Lynn,
Here are the lessons for 18 and 22. I am now looking at 24-25 combined; 21-23 combined.
While planning these two lessons, I tried to access the Online Companion website through www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com (found in the preface), to no avail. Apparently, this is no longer available for this text book. Very frustrating!
Week ?
Chapter 18
Reading Assignment: Chapter 18 – Creative Language Experiences
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Choose 1 of the three assignments below:
1. “When children move freely to activities of their own choice in self-initiated play in a child-centered environment, more language is used with greater richness of speech than when children are in classrooms where formal instruction dominates the program. When children discover they can satisfy needs by speaking, they gain confidence in their abilities to speak and begin to value language” Mayesky, 390-391). Observe in a classroom where young children have free-choice activities and, for five minutes during each activity, record children’s language as they play. During which activity was there the most talking? Why do you think this is so? How would you change the activities to encourage more talking? Explain.
2. Re-read Do Girls Have an Advantage in Kindergarten Literacy? on pg. 398. Write an essay in which you explore this topic. Do you agree with the premise? Have you seen evidence that this is so? After reading this, do you believe preschool teachers should change their approach to better prepare boys for kindergarten? Explain.
3. Re-read They Are Listening…What Do They Hear? On pg. 394. What do these examples tell you about young children’s listening skills? About adults’ use of words? Share some similar stories from your own childhood or from your interactions with young children.
My own story (to post on the discussion board): My son was in love with dinosaurs when he was three years old. We read and talked about dinos all the time. He had a favorite book in which several dinos were depicted, along with some facts about each. I read this to him countless times and he know a lot of facts about these creatures. One day as we looked at the book and casually discussed each dinosaur, I asked him, “what is the name of this dinosaur?”
He replied, “Brontosaurus.”
“And what does he do?”
“Eats plants.”
“Okay, which dinosaur is this one?”
“Terranosaurus.” He replied.
This was his favorite of all the dinosaurs. “And what does he do?”
With a serious look on his face, he solemnly said, “Rex stuff.”
Initial posts for this assignment should be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Week?
Chapter 22
Reading Assignment: Chapter 22 – Creative Social Studies
Preventing conflicts is the work of politics;
Establishing peace is the work of education.
Maria Montessori
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Research at least three of the following websites:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com -
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html -
http://www.castlesontheweb.com -
http://www.pbs.org/nova -
http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus -
http://www.rpcv.org/globaled - Global TeachNet is part of the National Peace Corps Association
http://www.ed.gov/free/ -
http://www.maps.com -
Or use any of the web sites listed on pgs. 535 & 536.
Based on your research, design a social studies activity for the age group with which you work or would like to work. Remember that we are looking at creative ways to help children understand the world around them. Include at least two ideas you encountered in the chapter (cited). Use the following format:
• Websites you researched, and the one you found to be most useful; include a link to your favorite:
• Age or grade level:
• Objective:
• Materials:
• Procedure:
• Guidance:
• Ideas for adapting this activity to meet the needs of various learning styles:
• Ideas for expansion of this activity:
Initial posts for this assignment should be at least 400 words in length, and include at least two ideas from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
TO-DO LIST: 24-25 combined; 21-23 combined;
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Lynn,
Here are chapters 12, 13, and 14 combined. Check out how the tasks are broken up over the two week and give me some feedback on it. This is a change for students and I hope it doesn't completely throw them off! I really needed to add chapter 12 to explain 13 and 14, and didn't want to just cram it in on top of discussion board tasks. I think students will welcome the change of pace, but maybe not. Let me know what you think!
Week 12?:
Chapters 12, 13, and 14
Note: There are 2 parts to this week's assignment:
1. Reading Assignment:
Chapter 12: Goals, Set Up, Materials, and Strategies
Chapter 13: Two-Dimensional Art
Chapter 14: Three-Dimensional Art
The assignment strategy changes during week 12 and 13(?) because we are covering three chapters in two weeks. Important: Read the instructions for both assignments right now, and ask questions if you need clarification on anything! Don’t wait until next week. Essentially, you will spend the first week reading the three chapters and planning your activities for the second week, then spend the second week carrying out your activities and writing up your assessment of those activities to share on the discussion board. Follow these directions carefully!
As you read the three chapters, take notes and highlight important elements to use in the following week’s post.
2. The second part of this week’s assignment is to contact teachers of young children and ask to visit their classrooms next week to observe both a two-dimensional art activity and a three-dimensional art activity. You will use the Observation Sheets below to document your observations and to plan your post for next week.
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Submit a post (at least 100 words) to this weeks discussion board in which you tell us about your progress in reading the chapters (have you finished all 3 chapters?), briefly tell us your reactions to the three chapters, and confirm that you have made solid plans to visit classrooms for observations next week.
Note: There is no requirement for replies to peers in this week’s discussion board, but you are welcome to reply if you wish. The focus this week is on reading and understanding the three chapters, and making plans for classroom observations.
Initial post potentially worth 10 points.
Week 13?
No further reading for this week
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Carry out your observations this week and document your observations using the 2 sheets below. You can print these out to take to the classroom, or use your laptop computer to document observations.
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Using the notes you took while reading the chapters and your Observation Sheets, and write an essay (at least 500 words) in which you address all of the following:
• Age/Grade level of children observed:
• Amount of time spent observing:
• Number of children in group:
• Descriptive statements for all of the items on the observation sheet that you observed:
• Your rating of this lesson as to how it ranks in encouraging children’s creativity:
• 1 – Poor
• 2 – Below Average
• 3 – Average
• 4 – Above Average
• 5 – Excellent
• Rationale for rating:
• Suggestions for Improvements (including at least 2 ideas from the reading, cited):
Initial posts for this assignment should be at least 500 words in length, and include at least two ideas from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Here are chapters 12, 13, and 14 combined. Check out how the tasks are broken up over the two week and give me some feedback on it. This is a change for students and I hope it doesn't completely throw them off! I really needed to add chapter 12 to explain 13 and 14, and didn't want to just cram it in on top of discussion board tasks. I think students will welcome the change of pace, but maybe not. Let me know what you think!
Week 12?:
Chapters 12, 13, and 14
Note: There are 2 parts to this week's assignment:
1. Reading Assignment:
Chapter 12: Goals, Set Up, Materials, and Strategies
Chapter 13: Two-Dimensional Art
Chapter 14: Three-Dimensional Art
The assignment strategy changes during week 12 and 13(?) because we are covering three chapters in two weeks. Important: Read the instructions for both assignments right now, and ask questions if you need clarification on anything! Don’t wait until next week. Essentially, you will spend the first week reading the three chapters and planning your activities for the second week, then spend the second week carrying out your activities and writing up your assessment of those activities to share on the discussion board. Follow these directions carefully!
As you read the three chapters, take notes and highlight important elements to use in the following week’s post.
2. The second part of this week’s assignment is to contact teachers of young children and ask to visit their classrooms next week to observe both a two-dimensional art activity and a three-dimensional art activity. You will use the Observation Sheets below to document your observations and to plan your post for next week.
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Submit a post (at least 100 words) to this weeks discussion board in which you tell us about your progress in reading the chapters (have you finished all 3 chapters?), briefly tell us your reactions to the three chapters, and confirm that you have made solid plans to visit classrooms for observations next week.
Note: There is no requirement for replies to peers in this week’s discussion board, but you are welcome to reply if you wish. The focus this week is on reading and understanding the three chapters, and making plans for classroom observations.
Initial post potentially worth 10 points.
Week 13?
No further reading for this week
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Carry out your observations this week and document your observations using the 2 sheets below. You can print these out to take to the classroom, or use your laptop computer to document observations.
