Research Paper
Overview of Paper
Running hHead: LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD 1
LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD 3
Below are my comments from your first submission [black font]. My comments for this submission are in also noted below [red font].
1. Identify the indicators of effective curriculum from the competency. I also included them in your returned assessment. Discuss three of the indicators that you used to develop the three learning experiences.
a. Goals are clearly defined and communicated. Is there a written plan that addresses important goals and can be shared with all who need to know about it?
b. Curriculum is comprehensive. Does the curriculum address the whole childall domains of childrens development (cognitive, social, emotional, and physical)as well as all content areas such as literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, health and physical education, and the arts?
c. Curriculum is evidence based. Is there research evidence of its effectiveness with a similar group of childrenfor example, the same age or speaking the same language?
d. Professional standards validate the curriculum subject matter content. Does the content of the curriculum reflect the content standards recommended by the subject-matter disciplines, such as math educators or reading specialists?
e. Children are active and engaged. Do the teaching and learning experiences provide opportunities for children to be active both mentally and physically?
f. Valued content is learned through investigation and focused teaching. Is the curriculum delivered through experiences that include both child-initiated exploration and teacher-guided instruction?
g. Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences. Is the curriculum sequenced in logical and reasonable ways? Because childrens prior learning experiences will vary, this requires that the teacher individualize the curriculum as much as possible.
h. The curriculum is developmentally appropriate. Are the developmental and learning goals challenging and achievable? That is, are the learning outcomes reasonable expectations for most children within the age range for which it is designed?
i. The curriculum is culturally and linguistically appropriate. Does the curriculum promote positive images of childrens cultural identities and home languages and also recognize and build on their competence?
j. The curriculum can be adapted for individual differences in children. Is the curriculum flexible enough for teachers to adapt to individual variation in children? Can the curriculum be adapted for children with disabilities and special needs?
k. Curriculum is likely to benefit children.
1. Identify the state or other standards (e.g., Creative Curriculum, Head Start, etc.) you used to develop the three learning experiences? In the narrative you identified you used Creative Curriculum standards. However in the first learning experience you used the Florida standards. Which is correct?
2. Clearly identify you used the information about families to develop the three learning experience.
3. Summarize how you incorporated math, science and technology, art, play and physical and social-emotional development in your three learning experiences. These discussions appeared to be more a review of literature and/or what observed rather than a summary of your three learning experiences. The assessment requires three learning experiences. You submitted one learning experience. Review the rubric. Summarize each in the 7 10 narrative. Review the attached annotated assessment. For each area summarize how the content was included in the three learning experiences.
4. Discuss specific instructional differentiation strategies you incorporated in the three learning experiences for ELL / ESE students. Summarize specific examples of how you differentiated the curriculum to promote language and literacy rather than how you assessed the students using differentiation.
5. Missing learning activity goals. Goals are missing from the first learning experience.
6. The first learning experience activities are not aligned with the content areas identified. It is also not aligned with the standard: facilitate the matching of printed to spoken word. You stated the content areas were language and literacy, Mathematical thinking, and creative expression through art. The learners will also be taken through programs which promote social and emotional as well as physical development. The lesson on following directions does not address these areas. You stated the learning experience was developed based on the Floridas Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking Standards, ELA.K.F.1 Learning and Applying Foundational Reading Skills. The lesson of following directions is not based on this standard.
7. In the learning experiences clearly discuss specific instructional strategies. Discuss for three separate learning experiences.
8. Clearly state how will you assess the goals of the learning experience aligned with the standard. First develop a learning experience in which the content areas, standards, goals and instruction are aligned.
