EDF 3740: Foundations of Early Childhood Education

Fall, 2005

Instructor:Nancy A. HughesOffice Hours:

Office:Room 225

Tuesday 1:00 – 4:00

Phone:321 433-7984Wednesday 2:00 – 4:00

Email:uring weeks when classes are online, these

hours will be held virtually through email at these

times (Online weeks are: 9/5-9; 9/26-30; 10/3-8;

10/31-11/12; 11/21-25)

Catalog Description: Overview of Early Childhood Education and services for young children and families. Includes historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives; learning theories as related to early childhood.

Course Overview: The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of early childhood education. The course will provide a forum for the exploration of the foundations of early childhood education, including the social, political, academic, and historical underpinnings of early childhood education, as a professional field. Students will be invited to examine both the depth and breadth of early childhood education and to begin to develop an informed, thoughtful, and personal philosophy of education. In this course, learning is presented as a socially constructed process that is best facilitated through direct interaction and engagement. Particular attention will be given to the importance of developmentally appropriate instruction, reflective practice, and the nurturing of an anti-bias approach to teaching. Modes of instruction include, but are not limited to the following: hands-on learning experiences, lecture, large and small group discussions, individual reflection, site visits, and the use of technology.

Course Goals:

  • To provide a forum for the exploration of a variety of perspectives related to the care and education of young children.
  • To enable students to explore the theoretical, social, historical, and political roots of early childhood education.
  • To invite students to consider a variety of philosophies related to early learning, so that they can develop and articulate their personal philosophies of early childhood education.
  • To assist students in identifying theory and practices related to developmentally appropriate practice for young children.
  • To introduce students to a variety of print and electronic resources related to early childhood education.

Objectives and Accreditation: The following objectives have been developed to meet the requirements of our accrediting agencies. They meet the standards established for the following:

Tech-NCATE Technology and Teacher Education

ESOL-English Speakers of Other Languages

FAP-Florida Educator Accomplished Practices

PreK-Preschool Education (Birth – Age 4) Subject Area Competencies

Pri-Primary Education (K-3) Subject Area Competencies

FETC-Florida Essential Teaching Competencies

NAEYC-National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards

Objectives:

  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical, social, academic, and political roots of early childhood education. (Pre 1.1,1.2,2.1,2.6,3.3; Pri 1.1, 3.2; NAEYC 6.A, 6.B, 6.C)
  • Students will be able to identify leaders in early childhood education and associate them with their contributions and to the field. (Pre 2.1; Pri 1.1; NAEYC 6.B)
  • Students will identify a variety of learning theories related to the education of young children. (Pre 2.1, 3.3, 7.4; Pri 2.2; NAEYC 1.B, 1.G, 3.B)
  • Students will be able to provide an overview of the unique characteristics of different early childhood education settings, including community-based agencies, child care centers, home-based settings, and public and private school settings. (FETC 3.1, 3.2;Pre 2.4, 2.5,3.1;NAEYC 6.B)
  • Students will be able to describe and recognize in action the principles of developmentally appropriate practice. (FETC 1.1, 1.5, 12. 1, 13.1, 13.2, 28.1;Pre 7.1, 7.2, 7.4;Pri 1.4, 2.5, 6.4; NAEYC 1.D, 3.B, 3.C, 3.E, 3.G)
  • Students will be able to describe and recognize in action the principles of anti-bias teaching. ( FETC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 16.1, 29.1; Pre 2.7, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 7.7;Pri 2.2, 2.3; NAEYC 2.E, 3.L ESOL 18)
  • Students will be able to describe and recognize in action the principals of reflective practice. (FETC 13.1; Pre 2.2, 7.16; Pri 1.1, 4.1; NAEYC 6.A)
  • Students will be able to identify the characteristics of a quality early childhood program that provides for the needs of children with both typical and atypical development. (FETC 4.1, 4.2, 12.1, 12.4, 13.1, 13.2, 16.1; Pre 1.1, 1.3, 3.1, 9.1; Pri 2.1; NAEYC 1.G, 2.F)
  • Students will be able to provide a rational for developing an inclusive early childhood education that acknowledges and celebrates children who have a broad range of abilities and come from a diverse range of family, cultural, linguistic, economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. (ESOL 4; FETC 1.1, 1.4, 2.4, 4.3, 30.1, 30.3;Pre 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 9.1, 9.5; Pri 2.1; NAEYC 6.I)
  • Students will demonstrate a beginning understanding of a variety of curriculum models in early childhood education. (ESOL 5 FETC 13.1, 13.2, 13.3; Pre 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5; Pri 1.6; NAEYC 3.B, 3.C, 3.G, 6.C)
  • Students will identify the professional organizations and journals associated with early childhood education. ( FETC 29.1; Pre 2.2, Pri 4.1, 4.2; NAEYC 6.G)
  • Students will demonstrate a beginning understanding of assessment in early childhood education programs. (FETC 9.1; Pre 10.1, 10.6, 10.7; Pri 6.1; NAEYC 3.A)

