College of Education Mission:
The mission of the Pacific University College of Education is to be a community of thoughtful and responsive leaders who
- inspire professionals to value and serve individuals within their unique personal, family, and community context;
- construct and disseminate new understandings through teaching and scholarship;
- advance critical evaluation of theory and practice;
- advocate for justice through outreach and service in reciprocal partnership with underserved communities; and
- cultivate learning in and through our inclusive and diverse communities
Required Materials:
Required Books:
Pelo, Ann. Ed. (2008). Rethinking Early Childhood Education, Milwaukee, WI. Rethinking Schools. ISBN: 9780942961416
Chaillé, Christine. (2007). Constructivism across the Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms: Big Ideas as Inspiration
ISBN-13: 978-0205348541
Educational Philosophy:
I cannot simply teach you what you need to know about the foundations of early childhood education. In order for you to effectively learn this material you must be willing to be an active participant in the learning process; constructing an understanding of this material that is personally relevant and meaningful. Therefore my role will be more of that of a facilitator than of a lecturer. What I will do is provide you with a variety of resources that can assist you in learning. Your job will be to utilize these resources, ask questions, and help me to know what you do and do not understand. I have set aside time for office hours so that I can help. You may also drop in unannounced any time I am in the office. Furthermore, I have included my email address in case you encounter pressing questions or problems. The bottom line is that the amount you learn in this course will be directly proportional to your level of involvement.
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the field of early childhood education. It is designed to provide a historical, conceptual, practical and philosophical foundation for individuals interested in the education of children from ages three through eight. Topics that will be addressed include the history of early educational efforts, an overview of children's development, a review of specific types of programs, developmentally appropriate practice, methods of observation, the role of play, ethics, multiculturalism, inclusive education, educational reform, technology, and a systems approach to parent and community involvement.
My goals for this course are to:
1) Help you gain a working knowledge of the historical and philosophical foundations of early childhood education programs.
2) Help you understand and discuss issues related to early childhood education.
3) Help you recognize the value of high quality early childhood education programs.
4) Increase your understanding of the features that characterize high quality early childhood education programs.
5) Familiarize you with the methods for observing children in the classroom and learning from these observations.
6) Provide you with experience observing and working with young children in a high-quality educational environment.
7) Increase your ability to critically analyze and evaluate current issues, existent programs and educational philosophies.
8) Help you develop and/or refine your own philosophy of early education.
Please See articulation between goals and INTASC standards at end of page.
Class Notes
For this course, I have created a Googledoc that will serve as the nexus for class discussions. I would like to invite and you to take your notes for this course on this Googledoc. I should have sent you an invite to join the Googledoc entitled "Ed 300, 2020", it can also be found at: https://docs.google.com
Course Requirements
This course will utilize six different types of assignments: class attendance, contributions to class and small group discussions, reading assignments, written assignments including a short thought paper and a reflective journal, a mid semester examination, a final project, and experiential learning participation in a model early childhood educational environment.
1. Attendance. You are expected to attend each class. Because some of the materials presented in class are not contained in the text, it is important that you attend every class. Furthermore, your voice and ideas will an important contributor to our class learning experience.
2. Reading Assignments. This is a student-centered course, which means that each class will revolve around the interests and ideas that you bring to the class. Therefore it is important that you come prepared to contribute to discussions. You are expected to read the assigned readings BEFORE each class period. This will give you time to think about the readings, formulate questions and ideas that you may have and allow you to more fully participate during that class period. Your attendance and participation in class discussions will be factored into final grade decisions. Reading assignments are either found in one of the required texts, on reserve at the library, or are available in our Google Drive Folder.
3. Reflective Journal - You will be expected to keep a journal in which you will record ideas, feelings and observations throughout the semester. It is suggested that you keep the journal with you when you come to class, when you are reading course materials as well as when you are doing your practicum in the ELC. Journal writing can serve the dual purposes of helping you record your thoughts as well as foster the development of new ideas. I suggest that you use it as a forum for actively engaging the material of the course and wrestling with the issues. This is an appropriate place for notes outside of class, thoughts, feelings, diagrams, questions and insights. Journals will be submitted and reviewed at midsemester and at the end of the semester.
