MR 505 Essay: Early Childhood Education Learning Communities Analysis

This essay delves into the significance of early childhood education (ECE), exploring its role in shaping children's development from birth to age eight. The essay focuses on analyzing early childhood learning communities through the lens of situated learning. It examines the values, beliefs, and cultural contexts that uniquely shape these communities, and explores the opportunities for shared responsibility and agency at philosophical and practical levels. The discussion incorporates two critical theories: Lev Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory and Jean Piaget’s theory of constructivism, providing a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape. Furthermore, the essay compares and contrasts situated and networked learning approaches, highlighting their respective benefits, limitations, and the resulting learning communities. The role of the professional educator within these communities is also analyzed. The essay also explores various strategies associated with investing money on the system of early childhood education like applying a research-based curriculum along with practicing with appropriate instructions and educator’s quality like paying higher wages and coordinating systems, along with the collaboration of different cultures. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of ensuring students adapt to the learning system and the need for educators to collaborate to attain the overall aim of the learning process.

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction
The topic is going to be discussed on the significance of early childhood education.
Early childhood education is referred to like the program, which includes different policies
and strategies to gear up the children. The age group is starting from birth until the age of
eight showcases the period, which is recognized as the most accessible as well as the critical
stage of an individual’s life. Early childhood education is frequently focused on guiding the
children to master through playful activities(Alcock, 2010). Early childhood education is
highly beneficial for the little children that will enter the pre-school, pre-kindergarten, and
nursery school, and it is associated with one purpose that is to prepare the young children
from the transition period till elementary school. Early childhood education is also referred to
as nursery level education, and it deals with a set of systems based on the theories of
education that can be related to the learning process of the children(Keat, Strickland
&Marinak, 2009). Stereotypically, the process of teaching and learning is equivalent to the
studies of third grade. The analysis will be proposed on two early childhood learning
communities from the perspective of situated learning, and different features will be
discussed based on values, beliefs and cultural contexts. The implementation of practical
work will be explored along with the philosophical approach. The essay will practice on the
impacts and consequences of early childhood education. It is going to be determined on the
various aspects that will justify the main principles such as learning opportunities, child
development, partnerships between parent and educator, innovation associated with the
leaders and a child comes first while discussing early childhood education. Several impacts
and consequences are going to be provided in order to support the facts and information
based on different researches.

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Discussion
Early childhood education is associated with a branch of the theory of education, and
it is related to the process of teaching the children since their birth. It has emerged as the field
of enlightenment among most of the European countries and gaining high rates of literacy. It
stood out to be the process of learning and teaching, which lasted for an extended period,
especially in the nineteenth century(Alcock, 2010). It was recognized as the primary
education, which became a norm in the western world. In the present generation, early
childhood education has been highlighted in several sectors, and it has been a considerable
success for implementing certain principles in order to acquire a child’s development. This
program has been introduced as a professional base to develop the personality of a child
(Barron, 2009). Two critical theories have been designed to maintain the policies, and they
are the theory of socio-cultural learning by Lev Vygotsky and the theory of Constructivism
by Jean Piaget. These theories are essential to understand the education system as well as to
gain the necessary knowledge so that the readers can stimulate their ideas and thoughts
appropriately (Blake, 2015). Both theories are equally significant in order to understand the
further system of early childhood education.
Lev Vygotsky’s theory of socio-cultural learning is associated with the impact of
cultural along with social experiences based on an individual’s thought process and the
establishment of mental processes. It serves as a means of improvement and implementing
such educational practices. The theory was introduced to provide prior knowledge to the
children so that they can progress their skills and ideas accordingly(McLeod, 2014). The
theory is focused on attaining new knowledge as well as various skills that cannot be learned
fully, but the development tends to begin at this period. Once the skills are developing
appropriately along with knowledge, reliable support and the individuals need to be taught
about further information (Blake, 2015). Significant growth has been recognized in the

