PROcompetence

Pärnu 10.9.2013

Anna-Riitta Mäkitalo, senior lecturer and

Titta Hakala, student

Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences; Degree Programme of Social Services

Riitta Vähä-Savo, kindergartenteacher City of Helsinki; the Department of Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten Meripirtti

1) The field placement as a learning enviroment both from a student´s and children´s point of view

Cooperation with Kindergarten Meripirtti

The shared points of interests in:

2) The partnership in early childhood education as a method in client- centered work (parents as a client)

3) The elements, that the mentor should focus when supervising students to client-centered work

The shared points of interests (2)

The field placement as a learning enviroment both from a student´s and child´s perspective

Background:

• Child group: five boys aged 3 to 4 ; six group meetings• The aim of these activities was a one hour-long positive

reinforcement with the emphasis on play sessions• Throughout the process, the content and progress was

discussed with the parents • The child’s personal kindergarten teacher and the

educational community later utilized the observations of the children in parent discussions

Activities:

Participation: through interviewing children, we were looking for children's interests to use in the playing activities

Children's zones of proximal development were found in interaction with the children and observing them whilst working.

Games were played which corresponded to children's interests and contributed to the children's personal development

During and after the individual activities, Children gave feedback on the activities, which then affected the activity.

Learning Outcomes: Childrens’ Point of View

• The participation of children increased• The childrens’ self-esteem grew• Children begun taking initiatives more

frequently

Learning Outcomes: Students´Point of View

• The reciprocity of mentoring developd reflection skills• The participation in producing of mutual understanding

was strengthened

student

supervisor

child

• Students have learned to justify pedagogigally their activities

• Students cooperation skills are strengthened

Educational community PARENT

The point of view of the Work Placement Practice Mentor

Activities Supporting the Participation of Parents:• Educational partnership

– Dialogical approach– ”Personal nursing”– Mutual trust

• Mutual objectives– Curriculum Guide Lines in

Early Childhood Education– Individual ECEC plan

• Interaction happens in many ways and on a daily basis

• Parents´concrete participation in the everyday life of the kindergarten has increased (e.g. soft strats), parents bring their own knowledge for the use of childdren

Activities Supporting the Participation of Children• Consultation and

implementation of initiatives

• Creating a culture of open discussion

• Atmosphere• Adults attitudes• The opportunity help

children to attach to their own group

• Developing discussion skills

CLIENTSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Activities Supporting Student Counselling:• More intense, mutual

reflection• Providing feedback in

joint discussions• The unit´s work

placement guidance has became more uniform

• During the project cooperation with the educational institute bacame more closer

The second work placement period pilot

”Socio-pedagogical work with clients” ( 12 credits)

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

”Student knows how to support clients’ empowerment using a client oriented approach. They work …….”

• We improved the instructions for the second work placement period

• Intructions included a new client centered learning task• The old tasks:

• The aims of the field practice game from the curriculum and from student´s own aims

• The theoretical bases of the study units were connected to field placement

Development work

The new task

• The supervisor guides the student to find a client to work with during his work placement. The student gets to know the client (clients), their life conditions, needs and dreams.

• The aims of working are defined in phases:

The new task (2)

Phases:

1. A student visits the field practice place and meets its clients

2. Study assignment phase: A students focuses on one client ( individual/ family/ group), her/his life situation, wishes, dreams etc.

3. A student makes a plan for the field practice together with client and focusing activities that empower the client

The new task (3)

4. A field instructor approves the plan

5. The student realizes the planned activities together with a client

6. The client evaluates the activities from a personal point of view

The new task (4)

7. The student reflects what s/he has learned from the assignment process

8. The student reports the whole process

9. The student reflects on how s/he could profit from the theoretical basis given in the courses before the field practice

Students’ experiences

• We asked 40 students about their work placement experiences.

• The questions were:

Students’ experiences/ questions

• The name of your work placement, the clients´average age.

• Estimate your interaction and interaction processes with clients during your work placement

• Describe the signs of empowerment that you notice in your clients during your placement

• When thinking about your work placemant routines, how client-centered they were. How could you develop it?

Student Observations and Experiences on Client-Centered Work Placement Practices

Insights• Interaction can not be planned in advance.• Customer and employee roles are clearly

different in interactive situations• Interaction is associated with the customer's

need for assistance

Interaction

Interaction (2)

• The interaction's development takes time and is different with different clients

• The starting point is the customer's request and that one considers the client to be the expert of their own life

Interaction (3)

• A good knowledge of the customer’s culture facilitates the interaction

• Giving room to the other is also a part of interaction

• Bilateralism and an unhurried atmosphere help creating the desired interaction

• Encounters should be set frames.

Empowerment

Insights:

• Work is carried out according to the customer's terms and in relation to the customer to express their need for help

• In the beginning, it is difficult to understand the client's need for help

• The signs of empowerment vary from another in different places and at different customer groups

Empowerment (2)Signs of empowerment have included:

• Increased participation

• Discovery of our own life situation

• The interest in one's own affairs and taking care of them increases

• Improvement in hygiene and taking care of one’s own belongings

• The development of a sense of time,

• Understanding the value of money

• The participation in groups

Client-Centeredness

Insights on what client- centeredness really is:

Improving communication and the flow of information on important matters  

Experiences on Work Practice Placement

• Customer-oriented work placement orientation was inspiring and the students learned a lot

• The diversity of social work came up• Students realized the importance of discussions• The tasks were good, although the teachers still had different interpretations of the task

• Working communities received students very well received and supported them

Metropolia team

Kaija Matinheikki-Kokko, Merja Reijonen, Kirsi Lautala, Anna-Riitta Mäkitalo, Titta Hakala,Tiina Huotari,and Aleksandra Meyer

Partners in cooperation:

• Kindergarten Meripirtti: Riitta Vähä-Savo

• Vantaa Social Office: Viktoria Matikainen and Teija Hakulinen

Thank you

for your attention!

Procompetence.metropolia.fi