4. Experiential Learning. Each member of the class is required to spend two hours a week outside of class in a practicum at the Early Learning Community. The purpose of this practicum is to connect theory to practice in a concrete manner. Please keep in mind this is not volunteering, but is a required and assessed element of this course. A sign-up sheet has been created allowing you to sign up for the two hour blocks in this learning environment. During your time in the ELC you will be working with and observing children in a variety of capacities as directed by the teachers and administrators. During and after each experiential learning interaction you are required to record notes and reflections in your journal. Your observations will frequently be discussed during class and these Journals will be reviewed during the midsemester exam and at the end of the course. It is expected that you will be punctual and professional and follow the guidelines for conduct in the ELC. If due to an illness or significant unexpected circumstance you will be unable to attend on a given day, you are required to let us know in advance of your absence and to follow the procedure listed at the bottom of our google doc. You are required to make up any absence at a later date that you set up according to the process described in the Google Doc. Your work will be assessed using the following RUBRIC. The ELC teacher's focus will need to be on their students, however you are encouraged to ask how you might help and observe the methods and techniques that are being used. For those students choosing to seek admission to the College of Education's licensure program, this ELC practicum feedback will be required to be submited as part of the admissions process.
5. Writing Assignments. Any writing assignments will be assessed on three criteria:
1. Clarity of expression. It is expected that papers and projects will be well written following the guidelines for appropriate grammar and style. Papers should be double spaced and printed using a #12 font.
2. Level of critical analysis and depth of thought. It is expected that your papers, projects and presentations will go beyond simply describing and applying information, and will include analytical thinking and the synthesis of ideas.
3. Specific assignment criteria. Each assignment has specific criteria and papers will be evaluated on how well those criteria are met.
All writing should be considered a work in progress. After I have assessed and returned any of your work, you have the option of making whatever changes you would like and resubmitting your paper for a new assessment (this does not apply to the exam). When you resubmit a paper please be sure to submit your original version along with the new version.
A. Thought Paper - Midway through the semester you will write a short (about 4-5 page) thought paper that should be entitled “My Philosophy of Education”. This paper should be conceived of as a draft of a document that you will be working on throughout your time as an early childhood educator (teacher and/or parent). More information describing the paper and a RUBRIC of the assignment are available online. The paper will be due no later than March 10th. After I have graded and returned your paper, you have the option of making whatever changes you would like and resubmitting your paper for a second assessment. When you resubmit your paper you MUST submit your original version along with the new version.
B. Observations - Throughout the semester you will be asked to make specific observations of children in the ELC as mentioned above. These observations will be discussed during class, but I will also ask you to submit these reflections. The length of the submissions will vary depending on the nature of the observations. During class time we may also be making specific observations in the ELC and will then discuss our observations.
.
C. Final Project. Due April 21st. The object of this project is to allow you to select an aspect of early childhood education that interests you, and investigate it at depth. You are free to select any individual or idea from the course and develop a means of presentation or paper that would be appropriate. It is expected that typical research papers will be at least 5 pages in length utilizing APA style. Please note that if you create any materials such as a website or brochure, you MUST also turn in a 3-5 page narrative describing the ideas behind your project and the reason for the choices you implemented in your presentation format. All projects must contain citations and references. Projects will be evaluated based on the following RUBRIC. Example projects include:
i. Writing a paper analyzing the research on a specific topic such as: the role of television and action figures on the violence of children's play.
ii. Researching one of the educators discussed in class. Write a paper examining the influence that this individual had on the field of early childhood education. What effect does this individual's ideas have on you?
iii. Writing a thought paper. One example might be an examination of whose responsibility early education and care should be; the government's, the family's? Should public education offer schooling beginning with preschool instead of Kindergarten? What does the reserach say about the profligate use of technology by children? Should children spend more time learning outside in nature?
iv. Analyzing the role that technology should play in early childhood classrooms.
v. Exploring developmentally appropriate ways of fostering ecological literacy in an early childhood classroom.
vi. Collaborating with Dr. Bailey to design an insect hotel for the Brim Family Outdoor Classroom.
vii. Developing a web site that presents your ideas on a specific ECE curriculum model.
viii. Working with Dr. Bailey and the 1st/2nd grade classroom to document progress on their ECO schools program.