- Observation Sheet: Two Dimensional Activities (attachment)
- Observation Sheet: Three Dimensional Activities (attachment)
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Using the notes you took while reading the chapters and your Observation Sheets, and write an essay (at least 500 words) in which you address all of the following:
• Age/Grade level of children observed:
• Amount of time spent observing:
• Number of children in group:
• Descriptive statements for all of the items on the observation sheet that you observed:
• Your rating of this lesson as to how it ranks in encouraging children’s creativity:
• 1 – Poor
• 2 – Below Average
• 3 – Average
• 4 – Above Average
• 5 – Excellent
• Rationale for rating:
• Suggestions for Improvements (including at least 2 ideas from the reading, cited):
Initial posts for this assignment should be at least 500 words in length, and include at least two ideas from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Lynn,
I am posting assignments for chapters 9 & 10. Chapters 12-13-14 combined are nearly complete and I will post them shortly. I don't yet have the Observation Sheets added, but will wait to hear if we have them on a cd. My next chapters to tackle are 18 & 22.
Week 9?
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 9: Art and Social-Emotional Growth
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
(Lynn, Would you like to change the deadlines to 6:00pm on Friday and Monday?)
The starting point of this chapter is to heighten your awareness of your own self-concept and self-awareness. This is a critical understanding if one is expected to help develop these same things in young children.
Who influenced your creative development when you were a child? Did you have a parent, relative, teacher, or other adult with whom you explored creative art projects?
How have you influenced the creative development of a child? Have you had creative experiences with your own children or children in your classroom? Describe some of the activities, methods, materials, and discoveries you have made while spending creative time with children.
As you write this post, keep in mind the various significant relationships discussed in the text: child-to-child, child-to-teacher, and child-to-group relationships. Share any significant relationships that have influenced creative development.
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Week 10?
Chapter 10: Art and Physical-Mental Growth
Reading Assignment: Chapter 10
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Respond to 1 of the 3 choices below:
1. Are you a flexible thinker?
Young children can often be inflexible thinkers, not able to think of things in the context of change. Adults, too, can be inflexible thinkers. Ask yourself the following questions to judge your own flexibility of thought:
2. Consider this quote from Sylvester [1995]. A Celebration of Neurons: An Educators Guide to the Human Brain [pg. 96]:
When objects and events are registered by several senses (e.g., seeing, hearing, touching, tasting), they can be stored in several interrelated memory networks. A memory stored in this way becomes more accessible and powerful than a memory stored in just one sensory area.
How is this quotation related to chapter 10?
How is this quotation related to you personally?
What would you do differently in planning creative activities for young children on the basis of this quote?
3.Review one of the following resources and provide the class with an annotation of the resource, your initial opinion of its usfulness to your work with children, and how you might use it in developing creative activities for the classroom:
Books:
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
I am posting assignments for chapters 9 & 10. Chapters 12-13-14 combined are nearly complete and I will post them shortly. I don't yet have the Observation Sheets added, but will wait to hear if we have them on a cd. My next chapters to tackle are 18 & 22.
Week 9?
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 9: Art and Social-Emotional Growth
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
(Lynn, Would you like to change the deadlines to 6:00pm on Friday and Monday?)
The starting point of this chapter is to heighten your awareness of your own self-concept and self-awareness. This is a critical understanding if one is expected to help develop these same things in young children.
Who influenced your creative development when you were a child? Did you have a parent, relative, teacher, or other adult with whom you explored creative art projects?
How have you influenced the creative development of a child? Have you had creative experiences with your own children or children in your classroom? Describe some of the activities, methods, materials, and discoveries you have made while spending creative time with children.
As you write this post, keep in mind the various significant relationships discussed in the text: child-to-child, child-to-teacher, and child-to-group relationships. Share any significant relationships that have influenced creative development.
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Week 10?
Chapter 10: Art and Physical-Mental Growth
Reading Assignment: Chapter 10
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
Respond to 1 of the 3 choices below:
1. Are you a flexible thinker?
Young children can often be inflexible thinkers, not able to think of things in the context of change. Adults, too, can be inflexible thinkers. Ask yourself the following questions to judge your own flexibility of thought:
- Do I use the same resources and tools for planning all my lessons?
- Do I stick to my lesson plans, no matter what?
- Have I learned a new software program in the last year?
- Have I chosen to read a book with a philosophy or style that differs from my usual preferences?
- Have I chosen to watch a movie lately that differs from my usual preferences?
- Have I tried any new foods lately?
- Have I watched or participated in a new sport or physical activity lately?
- Have I changed anything in my physical appearance in the last year?
- Have I had an adventure (of any kind) lately?
2. Consider this quote from Sylvester [1995]. A Celebration of Neurons: An Educators Guide to the Human Brain [pg. 96]:
When objects and events are registered by several senses (e.g., seeing, hearing, touching, tasting), they can be stored in several interrelated memory networks. A memory stored in this way becomes more accessible and powerful than a memory stored in just one sensory area.
How is this quotation related to chapter 10?
How is this quotation related to you personally?
What would you do differently in planning creative activities for young children on the basis of this quote?
3.Review one of the following resources and provide the class with an annotation of the resource, your initial opinion of its usfulness to your work with children, and how you might use it in developing creative activities for the classroom:
Books:
- The Right Stuff for Children Birth to 8: Selecting Play Materials to Support Development by M.B. Bronson (NAEYC Publication no. 312) Available from Naeyc at http://www.naeyc.org.
- Healthy Children Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information About the Physical and Mental Developmetn of Children Between the Ages of 3 and 10 by Chad T. Kimball, Omnigraphics, Inc, 2003.
- • RecognitionandResponse.org
- • www.BrainConnection.com
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Lynn,
The Internet is really slow this morning, due to a major thunderstorm in the area. I wasn't able to open your email, but will get to it this afternoon. I'm about to head to town for a doctor's appointment for my dad.
Here is a draft of my lesson for chapter 2. I am now working on lessons for chapters 9&10.
Week 2: Promoting Creativity
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 2: Promoting Creativity
(Attachment:) Is there a da Vinci in your classroom?
During the Italian Renaissance, the world population was estimated to be 350 million, a mere 5.3% of today’s 6.5 billion. Yet that number included names like da Vinci, Columbus, Magellan, Michelangelo, Mozart and Shakespeare. All were alive at the same time.
So it figures that there should be about twenty times the number of these types of gifted individuals alive right now. And they’ll be headed into your classroom with their powerful, hungry minds ready to soak up everything you can throw at them. Will they find a place where they can develop, as da Vinci did with his education, or will they find a stagnant, boring place that they wake up dreading?
Now id a good time to think about the influence education had on a young Leonardo da Vinci. Growing up in his father’s Vinci (a region of Italy) home, Leonardo had access to a rare luxury – scholarly texts owned by family and friends. He started school at age five and he had time to freely explore in the countryside where he developed a fascination for living creatures. As a young adult he was fortunate to be apprenticed in an artist’s studio where he worked with a variety of materials. His teachers noted he was impulsive, jumping from one task to another, often jotting thoughts in notebooks. Next time you see one of your students doodling, tell them that one of Leonardo’s doodle-filled notebooks recently fetched $30 million from Bill Gates. These are just some of the things you can learn about da Vinci at www.mos.org/leonardo.
Today we have incredible digital tools that no other generation had. Imagine what da Vinci would have done with Google, or Michelangelo with Adobe Photoshop. Wouldn’t it be fun to match Mozart with GarageBand or Magellan with GPS?
In the digital realm, a creative mind can take back the stroke of a chisel or the dab of paint, enjoying a new creative space. What would happen in the arts and sciences if we had not one, but 20 people like da Vinci searching for new energy sources, or perhaps curing the horrible diseases that exist today like AIDS, MS, and Cancer?
As a teacher the future is in your hands, and the tools all have been invented. It is up to you to figure out the educational technology puzzle and give our stagnating education system a renaissance (Mayesky Manual, 12).
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
In an essay of at least 400 words, respond to one of the following questions:
1. Based on your reading in the chapter and the attachment, describe the relationship between creativity and the curriculum. How can curriculum be modified to better support creative thinking?
