William Paterson University Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education Wayne, New Jersey STUDY

Transcription

1 COURSE OF William Paterson University Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education Wayne, New Jersey STUDY Theme Preparing Inquiring Educators: Knowledge, Understanding, Application 1 TITLE AND NUMBER OF CREDITS: ELEC 636/CIEC 636 Foundations in Early Childhood Education: Learning Environments and Authentic Assessment (3 graduate credits) 2 COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on preparing and maintaining the early childhood learning environment. Arranging space and materials, ensuring safety and health, and scheduling and organization of time within the context of developmentally appropriate curriculum are the components of the classroom climate. Students will explore ways in which to ensure that the environment reflects and supports the child s home environment, diversity, languages spoken, special needs, constructivism, cooperative learning, emergent literacy, play, and various learning styles. Students will examine strategies for enhancing social and emotional development in a psychologically supportive environment. Additionally, students will examine formal and informal tools for observing and assessing children s learning and development. 3. PREREQUISITES: None 4. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The graduate early childhood teacher will: 1 Demonstrate an understanding of how to plan and set up preschool and kindergarten learning environments and centers, and primary (grade one-three) classrooms that support developmentally appropriate practice, integrate content areas, and foster active learning. 2 Identify and describe how to plan and set up classrooms that reflect multicultural perspectives, anti-bias materials, non-native English language learners, special needs, and family involvement. 3 Demonstrate an understanding of scheduling in order to meet the diverse needs of children at various ages and stages of development, including children with special needs, and those from LEP and ESL backgrounds. 4 Design and use strategies to integrate curriculum, materials, and room arrangement to allow for independence; quiet and active spaces; technology; display of children s work; and a variety of individual, small group, and whole group, child centered activities in a print rich environment. 5 Identify, describe and exhibit an understanding of classroom strategies to support socialemotional development and to create a physically and psychologically safe and healthy classroom environment. 6 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of safety and health issues as they relate to the environment, schedule and good practices. 7 Utilize appropriate informal and formal practices for observation and authentic assessment. 5. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will: 1. Engage in reflective inquiry about developmentally appropriate practices and apply that knowledge and understanding by observing and assessing a classroom environment, and making recommendations for improvement. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of current professional standards and trends by examining classroom materials and equipment and developing a prop box for a part icular learning center or project. 3. Construct a child portfolio using observations, anecdotes, and work samples.

2 4. Complete a group research project exploring diversity with teaching implications including fostering social-emotional development. Student Learning Outcomes NAEYC Standard NJ Teaching Standards WPU Competencies 1. 1, 3, 4d, 5 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, , 2, 4b, 4c, 4d, 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 14, NJ DOE ECE Standards NJ DOE CCCS Environment 2.1; 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 4.5; 5.1; 8.1; All All 3. 1, 3 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 1, 5 Assessment Process 4. 1, 2, 4a, 4d, 5 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 8, 9, 12, 18, 19, COURSE CONTENT: A. The developmentally appropriate classroom - understanding children s stages of development and what classroom activities and practices are appropriate for different ages and individual needs including children with special needs and those from LEP and ESL backgrounds. Learning Theories: Montessori, Dewey, Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, Gardner, Maslow B. Organizing space and materials in developmentally appropriate classrooms (for three and four year olds, kindergartens, and grades one-three). 1 Floor plan permanent structures, furniture, play units, labeling, storage, shelves, etc. 2 Interest areas library, sand/water, dramatic play, blocks, art, writing, manipulatives, math, science, music, computers 3 Whole group, small group, and individual areas 4 Spaces for large constructions 5 Materials, books, and supplies 6 Outdoor spaces 7 Displaying children s work C. Selecting appropriate materials 1 Multicultural perspectives and anti-bias materials 2 Natural materials that engage our senses 3 Flexible and open-ended materials 4 Supporting curiosity and intellectual engagement 5 Supporting symbolic representation 6 Durability, variety, and change D. Integrating curriculum and room arrangement: Curriculum Models 1 Project approach 2 High/Scope 3 Reggio Emilia 4 Creative Curriculum 5 Direct Instruction: Curiosity Corner/Success For All 6 Developmental-Interaction: Bank Street Approach 7 Montessori method 8 Head Start E. Social-emotional development 1. Setting limits 2. Rules and consequences 3. Self confidence and self direction 4. Competence and self-esteem 5. Identifying and expressing feelings NA SE 1-7 WL 2 2.2; 6.1; 6.2; 9.2

