ECE233-Bishop-Spring2008

ECE 233 - Early Childhood Environments II

Spring 2009

Instructor:

Virginia Purcell

Phone:

home: 269-565-0269 email: purcellv@kellogg.edu

Office Hours:
Online:

Arranged. I will respond to student e-mail within two working days or sooner.
I am also available by telephone Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Course Prerequisites:

Prerequisite(s): STSK 98 or ENGL 120 with a "C" or higher, or COMPASS reading score of 73.

Textbook

Required: To be determined

Recommended: none

Online Course Features and Requirements

Number of tests: 1 of which 0 must be proctored.

Required on campus sessions: none

Special labs or practicum: 16 clock hours of observation field experience required

Number of assignments: 13 discussion board forums, 6 written assignments, 1 group project, 1 exam, 4 observation field experience assignments

Estimated time per week: approximately 10 hours per week

Group interaction required: one group project assigned

Scheduled activities or self paced: Students are asked to follow the Course Schedule and not work ahead.

Requirements:

Students must have access to the following:

Equipment: You will need a computer that is able to access and interact with the Web. For best results, a Pentium or PowerMac with a 28.8 Kbps or faster modem and 64 MB or more of RAM should be considered the minimal system.
Software: You will need an Internet browser version 5 or higher, either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. A word processor capable of saving and opening RTF (rich text format) documents is required (almost all popular word processing programs can do this).
Internet connection: Home users need Internet access through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers a reliable, direct connection to the Internet.

Other requirements:

Course Site:

http://bb.kellogg.edu

Curriculum Statement:

This course will prepare you with the skills and education that you ened to promote young children's healthy growth and development.

Description

This course is a continuation of ECE 232 introducing students to the theories and philosophies of curriculum development and early childhood education. The course provides hands-on experience in selecting, preparing, and presenting appropriate curricula for young children ages 3 to 8 years. Curriculum models explored may include Montessori, Emergent Curriculum, Reggio Emilia, Creative Curriculum, and High Scope. Students will examine how the State of Michigan Child Care Regulations are implemented in licensed settings. Students are required to complete a 16 clock hour field experience completing a preschool rating scale to determine program quality.

Objectives

1. Examine and evaluate active learning and key experiences appropriate for young children ages 3 to 8 years of age that support all learning domains.
2.	Examine and evaluate written policies from a variety of early childhood environments that serve young children ages 3 to 8 years of age.
3.	Identify strategies that encourage a climate of trust for young children, form positive social interactions with and among young children, and support children's interactions.
4.	Plan arrangements and choose equipment that foster active, safe, and appropriate learning spaces for children.
5.	Develop lesson plans and establish schedules, routines, and activities for young children, ages 3 to 8 years, that promote healthy growth and development during: mealtimes, bodily care routines, naptimes, active/quiet play, outside play, and group times.
6.	Identify strategies that support the development of strong partnerships between parents and caregivers of young children ages 3 to 8 years.
7.	Discuss the role of assessment and observation as it relates to meeting young children's individual needs and support appropriate curriculum planning. Identify methods of tracking growth of young children and for making learning visible to children, parents, and classroom visitors.
8.	Define curriculum and explore a variety of models that may include: Montessori, Emergent Curriculum, Reggio Emilia, Creative Curriculum, High Scope, and others.
9.	Field Experience Outcome: Evaluates the appropriateness of classroom rules, routines, and activities by observing how children function within the room and makes suggestions to modify rules, routines and activities accordingly.
10.	Field Experience Outcome: Identifies the characteristics of a successful preschool and/or school age program.
11.	Field Experience Outcome: Observes and evaluates a variety of preschool and/or school age settings.

Grading

Classroom Activities and Assignments:

Attendance/Participation points (13 @ 5 points per session) - 65 points

Discussion Board (13 @ 10 points each ) - 130 points

Online Learning Tutorial - 20 points

Student Goals Email - 5 points

Defining Terms Pretest – 10 points

Making Learning Visible" Project - 40 points

Licensing and Program Standards – 40 points

Lesson Plan Format Critique – 20 points

Group Project: Key Experiences Chapter Presentations - 50 points

Take Home Final Exam - 40 points

Field Experience (16 hours):
Field Experience Documentation Forms (totaling 16 hours) - 60 points
Field Experience Observation Assignment I: SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL - 50 points
Field Experience Observation Assignment II: ECERS ONE - 60 points
Field Experience Observation Assignment III: EQUIPMENT - 50 points
Field Experience Observation Assignment IV: ECERS TWO - 60 points