6. Mid Semester Examination. There will be a midsemester examination on March 17th. This will be an essay exam and the questions for it will be discussed prior to the exam. You will be allowed to bring one 4x6 card with notes on it to the exam.
Grades:
Each assignment in this course will be evaluated by a rubric specific to that assignment. All evaluations will be based on a scale of 1-5 based on the criteria in the rubric. A basic conceptual guideline for evaluation is as follows.
A score of 5 will be given when the work is thorough, insightful, and demonstrates a comprehensive understanding.
A score of 3 will be given when the work is adequate, accurate, and demonstrates a basic understanding.
A score of 1 will be given when the work is inadequate, demonstrates misunderstanding, and is lacking in effort.
Final grades for this course will be based on 5 components. Your class attendance and contribution to class discussions, evaluations of written assignments including the journal and service learning work, your score on the mid semester exam, the quality of your final project, and quality of your final performance assessment in the ELC. The mid semester exam and final project will be weighted heavier than the other assignments. Final letter grades will be assigned based on the following rubric.
Students who have received 5's on almost all assignments will receive an A
Students who have received 4's on most assignments will receive a B
Students who have received 3's on most assignments will receive a C
Students who have received scores lower than 3's on the majority of assignments will not receive a passing grade
You are encouraged to check in with me if you have any concerns about assessments of your work, or any other course element. I also strongly recommend that you start your final project early in the semester; not the weekend before it is due. If you have any questions about a topic you are considering, please come and discuss it with me.
Course Topics. Topics are linked to the relevant section of the course resources page.
|
Date
|
Topic
|
Class Readings
|
| Feb 4 |
Introduction:
What it means to be an Early Childhood Educator
The importance of Community |
Pelo - Social Justice & ECE ix - xiii
NAEYC - Ethical Code
|
| 11 |
Observing and Learning From Children |
Pelo p. xv-xvi
Owocki & Goodman, ix-14
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/forman.html |
| 18 |
Historical and Philosophical Foundations. |
Krough p. 3-36
|
| 25 |
Theoretical and Developmental Foundations:
|
Krough p. 39-46
M. Ch. 5
|
| March 3 |
Play and Exploration as Developmentally Appropriate Catalysts for Learning. |
Gopnik video
NAEYC 1-31,
Pelo p. 7-16, 43 - 47, 57-66
Feeney p. 115-137
|
| 10 |
Practical Program Applications
Select Chaillé Book groupings for April 23rd
Short Paper Due- Philosophy of Education |
M. ch. 6
Finser p. 219-233
Grid of Resource links |
| 17 |
Mid Semester Exam
|
No Readings |
| 24 |
Spring Break |
No Class |
| 31 |
Ecological Pedagogy of Place
|
Sobel - Beyond Echophobia
Anderson & Gurnee
Sobel - Sense of Place Education
Gruenewald - Pedagogy of Place
Pelo p. 123 - 143
|
| April 9 |
Ecological Literacy |
Environmental Literacy, Ecoliteracy...
Ecological Literacy
What is Ecoliteracy
Our Earth is a living system
Rethinking Environmental Education |
| 14 |
Supporting All Learners: Neurodiversity vs the Broken Brain.
|
Pelo p. 147 - 150
Kohn - Suffer Restless Children
Tomlinson
Universal Design for Learning 2.0 |
| 21 |
Social Justice in the curriculum
Final Project Due, Last day for paper revisions
|
Pelo p. 151 - 154
Pelo p. 211 - 218
TBD |
| 28 |
The Pedagogy of Early Childhood: Dwelling on big ideas |
Chaillé ch. 1,2,3, epilogue
and your group's chapter |
| May 5 |
Student Presentations, Reflecting and integrating. |
No Readings |
Special Needs:
It is my intent to fully include persons with special needs in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessment to enable you to participate fully. I will make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of any information you share with me.
University and College of Education Policies
Be aware of the Pacific University Code of Academic Conduct and the College of Education policies for professional behavior and the competent and ethical performance of educators. In this course students are expected to demonstrate behavior consistent with the Professional and Academic Standards in the College of Education.
