Discussions
ECE203: INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOM
Instructor Guidance
Week 3
Week Three: Overview
In this third week of ECE203 we will be focusing our attention on the important topic of assessment. We will extend our discussion from week two regarding developmentally appropriate practices into developmentally appropriate assessment strategies. We will also connect documentation and planning in assessment.
As educators or caregivers one of the most important responsibilities we have is to accurately assess those children in our care. This process of “collecting information about children’s development, learning, behavior, academic progress, need for special services, and attainment” is at the forefront of decision making (Morrison, 2009). The biggest of those decisions is how to progress with instruction. We might ask ourselves, what does each of our students need individually, and what are their needs as a collective group? How can we plan effectively to meet those varied needs while still upholding the curriculum set forth by our schools or centers, as well as the state and national standards? These important questions (plus so many more) revolve around our ability to properly assess children in ways that supports their learning.
As you can see this third week is contains some important information. So, let’s get started!
Discussion 1: Choose a Side: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment
An important role of teachers and caregivers is linking assessment and curriculum to guide planning and decision making (Kostelnik, Rupiper, Soderman, and Whiren, 2014, p. 15). During the first two weeks of class we have discussed in depth the need to plan according to the individual needs of our students. We have learned ways to get to know our students interests, backgrounds, cultures, etc. However, only through assessing children can we get an accurate picture of their academic needs and strengths. Assessment provides us with yet another tool to inform our instruction and planning and “provides practical, ongoing information and evidence to guide what you choose to do” (Jaruszewicz, 2012, section 12.1). As stated above, our role is to link assessment, curriculum and planning together. In order to link these together, we must align our assessments “with learning standards as well as the goals and content of the curriculum” (section 12.1). Our findings can then be “used to modify activities and practices to advance the development of each child” (section 12.1).
As teachers and caregivers we must ensure that the assessments we use are appropriate for the child’s age and developmental stage and is individually and culturally appropriate (Kostelnik, 2014, p.15). That is truly what is at the heart of developmentally appropriate assessment.
One of the key forms of assessment for young children is the informal method of observation. The reason for this is that young children are typically not developmentally ready or equipped to handle consistent use of more formal types of assessment. “Widespread implementation of standardized testing with children under the age of 8, especially if not balanced with the holistic data that informal assessments provide, is considered developmentally inappropriate” (NAEYC/NAECS/SDE, 2003, as cited in Jaruszewicz, 2012, section 12.2). Observation is a developmentally appropriate option if you take certain developmental factors of young children into consideration. According to Kostelnik, 2014, p.61:
Young children have immature language skills. They have limited ability to follow oral directions, read printed instructions, or express themselves adequately in words.
Children are sensitive to the setting, the timing, and the people involved in the assessment process. The more can design your assessment to document what children are doing naturally in your classroom, the more it is likely that assessment outcomes will be accurate.
Children tire quickly and are easily distracted.
Children have no concept of the importance of assessment and may have little understanding or interest in doing well.
Based on these factors, can you see why informal methods such as observation-based assessments are so widely used in early childhood? Table 12.3: Observation-Based Assessments in your course text provides an in-depth look into each of the observation–based assessment techniques that you will need to examine for this discussion. Below is another resource that you can use to assist you with this discussion:
Observation: The Primary Tool in Assessment – online article
Be sure to include the following in your post:
Select one informal assessment from Jaruszewicz (2012, Table 12.3) and defend why you feel it is an effective form of assessment to use in your future role.
Remember that when you are asked to defend your position on something, you will need to include factual information to support your opinion. Utilizing cited research as support is one of the very best ways to defend your opinion.
Then, as an educator, imagine you have just administered the assessment and describe how you will specifically use this measurement to make instructional decisions about curriculum.
What is your plan for utilizing the assessment with children in your class? Remember to be specific here. For example, if you chose to use Child Interviews, you might explain in depth how exactly you would use this technique during stations.
Support your choice using at least two additional scholarly sources in addition to the Jaruszewicz textbook.
So three total resources should be used (and cited in-text as support).
Guided Response: Read several peers’ responses and choose two peers who selected a different assessment than you. Compare and contrast the assessments. Your responses must address (a) How are the assessments alike?, (b) How are the assessments different?, (c) What are the strengths of your peer’s chosen assessment?, (d) What are the weaknesses of your peer’s chosen assessment?, and (e) How can both assessments inform instructional decisions?
Discussion 2: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Practices
Now that we have discussed in depth the need to align our curriculum and assessment methods with the individual developmental needs of our students, now it is time to put that knowledge into action. Just as you will need to do out in the field, for this discussion you are asked to show how you will create a developmentally appropriate classroom environment. Your alignment to NAEYC is crucial for this discussion. Remember that according to Estes & Krogh (2012), DAP is “NAEYC’S comprehensive statement of best practice for the care and education of young children from birth to age eight and is based on principles of child development and learning theory and supported by research” (p. 36).
According to NAEYC’s (2009) guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice, the job of an early childhood educator has five connected components, as illustrated in the following image.
To prepare for this discussion, consider the following scenario:
Next, use the instructions below for creating your initial post and replies.
Create five position statements that are two-to-three sentences each.
Here is a resource to assist you with what a position statement is and how to go about developing one: Position Statement: Definition, Examples & Quiz
You will need one position statement for each of the five areas of the NAEYC developmentally appropriate approaches.
Use the NAEYC Position Statements resource for support.
Write your position statements in a document then create an audio file using Vocaroo of these five statements by reading your statements.
In your initial post, include the text as a transcript of your five position statements and the link to your Vocaroo recording (if you are unable to use Vocaroo, you can use any audio software of your choosing. Just be sure to link to your recording or attach the audio file to your initial post along with your message including the text version of your statements).