Required Text:

Morrison, G.S. (2004) Early Childhood Education Today; 9th edition Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

(related website for textbook related assignments)

Assignments:

  • Ethics Comparison: Students will compare and contrast NAEYC and Florida DOE Code of Ethics. Review the National Association for the Education of Young Children - NAEYC's Code of Ethics and the Florida Department of Education's Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct. Compare and contrast the codes of ethics and submit a one page summary. This one page summary will be uploaded to LiveText for Milestone 2 Ethics. (pass/fail)
  • Professional Autobiography: Develop a personal autobiography that addresses your interest in early childhood education. Some questions that you may wish to address include the following: What made you want to become a teacher? What kind of experiences contributed to that desire? When did you develop your interest in early childhood education? Did your family, teachers, or friends play a role in your decision-making? In light of all this, what type of teacher do you aspire to be? How will your education at UCF help you along the way to this goal? This autobiography will be uploaded to LiveText for the Autobiography requirement. (pass/fail)
  • Resume: You will go to the UCF Career Website at and click on Resumes to begin the Power Point Presentation. Once you have reviewed this power point presentation, you will develop a one-page professional resume that addresses your education, work experience, honors, activities, and career objectives. Your resume should be presented in a clear, professional, and attractive manner. You will send an initial draft to the Career Office’s College of Education liaison at . You will use her suggestions to create a final draft which will be uploaded to LiveText for the Resume requirement. (pass/fail)
  • Conference Attendance: As an Early Childhood professional you will seek a number of opportunities to continue your education as a lifelong learner during the course of your career. One of these opportunities is attendance at annual professional conferences. There are 2 conferences being held locally this semester and you will choose one to attend.
  • Florida Reading Association October 20-23 $25 for one day attendance Wyndham Orlando Resort pay attention to registration deadlines to avoid higher fees
  • Early Childhood Association of Florida September 29 – October 1 $40 for one day attendance Doubletree Hotel Orlando pay attention to registration deadlines to avoid higher fees

You should plan on spending a whole day at the conference you choose (9am to 4 pm) so you may need to make work or childcare arrangements. While at the conference you will attend at least 2 interest sessions and visit the exhibit hall. You will turn in a copy of your admission badge, post a reflection of the experience on the discussion board and respond to at least on other student’s posting. (20 points)