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process of development. The skills need to build up, and the teachers and parents should
guide it in order to achieve proximal development. The effect of teaching can alter the mind
and the process of establishment among the children at any point in time(Scott &Palincsar,
2013). Vygotsky has supported an argument that understanding begins from the sources of
social aspects as well as social experiences that help to shape one’s personality and the way
they think.
Jean Piaget’s theory of constructivism has described cognitive development based on
psychology. He has set the framework of development which is simultaneously connected
with the constructivist theory of learning. He believed that gaining knowledge and learning
comes from inside of an individual and it helps to design and stimulate one’s ideas and
thoughts through their personal experiences(Carey, Zaitchik&Bascandziev, 2015). The
experiences have thrown a significant reflection on that individual and it helps to support
their logic about a particular subject. The framework of Piaget’s theory has examined that
teachers should guide the children in attaining the absolute knowledge instead of just shifting
the knowledge into someone else’s mind (Barrouillet, 2015). According to this theory, young
children always acquire new knowledge and they try to facilitate and count in the new
information in their current knowledge and understanding of their world. Therefore,
absorbing the new information and fitting the information into their pre-existing set of mind
is equally essential. Young children adopt these theories, and it helps to represent the mental
awareness that is attached to reality. The theory can be implied via technological
advancements like computers, which can be a useful educational tool to guide an individual
accurately. The approach has emphasized such an experiential education system because such
experiences are concrete and could be explored through effort and mistakes.
An approach of situated learning is referred to as the thought as well as the action that
can be utilized at the correct time as well as place. It has been focused on real activities and

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based on the matter of discovering the actual meaning through specific activities. The process
of learning takes place via relationships between the individuals and combining the prior
knowledge to the legal, informal and unexpected contextual process of learning. On the other
hand, the networked learning approach is the theory that supports the process of learning
along with the connections among the individuals by providing information, communication,
and support. Thus, by providing support to one another through various activities related to
learning. The process of learning takes place in the relationship with one another and the
relationship with the essential resources. The networked learning approach is the process of
development along with maintaining the individual connections between the people, along
with essential information. It may include several standards of leadership which can be both
formal as well as informal. The networks require some active system of leadership so that it
can enable to direct the progress in work. It can usually coexist along with the administrator’s
formal leadership in different schools. Nevertheless, the literature behind the role of
leadership continues to structure the essential part of principles in beneficial transition as well
as improvement in instructional fields (Heller and Firestone, 1995).
The situated learning theory has been dealing with several individuals so that they can
acquire essential skills which are related to professional approaches, various researches on
the subject such as an apprenticeship. It has been connected with the necessary perspective
that is linked with different views and is focused on the relationship between the process of
learning and the situations related to social activities. It leads on with the perspective that
particular alternative views can be viewed in this process of learning. It deals with various
advantages such as developing skills through alternative ways. It allows the students to adapt
specific experiences in various ways, and it will help to generate productive ideas after their
graduation. The only limitation is that the process of implementing situated learning is
focused on the traditional school system.

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On the other hand, networked learning always offers several educational institutions,
along with productive, functional areas. It is related to those critical connections, and it deals
with the idea of adopting different resources. The benefits are focused on development and
are quite informal. Thus, the process omits a kind of awareness to the people who are linked
with the networked learning process. The limitations deal with the constraints that the people,
along with their separate time and place.
Both the situated learning and networked learning can be applied in order to gain
significant improvements as well as developments in different schools. Situated learning can
own various benefits by implementing like distributing the learners in several realistic
situations or settings where knowing ways of socially interacting is valued. A significant
increase is often recognized towards the likelihood and putting into operation within the
common contexts. Another way of utilizing this approach is that the learners have to apply
his or her prior knowledge on a particular subject. Therefore, the concept has been utilized so
omnipresent, which is a matter of crisis of ruining its actual meaning (Brennan, 2007). The
skilled of the system of learning institutions framework has stretched a crucial turning point,
one acclaimed to the individuals who have observed the destiny of goals-oriented school
amend a couple of efforts.
On the other hand, the desired outcome of the networked learning approach is related
to the promotion where an appropriate practice is required and the learners need to utilize the
learning so that they can understand the concepts adequately. In another way, they can assure
benefits by enhancing the professional establishment of the teachers as well as supporting the
building capacity in schools. It can help to meditate between decentralized as well as
centralized structures. It can also aid in the process of re-culturing and re-structuring the
educational facilities.

