School and Early years

A contribution from the Theory of Education

Before undertaking the adventure of teaching, every education professional must know and give meaning to the decisions that he will have make as an educator. In order to be able to propose educational interventions and guide each student in their maturation process as a citizen and as a person in the environment in which they live, the educator has to know what education is, what educational action exists for and why. This task begins in early childhood, in all the scenarios in which it interacts; school is one of the best spaces to promote learning.

Educators must encourage the development of all capacities, so children can gradually configure their identity. In order to achieve these goals, which are specific to the school and he shares with other social agents, the educator must achieve a solid theoretical and practical training that enables him to know how to intervene in each specific case, and to have those necessary keys (what, why and why) of each educational action.

This is the purpose of this book, written by 14 university professors that teach in the degrees of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education. All of them have a wide experience in researching on this stage, which supports the diversity of approaches and perspectives when addressing each chapter.

Marta Ruiz-Corbella, coordinator of the work, is a professor in the Department of Theory of Education and Social Pedagogy at the National University of Distance Education (UNED). She is a Researcher and author of many books on teacher education and other fields of education.

1. Education as a humanizing task. Four essential coordinates of human existence: corporality, openness, rationality and freedom. Educability and educable human dimensions

2. Educating, what is it? Educational relationship. Moral character of education

3. Children's rights. Evolution and meaning. International Convention on the Rights of the Child. The value of care and autonomy. Right to education and Education for human rights. Children's rights in cyberspace

4. Discovering the whats and hows in early childhood education. Childhood is a particular time that lacks the tyranny of utility

5. Where we learn: different learning scenarios. Educational process from the learning environment. Formal, non-formal, informal and self-training scenarios. Complementarity, something necessary

6. Family: key agent in childhood. Family and transmission of values in today's society. Family-school relationship. Interaction with other agents: the socio-community sphere

7. Early Childhood Education Teacher. Consubstantial traits. Incorporating meaning and perspective in pedagogy. Commitment to the pedagogical task. Construction of professional identity

8. Identity and consolidation of Early Childhood Education. Sense, evolution and institutionalization of Early Childhood Education. Alternative and innovative pedagogical scenarios in Early Childhood Education. Challenges in the 21st century

9. Education for democratic citizenship in early childhood. Sustainable Development Goals and education for global citizenship. Training for democratic life through competencies

10. Trends in educational policy regarding early childhood education. Concept and structure of early childhood education. Quality, inclusion and good practices in children's education. Educational and socio-educational policies in Spain.

11. Educational challenges for the 21st century school. Training for the society we want. Educational projects focused on learning skills for the 21st century. Innovative educational centers. 2030 Agenda and goals for change in education.