ELE 4776 Sp08 - 1 - Eastern Illinois University Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle Level Education ELE 4776 History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Spring 2008 Tuesday: 6-8:30 PM, Buzzard 2441 Instructor: Dr. Sham`ah Md-Yunus Office: 2203, Buzzard Hall Office Hours: M: 9-11 AM; T-R; 10-11 AM, other times by appointments Phone: 217-581-6215 (office); 217-348-5646 (home) E-mail: [email protected] Unit Theme: Educators as creators of effective educational environment, integrating diverse students, subjects, strategies, and societies. Catalog Description: The history and philosophy of early childhood education from birth through age eight. Historical and contemporary models, social policy, and philosophical issues. Course Goal: This course is intended to provide: 1) basic knowledge about the historical foundation of early childhood education (ECE); 2) an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of current programs, practices and philosophies; 3) recent trends and issues in the field; and 4) national values and social forces which influence the field of early childhood education. Prerequisites: ELE 2321 Outcomes for all the ELE Classes: • Develop a desire for lifelong learning. • Demonstrate good communication. • Demonstrate/ exhibit sensitivity to student’s feelings. • Demonstrate knowledge of facts, and an understanding of fundamental principles, ideas, and relationships among various domains. • Utilize concepts of measurement and assessment. • Provides for the uniqueness of the individual. • Emphasize higher order, critical thinking. Outcomes Specific to this Course: • Understands the teacher’s role in relation to culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. • Analyze the relationships between cultural background and individual development • Demonstrate knowledge of past and present development, issues, research, and social influences in the field of education. • Understand student and parent legal rights in relation to early childhood education. • Use technology to support teaching and learning. • Model appropriate professional behavior…ethnical, legal, social, and moral. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodation, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 581-6583. Learning Model: Learning Model: Developmental: This model begins from the perspectives of the selfhood of the individual. It emphasizes development that occurs as a result of interaction between the individual and the physical and social environment. Learning occurs when individuals assimilate new experiences into already exiting cognitive structures. The model pays great attention to the individual perspective and shapes education so that students can better understand themselves, take responsibility for their own learning, and go beyond current developments in order to become stronger, more sensitive, andELE 4776 Sp08 - 2 - more creative. (Joyce, B., Weil, M. & Showers, B (1992). Models of Teaching, 4th. Ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon). Dispositions: Teacher candidates in the Department of EC/ELE/MLE will exhibit professional ethical practices, effective communication, sensitivity to diversity, the ability to provide varied teaching practices evidenced in a supportive and encouraging environment. Course Text: Morrison, George, S. (2004). Early Childhood Today, 10th. Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Course Requirements and Evaluation: Points Due Date 1. Journal article review 20 1/15/08 2. Philosophy of Education Paper 50 1/29/08 3. Test I 25 2/12/08 4. Mid-term 50 2/19/08 3. Research Paper on Philosophical Issues in Early Childhood Education 75 3/18/08 6. Test II 25 4/1/08 7. Group project 100 4/22/08 8. Attendance and class participation 20 Total 365 Grading Scales A= 92-100% = 335-365 B= 82-91% =299-334 C= 72-81% =262-298 D= 62-71% = 226-261 F= 61% and below =225 All written assignments must be in an American Psychological Association (APA) format and should reflect academic honesty and no plagiarism. Due dates will be set for all work, one point shall be deducted for each calendar day that a paper or project is late. Absences: Regular attendance and class participation are expected and count as part of your grade. If you are absence or missed the class, it is your responsibility to check with your classmate first to see if there have been any assignment changes or materials covered in the class Assignments 1. Journal Article Review Students will summarize the article, discuss major points and reflect their thinking regarding the issues or topic in the article. The paper should be no more that 2 pages long. Article can be selected from the professional journals in early childhood education such as Young Children, Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education Research and Practice, Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education. 2. Philosophy of Education Paper Students will write 2-page paper about their personal philosophy of teaching and learning of young children and their families. This paper will address the following topics; philosophy of teaching, what do you believe the best practice in teaching young children, children with special needs, diversity and multiculturalism, using technology for young children, poverty and low income children and families. 3. Research Paper on Philosophical Issues in Early Childhood Education Students will research issues regarding philosophical issues in the early childhood education. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce students to some issues early childhood education teacher face in their professions. The paper should be approximately 4-5 pages long. Suggested topics/issues; A. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early Childhood Programs.ELE 4776 Sp08 - 3 - i. Discuss what are the philosophy of the DAP ii. Define what is DAP and dimension of the practices iii. How children learn and develop iv. How ECE teachers teaching philosophy v. Why play is important to young children? vi. Early learning and brain development vii. Children form diverse backgrounds viii. Integrating technology in the classrooms B. No Child Left Behind: i. Explain on what is the No Child Left Behind Law 2002 (NCLB) and the background information regarding this law. ii. Discuss on the accountability of the