REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONERS

Many students enrolled in IFST 221 will become skilled professional educators.This course will be a first step in preparing students to be reflective practitioners serving diverse communities of learners as scholars, problem solvers, and partners.As scholars, students will become grounded in knowledge of their disciplines, in pedagogical content knowledge, and in theory and research concerning individuals, families and communities.

As problem solvers, students will construct effective approaches to professional challenges using theory and research, and as partners, students will support the positive social, physical, and cognitive development of individuals within families and communities.(University of Delaware Statement on Reflective Practitioners, 1998).

NAEYC TEACHER EDUCATION GUIDELINES

Majors in Early Childhood Development and Education, the course will help achieve the following you outcomes described in the Teacher Education Guidelines published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Child Development and Learning

Programs prepare early childhood professionals who:

Use knowledge of how children develop and learn to provide opportunities thatsupport the physical, social, emotional language, cognitive, and aesthetic development of all young children from birth through eight.

Use knowledge of how young children differ in their development and approaches to learning to support the development and learning of individual children.

Demonstrate understanding of the conditions that affect children’s development and learning including risk factors, developmental variations, and developmental patterns of specific disabilities.

Create and modify environments and experiences to meet the individual needs of all children including children with disabilities, developmental delays, and special abilities.

Apply knowledge of cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of social-cultural and political contexts for development and learning, and recognize that children are best understood in the contexts of family, culture, and society.

Affirm and respect culturally and linguistically diverse children, support home language preservation, and promote anti-bias approaches through the creation of learning environments and experiences.

Curriculum Development and Implementation

Programs prepare early childhood professionals who:

Plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and instructional practices based on knowledge of individual children, the community, and curriculum goals and content.

Use individual and group guidance and problem-solving techniques to develop positive and supportive relationships with children, to encourage positive social interaction among children, to promote positive strategies of conflict resolution, and to develop personal self-control, self-motivation, and self-esteem.

Recognize signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect in young children and know responsibility and procedures for reporting known and suspected abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.

Family and Community Relationships

Programs prepare early childhood professionals who:

Demonstrate sensitivity to differences in family structures an socialand cultural backgrounds.

Assessment and Evaluation

Use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan and individualize curriculum and teaching practices.

Observe, record, and assess young children’s development and learning.

Professionalism

Programs prepare early childhood professionals who:

Demonstrate an understanding of conditions of children, families, and professionals, current issues and trends; legal issues; and legislation and other public policies affecting children, families, and programs for young children and the early childhood profession.

Demonstrate awareness and commitment to the profession’s code of ethical conduct.

Serve as advocates on behalf of young children and their families, improved quality programs and services for young children, and enhanced professional status and working conditions for early childhood educators.

Field Experiences

Programs prepare early childhood professionals who:

Observe…under supervision of qualified professionals in a variety ofsettings in which young children, from birth through age eight, are served (such as public and private, centers, schools, and community agencies).