3 6. Initiative vs. guilt 7. Community and positive interactions 8. Pro-social behaviors and group routines F. Daily schedule 1 Arrivals 2 Transitions 3 Snacks and eating 4 Rest time 5 Group meetings 6 Active/passive times 7 Story time 8 Balance of free choice activity time vs. teacher facilitated activities 9 Integrating literacy, math, social studies, and science into daily activities G. Integrating children with special needs, children at risk, and non-native English language learners 1 Who are the children with special needs? 2 Inclusion 3 P.L and and IDEA Adapting the environment 5 Individualized Education Plan 6 ESL and LEP students 7 Issues of children at-risk H. Working with families 1 Ongoing communications (newsletters, calendars, notes, etc.) 2 Back-to-school night 3 Family conferences 4 Cultural and language diversity 5 School/home activity packs 6 Book exchanges 7 Holiday celebrations 8 Informal communications (breakfasts, movie nights, dinner-discussions, etc.) 9 Family bulletin boards I. Safety and Health Issues 1 Safety concerns indoors and out 2 Establishing rules and routines 3 Nutrition 4 Child Abuse & Neglect 5 Sanitation & Health Practices 6 Safety & Health Education 7. TEACHING/LEARNING METHODS: 1 Lecture and discussion 2 Cooperative learning discussions 3 Individual and small group projects 4 Observations and evaluations of learning environments videotapes and multimedia presentations 8. EVALUATION METHODS: 1 SLO #1 Modified ECERS Classroom observation and evaluation and recommending changes for improvement. 2 SLO #2 In-class evaluations and discussions of classroom materials. Develop a prop box for use in an individual learning center or to support a project. 3 SLO #3 Child study report 4 SLO #4 Group research project linking diversity and social-emotional development 5 Attendance and participation in discussions and readings

4 9. RECOMMENDED TEXTS/READINGS: 1 Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2003). Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood environments. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 2 Mooney, C. G. (2000). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 3 Stone, J. (2001). Building classroom community: The early childhood teacher s role. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. 4 Hyson, M. (2004). Emotional development of young children. New York: Teachers College Press. 10. PREPARED BY: Dr. Holly Seplocha 11/ DEPARTMENT APPROVAL DATE: 11/30/ BIBLIOGRAPHY: AAP, APHA, & NRCHSCC (2002). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards: Guidelines for out-of-home child care programs (2 nd ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Aronson, S. S. (Ed.) (2002). Healthy young children: A manual for programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Beaty, J. (1998). Observing development of the young child. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Beginnings Workshop. (2001). Environments. Child Care Information Exchange, 142. Beginnings Workshop. (2002). Environments with families in mind. Child Care Information Exchange, 147. Berk, L.E. & Winsler, A. (1995). Scaffolding children s learning: Vygotsky and early childhood education. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Boutte, G.S., Van Scoy, I., & Hendley, S. (1996). Multicultural and nonsexist prop boxes. Young Children. 52 (1). pp Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (Eds.) (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs- Revised edition. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Bronson, M.B. (1995). The right stuff for children birth to 8: Selecting play materials to support development. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Cavallaro, C. C. & Haney, M. (1999). Preschool inclusion. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing. Carlsson-Paige, N., & Levin, D. E. (1998). Before push comes to shove: Building conflict resolution skills with children. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Chalufour, I. & Worth, K. (2004). Building structures with young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Cooney, M. (1997). Observing children s play. Child Care Information Exchange, 117. pp Copple, C. (Ed.). (2003). A world of difference: Readings on teaching young children in a diverse society. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