Total Points Possible: 700

*Required Field Experiences
STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A 16 HOUR FIELD EXPERIENCE WHILE IMPLEMENTING A PRESCHOOL RATING SCALE TO DETERMINE PROGRAM QUALITY.
1. Students must complete the field experience observations in licensed early childhood programs serving children aged three through eight. Hours in unlicensed settings or with children outside this age range will not be counted for field experience points, except as listed below for the Social Emotional assignment.
2. Each student may decide how to divide up the 16 hours to meet his/her own scheduling needs (i.e. eight 2 hour visits, four 4 hour visits, or any combination which equals 16 hours.) It is recommended that the student allow 2 hours for Observation Assignment I, 2 hours for Observation Assignment III, and 4 hours for each ECERS Observation. The remaining four hours may be used for additional observation time, travel time to and from observations, or tabulation and documentation of observation information on rating scales. All observation hours must be properly documented on the Field Experience Documentation Log and submitted on the assigned date for full credit.
3. The observation documentation log must be signed by the program director or designee.
4. Observations may all be made in the same program, if not the student's work site, or may be made in several programs. Students benefit from observations at a variety of different early childhood settings. No more than 50% of the field experience observations may be done in any center operated by the student's employer. If the student is employed in a licensed early childhood program, with the approval of his/her employer, one of the two ECERS observations may be done in his/her classroom. However, documentation must show that the hours used for field experience are not during a student's paid hours of employment.
5. Observations that are not done with the correct age group, that are done in unlicensed settings, or in family child care homes will not be counted for observation assignments II, II, or IV. Observation one may be done in an elementary school setting or in a licensed family child care home.
6. Students are expected to practice professionalism, respect for early childhood programs and staff, and confidentiality while conducting and discussing field experience observations.

Grading Scale

At any time, a student can compute his or her approximate letter grade by first dividing the total points he or she has earned by the total points possible. Next, the student can refer to the chart below to locate the percentage and corresponding letter grade.

Grading Chart:
94-100% A
90-93% A-
87-89% B+
84-86% B
80-83% B-
77-79% C+
74-76% C
70-73% C-
67-69% D+
64-66% D
60-63% D-
Below 60% F

I will review the guidelines for each grading requirement prior to assigning the work. At the end of the semester, I will assign a participation grade based upon YOUR POSITIVE interest as demonstrated by preparation, attitude, professionalism and conduct. You are encouraged to keep all assignments and to maintain a running point total for your use.

Please allow up to 1 week to receive a grade for an assignment. Any assignment handed in late will automatically lose points. Every day that an assignment is late, I will deduct 2 points off the total points received for the assignment. I will not accept assignments that are more than one week late. If you need to have extra time to complete an assignment, you will need to talk to me PRIOR to the due date unless a very unusual and definite emergency presents itself preventing you from contacting me.

Academic Policies

Dropping: It is the responsibility of the student to know the date by which he/she can obtain a refund of tuition, and the date by which withdrawing from this course can result in a grade of "W". The general formula is: Refund of Tuition: First one tenth (1/10) of class days. Grade of "W": Prior to seven eighths (7/8) of the duration of class.

See pages 16 and 31 of the catalog and pages 49 and 52 of the student handbook for more information. Specific dates for each course are available from the Customer Service Center.

Observations and the Completion of Assignments Outside of Scheduled Course Times
Time outside of class in the field for assignments, field trips and observations of children and at environments including licensed centers and preschools, schools, and state-licensed child care homes, may be required to successfully complete this course. For this course, you will be expected to complete approximately 12-16 clock hours outside of the regularly scheduled course sessions.

Upon completing observations, it is important for you to schedule an exit conference with the program director or licensee. This will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions and allow the program director or licensee to explain certain things. It is also important for you to inform any site used for observations that potential rule violations will be reported to licensing.

Central Abuse and Neglect Screening Form Requirement
Each student in this course and in the Early Childhood Education Program is required to complete the State of Michigan Child Abuse / Neglect Central Registry (CA/NR) form. Every early childhood education student is expected and required to complete this process successfully PRIOR TO the eighth week of class.