9. Review additional comments in the attached file.
10. I attached two additional blank learning experiences to this document.
Dr. Todd
Learning Experiences During Early Childhood
Walden University
Learning Experiences During Early Childhood
I interviewed a kindergarten teacher and participated in a number of her lessons in a bid to familiarize myself with the environment and also to take note of areas of improvement. OK All things considered, I was impressed. This paper is a summary of the experience, and further elaboration is made to demonstrate how the knowledge acquired during the exercise fits into the paradigm of effective learning in kindergartens. OK
Kindergarten is a program meant for children aged between 4 and 6 years. It is an important stage in a childs learning endeavors since the teachers are trained and experienced on facilitating learning opportunities which are developmentally appropriate. The learning activities do not only build their academic skills but also enhance their sociability. It is an effective way of enabling a successful transition from the home into school environments. The paper is dedicated to the understanding of how best a child can be equipped during this formative stage in a bid to make their academic and social life successful.
Refection of Three Indicators of an Effective Curriculum
Three learning competencies were focused upon; and they included the development of communication capabilities, the nurturing of thinking capacities, and the ability to apply various life skills. The communication capabilities refer to someones ability to receive, process, and transit messages. Consequently, one can express their thoughts, feelings, and levels of understanding. Children who acquire communication capabilities are better prepared to develop themselves socially and academically than those who are not. They can use this knowledge to deescalate conflicts and mitigate problems while in class as well as after they have gone home.
The communication capabilities are developed through learning of language. The most basic learning activities are acquiring the knowledge of how to read and write. It has to start with recognizing the letters of the alphabet. The most effective way of determining if the children can recognize the letters is by playing the letter swat game. The teacher writes letters (and, sometimes, numbers) on sticky notes, and then have them spread across a wall of floor. Children are asked to swat a letter using fly swatters as the teacher calls them out. The indicators of success include an effective use of language to receive as well as transmit messages, acquiring the ability to negotiate, as well as use of the information available to make decisions pertaining to the emerging situations.
The amount of time the children remain engaged in art activities can reveal their level of imagination, and hence their thinking capacity. Thinking capacity refers to the ability to analyze information and construct knowledge systematically. To achieve this, one must be a critical thinker, and must have the capacity to synthesize the new information with the old. Thinking capacity also implies the ability to make judicious decisions as one goes along. Such competencies come about as children learn art and math.
Art is supposed to be a creative endeavor that is not based on rules and/or directions. It is simply a way that children work emotionally, express ideas, and make decisions. The third indicator is determining how much math can be learnt using sticky notes. A teacher writes numbers 11 to 20, and then 21 to 30; each time on two sets of sticky notes. One set is spread all-over on the far end of the room. From the other set, the teacher hands over a number to a learner. The learner names it, and they are then asked to pick-out a match from the other set.
The key indicators of success include the ability to identify the relationship between the art and craft components and putting them together effectively, the ability to set priorities in a given situation. One must tell what needs to be completed first, the piece that must be incorporated last, and having originality. Effective learning is said to have occurred if these students can also demonstrate flexibility.
Learning and playing is facilitated by the development of life skills. These skills are acquired as the students and the teacher interact in class, and what they learn can as well be applicable after they go back home. Life skills refer to the ability to cooperate and be productive while in a group. Those who have perfected this skill tend to manage conflicts by averting undesirable behaviors as well as adjusting to environmental and social changes. Indicators of success include the capacity to enhance interpersonal relationships, the ability to manage problems properly, and coming up with a logical estimation of the emergent risks in day-to-day situations. Comment by Carol Todd: In this section address the indicators from the competency. I included them below. Discuss three of the indicators that you used to develop the three learning experiences.
Goals are clearly defined and communicated. Is there a written plan that addresses important goals and can be shared with all who need to know about it?
Curriculum is comprehensive. Does the curriculum address the whole childall domains of childrens development (cognitive, social, emotional, and physical)as well as all content areas such as literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, health and physical education, and the arts?
Curriculum is evidence based. Is there research evidence of its effectiveness with a similar group of childrenfor example, the same age or speaking the same language?
Professional standards validate the curriculum subject matter content. Does the content of the curriculum reflect the content standards recommended by the subject-matter disciplines, such as math educators or reading specialists?