5 Cromwell, E. S. (2000). Nurturing readiness in early childhood education: A whole-child curriculum for ages 2-5. (2 nd Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2000). The art of awareness: How observation can transform your teaching. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2003). Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood environments. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Derman-Sparks, L. & the A.B.C. Task Force. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dodge, D. T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2000). Connecting content, teaching, and learning. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies. Dodge, D. T., & Colker, L. J. (2002). The creative curriculum for early childhood education. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc. Edwards, C. Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (1998). The hundred languages of children. (2 nd ed.) Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Elicker, J. & Mathur, S. (1997). What do they do all day? Comprehensive evaluation of a full-day kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12 (4), pp Exelby, B. & Isbell, R. (2001). Early learning environments that work. Bethesda, MD: Gryphon House. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. NY: Basic Books. Goffin, S.G. & Wilson, C.S. (2001). Curriculum models and early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice-Hall. Goldstein, L. S. (1997). Between a rock and a hard place in the primary grades: The challenge of providing developmentally appropriate early childhood education in an elementary school setting. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12 (1). pp Greenman, J. (1988). Caring spaces, learning places: Children s environments that work. Redmond, WA: Exchange Press. Hannigan, I. (1998). Off to School. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (1998). Early childhood environment rating scale (Revised Edition). NY: Teachers College Press. Helm, J., Beneke, S., & Steinheimer, K. (1998). Windows on learning: Documenting young children s work. NY: Teachers College Press. Helm, J. H. (ed.) (1998). The project approach catalog 2: By the project approach study group. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Catalog #219. Hendrick, J. (2003). Next steps toward teaching the Reggio way: Accepting the challenge to change. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Howe, N., Moller, L., Chambers, B., Petrakos, H. (1993). The ecology of dramatic play centers and children s social and cognitive play. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 8 (2)

6 Howell, J. & Corbey-Scullen, L. (1997). Out of the housekeeping corner and onto the stage: Extending dramatic play. Young Children, 52, (6), Ingraham, P. B. (1997). Creating and managing learning centers: A thematic approach. Peterborough, NH: Crystal Springs Books. Jablon, J., Dombro, A.L. & Dichtelmiller, M.L. (1999). The power of observation. Albany, NY: International Thompson Publishing. Jones, E. & Reynolds, G. (1992). The play s the thing: Teachers roles in children s play. NY: Teachers College Press. Katz, L. G. & Chard, S. C. (1997). Engaging children s minds: The project approach. Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Kontos, S. (1999). Preschool teachers talk, roles, and activity settings during free play. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 14 (3), Koralek, D. (2004). Spotlight on young children and play. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Kritchevsky, S. & Prescott, E. with Walling, L. (1977). Planning environments for young children: Physical space. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. McGinnis, J. (2002). Enriching the outdoor environment. Young Children, 57 (3), pp Meisels, S.J. (2000). On the side of the child-personal reflections on testing, teaching, and early childhood education. Young Children 55 (6), pp Miller, R. (1996). The developmentally appropriate inclusive classroom in early education. Albany, NY: Delmar. Mitchell, A. & David, J. (1992). Explorations with young children: A curriculum guide from the Bank Street College of Education. Mt. Rainier, MD: Gryphon House. Morrison, G.S. (2003). Fundamentals of early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice- Hall. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). Position Statement of the division for early childhood (DEC) of the council for exceptional children endorsed by the NAEYC. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Neugebauer, B. (1992). Alike and different: Exploring our humanity with young children. Washington, DC: The National Association for the Education of Young Children. Olds, A. R. (2001). Child care design guide. NY: McGraw-Hill. Petrakos, H. & Howe, N. (1996). The influence of the physical design of the dramatic play center on children s play. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11 (1) Ratcliff, N. (2001). Using the environment to prevent problems and support learning. Young Children, 56 (5) pp Rushton, S. (2001). Applying brain research to create developmentally appropriate learning environments. Young Children, 56 (5) pp

7 Sayre, N.E. & Gallagher, J.D. (2001). The young child and the environment: Issues related to health, nutrition, safety, and physical activity. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Seefeld, C. (2002). Creating rooms of wonder. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Stone, J. (1978). A guide to discipline, (Rev. ed). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Stone, S.J. (1998). Wanted: Advocates for play in the primary grades. Young Children. 50 (6), pp Tarr, P. (2004). Consider the walls. Young Children, 59 (3) pp Teaching Tolerance Project (1997). Starting small. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center. Topal, C. W. & Gandini, L. (1999). Beautiful stuff! Learning with found materials. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wolfgang, C. H. & Wolfgang, M. E. (1999). School for young children. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.