2. What is your reaction to the concept of differentiated instruction? Did you benefit from this strategy in your own education? Have you used this concept in the classroom with students? Please share examples.
3. Before we can attend to the creative endeavors of the children in our lives, we have to understand its value in our own lives. Examine the current level of creativity in your life and devise a plan for increasing creative experiences. What will you include in your plan, and why?
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
(Lynn, we should include a thread in which we ask each student to tell us about their access to a classroom for observations. Are they currently working in a classroom? What are the ages of the children in that classroom? If not, can they arrange to do some observations?)
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
The Internet is really slow this morning, due to a major thunderstorm in the area. I wasn't able to open your email, but will get to it this afternoon. I'm about to head to town for a doctor's appointment for my dad.
Here is a draft of my lesson for chapter 2. I am now working on lessons for chapters 9&10.
Week 2: Promoting Creativity
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 2: Promoting Creativity
(Attachment:) Is there a da Vinci in your classroom?
During the Italian Renaissance, the world population was estimated to be 350 million, a mere 5.3% of today’s 6.5 billion. Yet that number included names like da Vinci, Columbus, Magellan, Michelangelo, Mozart and Shakespeare. All were alive at the same time.
So it figures that there should be about twenty times the number of these types of gifted individuals alive right now. And they’ll be headed into your classroom with their powerful, hungry minds ready to soak up everything you can throw at them. Will they find a place where they can develop, as da Vinci did with his education, or will they find a stagnant, boring place that they wake up dreading?
Now id a good time to think about the influence education had on a young Leonardo da Vinci. Growing up in his father’s Vinci (a region of Italy) home, Leonardo had access to a rare luxury – scholarly texts owned by family and friends. He started school at age five and he had time to freely explore in the countryside where he developed a fascination for living creatures. As a young adult he was fortunate to be apprenticed in an artist’s studio where he worked with a variety of materials. His teachers noted he was impulsive, jumping from one task to another, often jotting thoughts in notebooks. Next time you see one of your students doodling, tell them that one of Leonardo’s doodle-filled notebooks recently fetched $30 million from Bill Gates. These are just some of the things you can learn about da Vinci at www.mos.org/leonardo.
Today we have incredible digital tools that no other generation had. Imagine what da Vinci would have done with Google, or Michelangelo with Adobe Photoshop. Wouldn’t it be fun to match Mozart with GarageBand or Magellan with GPS?
In the digital realm, a creative mind can take back the stroke of a chisel or the dab of paint, enjoying a new creative space. What would happen in the arts and sciences if we had not one, but 20 people like da Vinci searching for new energy sources, or perhaps curing the horrible diseases that exist today like AIDS, MS, and Cancer?
As a teacher the future is in your hands, and the tools all have been invented. It is up to you to figure out the educational technology puzzle and give our stagnating education system a renaissance (Mayesky Manual, 12).
Discussion Board by midnight on Friday:
In an essay of at least 400 words, respond to one of the following questions:
1. Based on your reading in the chapter and the attachment, describe the relationship between creativity and the curriculum. How can curriculum be modified to better support creative thinking?
2. What is your reaction to the concept of differentiated instruction? Did you benefit from this strategy in your own education? Have you used this concept in the classroom with students? Please share examples.
3. Before we can attend to the creative endeavors of the children in our lives, we have to understand its value in our own lives. Examine the current level of creativity in your life and devise a plan for increasing creative experiences. What will you include in your plan, and why?
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, and include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course).
(Lynn, we should include a thread in which we ask each student to tell us about their access to a classroom for observations. Are they currently working in a classroom? What are the ages of the children in that classroom? If not, can they arrange to do some observations?)
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Lynn,
I am finally attending to what I had hoped to do weeks ago. Suffice it to say that I have fallen into my usual depressed state (predictable) upon arrival, and now have to climb out. I will do this by working and maybe it will help me feel better.
First, thanks for working on the course site. It looks great and students have a bit to read there. Hopefully, I will be productive enough to get my lessons ready soon and we can get the discussion board up and running.
I absolutely love your plans for chapters 11 and 5! I have read all of what you wrote for 11 and it is just excellent. When I got to the last section, I wondered what the parameters of this course are - is it to cover a certain age-range? I couldn't find this information in the course description, so I will ask you: will we try to tackle teens and high school, or keep it to preschool and elementary?
I have only skimmed chapter 5 at this point, so I will respond to that more in depth later. It just got me revved up to work on my own chapters so that is what I did. At this point, I have my initial post for chapter 1 ready for you to look at. Feel free to make changes.
I have been thinking about the wonderful self-awareness survey and considered using it in the first assignment. However, the more I look at it, the more I realize it contains some vocabulary that they will not have encountered and it probably makes sense to use it later. I will think about this as I create the lesson for chapter 2. I also want to think about a bridge for chapters 3 and 4 because there is some good stuff there, so maybe it would fit there. Any thoughts on this?
Right now I need to attend to my current classes. Daddy as been sleeping all day and this always worries me; he is prone to depression, despite taking an antidepressant. I will check on him and get to the discussion boards. With any luck at all, I will have a lesson for chapter 2 by tonight.
Suzanne
Week 1: Sept 8
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 1: The Concept of Creativity
The Discussion Board opens on Sept. 8. (This is the opening day of this discussion board (db); please do not post to this db prior to this date.)
Important: The first assignment for this week is to email your current phone #, email address, and mailing address to me at suzpurcell@gmail.com. (Lynn, I always do this because I don’t trust that the addresses CCV has are the most current. What do you think of adding this requirement?)
Welcome to EDU 1250 – Fostering Creative Learning in Children. Lynn and I are ecstatic about being given the chance to explore this realm of education with you, one of the most important and life-affirming elements of learning. We believe this wholeheartedly, yet so many classrooms today are nearly devoid of this concept. Why is that so? We will examine this question at length this semester and find ways to bring genuine creativity into the classroom. You will have to ask yourself some hard questions over the course of this semester, but the results will be that you will better understand the concept of creativity, what it means in your own life, why children (and adults) need more of it, and how to help students tap into this amazing reservoir. We look forward to taking this journey with you!
Discussion Board by midnight Friday:
Your textbook begins with an exploration of the concept of creativity. After reading the chapter, create an introductory post in which you tell us about yourself. Include at least the following:
• Who you are and who you want to become
• What and who are important in your life
• Why you are where you are (taking this course at this point in your life)
• What creative endeavors you are currently involved in? When thinking about creativity, think of the word passion. To what activity would you assign the word Passionate?
• What is your current definition of creativity? You will be developing your own definition of “creativity” throughout the semester, so this is your opportunity to take a snapshot of your current definition. Creativity always involves change of some sort, so expect that your current definition will undergo many changes in the upcoming weeks. Just tell us where you stand on this right now.
• Give us a synopsis of your reaction to the lists on page 13. Where do you fall in this list?
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, which isn’t much when you consider how much we have to talk about this semester! They should also always include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course). Submit your initial post by clicking on the title of this discussion board (above), and clicking + Thread in the upper left corner. Title your submission (your name)’s Introduction.
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Lynn and I are always available to answer questions or listen to comments. We are here to help you have a successful semester so do not hesitate to contact us.
Enjoy!
Suzanne & Lynn
I am finally attending to what I had hoped to do weeks ago. Suffice it to say that I have fallen into my usual depressed state (predictable) upon arrival, and now have to climb out. I will do this by working and maybe it will help me feel better.
First, thanks for working on the course site. It looks great and students have a bit to read there. Hopefully, I will be productive enough to get my lessons ready soon and we can get the discussion board up and running.
I absolutely love your plans for chapters 11 and 5! I have read all of what you wrote for 11 and it is just excellent. When I got to the last section, I wondered what the parameters of this course are - is it to cover a certain age-range? I couldn't find this information in the course description, so I will ask you: will we try to tackle teens and high school, or keep it to preschool and elementary?