Children are active and engaged. Do the teaching and learning experiences provide opportunities for children to be active both mentally and physically?
Valued content is learned through investigation and focused teaching. Is the curriculum delivered through experiences that include both child-initiated exploration and teacher-guided instruction?
Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences. Is the curriculum sequenced in logical and reasonable ways? Because childrens prior learning experiences will vary, this requires that the teacher individualize the curriculum as much as possible.
The curriculum is developmentally appropriate. Are the developmental and learning goals challenging and achievable? That is, are the learning outcomes reasonable expectations for most children within the age range for which it is designed?
The curriculum is culturally and linguistically appropriate. Does the curriculum promote positive images of childrens cultural identities and home languages and also recognize and build on their competence?
The curriculum can be adapted for individual differences in children. Is the curriculum flexible enough for teachers to adapt to individual variation in children? Can the curriculum be adapted for children with disabilities and special needs?
Curriculum is likely to benefit children.
Reflections on the Learning Standards as well as the Goals Identified by the Teacher
Learning at the kindergarten level is basically games designed to facilitate knowledge acquisition. As they engage in fun learning activities, they also socialize. In fact, children should also be taught values such as honesty, justice, and love as they learn the alphabet, art, and math. Actualizing these values does not only make the interactions healthy but also lay the groundwork for moral uprightness in the future.
I used the creative curriculum, and this was based on research and theory. It was propped by five factors including the teachers role, the role of the family, and learning by the children. The others included creating an efficient learning environment and being keen on children learning and development. It brought together games, toys, and dramatic plays; and these were primarily geared towards knowledge discovery and development. It worked. The children were thrilled to learn in a fun way, and they could remember a significant portion of the concepts. This is, therefore, the way to go. Comment by Carol Todd: This is a proper noun.
It is apparent that the learning experiences are structured in accordance to the interests, needs, and abilities of the learner. Any unnecessary contents and/or teaching methods are eliminated to avoid overburdening the children. The most important thing at this stage is to learn simple concepts, and ways of forming ideas (Shahbazi & Salinitri, 2016). They must enjoy as they do so. School should be entertaining for children; else they lose interest. Should that be the case, their relationships with teachers and parents alike would be complicated; and this would be a trigger for socioemotional and behavioral problems (Neitzel & Connor, 2018). Summarize the specific Creative Curriculum standards you used to develop the three learning experiences.
The Value of the Knowledge of the Learners as well as their Families
Learners tend to have diverse opinions, perspectives, and positions. This is the case even when they come from similar cultural backgrounds. If the students are from varied backgrounds, diversity of their paradigms become amplified. In this regard, the teacher has a primary responsibility to ensure that everyone feels welcome. The learners families hope for an environment where respect and understanding are promoted so as to enable their children to optimize their potential.
I recognized the benefits of partnering with families and working together with these stakeholders in support of their optimal knowledge acquisition as well as development. The first task was to know these families (parents) prior to welcoming and communicating with them on a regular basis. The parents identified challenges and suggested ways in which they could be addressed. Some of these opinions became invaluable, and were incorporated in the learning experiences.
The Promotion of Language as well as Literacy
The children had unique academic needs; and they also had such unique background experiences as language, culture, personality, experiences, attitudes, and interests. The most apparent difference was that of language, and effective teaching needed to take that into account. I did adjust and differentiate, and I was in a position to give instructions in a way that met the needs of the students. Summarize specific examples of how you differentiated the curriculum to promote language and literacy.
Started by knowing as much details as possible about every ELL student. That facilitated the appropriateness of the instructions. I endeavored to engage in the assessment of guide instructions on an ongoing basis. Matching the instructions with the dynamic needs of the students facilitates bringing everyone on board. I can to appreciate the fact that even homework ought to be differentiated since students have varying learning abilities. Lastly, I recognize the need for collaboration since this enables the learners to gain from one another. Comment by Carol Todd: Write in professional and masters level terms.
