HD 342-01, Curriculum for Early Childhood Programs
Summer 2008
Instructor Information:
Karen Peterson
Education/Human
Development Building, Room 229
Phone: 360-546-9733
Fax: 360-546-9076
Office Hours:
M, W, 12:30-1:30, or by appointment
Email:petersok@vancouver.wsu.edu
Home page: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/petersok/home.htm
Course Information:
Schedule:
Arranged
May 5 through June 13, 2008
Description:
Four semester credit hours; Planning and implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum for use in programs serving young children.
Prerequisites:
Required: HD 101, 201, or 340; three additional hours of social sciences;
Recommended: HD 341 or 345.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of HD 342 students will:
- Understand and use curriculum planning that is appropriate for children 3-5 years of age.
- Develop an understanding and appreciation of individual young children's capabilities and learning needs, including children with special needs and children from varying cultural backgrounds.
- Apply theories of learning and development as well as knowledge of individual children to the design and implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum, including goals, objectives, lesson plans, and curriculum units.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how to organize space, materials and time to establish an effective classroom environment utilizing learning centers and natural play-based activities related to the domains of learning.
- Exercise critical thinking skills to professionally evaluate educational activities and ideas presented by others and by self.
- Articulate a philosophy of early childhood education and demonstrate resourcefulness in increasing professionalism.
- Document successful implementation of DAP activities in a classroom setting (Child Development Program).
Required Texts and Other Materials:
Required Text:
Kostelnik, M. J., Soderman, A. K., Whiren, A. P. (3rd or 4th edition) Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Best Practices in Early Childhood Education. Upper Saddle River: NJ: Merrill.
Other Materials:
Additional materials provided by instructor.
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Classroom Requirements:
Reasonable Accommodation:
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. Late notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable. All accommodations must be approved in advance by the Assistant Director for Student Development, located in VSSC room 20C or at 360-546-9155.
Inclement Weather:
When students have questions about classes being held during inclement weather, please contact the faculty support for the department. Faculty support will have information regarding class closures and will post that information on their voice mail messages. Please see the faculty support telephone number listed below:
Lynda Dezellem 360/546-9721 Human Development
Student Conduct and Academic Dishonesty:
Per the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook, students are, "Expected to show due respect for ... the rights of others". Students should be familiar with the Washington State University standards of conduct. The following web site for the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook provides information on student conduct and the academic integrity process: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/handbook/conduct.html.
Academic Integrity :
Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course. Any student caught cheating on any assignment will be given an “F” for the course and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
Academic Calendar:
The WSU Vancouver Academic Calendar for the current semester is located at the following web site http://www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX. Please refer to this document for important dates and deadlines throughout the semester.
Electronic Mail :
All students are required to be on e-mail to further communication between students and instructor. Students at WSU Vancouver have access to free e-mail by going to the following web site: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/vis/vit/accounts.htm. A home e-mail account is also acceptable.
Procedures for Submitting and Retrieving Papers and Assignments:
The Human Development Department maintains a student drop box for students submitting assignments to HD faculty. Students use the student drop box on the second floor of the VEHD building. Directions are located on the top of the box. The box is checked several times daily and the contents distributed according to the faculty name you have placed on the envelope. DO NOT submit assignments by putting them in the file cabinet. The file cabinet is used only for returning graded assignments to students and for students to pick up copies of non-graded class materials such as class notes. All graded material will be returned in an envelope with each student's name and the course number on the outside and placed in the alphabetical files by LAST name. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT A COPY OF ALL ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN BE SAVED ELECTRONICALLY AND THAT YOU ALSO KEEP A PAPER (HARD) COPY. All student papers will be maintained in the HD file cabinet for six weeks following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. After six weeks, all papers, tests, etc. will be shredded. All assignments submitted electronically for this course MUST be in WORD and cannot be sent as zip or word perfect documents/files. Students turning in work should use the student drop box on the second floor of the VEHD building. Assignments may be faxed. Please put the instructor’s name (K. Peterson) on your fax cover page.