I have only skimmed chapter 5 at this point, so I will respond to that more in depth later. It just got me revved up to work on my own chapters so that is what I did. At this point, I have my initial post for chapter 1 ready for you to look at. Feel free to make changes.
I have been thinking about the wonderful self-awareness survey and considered using it in the first assignment. However, the more I look at it, the more I realize it contains some vocabulary that they will not have encountered and it probably makes sense to use it later. I will think about this as I create the lesson for chapter 2. I also want to think about a bridge for chapters 3 and 4 because there is some good stuff there, so maybe it would fit there. Any thoughts on this?
Right now I need to attend to my current classes. Daddy as been sleeping all day and this always worries me; he is prone to depression, despite taking an antidepressant. I will check on him and get to the discussion boards. With any luck at all, I will have a lesson for chapter 2 by tonight.
Suzanne
Week 1: Sept 8
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 1: The Concept of Creativity
The Discussion Board opens on Sept. 8. (This is the opening day of this discussion board (db); please do not post to this db prior to this date.)
Important: The first assignment for this week is to email your current phone #, email address, and mailing address to me at suzpurcell@gmail.com. (Lynn, I always do this because I don’t trust that the addresses CCV has are the most current. What do you think of adding this requirement?)
Welcome to EDU 1250 – Fostering Creative Learning in Children. Lynn and I are ecstatic about being given the chance to explore this realm of education with you, one of the most important and life-affirming elements of learning. We believe this wholeheartedly, yet so many classrooms today are nearly devoid of this concept. Why is that so? We will examine this question at length this semester and find ways to bring genuine creativity into the classroom. You will have to ask yourself some hard questions over the course of this semester, but the results will be that you will better understand the concept of creativity, what it means in your own life, why children (and adults) need more of it, and how to help students tap into this amazing reservoir. We look forward to taking this journey with you!
Discussion Board by midnight Friday:
Your textbook begins with an exploration of the concept of creativity. After reading the chapter, create an introductory post in which you tell us about yourself. Include at least the following:
• Who you are and who you want to become
• What and who are important in your life
• Why you are where you are (taking this course at this point in your life)
• What creative endeavors you are currently involved in? When thinking about creativity, think of the word passion. To what activity would you assign the word Passionate?
• What is your current definition of creativity? You will be developing your own definition of “creativity” throughout the semester, so this is your opportunity to take a snapshot of your current definition. Creativity always involves change of some sort, so expect that your current definition will undergo many changes in the upcoming weeks. Just tell us where you stand on this right now.
• Give us a synopsis of your reaction to the lists on page 13. Where do you fall in this list?
Initial posts should always be at least 400 words in length, which isn’t much when you consider how much we have to talk about this semester! They should also always include at least one idea from the reading assignment (cited, of course). Submit your initial post by clicking on the title of this discussion board (above), and clicking + Thread in the upper left corner. Title your submission (your name)’s Introduction.
Discussion Board by midnight Sunday:
Respond to at least three other student’s posts.
Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies: potentially worth 10 points.
Lynn and I are always available to answer questions or listen to comments. We are here to help you have a successful semester so do not hesitate to contact us.
Enjoy!
Suzanne & Lynn
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Two more chapters completed
Hi Suzanne!
Here are two more chapters completed. I'm working on the forum a bit a day - I am feeling like we need to get it up and running, so I have been working away at it. Check out these two chapter activities and let me know what you think. Chapter 8 will need to be done outside of their work - they will have to go into a classroom to complete it.......
Chapter 8 Using Technology to Promote Creativity
The goal of this chapter is to have you become familiar with the technology available for use in the early childhood program.
1. The Internet tool Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) is a site designed so that teachers can type a topic, grade level, and other information into a search screen. GEM then searches more than 14o web sites and retrieves lessons, instructional units, and other free educational materials on that topic for that grade level. Visit any of the following websites then complete the rating questions that follow:
www.ed.gov/free , www.thegateway.org, or a web site of your choice.
a) Ease of access to activities
b) Activities available at site
c) How activities are organized on the web site
d) Age/grade level of activities/information available on site
e) Specific topic(s) on Web site
f) Portals to related areas
g) Your plans to use the Web site in the future
h) Best feature on this Web site
i) Least attractive feature on this web site
2. Using the information in Figure 8-1 in the text on page 144-45, “Technology and Multiple Intelligences,” groups will be assigned learning styles. Each pair or group will prepare a lesson plan including specific software for each of the assigned learning styles. Share your lessons in the forum. A separate folder will be created for all of the lessons so that you can keep them for future use.
3. Age means everything when introducing young children to active television
viewing in comparison to mere passive television viewing.
• Use the following age specific checklist for discussing television with young children
• View at least one hour of television with the child.
• Address each of the items in the checklist below with the child
• Write a short description of the child’s reactions to each of the checklist items in the space provided.
• Report out in the forum.
Ages 3 to 5
1. Point out that the television world is pretend and that the people and animals do not live inside the box.
- child’s reaction:
2. Distinguish between program material and commercials.
_ child’s reaction
3. If watching broadcast network cartoons, explain to the child that the antics and violence are not how real life works.
- child’s reaction
Ages 6 to 8
1. Ask about what the child just viewed and what the child thinks of it.
- child’s reaction
2. Point out when a television character exhibits behavior that is not tolerated in your classroom.
- child’s reaction
3.Talk about whether characters are like or unlike people the child knows.
- child’s reaction
4. Explain stereotyping, and explain how television uses it to keep things simple to reach a mass audience.
- child’s reaction
Ages 9 to 12
1. Talk about good versus evil. How is this conflict portrayed?
- child’s reaction
2. Who are the target of jokes?
- child’s reaction
3. Talk about how television violence differs from the real thing. See if the child understands the fact that there are consequences to violence.
- child’s reactions
4. When watching sitcoms, point out the similar formulas and stock
characters. Make it a game by pointing out the wacky neighbor, for
instance.
- child’s reactions
5. Ask the child to figure out why certain commercials are aired during certain programs.
- child’s reactions
Chapter 11 Developmental Levels and Art
The objectives of this chapter are for you to be able to describe the scribble stage and appropriate materials for use in it; to explain the basic forms stage and appropriate materials for use in it; to discuss the pictorial statge, including appropriate materials for use in it; and, to give examples of appropriate art activities and materials for toddlers, young preschoolers, older preschoolers, kindergartners, and children in grades 1-5. After reading this chapter complete the following:
1. Let’s look at theories of children’s art using cognitive theory, cognitive developmental theory, psychoanalytic theory, perceptual theory, and perceptual delineation theory as described in the chapter. Choose one of the levels below, do the assignment and share your feedback in the forum.
Preschool Level
Collect samples of artwork from a nursery school or preschool group of children. Observe the variety of expression. Try to classify the scribbles according to disordered, controlled, or naming of scribbling stage. Compare the drawings for use of space, control of line, boldness or timidity of motion.
Observe a child who is making his first representational symbols. Keep a verbatim record of his comments for several different fifteen-minute periods. What relationship is there between his verbal and his graphic expression?
Kindergarten Level
Collect drawings from a kindergarten class and list the various methods of portrayal of sensory experiences. Check especially for symbols, sounds and movements.
Observe the activity of a group of kindergarten children during their free play and during organized games. Relate the amount of parallel play to the discussion of the use of space in drawings. What are the differences or similarities between these two activities?
From a collection of paintings by five-year-olds list the objects that are painted with a visually established color-object relationship. List those objects that are painted with no visually established color-object relationship. What might cause some of these color choices of color?
Elementary level
Collect drawings of a man done by a second grade class. Find how many different symbols are use for nose, mouth, body, arms, and so forth. What percentage of these children are using geometric shapes for their expression? Compare these with drawings done by a third grade class, to see if the percentages change.
