Department of Early Childhood, Elementary and Special Education College of Education Morehead State University, Morehead, KY40351-1689 Spring 2010 EDEC637-301: Early Childhood Education Jan 11- May 7 (17 Weeks) INSTRUCTOR(s) INFORMATION Mee-Ryoung Shon, Ph. D. Office Location: 401D Ginger Hall E-mail: m.shon@morehead-st.edu Work phone: 606-783-2856 FAX: 606-783-9102 Office hours: Monday & Wednesday 10:10am- 1:10 pm or by appointment CATALOG DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to increase the understanding of philosophical/social/psychological impact on early childhood education, to become familiar with research findings and current early childhood issues, to become aware of the uniqueness of individual child, including children with special needs and from diverse cultures. Early childhood curriculum will be viewed as emergent, requiring constant examination and negotiation among children, family, teacher, and the community. PREREQUISITES: University admission to graduate study FIELD EXPERIENCES (8 clock hours): Field experiences are embedded into the course modules both as course contents, discussions, and assignments. Field experiences are implemented individually under the direction of the instructor as the class progresses. Graduate students are required to make arrangements to participate at designated field sites at designated times according to class modules. Observation: Participate in and verify a minimum of 8 clock hours of observation at the early childhood level (0-5). Public school setting is recommended (Head Start or public preschools or kindergarten). Other places need to be consulted with the instructor prior to the observations. The observation hours are embedded in the assignment module, so you do not need to worry about the sites until the assignment(s) are posted. Graduate students are expected to share and critique the topics directed by each module and input their critical ideas on the Discussion Board, Virtual classroom, and Group Discussion Board in order to brainstorm current practice in the field.
Community Engagement: A Light to and from the Mountains The Professional Education Unit at Morehead State University delivers rigorous, high quality programs that prepare professionals informed by best national and international scholarship, plus research, literature, and experiences specific to Appalachia- preparing professionals to improve the schools, quality of life, and the communities in which they live and serve. This statement is not only the strategic mission for the College, but it also incorporates the conceptual framework that guides all our activities. Conceptual Framework Outcomes (CFOs) The Unit and the faculty within individual programs assess the degree to which its graduates: 1) Master the content knowledge, professional and the twenty first century skills need to make an optimal contribution to whole student learning in education settings. 2) Are competent in the collection and use of data to inform decision making and to demonstrate accountability for student learning. 3) Demonstrate professional dispositions 4) Are culturally competent and understand the regions from which they have come utilizing knowledge and experiences to effectively bridge the gaps (economic, achievement, and geographic) ensuring optimal learning for all students. 5) Engage in authentic field experiences in collaboration with committed school based partners and are empowered to improve the quality of education throughout this region and beyond. Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): By the end of this course, the candidate will be able to: 1. Develop professionalism as an early childhood educator by keeping with current research findings, participating in early childhood professional organizations, and implementing the voices of children with different cultural, socio-economic, linguistic, and physical needs. 2. Build own philosophy, attitudes, and critical perspectives both in early childhood field and in research field 3. Develop in-depth understanding on evaluating early childhood settings, teaching materials, class lessons in a region. 4. Develop knowledge of early childhood programs influenced by historical, philosophical, social and psychological waves. 5. Develop values of a multicultural society through the study of literature, research papers, and interview NCATE/ EPSB Accreditation Alignment of CFOs and SLOs: Program: P-5 EDEC 637 Early Childhood Education Aligned with Assessment (point values) [Play newsletter, 10pt.] CFO: 4 SLO: 3 Kentucky Teacher Standards (IECE KYS) Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) 6, 8, 9 Closing the achievement gap NAEYC Standards 2 1 NCATE Theorist & Programs in ECE, 20pt.] 1, 2, 3, 4 2 1, 4d 1 CFO: 1, 2 SLO: 2, 4
[Journal Article readings & reflections, 20pt ] CFO: 1 SLO: 1, 3 2, 4, 5, 7 Diversity, assessment, literacy/reading 1, 3, 4c 1,4 [Classroom environment, 20pt] CFO: 2 SLO: 1 [Developmentally Appropriate activities & Diversity,20 pt.] CFO: 1, 3, 4 SLO: 2 [Authentic assessment,20pt.] CFO: SLO: 1, 3 [Guidance, 20pt.] CFO: 3, 5 SLO: [Teaching profession,5pt] CFO: 3 SLO: 1 [Discussion boards, 25pt.] 1, 2, 3 5 Literacy/reading 4b 1 1, 7 3 Diversity 4b 1 4, 5 3 2 6, 8 5 4b 1 5 1 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 2 Diversity 2, 4c, 4d, 1,3,4 CFO: 2, 3, 4 SLO: 3, 5 Assignment Descriptions: Program: P-5 [ EDEC 637 ] [ Early Childhood Education ] Assessment (point value) Description [Play newsletter, 10pt.] Do all teachers and parents value play in the early childhood classroom? How can you convince the "unbelievers" about its importance? Write a short Parent Letter (2 page is ideal, if you include clip arts) about the importance of childhood play. Make sure to reflect chapter readings along with additional 2 professional articles on the topic. Include some simple play activities that parents could do at home with their children. [Theorist & Programs in ECE, 20pt.] Q1. Compare and contrast Montessori, Behaviorist, and Constructivist Programs. State the goals, teaching/learning
