ECE 10
Field Experience in Early Childhood Education
Dr. Phil Freneau Message phone: 465-2334
Office hours: see web page: http://www.redwoods.edu/delnorte
COURSE SYLLABUS
Note: This syllabus may be modified by the instructor at any time during the semester to accommodate the learning process.
Course Description:
Students demonstrate early childhood teaching competencies under guided supervision to make connections between theory and practice and developing professional behaviors. Students apply comprehensive understanding of children and families; developmentally appropriate, child-centered, play-oriented approaches to teaching and learning; and knowledge of curriculum content areas. They design, implement and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all young children. Students become informed advocates for high-quality and appropriate educational practices and policies.
Course Objectives:
1. Integrate understandings of children’s characteristics and needs to develop healthy, safe, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments for all children.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of an early childhood environment, the curriculum and teaching strategies to improve teaching practices.
3. Design, implement and evaluate curriculum activities based on observation and assessment of young children.
4. Apply a wide array of effective approaches, strategies and tools in developing relationships with children and colleagues.
5. Evaluate how teachers involve families in their children’s development and learning.
6. Critically assess one’s own teaching experiences to guide and inform practice.
READINGS
Developmentally Appropriate Practice, revised ed. Bredekamp, ed. (Washington: NAEYC, 1997).
The Creative Curriculum. Dodge & Colker. (Washington: Teaching Strategies, 1992)
Through the Looking Glass, Observations in the Early Childhood Classroom, 2nd ed. S. Nicolson & S.G. Shipstead. (New York: Merrill, 1993)
ASSIGNMENTS
The work in this course will be divided into three phases. At the end of each of the three phases there will be a checkpoint. At these checkpoints, time cards will be submitted. Both you and your mentor will evaluate your work to date. These checkpoints will enable you to set goals for yourself for the next phase of the course.
Prior to beginning your fieldwork, you must provide to the center with all items necessary to work with the children. It is your responsibility to check with the center and submit all required items.
Field Work: Two 3-hr. sessions a week for 15 weeks. 90 points
After visiting three mentor sites, you will select a mentor with whom you will work throughout the semester You will sign the Student Teacher – Mentor Teacher Agreement with the mentor teacher and return one copy to the instructor. (90 hrs. @ 1 point each)
You will work with children in your mentor’s classroom. You will also have a variety of assignments in the classroom during the semester. Regular attendance at your fieldwork site is crucial. You may be dropped from the class if you miss more than three consecutive fieldwork sessions.
Class Participation 15 wks. 90 points
Your active participation during class meetings is an important component of this course. Regular attendance is mandatory for successful course completion. Use class meetings to share and problem solve with peers. At each checkpoint you will be given a competency grade reflecting your overall commitment to your professional growth and development in applying the principles and practices of ECE in your class work and in your field work environment. Your mentor’s evaluation, your self-evaluation and the instructor’s evaluation of your performance will figure into this grade.
Documentation Portfolio: 3 checkpoints @ 20 pts. each 60 points
Keep a record of the following process. Collect samples, write descriptions and provide concrete documentation of this process. Due at each checkpoint.
Help make the discovery process visible for children by providing documentation of child explorations. Keenly observe children’s interests. Take down dictated stories, write down children’s thoughts and language for them as they describe their work, questions, ideas and curiosities. With Mentor permission, tape-record their songs, chants and stories. Photograph or sketch their creations. Help them label parts of their inventions. Consider how you can clarify, deepen, or broaden the children’s investigations. How can you help the children make their concepts visible to themselves and others, clarify their confusion, and understand more deeply? Brainstorm and try out a variety of options. "Web" their ideas.
Share this process with children and ask them for extensions and feedback on the documentation and encourage their active participation. Create displays and documentation together with the children that help make visible for everyone in the environment what the children are experiencing, expressing and learning.
Anecdotal Journal Weekly for 15 weeks: 30 points
Each week you must complete an anecdotal record of a child (use format in Looking Glass – Chapter 5). Try to address different areas of development so that you will have had practice recording many varied aspects of development by the end of the semester. These will be turned in each week in class. After your mentor has reviewed the anecdote, and if she allows, share the anecdote with the parent. Be sure you have discussed the anecdote with the mentor prior to talking to the parent and make sure your mentor is present when you speak to the parent.
Self-Evaluation Due at each checkpoint, 3 @ 10 pts. each = 30
With each checkpoint you will submit a self-evaluation in a format given to you in class. This is an opportunity for you to recognize your strengths and growth areas and identify areas in which you would believe you need additional experience or knowledge. You will be graded on the thought and realistic assessment of your skills and growth. Your mentor will also submit an evaluation.