How many children in a first grade class use the base line in their presentations? Compare the percentage with a second grade class.
For whichever level you observe, keep a list of the different reasons for exaggerations, omissions, or neglect of parts as shown in drawings. Illustrate each from examples of children’s work.
2. Observe a classroom and observe those children who look around, ask questions, and are easily distracted. Compare their art products with those children who are personally involved in portraying their experiences, noting stereotypes, simple objective reports, some inclusion of the self, and complete self-identification with the product. Were there differences? What were they? Do you think this is the same in all classes or specific to the class you observed? Were there similarities? What were they? Do you think this is the same in all classes or specific to the class you observed? Why or why not? What does this observation tell you? What new information do you now have that will help you conduct your own art lessons?
3. Plan an art lesson which includes drawing people; carry it out with kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade children. Use the same art materials and paper size for all classes. Compare the finished products and note the difference in developmental levels. Discuss your findings in class. How do your findings compare with others?
Here are two more chapters completed. I'm working on the forum a bit a day - I am feeling like we need to get it up and running, so I have been working away at it. Check out these two chapter activities and let me know what you think. Chapter 8 will need to be done outside of their work - they will have to go into a classroom to complete it.......
Chapter 8 Using Technology to Promote Creativity
The goal of this chapter is to have you become familiar with the technology available for use in the early childhood program.
1. The Internet tool Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) is a site designed so that teachers can type a topic, grade level, and other information into a search screen. GEM then searches more than 14o web sites and retrieves lessons, instructional units, and other free educational materials on that topic for that grade level. Visit any of the following websites then complete the rating questions that follow:
www.ed.gov/free , www.thegateway.org, or a web site of your choice.
a) Ease of access to activities
b) Activities available at site
c) How activities are organized on the web site
d) Age/grade level of activities/information available on site
e) Specific topic(s) on Web site
f) Portals to related areas
g) Your plans to use the Web site in the future
h) Best feature on this Web site
i) Least attractive feature on this web site
2. Using the information in Figure 8-1 in the text on page 144-45, “Technology and Multiple Intelligences,” groups will be assigned learning styles. Each pair or group will prepare a lesson plan including specific software for each of the assigned learning styles. Share your lessons in the forum. A separate folder will be created for all of the lessons so that you can keep them for future use.
3. Age means everything when introducing young children to active television
viewing in comparison to mere passive television viewing.
• Use the following age specific checklist for discussing television with young children
• View at least one hour of television with the child.
• Address each of the items in the checklist below with the child
• Write a short description of the child’s reactions to each of the checklist items in the space provided.
• Report out in the forum.
Ages 3 to 5
1. Point out that the television world is pretend and that the people and animals do not live inside the box.
- child’s reaction:
2. Distinguish between program material and commercials.
_ child’s reaction
3. If watching broadcast network cartoons, explain to the child that the antics and violence are not how real life works.
- child’s reaction
Ages 6 to 8
1. Ask about what the child just viewed and what the child thinks of it.
- child’s reaction
2. Point out when a television character exhibits behavior that is not tolerated in your classroom.
- child’s reaction
3.Talk about whether characters are like or unlike people the child knows.
- child’s reaction
4. Explain stereotyping, and explain how television uses it to keep things simple to reach a mass audience.
- child’s reaction
Ages 9 to 12
1. Talk about good versus evil. How is this conflict portrayed?
- child’s reaction
2. Who are the target of jokes?
- child’s reaction
3. Talk about how television violence differs from the real thing. See if the child understands the fact that there are consequences to violence.
- child’s reactions
4. When watching sitcoms, point out the similar formulas and stock
characters. Make it a game by pointing out the wacky neighbor, for
instance.
- child’s reactions
5. Ask the child to figure out why certain commercials are aired during certain programs.
- child’s reactions
Chapter 11 Developmental Levels and Art
The objectives of this chapter are for you to be able to describe the scribble stage and appropriate materials for use in it; to explain the basic forms stage and appropriate materials for use in it; to discuss the pictorial statge, including appropriate materials for use in it; and, to give examples of appropriate art activities and materials for toddlers, young preschoolers, older preschoolers, kindergartners, and children in grades 1-5. After reading this chapter complete the following:
1. Let’s look at theories of children’s art using cognitive theory, cognitive developmental theory, psychoanalytic theory, perceptual theory, and perceptual delineation theory as described in the chapter. Choose one of the levels below, do the assignment and share your feedback in the forum.
Preschool Level
Collect samples of artwork from a nursery school or preschool group of children. Observe the variety of expression. Try to classify the scribbles according to disordered, controlled, or naming of scribbling stage. Compare the drawings for use of space, control of line, boldness or timidity of motion.
Observe a child who is making his first representational symbols. Keep a verbatim record of his comments for several different fifteen-minute periods. What relationship is there between his verbal and his graphic expression?
Kindergarten Level
Collect drawings from a kindergarten class and list the various methods of portrayal of sensory experiences. Check especially for symbols, sounds and movements.
Observe the activity of a group of kindergarten children during their free play and during organized games. Relate the amount of parallel play to the discussion of the use of space in drawings. What are the differences or similarities between these two activities?
From a collection of paintings by five-year-olds list the objects that are painted with a visually established color-object relationship. List those objects that are painted with no visually established color-object relationship. What might cause some of these color choices of color?
Elementary level
Collect drawings of a man done by a second grade class. Find how many different symbols are use for nose, mouth, body, arms, and so forth. What percentage of these children are using geometric shapes for their expression? Compare these with drawings done by a third grade class, to see if the percentages change.
How many children in a first grade class use the base line in their presentations? Compare the percentage with a second grade class.
For whichever level you observe, keep a list of the different reasons for exaggerations, omissions, or neglect of parts as shown in drawings. Illustrate each from examples of children’s work.
2. Observe a classroom and observe those children who look around, ask questions, and are easily distracted. Compare their art products with those children who are personally involved in portraying their experiences, noting stereotypes, simple objective reports, some inclusion of the self, and complete self-identification with the product. Were there differences? What were they? Do you think this is the same in all classes or specific to the class you observed? Were there similarities? What were they? Do you think this is the same in all classes or specific to the class you observed? Why or why not? What does this observation tell you? What new information do you now have that will help you conduct your own art lessons?
3. Plan an art lesson which includes drawing people; carry it out with kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade children. Use the same art materials and paper size for all classes. Compare the finished products and note the difference in developmental levels. Discuss your findings in class. How do your findings compare with others?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Worksheets for chapter 7 completed
Here's the worksheets for one activity in chapter 7: It looks like the chart did not paste - I just made a simple chart with the four headings - I'll attach it to an email...
4. Playing with toys is a form of socialization. Toys can encourage children to be active or inactive and can stimulate children to model certain behaviors. For example, a hockey stick encourages a child to run or skate; board games encourage sedentary play. Obviously, each kind of toy has its advantages. Toys are also a means by which sex-typing can occur in the socialization process. For example, toys marketed for boys tend to be complex and encourage more vigorous activity than those marketed for girls. The typical girls’ toy promotes quiet, indoor play, such as “playing house.” Sex-typing through toys is well entrenched in society. Manufacturers often advertise their products along sex-typed strategies. For example, boys are featured on commercials or packaging for racing car sets, and girls are pictured with toy kitchen sets. Use the observation sheets in documents (one for toys, one for television commercials) to help you examine toy-marketing strategies. Use your observations to decide whether these strategies socialize children into traditional gender roles.
Directions: Visit a local toy store or toy section in a department store. Evaluate 20 different children’s toys for a specific-age child. Observe how the toys are packaged. On the observation sheet, enter each toy’s name, it’s category, the key word or phrase used by the manufacturer to market the toy (“just like mom’s”) and whether boys or girls are pictured on the package. Summarize your report in the forum.
