...Due: Spring, 2014 Assignment: Observation Paper: Head Start / Early Head Start Point Value: 25 points Directions: Now that you have a broader perspective on both the early intervention movement in general and the Head Start initiative, consider their impact on both society and the field of early childhood education. Responding to social inequities and global demands may not be motivations you previously associated with teaching. Consider these perspectives as you observe, reflect, and research on the following questions. You will search out a variety of avenues to offer free or reduced services in your community which meet the following situations. 1. Head Start is the primary model for Early Childhood Education here in the United States. President Obama supports Head Start with federal dollars. Discuss the advantages of your own personal child attending a Head Start Program. 2. What is the difference between Head Start and Early Head Start? Where is the local seat for Head Start located in your region? Who is the state Early Head Start seat? 3. Subsidized childcare assistance: What is the poverty level for income in your county? How many children in your county are on subsidized childcare assistance? Whom do they talk to? Where are they located? What is the number? 4. Who is your Healthy Start Nurse in your county? What is their job? What services do they offer to your parents? 5. Subsidized housing: What is the...
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...I was fortunate enough to observe the same energetic four year old, Garrett, for all three of my observations. For the final observation, I observed on a Thursday from 11:45 to 12:20. The children were just coming in from their outdoor playspace when I arrived. They were instructed to hang up their jackets in their cubbies and wash their hands for lunch. Inside the classroom, the walls were filled with pumpkin artwork and other Fall posters and crafts. Around the classroom, there were also various stations and centers, all of which fit the Fall theme. The room had four lunch tables with five children chairs and one adult chair around each. For lunch that particular day there was waffles, ham, potatoes, pears, cheese chunks, and milk. After hustling over to the sink to wash and dry his hands, Garrett hopped over to the farthest table and sat in a chair at the end. He kept shouting things to himself such as, “I’m so hungry” and “I can’t wait to eat lunch” and “I’m going to take two of...
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...After more than eighty hours of preparation, it all came down to ten hours of having to be adaptable, engaging, and organized. I was looking at four days of overflowing energy and enthusiasm with the daunting task of keeping the attention of thirty-seven children for an educational summer camp. My plan was to facilitate activities and experiments, but I encountered learning on a much deeper level. For my Girl Scout Gold Award, I organized and led a STEM in Action day camp for children grades K-6 during the summer. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor that a Girl Scout can earn. Because I fit the category of an introverted teenager, this project was breaking down the walls of my comfort zone like a wrecking ball. For this project, I would present a proposal to a committee to obtain funding, organize a group of volunteers, create a lesson plan, and collect all the supplies needed to keep children focused, learning, and having fun. These were just a few of the many ways I was able to show an extroverted side of me that I did not even know existed. The goal of this project was to develop children’s interest in STEM projects and apply concepts they have learned in school. We met this goal successfully; however, the children were not the only ones who learned from this experience. Throughout this project, I developed leadership and organizational skills that will help me throughout the rest of my life. My public speaking skills have increased dramatically, and I also now...
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...Within the stage of infancy a teacher needs to first remember that each infant will develop at their own pace. Each teacher is required to provide excellent care for all infants in the classroom in order to meet each of their individual needs. While making certain to be responsive to each infant and their family. The classroom’s physical layout should foster each infant’s level of curiosity as they discover their immediate surroundings and the objects in it without any limitation (McDevitt & Ellis Ormrod, 2013). Throughout the early childhood stage a teacher should be considerate of each student’s inquisitiveness to try out different new things. A teacher should also take into consideration that of them is capable of learning an abundance...
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...[Kelly Koss was a junior Art major and Psychology minor at Kalamazoo College when she wrote this Observation Report (Spring 2003). Observation Report Kelly Koss Note to the reader: The names within this paper have been modified to protect the identities of the children involved in my observations. Observation #1: “John” and aggression Date and time: Wednesday April 16, 2003; 11:25-12:50 Setting: Playground for 1st/2nd grade recess 11:25-11:50, 3rd/4th grade 11:55-12:20, Kindergarten recess 12:25-12:50 Activities observed: Children climbing across the climbing rings, watching children pretend play at the tire mountain and under the large wooden play structure with the blue plastic slide. My interaction with the children: I spent a lot of time answering questions about my name and where I am from for the children. Example A: There was one child named “John” on the first recess who was racing across the rings with another child, lost the race and fell to the ground. He then started to cry and called himself a loser. I pulled him aside to try to talk to him to find out what was wrong. He kept telling me that he was a loser because he didn’t win the race and he never wins, and that “all my friends think I am a loser because I cry all the time. They make fun of me because I cry. They beat me up. I am a loser.” I tried to reassure him and tell him I did not think he was a loser. I explained how I thought one of the reasons he lost the race was because he had been climbing across...