methods, teacher s role, available materials and its usage in the classroom, and children s participation. (Approximately 6-7 pages excluding cover and reference page). Q2. Define Emergent Curriculum, and explain why Vygotsky would endorse this approach. State possibilities to be implemented in Kentucky curriculum with weakness and strength. (2-3page is enough) [Journal Article readings & reflections, 20pt.] [Classroom environment, 20pt.] Q1. Please read the following 10 articles on Annual Editions Early Childhood Education 09/10 and write summaries and reflections on each article (#1, 6, 10, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 40) Q2. Do the benefits of Early Head Start and other similar programs outweigh the costs of providing them? Why or why not? Should these programs be expanded and made available to more lowincome children and their families? What about middle- and upper class children? Read Annual Editions articles #5 No Child Left Behind (p21-24) and #12 Whose problem is poverty? and reflect these readings to your argument! (1page for Q2 is sufficient) Read Brewer textbook, chapter 3 and Annual edition articles #3, 4, & 37. Q1. This is a group assignment. The group members need to work together on the questions below through emails, group discussion board, or chat- virtual classroom meeting. The group leader needs to submit the finalized paper to the instructor by the designated due date. (This does not mean that the group leader writes the paper by herself/himself. Please put your efforts together at this assignment as you did for M3. The role of group leader is the submission of the paper by the designated date. Each group member MUST engage in this group assignment. Please send me email with any problems and concerns you would have at your group. The paper should include, Cover page: names of your group members who deserve the group points. Explain to what room arrangement refers, and what benefits children would have. Describe centers with specific learning materials for the age group your group have selected. Draw and label a simple design of an educational setting with centers for a particular age group (Please draw your map on the computer with big squares and circles. Indicate the entrance of your class). Explain the importance of centers for the age group you have selected. References to be used for this paper. Q2. Describe 2 (two) developmentally appropriate outdoor
[Developmentally Appropriate activities & Diversity,20 pt.] activities for one of the following age groups: infants/toddlers; preschoolers and kindergarteners; and school-age children. Explain why these activities are developmentally and age appropriate with explanation of its educational outcomes. Q1. Spend some time in an early childhood classroom, observing children to determine their interests and developmental abilities. Evaluate the environment and curriculum by using developmentally appropriate practice principles you read from chapter 1 and chapter 4, and critique how it has been done during your observation. (its appropriateness or inappropriateness)--- Please state what centers are available (room arrangement), what activities children are engaged in during your visit, what materials are available in each center, and what the class schedule looks like (integrated curriculum, teacher direct vs. child- centered, etc). At the end, please state your conclusion on your observation- if it is developmentally appropriate or not, with the evidence of your chapter reading and its reflection. GA Q1. Create a newsletter for parents describing the characteristics and importance of developmentally appropriate practice (1 page single spaced, with pictures or cartoons if you prefer. GA Q2. Some of your kindergarten children were playing in the carpet. One of the boys was telling to the next child, OO is stinky because he has dark skin. He does not take a bath everyday. As a teacher you do not want this specific child to get embarrassed; rather, you want to take this as an opportunity to utilize multicultural education in your class. Create two activities for promoting equity and celebrating diversity in your class instruction. Real-life, hands-on, active experiences are always the best. [ Authentic assessment,20pt.] Q1. Do you feel that you can assess children s learning in more appropriate ways than the use of standardized achievement tests? How? (I do encourage each of you to realize the difference between testing and assessment prior to your participation on Discussion Board) Q2. What would be the challenges a teacher might have using nontraditional, authentic, or performance procedures assessment? [Guidance, 20pt.] The text mentions increasingly abundant research indication that corporal punishment does not improve children s self-control in unsupervised settings, but does increase aggression toward peers and the belief that power, rather than justice, determines behavior. However, many cultures and religious advocate corporal punishment as a necessary part of child rearing. Place your