The learning experience will promote alphabet knowledge, the awareness of phonologies, and print awareness. Alphabet knowledge include the recognition as well as naming of lower and upper case letters. They also start to associate the letters with respective sounds. With phonological awareness, the children learn to manipulate sounds. They learn the rhyming words, and they can listen for the syllables within the words. Learning to notice the sounds at the beginning of words, as well as matching the sounds to letters, is the ultimate achievement of phonological awareness. Print awareness refers to the understanding of the various parts of the book. They also learn that letters, words, and sentences run from the left to the right; as well as from the top to the bottom of the page.
The Promotion of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
When the children are taught to count as they play as well as name things and pick those names in written text, the most important aspects of learning have commenced. Henceforth, the learners can be guided as they build their body of knowledge. Before one becomes competent enough to postulate anything, they have to learn the basic concepts. When learning of the concepts starts early enough, the children have strong basis for realizing their potential in such fields as science and technology.
Simple scientific concepts are taught. For instance, the children are asked to categorize animals. During one of the lessons I attended, the children were asked to pick-out the images of dogs. The teacher also asked them to pinpoint insects, and many were correct in their picks. Counting has also advanced, and I was impressed to see that instead of using fingers and toes (or other objects in counting), the learners either tallied or used tools such as abacus.
The Promotion of Arts
Just like play, children learn a lot through the exploration and experimentation with art. Indeed, art is actually a distinctive part of play. By engaging with and in various arts while still young, the chances of the learners academic success are increased significantly. Their behaviors and attitudes towards life are also shaped in ways which support learning endeavors. Among the various art forms which the learners can engage in include music, visual art, drama, and dance. Some of the learners can discover their talents; and hence hint to their parents and teachers what extra-cubicula activities need to be cultivated (Shahbazi & Salinitri, 2016).
Art aid creativity as the children explore not just the world around them but also their personal identities. Art, therefore, helps in advancing a holistic development; and the children show remarkable aesthetic appreciation of the free-play academic environment. Art helps in capturing and maintaining their interest as it is enjoyable and relaxing.
The Promotion of Socioemotional and Physical Development
The experiences and activities that are available for children in their learning environments must support their social-emotional development. The role of the teacher as far as socioemotional and physical developments is concerned is to observe. They must also gather some clues on how future opportunities for play, interaction, and socialization can be created (Prioletta & Pyle, 2017).
Essentially, the learning environment must be organized to be cooperative. The learners are organized in teams, and a team must work hard towards the realization of the common goal. Cooperative learning is particularly helpful when the children are drawn from diverse backgrounds. It increases their respect for each other, as well as their levels of friendship. Childrens self-esteem is boosted, and this positive start in school life can contribute to their success (Fesseha & Pyle, 2016). For each area summarize how the content was included in the three learning experiences.
My Understanding of the Kindergarteners Learning and Development
Even at the kindergarten level, weekly continuous assessment was found to be invaluable. Assessments help both the teachers and their students since while the former can determine the effectiveness of their teaching strategies, testing also reveal the particular learners areas of weaknesses. Interventions can be made to ready these learners for their future academic endeavors in the most effective manner possible. We appreciated the fact that the learners must know as many age-appropriate concepts as possible. Otherwise, they could face serious academic challenges in the future (Prioletta & Pyle, 2017).
Incorporating Play in Learning Experiences
Kinzer, Gerhardt, & Coca (2016) argue that kindergarteners ought to play in the classroom on a daily basis. However, this is not always the case. There are a couple of tips which should be taken into consideration in order to incorporate play into classroom activities. Plays could be sneaked into the daily classroom routine, and availing the necessary materials is the initial step in making this happen.
The materials should, nonetheless, be carefully selected to aid in the study of such math-related activities as counting, and language-related activities such as naming the colors and identifying them in written text. Playing is important since children are actually concrete learners. They learn through doing. Byrnes, Miller-Cotto, & Wang (2018) encourage the use of manipulatives, instead of just using paper and pencil in teaching. The manipulatives can be cheap everyday items, as opposed to always seeking expensive toys from the store.