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... During my visit in my second grade placement I observed many aspects of instructional delivery. The first thing I noticed is that this teacher uses KWL charts which is what you know? What you want to know? What you learned. She has a laminated poster that she fills out with the students using the same expo markers used on the bord she does this at the beginning of each new story.Then she would have they students discuss what they learned from the story as well discussion is very important because it allows the student views to be seen. She also allows the children to work in small groups sometimes to complete their worksheets she assigns each person a rule one child gets the paper everyone helps one person turns paper in and so on. One time she even had the children present what they learned from a story by acting it out I think that this is very important because it allows the children to role play meaning that can learn through their acting experience and this could either be student based or instructional based. When we read a story about animals homes she had an expert from the local zoo come and talk to the class about more animals homes and how to say safe around certain areas at the end of this vist my mentor teacher had a question and answer time where the children could ask anything animal related to the special guest or even to her or to a classmate how had animal which I thought was really cool because we also got to here about some of the students pets and it incorporated...
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...Before I began the assessment, I had a casual conversation to get Alvin comfortable. Assessments can prove to be daunting to children. I wanted to set any possible worries Alvin may have, at ease. So, I first just asked him to tell me about his weekend, and what he did. He told me all about his trip to see his cousins. After this, I asked him if he was willing to help me out with an assignment I had for school. This of course excited him. He wondered how a second grader could possibly help a college student out with their homework. I explained to him, that I had a very important project, and all he had to do to help me was read a few words, a paragraph or two, and answer some questions. This got him excited about the CRI, and took away any potential nerves he may have been feeling. My assessment material was placed to my right. In addition, I had Alvin sit to my left. The purpose in this arrangement was to shield Alvin’s view of my notations throughout the assessment. I did not want Alvin to see me writing anything down, when he made mistakes on the reading lists or comprehension questions. This would most likely fluster him, and lead to more mistakes. In addition to the seating placement, I also took care to stand up a folder between the two of us. This way he could not see my forms, and he could not discern what I was writing down. 3) How did the child respond to you and to the assessment? What behaviors did the child exhibit? Alvin responded fairly well to the assessment...
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...Demographics I am placed at Tolbert Elementary in Resaca, Georgia which is part of the Gordon County School System in a fourth grade classroom. The school is located in a rural area with a 54% of the population being males and 46% of the population being females. Furthermore, my site teacher’s homeroom reflects similar percentages with 54.2% (13 students) of the population being males and 45.8% (11 students) of the population being females. Further, Tolbert is made up of 68.4% of Caucasian students, 25.7% of Hispanic students, 1.6% of African American students, 3.3% of Two Races, and 0.5% of American Indian students. In addition, 69.4% of the students at this school qualify for free lunch and 11.5% of the students qualify for reduced lunch. According to the Georgia DOE, “While females at Tolbert Elementary School have achieved a higher math proficiency than males (female: 47%; male: 37%), at most elementary schools in the Gordon County School District, males and females have achieved about an equal level of math proficiency (female: 37%; male: 37%).” In turn, “At the state level, females at elementary schools in Georgia have performed about equally as well as males on the math assessment (female: 39%; male: 39%).” After reading this statement, I found this to be interesting. The reason I found this interesting is because throughout my school career the generalization made by many was that females are more likely to be more proficient in English and Reading and males are more proficient...
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...Are there other Early Childhood Educators who are witnessing similar communication gaps between families with children who have mental health, emotional, and or behavioral disorders and other professionals inclusive of pediatricians and specialists? I sent an email to a preschool teacher with over 20+ years experience at a local Child Development Preschool, a kindergarten teacher with over 20+ years’ experience, and a first-grade teacher also with 15+ years’ experience. Since they not only have almost 60 years’ experience in the ECE field they also live and work within my community (Artifact 3). Likewise, I then called three local pediatricians from two different major networks to see if they use a formal assessment during regular checkups for mental health, emotional...
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...An Investigation of How Culture Shapes Curriculum in Early Care and Education Programs on a Native American Indian Reservation ‘‘The drum is considered the heartbeat of the community’’ Jennifer L. Gilliard1,3 and Rita A. Moore2 This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in three early care and education programs on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed by the following research question: How does the culture of the family and community shape curriculum? Data analysis suggested that ongoing communication with parents and community about teaching within a culturally relevant context, building a sense of belongingness and community through ritual, and respecting children, families, and community were essential to defining the Native American Indian culture within these early learning programs. KEY WORDS: culture; in; tribal; early; education; programs. INTRODUCTION Instruction informed by children’s home and community culture is critical to supporting a sense of belongingness that ultimately impacts academic achievement (Banks, 2002; Osterman, 2000). American school populations are increasingly diversified with immigrants and English language learners; but American teachers are over 90% European American (Nieto, 2000). Educators who are from different cultural perspectives than those present in the families and communities of the children they...