Examining Toy Marketing Strategies: Toy Store Visit
Target Age/Grade level of Toy: __________________________________
Name of Toy Toy Category* Key Marketing Phrase Children Pictured
*Examples: construction/building set, sedentary game, make believe domestic role (e.g. kitchen set), make believe action career (e.g. soldier), educational toy/computer, sport equipment.
Which toys would you purchase? Why? Reasons for your purchase…..
Directions for Cartoon Show Commercials worksheet: Watch two children’s programs on television. Choose a time slot popular for children’s viewing rather than family viewing (Saturday morning, for example). Observe the commercials during and immediately after each program. Using the worksheet record the name of every toy advertised, the type, the key marketing terms used, and whether boys or girls are pictured in the commercial. After completing the worksheet, respond to the following questions:
1. Is stereotyping prevalent in cartoon show commercials?
2. What is the main message being sent to children in these commercials?
Cartoon Show Commercials
Name of Toy Toy Category* Key Marketing Phrase Children Pictured
*Examples: construction/building set, sedentary game, make believe domestic role (e.g. kitchen set), make believe action career (e.g. soldier), educational toy/computer, sport equipment.
4. Playing with toys is a form of socialization. Toys can encourage children to be active or inactive and can stimulate children to model certain behaviors. For example, a hockey stick encourages a child to run or skate; board games encourage sedentary play. Obviously, each kind of toy has its advantages. Toys are also a means by which sex-typing can occur in the socialization process. For example, toys marketed for boys tend to be complex and encourage more vigorous activity than those marketed for girls. The typical girls’ toy promotes quiet, indoor play, such as “playing house.” Sex-typing through toys is well entrenched in society. Manufacturers often advertise their products along sex-typed strategies. For example, boys are featured on commercials or packaging for racing car sets, and girls are pictured with toy kitchen sets. Use the observation sheets in documents (one for toys, one for television commercials) to help you examine toy-marketing strategies. Use your observations to decide whether these strategies socialize children into traditional gender roles.
Directions: Visit a local toy store or toy section in a department store. Evaluate 20 different children’s toys for a specific-age child. Observe how the toys are packaged. On the observation sheet, enter each toy’s name, it’s category, the key word or phrase used by the manufacturer to market the toy (“just like mom’s”) and whether boys or girls are pictured on the package. Summarize your report in the forum.
Examining Toy Marketing Strategies: Toy Store Visit
Target Age/Grade level of Toy: __________________________________
Name of Toy Toy Category* Key Marketing Phrase Children Pictured
*Examples: construction/building set, sedentary game, make believe domestic role (e.g. kitchen set), make believe action career (e.g. soldier), educational toy/computer, sport equipment.
Which toys would you purchase? Why? Reasons for your purchase…..
Directions for Cartoon Show Commercials worksheet: Watch two children’s programs on television. Choose a time slot popular for children’s viewing rather than family viewing (Saturday morning, for example). Observe the commercials during and immediately after each program. Using the worksheet record the name of every toy advertised, the type, the key marketing terms used, and whether boys or girls are pictured in the commercial. After completing the worksheet, respond to the following questions:
1. Is stereotyping prevalent in cartoon show commercials?
2. What is the main message being sent to children in these commercials?
Cartoon Show Commercials
Name of Toy Toy Category* Key Marketing Phrase Children Pictured
*Examples: construction/building set, sedentary game, make believe domestic role (e.g. kitchen set), make believe action career (e.g. soldier), educational toy/computer, sport equipment.
Chapters 5 and 7 forum activities/lessons
Suzanne,
I agree the self-awareness worksheet should be done sooner, so I have come up with other lessons to replace that and you can use the self awareness activity in one of your earlier chapters. I have also completed Chapter 7 lessons. Feedback would be helpful. Thanks! Chapter 7 is not complete - I need to do the worksheets for the toy commercials and packaging but it won't take long and I'll place them here.
Lynn
Chapter 5
After reading Chapter 5, Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities, complete the following:
1. In order to get you to think about your way of relating to and working with children, complete the “Self Awareness Worksheet” located in documents. The purpose of this worksheet is to have you observe your professional activities and reflect on them as they are related to knowledge of theory and practice in education. Self-assessment is difficult. It’s hard to be objective about habits, values, and expectations that are an integral part of one’s identity. Use this activity sheet as a start. Some of you might find it more comfortable to deal with only two or three of the self-awareness questions at a time. These questions are for you, you do not have to turn in the worksheet. However, discuss some of your reflections in the forum. Were you surprised by your responses? What are some things you would like to change? Are there things you have been doing without thinking too much about it and now you are more aware? What are they?
Self Awareness Worksheet
Answer the following questions using complete statements with examples. A simple Yes or No is not enough!
1. Do I adjust my teaching style to meet individual learning differences and developmental levels?
2. Have I extended my ideas and expectations concerning how and what children ought to learn?
3. Am I aware of my oral language and body language in my responses to children, in order to invite them to learn more?
4. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in planning my lessons and curriculum?
5. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in my teaching practices?
6. Am I able to tolerate the small mistakes children make?
7. Do I avoid telling the child the best way to do things?
8. Do I show more concern with the process than with the product in creative activities?
9. Do I make time simply to observe children?
10. Do I have a system to help children plan choices?
2. Use the outline below to plan a lesson that includes all of the multiple intelligences.
Age/Grade level:
Lesson Theme/Concept:
Logical-Mathematical: How can I use numbers, lists, classifications, logic, and scientific inquiry?
Linguistic: How can I use language (stories, poems, reader’s theater)?
Interpersonal: How can I use partners or cooperative group activities?
Spatial: How can I use visualization, art, colors, or metaphors?
Intrapersonal: How can I provide choices or involve personal memories or feelings?
Musical: How can I use music, rhythm, songs, raps, chants, or instruments?
Bodily-Kinesthetic: How can I use movement or hands-on activities?
Naturalistic: How can I incorporate outdoor activities into the curriculum?
3. With regard to young children, discuss the difference between having feelings and expressing feelings.
4. Discuss, in greater detail, important questions that should be asked to better know and work with young children.
5. Log on to the NCLB Web site http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/nclb/q6.cfm. Click on the questions and answers section and choose at least one question to read and then present to the class. Include in the presentation your opinion of the impact of the NCLB Act on your particular teaching situation.
Chapter 7 Play, Development, and Creativity. After reading this chapter complete the following:
1. In order to think about the topic of play, look at and complete the questions below– Then share your responses. Do you find any similarities in your memories of play? Any differences? How do your memories compare to the play of today’s children?
a) What memories do you have of early experiences with play?
b) What are your very first play memories?
c) What did you play? With what did you play? With whom did you play?
d) After discussing your responses with others, tell us how these discussions help you better understand children’s play. Or do they?
2. After completing the discussion above, think about the place of play in your own life. Respond to the following questions to find out for yourself:
a) Does play benefit adults?
b) In your daily life, do you have opportunities for play? Id so, what value do you find in play? If not, how might you restore play to your life?
c) In early childhood programs you will observe three main forms of play, solitary, parallel, and cooperative. What is the value of each of these play types – for adults as well as for children?
d) Although adult play and children’s play have common elements, play serves a different role for young children then it does for adults. What are some of the similarities and differences between the play of children and that of adults? How might these similarities and differences affect your teaching practices?
3. Read the quotation below. Discuss the role of playful thinking in this man’s life. Do you think the man was a success in life? Discuss the parent’s and teacher’s roles in his life. Were they supportive of his playfulness? Why or why not? The identity of this person will be revealed in the weekly announcement.
“ I hated school. From age 12 or 13 I wanted to be a movie director, and I didn’t think that science or math or foreign languages were going to help me turn out the little 8-mm sagas I was making to avoid homework. During class I’d draw a little image on the margin of each page of the history or lit book and flip the pages to make animated cartoons. I did just enough homework to get promoted every year with my friends and not fall to the wrath of my academically minded father. I give my dad credit for singlehandedly keeping my math grades high enough so I wouldn’t be held back. My other worst subject was phys. Ed.; I failed that three years in a row in high school. I couldn’t do a chin up or a fraction. I can do a chin-up now, but I still can’t do a fraction.”