Games should also be used to review and practice concepts. The games may be simple, and do not have to be competitive. They can be guessing games, solving puzzles, as well as the hide-and-seek games. Even with play-incorporated learning though, the children need breaks. It is during the breaks that they relax and also re-energize for the next lessons (Shahbazi & Salinitri, 2016).
During the plays, we did join-in. I realized that playing together facilitated bonds building with the learners. The end-result was a classroom community of fun and shared-learning. Being a participant, I found opportunities to challenge them and to stretch their imaginations. I am convinced that the strategies we took are sustained, they could help the learners grow.
Differentiating the Individual Needs of Children
I found it important to always play a game in order to get the students warmed-up. This is important to kindergarten learners since they may not even recognize their roles in either the teams or in the classroom. Games are important; and if the children follow through, they eventually realize that results are achieved quicker through team collaboration than with competition between the individuals.
We decided to judge each of the teams of learners on their own merit. After holding a discussion, we determined that judging in relation to others make the learners feel that their failure or success is not something that is determined by what they do. Rather, it is dependent on what others do.
We came up with a procedure where grades were awarded based on how best the groups met their goals, as well as how the individual students achieved their duties. There were also rewarding by categories, and this helped the teachers understand where the students needed to improve. There were no rankings since this was determined to be quite irrelevant with the goals teachers have for kindergarten classes. Summarize specific examples of how you differentiated the curriculum to promote language and literacy not how you assessed the students.
Collaboration that Developed Learning Experience
After the initial interview and orientations, we broke the students into smaller teams. Each teacher was to supervise three of the groups as they completed the assigned activities. Even though the idea was not to complete, variations in performance emerged. In the next round of tasks, the teams were deliberately reorganized. The students demonstrated a notable ability to listen to and respond to the requests of their peers. By so doing, one of goals the teachers had was fulfilled. This is because the students were socializing, besides just acquiring academic concepts.
Value of Collaboration in Curriculum Planning
I found out that by working together, we formed personal as well as professional relationships which reduced the anxiety of being in this new environment and with unfamiliar children. At least I felt that I had a shoulder to lean on. Teachers draw support from each other quite often, and they even delegate to increase the probability of successful learning. Therefore, there are two fundamental reasons why collaboration is important. First, it makes the teacher as comfortable as possible. Secondly, the learner has the benefit of drawing the best that each teacher has to offer (Neitzel & Connor, 2018).
Challenges Experienced
Completing my assignment while balancing the best interest of the children as well as the expectations of the parents was the most difficult challenge. While I understood my needs, I was not fully aware of these particular students interests. This is because I had not interacted with them before, and I had to be observant and learn from their teachers signal. I also did not interact with the parents, and hence I had to make an educated guess (that is, based on what I had learnt in class and literature).
Compromising, Demonstrating Respect, as well as Shared Responsibility
I worked in close collaboration and under the direction of the teacher. Of course, they know their learners well, and I figured that such a working arrangement would avoid causing confusion in class. I was fortunate to have a small class, and hence one-on-one interaction with the learners was possible. I did benefit from the experience, and I believe that the learners enjoyed it too. The teacher congratulated me, and said that it was nice having me in the class; and I felt that they were being honest. Well addressed.
Learning Experience Plan Template
Foundations of Lesson Plan
Content Areas and Developmental Domains
The content areas to focus upon include language and literacy, Mathematical thinking, and creative expression through art. The learners will also be taken through programs which promote social and emotional as well as physical development.
State/District/Professional Standards
One of Floridas Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking Standards, ELA.K.F.1 Learning and Applying Foundational Reading Skills, is meant to facilitate the matching of printed to spoken word. The students are, for instance, asked to point to words in written sentences as the adults say them aloud. Add the Florida standards to the narrative discussion. In the narrative you identified you used Creative Curriculum standards. Which is correct?