Students With Disabilities
In general, the University will work with students to improve conditions that may hinder their learning. The university requires appropriate documentation of a disability in order to enable students to meet academic standards. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the Director of Learning Support Services of his or her disability. Students are encouraged to work with faculty proactively in developing strategies for accommodation. This policy is described at Pacific University Arts and Sciences Course Catalog.
Incompletes
Instructors may issue a grade of incomplete only when the major portion of a course has been completed satisfactorily, but health or other emergency reasons prevent the student from finishing all the requirements in the course. The instructor and the student should agree upon a deadline by which all work will be completed, with the following guidelines:
1. Incompletes given for Fall and or Winter III terms must be completed by the following April 15.
2. Incompletes given for Spring semester must be completed by the following November 15.
Instructors will issue the grade the student would have earned by not completing the course, preceded by an "I". This grade is determined by including a failing grade for the missing assignment(s) in the calculation of the final grade. If the agreed upon course work is not completed in the period allotted and an extension has not been granted, the grade issued will be permanent. The contingency grade will be used in the computation of the GPA until such time as a new grade is recorded. See the Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.
Grade Changes
Once a grade is submitted to the Registrar it shall not be changed except in the case of recording errors. Grade changes will be approved by the appropriate Dean. See the Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.
Safe Environment Policy
Pacific University's Rights and Responsibilities policy seeks to maintain conditions favorable to learning. Students have the right to pursue an education free from discrimination based on gender, religion, marital status, age, sexual orientation or handicap. Students have the responsibility to conduct themselves, both individually and in groups, in a manner which promotes an atmosphere conducive to teaching, studying and learning. This policy is described in detail in Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.
Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are expected of all students in class preparation, examinations, assignments, practicums and other academic work. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating; plagiarism; forgery; fabrication; theft of instructional materials or tests; unauthorized access or manipulation of laboratory or clinic equipment or computer programs; alteration of grade books, clinical records, files or computer grades; misuse of research data in reporting results; use of personal relationships to gain grades or favors or other attempts to obtain grades or credit through fraudulent means; unprofessional conduct related to student care; threats to University personnel and conduct inconsistent with academic integrity. The complete policy, definitions and appeal procedures are described Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.
| COURSE GOALS |
InTASC Standards |
1 Help you gain a working knowledge of the historical and philosophical foundations of early childhood education programs.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
|
2) Help you understand and discuss issues related to early childhood education.
|
4. Content Knowledge
|
3) Help you recognize the value of high quality early childhood education programs.
|
4. Content Knowledge
|
4) Increase your understanding of the features that characterize high quality early childhood education programs.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
|
5) Familiarize you with the methods for observing children in the classroom and learning from these observations.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
|
6) Provide you with experience observing and working with young children in a high-quality educational environment.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
|
7) Increase your ability to critically analyze and evaluate current issues, existent programs and educational philosophies.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
10. Leadership & Collaboration
|
8) Help you develop and/or refine your own philosophy of early education.
|
1. Learner Development
2. Learning Differences
3. Learning Environments
4. Content Knowledge
5. Application of Content
6. Assessment
7. Planning for Instruction
8. Instructional Strategies
9. Prof. Learning & Ethical Practice
10. Leadership & Collaboration
|
| "The child is curious. He wants to make sense out of things... He observes closely and sharply, tries to take it all in. He is experimental. He does not merely observe the world around him, but tastes it, touches it, hefts it, bends it, breaks it. To find out how reality works he works on it. He is bold. He is not afraid of making mistakes. And he is patient. He does not have to have instant meaning in any new situation. He is willing and able to wait for meaning to come to him-even if it comes very slowly, which it usually does. School is not a place that gives much time, or opportunity or reward, for this kind of thinking and learning, Can we make it so? I think we can and must" John Holt, 1967, pp. 184-185. |
Now, if the principle of toleration were once admitted into classical education-if it were admitted that the great object is to read and enjoy a language, and the stress of the teaching were placed on the few things absolutely essential to this result, if the tortoise were allowed time to creep, and the bird permitted to fly, and the fish to swim, towards the enchanted and divine sources of Helicon-all might in their own way arrive there, and rejoice in its flowers, its beauty, and its coolness.
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1865). |