thoughts on the delicate balance teachers must maintain between acting upon their own views and not impinging upon the cultures of students families. Generate ideas for dealing with parents who advocate and/or use corporal punishment. [Teaching profession,5pt.] [Discussion boards, 25pt.] What do you see as your greatest strength as a person? How could you use this strength in your teaching of young children? Identify your area of greatest weakness and write about how that might influence your work with children. M2: Is it possible to allow children to have much freedom in their learning? Why or why not? M5: After you finish reading, go to a local preschool, elementary, or community playground and examine the playground for safety concerns. Look critically for safety problems such as hard surfacing under and around equipment, placement of equipment, and developmental appropriateness. Describe any problems found to your group through Group Discussion Board. In addition, talk about the importance of having some level of danger/risk on the playground and share it with others via Group Discussion Board. M6: Which societal factors do you see as most significant in the development of children's attitudes toward diversity? How can you work to overcome the negative impact some factors have? [Content exams, 40pt] M8: Difference between authoritative and authoritarian teaching approaches, and their likely effects on self-control and self-esteem. Multiple choice, short answer, and T/F questions. Grading Scale (Evaluation Plan of Assignments) Scoring criteria for lesson plans Group discussion session Group & Individual Written Assignment! Group lesson plans submitted by the team! KTIP format followed! Appropriate social contexts selected: individual, paired with peer, small group, large group, learning centers! AE, activity, assessment aligned! Scoring guide aligned with AE and activity included and accurate! Design is clearly and comprehensively described! Active learning ingredients evident! Formative /Summative assessment utilized! Relatively free of surface feature errors Scoring criteria for participation sessions:! Frequency of participation required! Appropriate and active materials provided! Students given opportunity to manipulate materials! Reflection of critical thinking! Helpful feedback given to classmates! Reflection of reading from chapter or articles used Scoring criteria for written assignment:! Exceed minimal expectations by showing depth of problem solving or creative solutions to the assignment.! Reflection of critical thinking on the topic! Reflection of reading from chapter or articles used! Relatively free of surface feature errors
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES: Record of attendances in Discussion board participation, Virtual classroom participations, submission of the assignments for each module are the main assessment criteria along with online examination- Black Board content exam, essay critique exams, and group and individual virtual classroom participation conferences. ATTENDANCE POLICY: Since the prompt and regular class attendance is essential to the learning experience and to our job, it is the responsibility of all students to be on Discussion board and Virtual classroom meetings regularly. If you miss your whole or small group meetings for your designated assignments, I would not give you a credit. In emergency, please contact me by email before the due date of your assignment. Please be on Bb and check announcement on daily basis during this semester. If a student fails to submit an assignment within a week grace period with 20% point deduction, you will receive 0 point for that assignment! (Failure of submitting assignment on time means 20% deduction of the points, and failure of submitting assignment within a week grace period means no A for your final letter grade.) Students missing more than three week class sessions by missing Discussion Board meetings or failure of submitting assignments are advised to drop the course. Students absent from discussions or submission of the assignments for legitimate reasons must consult with the instructor concerning the absence, beforehand by email for the records. Legitimate absences do not excuse the student from class work responsibilities. Legitimate absences include illnesses, accidents, personal emergencies, and death in the immediate family, special academic programs or authorized university functions for which the student's presence/participation is required. LATE WORK POLICY: For full credit, assignments must be submitted at class time, unless otherwise approved by the instructor. Work submitted late will automatically receive a 20% reduction. A grace period of one week is permitted for late work to be submitted and still receive up to 80% credit. If one technology function fails, students are responsible to use alternate means to submit assignments, and to check the completion of the transmission with their instructor: FAX, e-mail sites, Blackboard Drop Box. Required Textbooks: 1. Brewer, J. A. (7 th. Ed.). (2009). Introduction to early childhood education: Preschool through primary grades. Allyn and Bacon. 2. Paciorek, K.M., & Munro, J.H. Early childhood education annual editions 09/10 (30th edition). McGraw-Hill Co. Course Evaluation: ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES: Record of attendance and participation, scoring guides, self-assessment, qualitative feedback, checklists, open-response examinations, quantitatively scored in-class and take-home examinations and skill demonstrations by discussions/ conferences. 90%-100% = A* *All assignments must be submitted to receive final grade. 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 0-59 = E