Materials/Technology/Equipment/Resources
The materials needed to complete the learning experience include:
Writing materials on which words to be identified by the learners are to be written.
Book samples, such that the students can be asked to identify such parts as the title page, front cover, and back cover.
Abacus for teaching basic counting skills.
Crayons and painting papers.
Goals are missing.
Lesson Sequence
Introduction/Anticipatory Set
Building a Sense of Connection and Relationship with the Children
The teacher will gain the attention of the children using a dramatic voice. They will also wear sensationally. They may, for instance, put on a funny hat. As the children enjoy the amusement, the teacher can bring the class into order. The teacher may as well lead one of the popular nursery rhymes. Comment by Carol Todd: Wear sensationally what?
Relating the Lessons to Prior Knowledge, Interest, and their Communities
Because children love sorting blocks and shapes and solving jigsaws, these will be incorporating in the learning endeavors. They will, for instance, asked to sort blocks based on colors and shapes; and will also be asked to count how many they are. The learners will be asked to point out words such as purple, seven, and cube in short written text.
Considering that contemporary classes are increasingly diverse, the learners will be guided on how to relate to individuals from different cultures. Besides making sure that every child feels welcome, such an approach avails the opportunity for students to learn some of the concepts lacking in their own cultures (Kinzer et al., 2016).
Building/Applying Knowledge and Skills
One of the most important aspect of learning is knowing how to follow directions. Irrespective of the subject and/or topic in question, not much can be achieved if the learners cannot understand what is expected of them. Therefore, the steps listed are basically about following instructions, even as the students broaden their vocabulary and have fun.
i. Of course, the teacher must get the learners attention prior to giving directions.
ii. The teacher must also speak slowly and clearly, but loudness could be varied to increase the attention.
iii. The directions must be brief and simple.
If the directions are complicated, the teacher must use words such as first, second, next, as well as finally.
iv. The teacher must check if the learner understands by asking them to repeat the directions.
If they are able to summarize them, that is further proof they understand.
v. The learners should be encouraged to ask for clarification.
vi. The teacher must not be frustrated if the directions are misunderstood.
Supposing they were asked to draw something and ended-up drawing another, the teacher should ask them to elaborate what they actually drew, and try to help them understand the mismatch calmly.
As the teacher interacts with their students, they get to understand the differentiated needs of the individuals. There could be several uniqueness which need to be taken into account. A child could, for instance, be slow in understanding the instructions; but when they do, they end-up completing what is expected of them with notable perfection. This is why it is imperative not to give-up, and/or get frustrated (Byrnes et al., 2018).
1. You stated the content areas were language and literacy, Mathematical thinking, and creative expression through art. The learners will also be taken through programs which promote social and emotional as well as physical development. The lesson on following directions does not address these areas.
2. You stated the learning experience was developed based on the Floridas Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking Standards, ELA.K.F.1 Learning and Applying Foundational Reading Skills. The lesson of following directions is not based on this standard.
Assessment
I will be guided by the district and professional standards. Any extra innovativeness must be within the bounds defined by the standards, since they guide what is expected of the teacher.
I believe that the teacher must also have a goal. Sometimes work could be frustrating. Goals are what keep the teacher going. Actually, goals determine the teachers attitude and the decisions they make during their normal working environments.
There will be short-term and medium-term goals.
Part of the short-term goal is teaching the students to follow directions. Medium-term goals include introducing the students to colors, counting, as well as word/letter recognition. Of course, the ultimate goal is to ready the kindergarten learners for the elementary as well as future learning endeavors. This gives the teacher a sense of purpose.
Assessment
I will review as well as summarize the teaching and learning activities that have taken place.
I will also seek to understand if the learning has connected new with the past knowledge.
If the learners can effectively apply problem solving skills which have been taught, they must have understood the content.
The mood of the students as the class comes to close can reveal how enjoyable it was.
Learning Experience Plan Template
Foundations of Lesson Plan
Content Areas and Developmental Domains
Identify