4. Playing with toys is a form of socialization. Toys can encourage children to be active or inactive and can stimulate children to model certain behaviors. For example, a hockey stick encourages a child to run or skate; board games encourage sedentary play. Obviously, each kind of toy has its advantages. Toys are also a means by which sex-typing can occur in the socialization process. For example, toys marketed for boys tend to be complex and encourage more vigorous activity than those marketed for girls. The typical girls’ toy promotes quiet, indoor play, such as “playing house.” Sex-typing through toys is well entrenched in society. Manufacturers often advertise their products along sex-typed strategies. For example, boys are featured on commercials or packaging for racing car sets, and girls are pictured with toy kitchen sets. Use the observation sheets in documents (one for toys, one for television commercials) to help you examine toy-marketing strategies. Use your observations to decide whether these strategies socialize children into traditional gender roles.
I agree the self-awareness worksheet should be done sooner, so I have come up with other lessons to replace that and you can use the self awareness activity in one of your earlier chapters. I have also completed Chapter 7 lessons. Feedback would be helpful. Thanks! Chapter 7 is not complete - I need to do the worksheets for the toy commercials and packaging but it won't take long and I'll place them here.
Lynn
Chapter 5
After reading Chapter 5, Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities, complete the following:
1. In order to get you to think about your way of relating to and working with children, complete the “Self Awareness Worksheet” located in documents. The purpose of this worksheet is to have you observe your professional activities and reflect on them as they are related to knowledge of theory and practice in education. Self-assessment is difficult. It’s hard to be objective about habits, values, and expectations that are an integral part of one’s identity. Use this activity sheet as a start. Some of you might find it more comfortable to deal with only two or three of the self-awareness questions at a time. These questions are for you, you do not have to turn in the worksheet. However, discuss some of your reflections in the forum. Were you surprised by your responses? What are some things you would like to change? Are there things you have been doing without thinking too much about it and now you are more aware? What are they?
Self Awareness Worksheet
Answer the following questions using complete statements with examples. A simple Yes or No is not enough!
1. Do I adjust my teaching style to meet individual learning differences and developmental levels?
2. Have I extended my ideas and expectations concerning how and what children ought to learn?
3. Am I aware of my oral language and body language in my responses to children, in order to invite them to learn more?
4. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in planning my lessons and curriculum?
5. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in my teaching practices?
6. Am I able to tolerate the small mistakes children make?
7. Do I avoid telling the child the best way to do things?
8. Do I show more concern with the process than with the product in creative activities?
9. Do I make time simply to observe children?
10. Do I have a system to help children plan choices?
2. Use the outline below to plan a lesson that includes all of the multiple intelligences.
Age/Grade level:
Lesson Theme/Concept:
Logical-Mathematical: How can I use numbers, lists, classifications, logic, and scientific inquiry?
Linguistic: How can I use language (stories, poems, reader’s theater)?
Interpersonal: How can I use partners or cooperative group activities?
Spatial: How can I use visualization, art, colors, or metaphors?
Intrapersonal: How can I provide choices or involve personal memories or feelings?
Musical: How can I use music, rhythm, songs, raps, chants, or instruments?
Bodily-Kinesthetic: How can I use movement or hands-on activities?
Naturalistic: How can I incorporate outdoor activities into the curriculum?
3. With regard to young children, discuss the difference between having feelings and expressing feelings.
4. Discuss, in greater detail, important questions that should be asked to better know and work with young children.
5. Log on to the NCLB Web site http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/nclb/q6.cfm. Click on the questions and answers section and choose at least one question to read and then present to the class. Include in the presentation your opinion of the impact of the NCLB Act on your particular teaching situation.
Chapter 7 Play, Development, and Creativity. After reading this chapter complete the following:
1. In order to think about the topic of play, look at and complete the questions below– Then share your responses. Do you find any similarities in your memories of play? Any differences? How do your memories compare to the play of today’s children?
a) What memories do you have of early experiences with play?
b) What are your very first play memories?
c) What did you play? With what did you play? With whom did you play?
d) After discussing your responses with others, tell us how these discussions help you better understand children’s play. Or do they?
2. After completing the discussion above, think about the place of play in your own life. Respond to the following questions to find out for yourself:
a) Does play benefit adults?
b) In your daily life, do you have opportunities for play? Id so, what value do you find in play? If not, how might you restore play to your life?
c) In early childhood programs you will observe three main forms of play, solitary, parallel, and cooperative. What is the value of each of these play types – for adults as well as for children?
d) Although adult play and children’s play have common elements, play serves a different role for young children then it does for adults. What are some of the similarities and differences between the play of children and that of adults? How might these similarities and differences affect your teaching practices?
3. Read the quotation below. Discuss the role of playful thinking in this man’s life. Do you think the man was a success in life? Discuss the parent’s and teacher’s roles in his life. Were they supportive of his playfulness? Why or why not? The identity of this person will be revealed in the weekly announcement.
“ I hated school. From age 12 or 13 I wanted to be a movie director, and I didn’t think that science or math or foreign languages were going to help me turn out the little 8-mm sagas I was making to avoid homework. During class I’d draw a little image on the margin of each page of the history or lit book and flip the pages to make animated cartoons. I did just enough homework to get promoted every year with my friends and not fall to the wrath of my academically minded father. I give my dad credit for singlehandedly keeping my math grades high enough so I wouldn’t be held back. My other worst subject was phys. Ed.; I failed that three years in a row in high school. I couldn’t do a chin up or a fraction. I can do a chin-up now, but I still can’t do a fraction.”
4. Playing with toys is a form of socialization. Toys can encourage children to be active or inactive and can stimulate children to model certain behaviors. For example, a hockey stick encourages a child to run or skate; board games encourage sedentary play. Obviously, each kind of toy has its advantages. Toys are also a means by which sex-typing can occur in the socialization process. For example, toys marketed for boys tend to be complex and encourage more vigorous activity than those marketed for girls. The typical girls’ toy promotes quiet, indoor play, such as “playing house.” Sex-typing through toys is well entrenched in society. Manufacturers often advertise their products along sex-typed strategies. For example, boys are featured on commercials or packaging for racing car sets, and girls are pictured with toy kitchen sets. Use the observation sheets in documents (one for toys, one for television commercials) to help you examine toy-marketing strategies. Use your observations to decide whether these strategies socialize children into traditional gender roles.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Lynn,
I finished my Lit evals and posted them, and now I am working on my Eng. Comp. evals. I can't wait to be done with this.
I had written up a blurb to go with the evals for our class. Because I can't access those right now, I don't know if you already did this, so I am sending what I have for you to look at. I always do these at midterm so I don't have to think about it at the end of the semester. At the end of the semester, I delete the last paragraph and add a new one.
Hope your day is going well.
Suzanne
Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education
Suzanne Purcell and Lynn Silvestro
Summer, 2009
In this course, learners develop an understanding of the philosophical principles, societal expectations, and practical demands of building curriculum for early childhood education. Emphasis is on developing a child-centered, integrated, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for the early years from infancy to age 8. A variety of curricular approaches will be modeled and assessed.
Topics covered in this course include the history of early childhood education; assessing the value of resources for the early childhood classroom; various curriculum models; the importance of fostering meaningful parent involvement; integrating the following areas into the curriculum: literature; math; science; social studies; art; sensory centers; music and movement; puppets and dramatic play. Students create a curriculum and submit it as the final for this course.
Midterm: In this course Jeanette has earned 68 out of a possible 70 points. She has been a very active participant on the Discussion Board, and her submissions always reflect critical thinking. She is supportive of her fellow students. She has taken the initiative to contact me with concerns, which indicates to me that she is serious about her studies. She is a valued member of this learning community, and it is a pleasure having her in this class.