For help with Vocaroo, refer to the Krhilby (2013) video tutorial about Vocaroo recordings.
If you cannot create an audio file, please inform your instructor by email about the reason why before Day 3 of Week Three.
Guided Response: Read and listen to several peers’ position statements. Respond to at least two peers. In responses, locate a reference from Jaruszewicz (2012) that supports a main idea behind the statements. Be sure to make a connection from their main content to the reference. When you respond to your peers, please provide an explanation of the connection you made from their work to the textbook reading, as well as a specific page number where you located the information in the textbook.
Journal: Careers in Early Childhood Education Reflection
As the previous video shows, goal setting is an important step for career planning. As the article Personal Goal Setting: Planning to Live Your Life Your Way (2014) states, “Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.” You are no doubt here taking ECE203 because you have a vision or dream. It is important to keep your vision at the forefront of your mind and continue working to make it reality. Having a clear-cut plan is crucial to transforming your dream into a workable and attainable goal. There are numerous resources available to you here at Ashford to help you to formulate that plan.
Take some time while preparing for this journal entry to follow these steps:
Read the Ashford University Career Planning Step-by-Step resource to better understand the importance of developing a clear career plan.
Watch the Resources for Developing an Effective Career Plan Webinar (https://bpiedu.adobeconnect.com/_a1117185232/p8bxdwvd704/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal).
Use the Roadmap to Success: An Interactive Tool (https://bridgepoint.equella.ecollege.com/curriculum/file/7e83da23-2b5d-4d1d-ae49-e658f28f9a2a/1/Roadmap_to_Success.pdf) to help you gather information, which you may wish to include in your career plan.
Next, include the following in your journal:
State your long-term career goals.
What position you would like to be in one-to-five years from now?
What specific role would you like to pursue for your career?
Remember the SMART mnemonic from the above video:
S – Specific (or Significant)
M – Measurable (or Meaningful)
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
R – Relevant (or Rewarding)
T – Time-bound (or Trackable)
Explore the skills and qualifications related to type of role you aspire to achieve. Describe the qualifications you already have achieved and what new skills, knowledge, certifications, or trainings you might need to be gain employment in your desired role.
Describe how this course has assisted you already with regards to curriculum planning and reaching your career goals. In this section, also state the additional action steps you will need to take to be fully qualified for the position you would like to pursue and state reasonable timelines for each action step.
Reflect on what resources that you have currently to support you. Describe any barriers you may need to overcome to be successful and identify individuals who can assist you within your personal support system (e.g., family, friends) and professional network (e.g., classmates, colleagues, other professionals you know from LinkedIn or life generally).
Assignment: Assessment Data to Guide Practice
For your assignment this week you are focusing your attention on observation, “one of the most widely used methods of assessment” (Morrison, 2009). Observation is defined as “the intentional, systematic act of looking at the behavior of a child in a particular setting, program, or situation” (pg. 69). It might surprise you to know the number of new teachers who feel that observation is “simple” because it just involves watching. This could not be further from the truth behind what observation is. In fact, if you reread the definition provided above, you will notice the word “systematic” is used. Morrison (2009) states, “the significance and importance of critical behaviors may go undetected if observation is done casually and is limited to unsystematic looking” (pg. 69). Teachers must have a plan for how to conduct observation on any given day, but also overall in their classrooms (you will actually be tackling this very thing this week). Subsequently, another mistake in thought process is that observation is only used to determine if a child is grasping a particular skill. While this is definitely one of the functions of observation, as Wortham (2012) states, it can (and should) also be used to assess a child’s behavior and for “the teacher to get to know the child as a unique individual, rather than as a member of a group” (p. 116). As teachers and caregivers, if you strive to find concrete information out about your students to use in planning, reporting, or conferencing with families, observation is a crucial part of this! As your text shows there is a definite process to observing your students, as well as many varied types of observation. That is where your work starts for this assignment.
To prepare for this assignment, consider the following scenario:
Next, review the resources for Anecdotal Records, the Rating Scale, and the Checklist provided for you within the classroom. You will use the instructions below to guide your creation of your curriculum plan based on the assessment data in the resources. Remember, this plan is to be in the form of a 2-3 page Word document that includes the following:
Introduction: Write a brief introduction that informs the reader of the topic of the assignment and its organization. Remember, an effective essay introduction tells the reader what you will discuss in your paper.
Assessment Observations: Describe the observations that you made from the data using several examples from the assessments (1-2 paragraphs).
Child Observations: Describe the strengths and areas of opportunity (i.e., weaknesses) for the child based on the assessment data (3-4 paragraphs).
Short-Term Goal: Explain three specific instructional decisions for a short-term goal for the child based on the data analysis (3-4 paragraphs).
Long-Term Goal: Explain one specific long-term goal for the child based on the data analysis (1-2 paragraphs).
Conclusion: Write a short conclusion that informs the reader of the main points from the assignment. Remember, an effective essay conclusion summarizes what you have discussed in your paper.
Writing Tips:
Use APA formatting consistently throughout the assignment, which includes citations in the body of the assignment, the title page, and references list.
Remember to reference three scholarly sources in addition to Jaruszewicz text (so four total).
Remember your paper is to be two-to-three pages, not including the title and references pages.
Have an amazing third week! Please remember to contact me with any questions or concerns!
References
Berk, (2013). Child development (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education
Eliason, C. & Jenkins, L. (2012). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education
Estes, LA. & Krogh, S. (2012). Pathways to teaching young children: An introduction to early childhood education. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Jaruszewicz, C. (2012). Curriculum and methods for early childhood educators. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education
Kostelnik, M., Rupiper, M., Soderman, A., & Whiren, A. (2014). Developmentally appropriate curriculum in action. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education
Morrison, G. (2009). Early childhood education today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Ed
