t walk around with my eyes shut so why wer…
Podcast: The impact of animal assisted therapy for neurodivergent and disabled …
Jules and Anya talk to Lotte Skinner, chief operating officer of Corey’s Farm, a setting which offers animal assisted therapy to neurodivergent and disabled children. They discuss the incredible impact nature and animals (including Elliot the bearded…
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The importance of reflection in relation to professional development.
Hello, I'm currently working on the last unit of my Cache level Early years Educator course. For one of the questions, I have been asked to summarise theoretical perspectives on reflection in relation to professional development and discuss my research with others. I have undertaken research on David Kolb and his perspective on 'The Experiential Learning Cycle', as well as John Dewey's 'Reflection as Active Inquiry'. I would love to hear any feedback and other professional perspectives on theories in relation to professional development. Thank you! There are a variety of theoretical perspectives which discuss the significance of reflection within professional development. One key theory is arguably David Kolb and his perspective on 'The Experiential Learning Cycle'. This theoretical perspective is prevalent within reflection of practice. The principles of Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle include his outlining of the process of learning as ongoing, involving direct experiences in order to gain genuine understanding. This suggests that a person will never be classed as being fully developed, rather constantly gaining new knowledge which they can use and reflect on to further develop their practice and individual professional development. The Experiential Learning Cycle explains learning through reflection by creating a sequential process of 4 steps: 1 - Concrete Experience - the application of a learning experience or activity. 2 - Reflective observation - objectively reviewing the events of the experience or activity. 3 - Abstract Conceptualisation - concluding the learning gained from the experience or activity, linking it to frameworks. 4 - Active Experimentation - creating a plan and/or implementing the learning gained from the experience or activity. Kolb emphasises the significance of the sequential aspect of this 4 step process of reflection by declaring that the misuse or bypassing of any step within the process causes a breakdown in learning, resulting in ineffective reflection and undeveloped progress. Genuine professional development requires each step to be followed from start to finish. This theory is in alignment with Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which also proclaims that children's learning is an ongoing process in which direct experiences with environments and subjects facilitate genuine understanding. Another theoretical perspective which is prevalent within reflection in relation to professional development is John Dewey's 'Reflection as Active Inquiry'. This theoretical perspective describes the application of an experience or learning activity as a meaningless process when it is performed alone. Dewey suggests that it is the reflective account following this experience or learning activity as the most significant aspect and the component which we gain genuine learning from. This theory, often viewed as a highly effective tool based on extensive experience and research, suggests that reflection on experiences requires a set of 3 specific attitudes to obtain deepened learning: 1 - open mindedness - receptiveness to listen to others' viewpoints. 2 - responsibility - taking and understanding accountability for the outcomes of practice. 3 - wholeheartedness - genuine passion and commitment to learning and professional development. These conscious attitudes enable "reflective actions", a term used by Dewey to describe practice which is active, consistent and intentional based on this reflective practice. This is in direct contrast with "routine actions", a term used by Dewey to describe habitual and traditional practice. The Reflection as Active Inquiry emphasises the professional development gained from reflective actions and views routine actions as passive and unadaptable to modern changing circumstances. -
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New Feature: Tapestry Pay
Tapestry Pay is now available for all settings and schools using Tapestry’s Nursery Management System in the UK. Tapestry Pay allows parents and carers to pay invoices directly within Tapestry using: Credit or debit card Google Pay or Apple Pay Bank transfer Tax-Free Childcare Payments made through Tapestry Pay are automatically reconciled on the setting or school’s side, helping to reduce admin time. To learn more about Tapestry Pay and how to set it up, please visit the dedicated support page: Tapestry Pay Tapestry Pay (and the full Nursery Management System) is included as part of your subscription. However, please note that transaction fees apply to payments made using this feature, full details can be found here. -
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Tapestry App Update – Version 1.0.4
A new update to the Tapestry Education Platform app (v1.0.4) is now live across all operating systems. The latest Tapestry app update includes: Faster media upload speeds The underlying code infrastructure for the upcoming Tapestry Pay feature This update also includes a number of bug fixes and general improvements. If your app is not set to update automatically, please download the latest version from your device’s app store. Please note: On Amazon devices, the update may take up to 24 hours to appear.
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