Module Assignment Discussion Board Total Points M1 M1D (Whole Class) 3 3 (Week 1: Jan. 11-15) M2 Newsletter 10 M2D (Whole Class) 7 22 (Week 2-3: Jan. 18-29) Test 5 M3GA 20 20 (Week 4& 5: Feb. 1-12) M4 (Week 6 & 7: Feb. 15-26) M4A Test on M3 & M4 20 10 30 M5 (Week 8 & 9: Mar. 1-12) M5GA (Group Project- Q1 &2) MSU Spring Break (March 16-20) M6 M6A 10 (Week 11 & 12: (Individual project) Mar. 22- Ap. 2) M6GA (Group Project) 10 M7 (Week 13 & 14: April 5-16) M8 (Week 15 &16: April 19-30) M7GA (Group Project) 10 20 M5D Discussion 5 25 M6D (Whole class) M7A (Individual newsletter) 10 Test 5 M8A (Individual) 20 Small Group Discussion 5 25 25 5 25 M9 M9 (Individual) 5 5 (Week 17: May 3-7) Final Content Exam 20 Total 200 Academic Honesty Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism or helping others to commit these acts will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will result in severe disciplinary action including, but not limited to, failure of the student assessment item or course, and/ or dismissal from MSU. If you are not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, read the Eagle: Student Handbook or ask your instructor. An example of plagiarism is copying information from the internet when appropriate credit is not given. The policy is located at http://www.moreheadstate.edu/advising/index.aspx?id=8311 (also, described at Eagle Handbook pp 39-40, 2009-2010 http://www.moreheadstate.edu/files/units/dsl/eaglehandbook/2009-10%20handbook%2080309.pdf?n=7091 ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) In compliance with the ADA, all students with a documented disability are entitled to reasonable accommodations and services to support their academic success and safety. Though a request for services may be made at any time, services are best applied when they are requested at or before the start of the semester. To receive accommodations and services the student should immediately contact the Disability
Services Coordinator in the Office of Academic and Career Services, 223 Allie Young Hall, 606-783-5188, www.moreheadstate.edu/acs/ Campus Safety Statement Emergency response information will be discussed in class. Students should familiarize themselves with the nearest exit routes in the event evacuation becomes necessary. You should notify your instructor at the beginning of the semester if you have special needs or will require assistance during an emergency evacuation. Students should familiarize themselves with emergency response protocols at www.moreheadstate.edu/emergency. Course Calendar: Module #1 (W 1: Jan. 11-15) Module #2 (W 2-3: Jan. 19-29) M1: Moving toward new century learning! Please keep in mind: A content knowledge exam will be posed for three days at the end of the semester. Please keep in mind. M2: Play and Children 1. What is learning and how do young children learn? 2. Why do children play? And why is play important? 3. How does play develop? 4. How do teachers use play as a teaching strategy? Chapter 5 pp136-169 M3: Theorists in Early Childhood Education Module #3 (W 4& 5: Feb. 1-12) 1. How can young children be taught? 2. What theoretical basis do you use (or do you want to use) in your teaching; in other words, what is the foundation of your teaching? Chapters 1 &2 pp1-71 M4-1: Learning Environment (Indoor) Module # 4 (W 6 & 7: Feb. 15-26 1. What are the features of environments? 2. How does the environment affect children s learning? 3. What are the teacher s roles in creating optimal learning environments? Chapter 3 pp72-107 M4-2: Learning Environment (Outdoor) Outdoor play: designing, building, and remodeling playgrounds for young children by Francis Wardle Chapter 3 pp72-107 M5: Curricula Models Module # 5 (W 8 & 9: March 1-12) 1. What is learning, and how does teacher know if the learning actually occurred? 2. How do teachers select learning activities? 3. What does a lesson plan look like? 4. What considerations should be made in planning? Chapter 2 pp34-71
March 15-19 Module #6 (W 11 & 12: Mar. 22- April 2) MSU Spring Break M6-1: Developmentally Appropriate Practices 1. What exactly is DAP? Why do people in school talk about it? 2. What are the implications, and how does it related to my instruction? 3. What would be the current challenges in application of DAP in the classroom? Bredekamp & Copple (1998). Developmentally Appropriate Practice -revised. NAEYC. Chapter 4 pp108-135 M6-2: Developmentally Appropriate Practices- Diversity in Early Childhood 1. What is diversity? What makes democratic school? 2. What are your feelings about different cultures? M7: Activity Planning and Assessment Module #7 (W13 & 14: April 5-16) 1. What is assessment, and how does it differ from test? 2. How does a teacher evaluate a program? 3. What would be the appropriate assessments of young children s learning? Module #8 (W15 & 16:April 19-30) Module #9 Week17: (May 3-7) Chapters 4 & 7 pp108-135 & pp 198-233 M8: Guiding behavior through encouraging self-control/ Integrated Curriculum 1. What is Integrated Curriculum? 2. Why is it important? What are the values of Integrated Curriculum? 3. What are its relationships with learning centers, teacher s roles, and children s involvements? Chapter 6 pp170-197 M9: Becoming an Early Childhood Professional Chapters 1 & 8 1. What are the roles and responsibilities of the early childhood teacher? 2. What skills are needed to be an early educator? 3. What resources are available for professional development? Final Content Exam