Download - Media education in early childhood education
Media education in early
childhood education –experiences from national and municipality levels
Varpu Ojala, Early education specialist, The City of Espoo, Finland
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The early childhood media education
in Finland – Media Muffin project
• The Media Muffin project carried out by The Ministry of Education and Culture during 2006-2007
• Target group
– All children under 8 –years old
– The teachers and other adults working with children
– The parents of the children
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• The main goals of the Media Muffin project
– To start a vivid discussion about the influence of the media
– To activate a group of expects who support the practises, the theory and the research of media education.
– To make media education a stable part of small childrens education
– To educate the people working in early education
– To make new educative material
– To inform that the media is an excellent way to educate and upbring children.
The early childhood media education in
Finland – Media Muffin project
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The outcome of The Media
Muffin project
• Educative material to all units in Finland
• Education to the people working in early
education
• A guideline for early education media education
to all units in Finland
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About The City of Espoo early
education
– Early education staff ~ 3200 people, ~ 1/3 are
teachers, ~ 2/3 other staff
– Children attending early education ~ 11000
– day- care units ~ 180
– smaller units ~ 80
+ private early education
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Basic tasks for early education
in The City of Espoo
• Care
• Education
• Teaching
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Some ongoing specified tasks
in The City Espoo City
– Early education plan for the unit
– A plan for a child´s early education
– Individual care system
– Childs and families implication
– Parental engagement
– Environmental issues
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Basis for media education
• Growing, developing and growing through
– playing
– physical activities
– artistic experiences and self expression
– exproration
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• Orientations
– mathematical
– historical-societal
– aresthetic
– ethical
– religious-philosophical
Basis for mediaeducation /2
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The basis for media
education is great!
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Media educating in The City of
Espoo
Forms of education
– lecture
– workshops in distrcts
– workshops in units
– early education and parents learning together
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Challenges as starting the
media education
• ”I do not understand the media!”
• ”Everything changes so quicly!”
• ”Where do I get some information?”
• ”The parents!”
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Learning about the media
education
• ”This is so important!”
• ”We have already done this!”
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How to implement
and understand the
ece media education?
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Development of the critical
skills
1. Functional skills
2. Practical skills
3. Critical skills
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Ece media education
Skills to learn
1. Safety skills
2. Emotion related skills
3. Social skills
4. Receiving and producing skills
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The future of the early
education media
education?