"Theories of development offer us a view of development, how children grow, how they learn generally or in specific knowledge areas. What such theories do not offer us is what is to be learned or why it is important to learn it. "
- Harriet Cuffaro
The purpose of this class is to help students to:
WAI (Who Am I?) - Ch. 5, Child Development
DAP: pp 10-16
1- Session 2: Mini Assignment 2: Video Review on "Preschoolers, How Three and Four Year Olds Develop" - due in Assignments by Tues, 9/6 at 11pm
2- Session 2: Forums : Principles of Development due in Forums by Tues, 9/6 at 11pm
The Chat Room tool is available for you to chat with your Forums group members or other members of this class. You will need to e-mail one another to set up Chat Room times online. For example, if you all agree to go online at 9pm on Mondays, you could log in to our ED 110 class on Laulima, click on Chat room, see who else from your group has logged in and chat with them. If you would like me to participate with you, e-mail me also and I will let you know if I am able to join you.
The key to Developmentally Appropriate Practice is basing what we do with children with what we know about how children develop. While this unit helps give you an overview of Child Development, it is covered in depth and completely in ED 131. However, since Developmentally Appropriate Practice hinges on what we know about how children develop, we need to do a brief review of key points in Child Development. Go to Resources- Session 2 and open the Child Development power point for a review of WAI -Chapter 5, Child Development.
After you have watched the Child Development video on Preschoolers, How Three and Four year olds Develop, go to Assignments and post your answers to the following questions:
1- Share with me one (1) developmental principle that was shown in the video that helped you to understand the principle better?
2- Tell me about 2 activities you saw in the video that encouraged cognitive development in 3 and 4 year olds.
3- Tell me about 2 activities you saw in the video that encouraged language development in 3 and 4 year olds.
4- Are there any comments or questions you have after watching this video?
The Principles of Development are reviewed for you in your WAI text in Chapter 5 and in your DAP text pages 10-16. Each group in Forums wiil be assigned 2 principles. For each principle you are to describe how you think that knowledge of how children develop would influence what you might do in the classroom and give an example of what you could do to support childrens' development for this principle.
You may want to set up chat times with your group members through e-mail if it would help you to think of examples together. Be sure to look over other Forums groups posts later in the week to help you in the understanding of all 12 principles.
Example:Principle #12 Children's experiences shape their motivation and approaches to learning, such as persistence, initiative, and flexibility;in turn these dispositions and behaviors affect their learning and development. This principle tells me that I need to provide activities that would help to motivate children's learning. I would do this by providing many choices of activities in the classroom to support their developing initiative. By giving children the opportunity to choose activities rather than giving children all the same activity to do, this will support the development of their initiative and in turn affect their dispositions and behaviors to learn.
Forums Groups: Ulaula group - Principles #1-2, Melemele group - Principles #3-4, Polu group - Principles #5-6, Oma`oma`o group - Principles #7-8, Alani group - Principles #9 -10, Hinahina group- Principles # 11-12
Look over your Learning Environment Assignment found in Assignments and Resources.
For your Unit 1: Learning Environment Assignment you will need to visit and evaluate a classroom environment using the checklists provided. The checklists are posted in Assignments: Unit 1 Learning Assignment and Resources: with your Learning Environment Assignment and can also be found in the Appendix section of Who Am I,pgs 463-477. You will also need to draw a diagram of the indoor and outdoor environments and submit a classroom schedule as well as describe and evaluate the classroom environment. ( Read your assignment for more comprehensive details of the assignment and look over the Evaluation to be sure you have completed all the requirements.)
Be sure to use the Learning Environment Checklist that is appropriate for the age group of the children in the classrom environment you are observing. Use the Infant-Toddler Learning Environment Checklist if you observe children between the ages of 6 weeks to 35 months. Use the Preschool Checklist for children 3-5 years of age. The Safety and Health Checklists (pgs 463-468) apply to all ages groups.
You should choose a program to contact from the list of Accredited Schools found at hawaiikeiki.org or see attachment in Assignments or Resources of Accredited Schools. If you are currently working in a school, you can evaluate a classroom other than the one you work in. If you would like to visit a program not on the list of Accredited schools, you will need to e-mail me for permission.
I have included a template in Assignments for you to use if you wish. Be sure to submit the Learning Environment Evaluation with your Assignment. This assignment is due Sept 27th at 11pm. You should decide on a program to visit and contact the director as soon as possible to arrange your visit. It often takes many phone calls to talk to the director and to find a day they are able to have you visit.