Explorations in Interest Areas: 16 explorations: 90 points total
With your mentor, plan and implement two explorations with children in each of the following areas: art, library, dramatic play, manipulatives, blocks, sand and water, outside, cooking. Submit the exploration proposals to your mentor prior to implementation. Complete a self-evaluation of the activity and get feedback from your mentor. 5 points each.
Circle / Meeting Time Practice: 12 circle times: 60 points total
You will begin to build confidence in leading circle time by starting with leading just one part of the circle time during the first part of the semester. You will start this process by leading a finger play, a song with movements, movement exploration, flannel board story, read a book, use instruments, a singing game, group or circle game. Submit circle time activity proposals to your mentor prior to implementation. Complete a self-evaluation of the activity and discuss with your mentor. Begin to build a repertoire of circle time skills. You will be leading circle/meeting time on your own by the end of the semester.
Observation of Teachers & Children 15 points
Based on your observations in your mentor classroom, identify areas of interest or concern in the ways adults and children interact. Select an appropriate observation method, design the tool, collect data and analyze the topic you have selected. Write a summary of the results and of possible adaptations one could make in the program in response sampling results. (Observation text will help you determine the appropriate evaluation tool.)
Two Week Plan of Possibilities (POP) 50 points
You will develop and implement a two-week plan of possibilities in your mentor classroom. This means you will, one week at a time, develop possible activities for the entire session (morning or afternoon) in which you do your fieldwork. In addition to submitting the plan of possibilities, you will also submit a documentation of what actually occurred during the two weeks. (This can be done in a different color ink on a copy of your POP.) Along with these two documents you will also write an explanation of why the changes in your POP were made.
Your POP should include plans for individual children. This may include following up on particular children’s interests, or specific skills development activities for the children you evaluated or whom were identified by your mentor.
Professional Portfolio: 25 points
You will prepare a professional portfolio including a cover letter, current resume, personal philosophy of early childhood education, and any other materials you think a potential employer you would find interesting.
Professional Growth Activity: 10 points
To encourage you to take advantage of professional growth experiences outside the classroom and to develop your disposition for lifelong learning, you are required to attend one non-college event related to early childhood education during the semester. This could be a Humboldt Association for the Education of Young Children meeting, a workshop, or a conference related to the ECE field. Announcements of upcoming events will be made in class. You will write a summary of the event.
Child Conference Summary: 10 points
In collaboration with your mentor, complete a parent conference summary sheet. (See Observation test, Chapter 9.) (If your mentor allows, sit in on the conference with the parent.) Have your mentor evaluate your summary sheet. Do not discuss the conference topics with the parent; this is the mentor’s job!
COURSE AGREEMENTS AND PHILOSOPHY
Student Teacher/Mentor Teacher Agreement
The following is a list of items that student teachers need to complete with their mentors:
You must sign this student teacher/mentor teacher agreement with the mentor teacher and return one copy to the instructor.
Complete and document two three-hour sessions a week for 15 weeks of fieldwork experience. regular attendance at your fieldwork site is crucial. You may be dropped from the class if you miss more than three consecutive fieldwork sessions.
Provide the mentor with all necessary paperwork to work with children at the center.
Prior to the required three checkpoints you will sit down with your mentor for an overall evaluation of your work. This evaluation as well as your own will be turned in to your instructor.
You are required to document your overall lab experience. Ask permission from your mentor to photograph, video, tape record, etc.
Student teachers are required to keep in anecdotal journal weekly for 15 weeks. After your mentor reviews your anecdotes and if the mentor allows you may share these anecdotes with the parent.
With your mentor, plan and implement to explorations with children in each of the following areas: art, library, dramatic play, manipulatives, blocks, sand and water, outside, and cooking. Submit exploration proposals to your mentor prior to implementation. Your mentor will give you feedback that you will include in your Self-Evaluation.
The student teacher needs to complete 12 circle time activities. The student will submit proposals prior to circle time. The student will Self evaluate these activities and discuss them with their mentor who will also evaluate your work . In the beginning the student may lead just one part of the activities within the circle time. By the end of the semester the student teacher will lead to complete activity.
Student teachers need to develop, with the mentors help, a two-week plan possibilities. If your mentor approves you may implement your two-week plan possibilities and document what actually occurred during the two-week period.
In collaboration with your mentor, you will need to complete parent Conference summary sheet. If your mentor allows, you may participate in the parent conference.
Signature of student teacher_____________________________________________
Signature of mentor___________________________________________________