Each student must receive clearance prior to the eighth week of class. No student may continue completing field experiences or completing any assignment related to the completion of a KCC Early Childhood course involving children or the visitation of a site including an employer's. Examples of assignments may include but are not limited to: field trips, observations of children, and the completion of environmental rating scales. Instructors are directed not to accept assignments after this date for credit or allow students to attend field trips or site visits after this date who have not turned in a successfully completed form.

This form takes approximately two weeks to process and is processed at no cost. Once the form has been returned to you from the State of Michigan Child Care Licensing Bureau, you will need to make a copy for your instructor.

Students who previously turned in a completed CA/NR form to the ECE office do not need to turn in another form for the Spring of 2008. Instructors will be notified of students who have turned in successfully completed forms.

Students must still complete any additional security clearances required by the intern or field experience site. It is the employer's or site's responsibility to determine if a student volunteer intern, employee intern, or student observer meets the requirements under the laws that apply to each program.

Early Childhood Education Information / Student Liability Insurance
The KCC Early Childhood Education Program develops and implements child care courses designed to provide quality training to individuals. Each individual student participates in training for his or her own reasons. It is important that each student contact specific regulatory and professional recognition organizations to determine if this class meets the goals and standards set by these individual agencies.

Each early childhood education student is required to purchase liability insurance from the college in order to complete assignments outside of class requiring the student to observe sites or children, visit sites or children, and attend field trips. Student liability insurance is purchased through a course fee and is a requirement in the ECE Program.

"I" Grades:

Incomplete ("I") is only given for the most extenuating circumstances. All "I" grades should be completed within one year. It is the student's responsibility to maintain contact with the instructor regarding uncompleted assignments.

Attendance

Early childhood professionals must develop professional and personal skills that enable them to be successful in the workplace. Developing a strong work ethic centers on one's having a good attitude about attendance. Successful completion of this course is dependent upon class attendance.

As an online student you are expected to enter the Blackboard site at least three times a week. There is an automatic tracking system in Blackboard so that the Instructor can check your attendance.

Absences will be addressed as follows:

When a student does not log on to the Blackboard site the first week/session of class, I will complete a No Show Report. When a student misses two weeks of assignments or when absences reach a level when the successful completion of the course is jeopardized, I will complete an excessive absence report. The Student Services Department will follow up with individual students.

More than three weeks / sessions of absences may result in the loss of course credit.

Cheating

Cheating is NOT permitted. Any students caught cheating will receive NO points for the exam or quiz in which the cheating occurred, and/or will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of Kellogg Community College (at the discretion of the instructor).

The Kellogg Community College policy on Academic Integrity is spelled out in the student handbook. If it is suspected that you are cheating, fabricating, facilitating academic dishonesty, or plagiarizing, there will be serious consequences. The incident will be documented and reported to the academic chair and/or program director for possible disciplinary actions up to and including course, program, or college expulsion.

Disclaimer

Information contained in this syllabus was, to the best knowledge of the instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed for use at the beginning of the semester. However, this syllabus should not be considered a contract between Kellogg Community College and any student, nor between any student and the instructor. The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of Kellogg Community College, to make changes in course content or instructional techniques without notice or obligation.

Make-up Policy

Work may be resubmitted once for a higher grade. If you choose to resubmit work, you must do so within one week of receiving your initial grade.

Computer Access at KCC

It is assumed that students enrolled in this course have at their disposal appropriate equipment and software to complete the course work and communicate with other students. If there are problems with your equipment and/or software, it is possible to come the KCC's Campus and use the open computer lab in the Learning Resource Center. See KCC's web site for campus maps and lab times.

Online Submitting Materials

Students will be expected to use e-mail attachments and the blackboard site for this class to submit materials.

ADA Statement

Kellogg Community College does not discriminate in the admission or treatment of students on the basis of disability. KCC is committed to compliance with the American Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Kellogg Community College is dedicated to providing the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for individuals with verified disabilities. Accommodations will be based upon the complete professional evaluation report provided by a physician or some other specialist authorized to make disability diagnoses. Contact the Section 504 compliance officer with specific questions, Holly Moore McKee, Director of Support Services at 269-965-2624.

Additional academic services are available to all students through Support Services and The Learning Place at 269-965-3931, ext 2296 or Support Services at 269-965-2624. Please refer to your student handbook for further information.