Grading:
Grading Procedures and Assignments :
Final grades for the course will be assigned according to the following distribution for all WSU Vancouver Human Development classes. Listed in the table below are the requirements for the course, together with associated point values. Additional detail is provided in the section following the table.
| Completed | Form to |
Requirement | Points | % of grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | In-class participation (45 hours) (time log) | 30 | 11 | |
| x | Video reviews (5) | 25 | 10 | |
| x | Activity plan (1)/Implementation | 15 | 5 | |
| x | Activity plan (2)/Implementation | 15 | 5 | |
| x | Activity plan (3)/Implementation | 15 | 5 | |
| x | Activity plan (4)/Implementation | 15 | 5 | |
| x | Activity plan (5)/Implementation | 15 | 5 | |
| x | Chapter essay questions (5) | 25 | 10 | |
| x | Classroom design plan | 20 | 7 | |
| x | Master teaching plan (2 parts) | 65 | 24 | |
| x | Self-review of master plan | 5 | 2 | |
| x | Summary review paper | 10 | 4 | |
| Optional choice(s) (2) | 20 | 7 | ||
| Total | 275 | 100 |
Grading Scale:
The standard Human Development grading scale is as follows:
| Grade | Percent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 100-94 | 259-275 |
| A- | 93-90 | 248-258 |
| B+ | 89-87 | 240-247 |
| B | 86-83 | 228-239 |
| B- | 82-80 | 220-227 |
| C+ | 79-77 | 212-219 |
| C | 76-73 | 201-211 |
| C- | 72-70 | 193-200 |
| D+ | 69-67 | 184-192 |
| D | 66-60 | 165-183 |
| F | 59 or below | <165 |
Course Requirements:
1. Children’s in-classroom participation:
The fourth credit for this course is based on the requirement that students spend time preparing for and being in an early childhood classroom during the semester. A minimum of 45 hours of practicum time in the Child Development Program at WSU Vancouver is required. All classroom hours must be completed by the end of final exam week for the semester; they can be completed earlier if schedules allow.
2. Videotape reviews (5):
Videotape reviews of different early childhood curricular models are required. All videotapes will be available for you to take home. A short video review summary sheet identifying issues presented in each tape is required for this assignment. These tapes may be watched and the summary sheets submitted at any time; all of the summary reviews are due no later than the last week of instruction for the semester.
3. Activity plans and implementation (5):
You are required to plan, prepare and implement five activities in the classroom. These may include formal and informal activities from 5 of the 6 curricular domain areas used in the CDP (and focused in your text) and should be based on information derived from your personal interests, lesson/master teaching plan work, suggestions from the lead teachers, and/or observations of children. You must use the activity plan form provided for these activities. Time in the classroom to implement these activities may be considered as part of your in-class participation defined in #1 above. You must have one of the lead teachers in the CDP approve your plan before you schedule a time with them to implement your plan. These plans may be submitted as you complete your implementation in the classroom and all are due prior to the last week of instruction for the semester.
4. Chapter reviews:
A list of chapter review questions for eight of the chapters in the “Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum” text will be provided early in the semester. For completion of this assignment you may select any five of these chapters to review. All of these reviews are due no later than the last week of instruction for the semester but may be submitted at any time.
5. Classroom design plan:
You will be asked to design a classroom for children; provide a list of suitable equipment and materials and a rationale for your plan. This assignment is due no later than the last week of instruction for the semester or any time prior.
6. Master teaching plan:
After selecting a curriculum theme, you will design and plan a week-long integrated curriculum unit that includes activities in a variety of domains and addresses significant learning goals and objectives. There are three parts to the assignment: One is the week long plan written on a lesson plan form, and the other is a 2 page “write-up” of your goals, rational, etc. and a domain web for your plan. A personal review of this plan prior to submission is intended to help you remember what you need to include and is called the “self-review of master plan” and should be submitted the same time as your master plan. The completed master plan and self-review are due no later than the second day of final exams.
7. Summary review paper:
A short 1-2 page paper on your experiences and learning for HD 342 is due at the end of the semester. The intention of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your experiences and provide recommendations for future students who work through this course.
8. Optional choices:
You have the opportunity to select two additional “assignments” that are intended to provide you with a more personal view of the course material. Each option is worth 10 points and will require only a short “write-up” to log in the time and experience with the instructor. Appropriate options can come from the list below OR you can define one for yourself and, with instructor approval, work on that. The “write-up” sheets are due during the last week of the semester but can be submitted at any time.
Some possible options for summer 2008:
- Additional 10 hours scheduled in the Child Development Program
- Attendance at a professional meeting or conference
- Visit to another early childhood education program
- Assist with administrative tasks associated with the CDP
- Complete a professional portfolio
- Conduct child assessment (with lead teacher)
- Observe parent conference
- Research and prepare materials for the family bulleting board at the CDP
- Other
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Useful Links:
You may find some useful information at web sites listed on the department resources page.