Course Information

            A survey of the theoretical models and services available to parents and children.  Laboratory observation and interaction.

           This course is a study of developmentally appropriate practices and the teacher's role in supporting development of young children ages birth to nine.  An emphasis on curriculum planning including goals, environment, roles of teachers and parents, materials, and settings.  Field experience is required.

CENTRAL COMPETENCIES

       Course Objectives: 

1.       Demonstrate knowledge of how children develop and learn by providing opportunities that support the physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive, and aesthetic development of young children.

2.     Demonstrate knowledge of an ability to implement meaningful, integrated learning experiences for young children.

3.     Identify child outcomes in content areas of language and literacy as well as in mathematical thinking,

4.     Identify methods that are most effective in guiding behavior in the early childhood setting.

5.     Demonstrate knowledge of child observation and documentation techniques by successfully performing each.

6.     Describe some of the theories of learning and development (as named in your text) and explain the influence of these beliefs on early childhood programs today.

7.     Describe some of the early childhood programs that apply some of these theories to practice (such as the Montessori Method, High/Scope, and Reggio Emilia).

8.      Explain developmentally appropriate practices.

Prerequisites and Corequisites:

There are no prerequisites.

Course Topics:

ECED 2015 Early Childhood Curriculum

Topics

  Topic 1         Introduction

                                    Welcome (Dear Student)/Instructions

                                    PowerPoint Overview

                                    How to Get Started

                                    Syllabus

 Topic 2          Sharing Table

A brief description (about ½ to ¾ page) of you to share with the class:

Who you are (Single, married, children, where you live, etc.)

Life Goals

                                                Why you have chosen a career in early childhood

                                                Years of experience in early childhood (if any)

                                                            First Project Due:       Sharing Table

 Topic 3          DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practice)

 Topic 4          Learning Theories and Early Childhood Programs

                                                            Second Project Due:  Piagetian Observation Assignment

 Topic 5          Federal Legislation and Early Childhood

                                    Exam I   (Notes, Handouts, Discussion Topics & Ch. 5, 6 & 8)

                      Third Project Due:  Play Observation Assignment

 Topic 6          Infant & Toddlers – Foundation Years for Learning

                                                        Fourth Project Due:  Classroom Diagram Assignment

 Topic 7          Preschool Years

                                                       Fifth Project Due:    Art Project Assignment

Topic 8           Kindergarten Education

                                    Exam II   (Notes, Handouts, Discussion Topics & Ch. 9, 10, &11)

                                                      Sixth Project Due:   Math Project Assignment

 Topic 9          Teaching in Grades 1 – 3

                                                     Seventh Project Due:   Literacy Project

 Topic 10        Guiding Children:  Helping Children Become Responsible

 Topic 11        Children with Special Needs:  Appropriate Education for All

                                    Exam III (Notes, Handouts, Discussion Topics & Ch. 12, 14, & 16)

                                                    Eighth Project Due:   Unit (Curriculum Plan) Assignment

Specific Course Requirements:

• Students must complete  ALL assignments.
• Students must take ALL exams as scheduled.
• Students must complete all reading assignments in the textbook, handouts, and on the Web.
• Students must complete three exams.
• Students must complete the following work with children:  Art, Math, and Literacy Projects, Piagetian Observation, Play Observation, Unit Curriculum Plan, Classroom Diagram.
• Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  For example, students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource via the WebCT e-mail, students must check the course bulletin board and e-mail frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  

http://rodp.bkstr.com

Supplementary Materials:

Developmentally Appropriate Practice  NAEYC

Hardware Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.

Software Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include: Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word.  All assignments MUST be saved and transported through WebCT in Microsoft Word.

Instructor Information

        Please see inside sheet for more details about the instructor.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures:

Each student must contact a Head Start Center, a three star rated Child Care Center, or some other Early Child Care Center  to be approved by the instructor in which to do his/her observing and field experience.  If a student is currently employed by one of the above, that student may (with the instructor’s permission as well as the center’s Director’s permission), complete the field experience requirement within the student's own work place.