  • Online Journal Professional Reading: Another opportunity to continue your professional education is to read current, peer-reviewed journals published by national professional organizations, (NAEYC – National Association for the Education of Young Children; ACEI – Association for Childhood Education International; IRA – International Reading Association) Magazines, even those with an education focus do not count as journals. Following the face to face library orientation you will access a peer-reviewed online journal article and post a review in the discussion forum along with a link to the article. (10 points)
  • Specialization Area: Working in small groups, you will take an in-depth look at one learning theory, curriculum philosophy or educational setting related to early childhood education. Students will do a short (30 minutes) presentation on their topic and provide each member of the class with a one-page ready reference fact sheet on the topic. The topics are covered briefly in the text but you will provide additional information not included in the text in a visual and oral format to increase retention of the information. You will find ways to bring visual representations of materials related to the topic for your presentation. Feel free to choose a journal article from the above assignment related to your presentation topic. Students will sign up for a topic in class. Areas to be addressed include, but are not limited to the following: Head Start, High/Scope, Project Spectrum/Multiple Intelligences Theory, Project Approach/Reggio Emilia, Waldorf and Montessori. (20 points)ESOL 5
  • ITERS/ECERS Assessment: UCF Palm Bay Early Childhood Education program has an existing grant partnership with Devereux Early Childhood Program to improve the quality of training for childcare providers in BrevardCounty. One component of this grant allows the students to be trained in the administration of the environmental checklists ITERS/ECERS. You will be assigned a preschool classroom to assess using these scales and submit your assessment sheets to use in documenting progress in these preschools. (20 points)ESOL 18
  • Teacher Observation and Interview: (This Assignment will be uploaded to LIVETEXT as documentation for Role of the Teacher): During class time, we will brainstorm questions related to the Florida Educator’s Accomplished Practices. You will select individual questions to use when you interview an Early Childhood Educator. Each student will schedule a time to observe a teacher in an Early Childhood setting along with time for a conversation to complete the interview questions. You will transcribe the interview and include a reflection on how the answers and findings relate to your future as a teacher. (10 points) ESOL 4
  • Textbook Related Assignments: The text for this course was selected because of the high quality of information and resources it can provide. To ensure you are using the textbook this semester you may choose ONE of the following assignments:
  • Using the companion website to the text, complete the self quizzes for chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, and 17, print out the results and collect them in a folder and submit for grading.
  • Complete the Diversity Tie In for 10 chapters and collect them in a folder and submit for grading.
  • Complete the Making Connections for 10 chapters and collect them in a folder and submit for grading.
  • Complete the Programs in Actions Chart for 10 programs and submit for grading.
  • Complete one activity from the end of chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, and 17. You can choose from the Applications, Field Experiences or Research activities. Collect the completed activities in a folder and submit for grading. (20 points)

Assessment:

Ethics ComparisonPass/Fail

Professional Autobiography Pass/Fail

ResumePass/Fail

Conference Attendance20

Professional Reading10

Specialization Area20

Site Reflections20

Teacher Observation and Interview10

Textbook Related Assignments 20

100

Final grades will be calculated according to the following:

A93 - 100 points

B85 - 92 points

C77 - 84 points

D70 - 76 points

FBelow 70 points

Tentative Due Dates

9/13 Autobiography due9/20 Resume due

9/27, 10/4, and 10/11 Presentations10/4 ECA of FL or Book Review due

10/25, 11/1 and 11/8 Observations11/15 Observation reflections due

11/29 Role of Teacher interview due

Other dates to remember

9/6 Labor Day – no school

Please note:

  • Format: Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments must be word processed and professionally presented.
  • Quality: Work is expected to be thoughtful, reflective and of high quality in terms of both content and presentation. Work that does not meet the established criteria will be noted and will not receive full credit. This may result in a lowered grade.
  • Timeliness: All assignments are expected to be handed in on time - at the beginning of the class period on the day on which the assignment is due. Assignments turned in later than this, but prior to the next weekly class period, will receive a 10% reduction in possible points. Assignments that are turned in later than one week after the due date will not be accepted, and will receive a grade of zero points.
  • Completion of Assignments: Students must complete all of the required assignments in order to receive a passing grade in the course.
  • ECE Program Policy Regarding Attendance, Participation, and Administrative Requirements: You are enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program because you are preparing for the profession of teaching children. You will touch the lives of many children throughout your career. The transition from being a student to becoming a teacher begins by approaching courses in a professional and responsible manner. Pre-service teachers do not look at teacher education courses with the purpose of “getting a good grade” or “getting by.” It is expected that each of you will demonstrate interest, enthusiasm and professionalism in all your courses. Two key components of professionalism are attendance and participation. You will be assessed with regard to these. Multiple absences, chronically arriving late and/or leaving prior to the end of the class, disrupting the class process, chatting with neighbors, doing work not related to the class or sleeping will result in a reduction in your final grade. I believe that you are dedicated to becoming the best teacher possible and to that end, this component will not become an issue for you.
  • Turn off your cell phones during class meetings.

The criteria for behavior as outlined in The Golden Rule and the Department of Instructional Programs Fitness to Teach document will apply to this course. Violations of student academic behavior standards are outlined in The Golden Rule, the University of Central Florida's Student Handbook. See for further details.

If you have specific learning disabilities it is your responsibility to contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to plan curriculum modifications. Many resources are available to students at UCF to assist you in a successful educational experience.