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...Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings: Best Evidence Synthesis July 2003 Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings: Best Evidence Synthesis October 2003 This report is one of a series of best evidence syntheses commissioned by the Ministry of Education. It is part of a commitment to strengthen the evidence base that informs education policy and practice in New Zealand. It aims to contribute to an ongoing evidence-based discourse amongst policy makers, educators and researchers. The best evidence synthesis approach is being developed in collaboration with researchers. It draws together in a systematic way the available evidence about what works to improve education outcomes, and what can make a bigger difference for the education of all our children and young people. Prepared for the Ministry of Education Authors Linda Mitchell and Pam Cubey Copyright © Ministry of Education PO Box 1666 Wellington ISBN 0-478-18773-4 Web ISBN ISBN 0-478-18774-2 www.minedu.govt.nz Characteristics of professional development linked to enhanced pedagogy and children’s learning in early childhood settings Best Evidence Synthesis Report prepared for the New Zealand Ministry of Education Linda Mitchell and Pam Cubey July 2003 New Zealand Council for Educational Research P O Box 3237 ...
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...Portfolio of Child Observations | 1 The Brief: Observation report instructions: carry out three observations of the same child, one must be timed, one written and the other your own choice. In all the observations you must look at the child's physical, language, and social skills and ultimately their overall cognitive development. The report must be written up in the format: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and analysis. In the discussion and analysis you must tie together what you have observed with the theory of what would be expected of a child of the appropriate age. The report must contain the following: Abstract: where you outline briefly what you did and why, what you found and the recommendations, Introduction: include information about the child observed, discuss the reasons for observing, assessing young children, ethical considerations, the use of norms, cultural bias etc. Methods: where you explain the methods used, reasons for choice, limitations, strengths and weaknesses. Results: evaluate the child's holistic development, list the three areas of development, physical, social and language, discuss the links between these areas, refer to the stages of development and child development theory in making your judgments. Discussion: summarize your findings, make recommendations for the child's learning and development. Bibliography Overall: mention why is it important to observe young children, what might the information be used for? What rights...
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...University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Open Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences 4-9-2013 Education and Human Sciences, College of (CEHS) Predictors of Preschool Children's Peer Interactions: Temperament and Prosocial Behavior Ibrahim H. Acar University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ihacar@gmail.com Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsdiss Part of the Child Psychology Commons Acar, Ibrahim H., "Predictors of Preschool Children's Peer Interactions: Temperament and Prosocial Behavior" (2013). Open Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences. Paper 170. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsdiss/170 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Education and Human Sciences, College of (CEHS) at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. PREDICTORS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S PEER INTERACTIONS: TEMPERAMENT AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR by Ibrahim H. Acar A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Major: Child, Youth, & Family Studies Under the Supervision of Professor Julia...
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...UNIT TITLE: International Perspectives in Early Education & Childcare UNIT NO: DF86 35 UNIT TITLE: Managing a Quality Curriculum UNIT NO: DN89 35 PART 1 “Critically analyse a documented element of international good practice and make a comparison with a similar documented element in Scotland.” A documented element of good practice within “The Swedish National Curriculum” is their great value for gender equity within the early year’s education system. All Swedish early education establishments are in agreement with the values in which the Swedish society is based on (Ministry of Education & Science, 2010). Two of these values are; equality between the genders and equal rights of all people. They specify that both boys and girls should have the same opportunities to develop and explore their abilities/interests without limitations of stereotyped gender roles. Accordingly, early childhood professionals should work to counteract these traditional gender patterns and roles. This is handled in everyday practice in Swedish preschools by ensuring that all staff has a firm qualification enabling them to do so effectively within nurseries. The Swedish Government received indications that practitioners were found to not challenge conventional concepts of gender, but were contributing to them in different ways. So therefore, the Government funded a “gender pedagogue education program” in 2002. The purpose was to educate early childcare practitioners with unique awareness...
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...Early Childhood Research Quarterly 19 (2004) 375–397 The early childhood classroom observation measure Deborah Stipek∗ , Patricia Byler School of Education, Stanford University, 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA 94305-3096, USA Abstract This study assesses a new measure of early childhood classroom practice in 127 kindergarten- and first-grade classrooms. The measure was designed to be appropriate for classrooms serving children from the age of 4–7 years. It assesses the nature and quality of instruction as well as the social climate and management of the classroom. Two separate scales assess the degree to which constructivist, child-centered and the degree to which didactic, teachercentered instructional practices are implemented. Findings indicate that the measure produced reliable scores and meaningful, predictable associations were found between scores on the observation measure, on the one hand, and teachers’ self-reported practices, teaching goals, relationships with children, and perceptions of children’s ability to be self-directed learners, on the other. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Early childhood; Classroom observation; Teaching; ECCOM; Measure 1. Introduction Political and public concerns about improving education have been fueled recently by reports highlighting the number of students, particularly from economically disadvantaged homes, who fail to achieve minimum academic standards. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2002)...
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