All exams will be taken on-line through WebCT.  All exams will have time limits as to the number of minutes allowed to take the exam and dates on which the student may take the exam. Students must take ALL exams before the last scheduled day of that particular exam.  Each exam will be open until 11:55 pm the last date for that particular exam (as shown on the calendar) so that a student may be allowed to work at his/her own pace.  Thus a student will be allowed to finish the course early if he/she wishes..

 There are no provisions for make-up exams.

Grading Criteria:  Grades reflect a student's progress in course content.  A four point grading system will be used (please note Grading Scale).  Successful completion of the assignments listed below will demonstrate how well the student has met the Course Objectives.

    Grading Scale:  Grades reflect a student's progress in course content.  The following 4 point grading system will be used:

     90-100%     =  A  (720 - 800 points)

     80-  89%     =  B  (640 - 719 points)

     70-  79%     =  C  (560 - 639 points)

     65-  69%     =  D  (520 - 559 points)

     Below 65     =  F  (below 520 points)

Assignments and Participation

       50 points     Discussion Board Responses

       50 points   Sharing Table Assignment

       50 points     Piagetian Observation Assignment

       50 points     Play Observation Assignment

     100 points     Unit (Curriculum Plan) Assignment                    

       50 points     Classroom Diagram Assignment

       50 points     Art Project Assignment

       50 points     Math Project Assignment

       50 points     Literacy Assignment

     300 points     Exams (3)  @100 points each 

     800 points

Class Participation:

Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  For example, students must communicate with other students via the Discussion Board, Students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource. Students must check the course bulletin board, e-mail, and the discussion board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.

Punctuality:

A statement of course milestones to keep the students on track in an asynchronous environment. 

Course Ground Rules

Participation is required. You are expected to communicate with other students through the Discussion Board and E-mail. You MUST learn how to navigate in WebCT.  You will keep abreast of course announcements by checking your Home Page, Discussion Board, and E-mail.  You MUST Use the WebCT e-mail address for all correspondence with me and to send all assignments to me (click Compose, click the address box, click  Browse, click the first name on the list, and click "Select". My WebCT e-mail will appear in the address box)..  I will not accept any work or correspondence sent through any of my other  e-mail addresses, through the "snail" mail, or by leaving at my office.  In order to keep a record of all work, correspondence, etc. for the course, we must communicate through your WebCT account.   You must address any technical problems immediately (if anything is not working properly). Please observe course netiquette at all times. 

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

• Always include a subject line.
• Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
• Use standard fonts.
• Do not send large attachments without permission.
• Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
• Respect the privacy of other class members
• Always e-mail through your WebCT course e-mail.   (The instructor will not accept e-mail through the JSCC e-mail or personal e-mail unless WebCT is down or the student has been denied access to the WebCT course.)

Discussion Groups:

• Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker first and then a discussant.
• Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
• Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
• Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
• Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks (if we have group assignments).
• Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
• Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
• The instructor may give bonus points to students who have successfully helped another student or students with requested information.
• The Discussion Board is a great place to check with other students about your concerns or questions (just as you would face-to-face in an on-ground classroom situation.  The Coffee House is a place where you are free to talk about things that may or may not pertain to the class.  Just keep it clean, please, as I will be monitoring the Discussion Board.

The instructor will check the discussion board periodically. I want to encourage using the discussion board for your questions and comments concerning study questions and/or other questions concerning the course. Try the discussion board before you e-mail me.  Some other student may have the same question.  This will be just like asking another student in an on-ground class for course information.  Please help each other by responding if you can answer another student’s questions.  The first person to respond with the correct answer MAY get bonus points, I will let you know when and if have you been given  bonus points .

Web Resources:

• Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor
• Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of changes on the course bulletin board.

Telephone Support:

If you are having problems logging into your course, timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems please contact the RODP Help Desk by calling  1-866-550-7637 (toll free) or go to their website at: http://help.rodp.org