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The standard cycle brings an initial excitement that delivers away to the principle
concepts, as well as the actions, is pursued by next application issues. The outcome that the
rectifying state has been declined to carry about the favorable effects, forsaking of the
amends, as well as the inauguration of the latest seeking details or the upcoming favorable
dynamism. There is another amend act has arrived and no longer existed. The emphasized
and the traditional wisdom of education has promised it will surely pass away (Wright,
Diener& Kemp, 2013). There are different kinds of strategies that can be associated by
investing money on the system of early childhood education like applying a research-based
curriculum along with practicing with appropriate instructions and educator’s quality like
paying higher wages and coordinating systems (Hodges, 1998).
Assuring the students to learn appropriately:
The skilled and trained system of learning institution framework has drawn from the
assurance that the central responsibility of academic education. It is not just there to assure
that the individuals are taught but to ensure that they can adapt to the learning system. This
bright and understandable shift has been noted, which shows the focus on the teaching aspect
to a focus on the learning aspect and has an intellectual association with the schools. The
mission of the school has promised that to leave for all the other aspects have turned out to be
a cliché. Meanwhile, when the staff members of a school accept the statements accordingly.
When the view of the teachers as a promise to assure the benefits of every student rather than
as governmentally an appropriate hyperbole—philosophical transition begins to occur
appropriately.
The collaboration of different Cultures:
The educators have been establishing a skilled and trained system of learning
institution identifies that they should collaborate to attain their overall aim of the process of
learning. Nevertheless, they introduce several arrangements to benefit a supportive culture

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(Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014). Despite acquiring the shreds of evidence demonstrating that
working cooperative produces the best exercise, in most of the schools, teachers persist in
working in confinement (Wenger, 2010).
Cooperating for the improvement of School
In different schools, a school of K-5 handling four hundred students in the rural areas
like Franklin County in Virginia, the compelling cooperation of standard-level groups drives
the school’s development process (Carr & Lee, 2012). The above scenario establishes what
the members of staff in different schools refer to like their system of learning-teaching
processes. The teachers should research on state and governmental grade level, the activities
of district levels will guide along with the information of achievements of a student to
recognize the significant knowledge. The skills are necessarily required in order to instruct all
the students so that they could teach the next language to them (Gee, 2008).

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Conclusion
Therefore, the education theory of early childhood education is equally important in
life and the process of teaching serves as an essential part of a child’s mind. It is focused on
the advantages such as it helps in developing one character and it tends to support the
knowledge at the beginning since their birth. It will help to stimulate their basic ideas and
thoughts and it is an important period of the development of a child. The theory will help the
children to encourage them and to structure their personality appropriately. A professional
educator has a huge responsibility to maintain discipline and to generate creative ideas and
thoughts among the children. They will ensure to take care of the children and to develop a
professional learning process in the communities. They have to lead the path for the children
so that they inspire them and stimulate interests about different subjects. The reform of
school will provide immense efforts so that the children can understand the rules, adopt the
knowledge, deliver several ideas and invest them in the upcoming future. The educators have
to reflect certain aspects quite critically and the professional principles have to keep in mind
while dealing with severe problems. They have to provide the assurance to help the young
children in the process of learning and should respond to the difficult factors so that they can
guide them on the right track. The cultural background affects a lot in order to stand beside a
child and improvement is the central aspect that they have to execute through their teaching
process. The families along with the children have to collaborate with the school services and
the levels of grade ensure the process of improvement and development. They should always
benefit them by removing the barriers between a child and his or her individual success. The
faculties need to be cooperative and collaborate without providing any excuses.

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