I finished my Lit evals and posted them, and now I am working on my Eng. Comp. evals. I can't wait to be done with this.
I had written up a blurb to go with the evals for our class. Because I can't access those right now, I don't know if you already did this, so I am sending what I have for you to look at. I always do these at midterm so I don't have to think about it at the end of the semester. At the end of the semester, I delete the last paragraph and add a new one.
Hope your day is going well.
Suzanne
Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education
Suzanne Purcell and Lynn Silvestro
Summer, 2009
In this course, learners develop an understanding of the philosophical principles, societal expectations, and practical demands of building curriculum for early childhood education. Emphasis is on developing a child-centered, integrated, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for the early years from infancy to age 8. A variety of curricular approaches will be modeled and assessed.
Topics covered in this course include the history of early childhood education; assessing the value of resources for the early childhood classroom; various curriculum models; the importance of fostering meaningful parent involvement; integrating the following areas into the curriculum: literature; math; science; social studies; art; sensory centers; music and movement; puppets and dramatic play. Students create a curriculum and submit it as the final for this course.
Midterm: In this course Jeanette has earned 68 out of a possible 70 points. She has been a very active participant on the Discussion Board, and her submissions always reflect critical thinking. She is supportive of her fellow students. She has taken the initiative to contact me with concerns, which indicates to me that she is serious about her studies. She is a valued member of this learning community, and it is a pleasure having her in this class.
Lynn,
I love what you have done with this lesson!!! You inspire me to get my butt in gear and create the lessons for chapters 1 and 2. I don't think this is too much to assign for one week, but I am wondering if the self-awareness questionnaire might be used earlier in the semester? It is so good and so important that it might be good to use it earlier. Let me get my act together and write up those lessons and see if it fits in earlier.
I haven't yet read your notes because I need to attend to other things today. But thank you for sharing them and I hope to get to them soon.
Beautiful lesson plan!!!
Suzanne
I love what you have done with this lesson!!! You inspire me to get my butt in gear and create the lessons for chapters 1 and 2. I don't think this is too much to assign for one week, but I am wondering if the self-awareness questionnaire might be used earlier in the semester? It is so good and so important that it might be good to use it earlier. Let me get my act together and write up those lessons and see if it fits in earlier.
I haven't yet read your notes because I need to attend to other things today. But thank you for sharing them and I hope to get to them soon.
Beautiful lesson plan!!!
Suzanne
Friday, July 17, 2009
Discussion forum for Chapter 5
Hi Suzanne,
Here's what I've done for the forum for Chapter 5. It may be too much but I did it myself and it took about 45 minutes. Your feedback would be great!! I've read through chapter 5 and felt like creating the forum.
After reading Chapter 5, Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities, complete the following:
1. In order to get you to think about your way of relating to and working with children, complete the “Self Awareness Worksheet” located in documents. The purpose of this worksheet is to have you observe your professional activities and reflect on them as they are related to knowledge of theory and practice in education. Self-assessment is difficult. It’s hard to be objective about habits, values, and expectations that are an integral part of one’s identity. Use this activity sheet as a start. Some of you might find it more comfortable to deal with only two or three of the self-awareness questions at a time. These questions are for you, you do not have to turn in the worksheet. However, discuss some of your reflections in the forum. Were you surprised by your responses? What are some things you would like to change? Are there things you have been doing without thinking too much about it and now you are more aware? What are they?
2. Use the outline below to plan a lesson that includes all of the multiple intelligences.
Age/Grade level:
Lesson Theme/Concept:
Logical-Mathematical: How can I use numbers, lists, classifications, logic, and scientific inquiry?
Linguistic: How can I use language (stories, poems, reader’s theater)?
Interpersonal: How can I use partners or cooperative group activities?
Spatial: How can I use visualization, art, colors, or metaphors?
Intrapersonal: How can I provide choices or involve personal memories or feelings?
Musical: How can I use music, rhythm, songs, raps, chants, or instruments?
Bodily-Kinesthetic: How can I use movement or hands-on activities?
Naturalistic: How can I incorporate outdoor activities into the curriculum?
Self Awareness Worksheet
Answer the following questions using complete statements with examples. A simple Yes or No is not enough!
1. Do I adjust my teaching style to meet individual learning differences and developmental levels?
2. Have I extended my ideas and expectations concerning how and what children ought to learn?
3. Am I aware of my oral language and body language in my responses to children, in order to invite them to learn more?
4. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in planning my lessons and curriculum?
5. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in my teaching practices?
6. Am I able to tolerate the small mistakes children make?
7. Do I avoid telling the child the best way to do things?
8. Do I show more concern with the process than with the product in creative activities?
9. Do I make time simply to observe children?
10. Do I have a system to help children plan choices?
Here's what I've done for the forum for Chapter 5. It may be too much but I did it myself and it took about 45 minutes. Your feedback would be great!! I've read through chapter 5 and felt like creating the forum.
After reading Chapter 5, Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities, complete the following:
1. In order to get you to think about your way of relating to and working with children, complete the “Self Awareness Worksheet” located in documents. The purpose of this worksheet is to have you observe your professional activities and reflect on them as they are related to knowledge of theory and practice in education. Self-assessment is difficult. It’s hard to be objective about habits, values, and expectations that are an integral part of one’s identity. Use this activity sheet as a start. Some of you might find it more comfortable to deal with only two or three of the self-awareness questions at a time. These questions are for you, you do not have to turn in the worksheet. However, discuss some of your reflections in the forum. Were you surprised by your responses? What are some things you would like to change? Are there things you have been doing without thinking too much about it and now you are more aware? What are they?
2. Use the outline below to plan a lesson that includes all of the multiple intelligences.
Age/Grade level:
Lesson Theme/Concept:
Logical-Mathematical: How can I use numbers, lists, classifications, logic, and scientific inquiry?
Linguistic: How can I use language (stories, poems, reader’s theater)?
Interpersonal: How can I use partners or cooperative group activities?
Spatial: How can I use visualization, art, colors, or metaphors?
Intrapersonal: How can I provide choices or involve personal memories or feelings?
Musical: How can I use music, rhythm, songs, raps, chants, or instruments?
Bodily-Kinesthetic: How can I use movement or hands-on activities?
Naturalistic: How can I incorporate outdoor activities into the curriculum?
Self Awareness Worksheet
Answer the following questions using complete statements with examples. A simple Yes or No is not enough!
1. Do I adjust my teaching style to meet individual learning differences and developmental levels?
2. Have I extended my ideas and expectations concerning how and what children ought to learn?
3. Am I aware of my oral language and body language in my responses to children, in order to invite them to learn more?
4. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in planning my lessons and curriculum?
5. Have I taken individual differences and developmental levels into consideration in my teaching practices?
6. Am I able to tolerate the small mistakes children make?
7. Do I avoid telling the child the best way to do things?
8. Do I show more concern with the process than with the product in creative activities?
9. Do I make time simply to observe children?
10. Do I have a system to help children plan choices?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Chapter notes
Hi Suzanne,
Here's my copied notes from Chapter 1 and then below them are my notes from Chapter 2.
I read the preface and chapter 1 of the text and am reading it both for the class and for presentation ideas to faculty when we start developing it. The opening paragraph in the Preface (the larger font paragraph) was an eye opener - I think I'll address this in greater detail in the technology chapter but it definitely needs to be discussed!! The instructor's manual has discussion topics for online discussions - might as well not reinvent the wheel if the questions are already created! I haven't looked at them yet but discovered that little tidbit when reading the preface.
Chapter one was a good read in defining what creativity is as well as convergent and divergent thinking. I especially liked the charts on page 6 and page 8 - little tidbits of people's conceptions of creativity! :) I had a brain fart about using creativity in our presentation - put some items on each table and have the faculty members sitting there create something with these items - the objective would be to collaborate (something we do), share ideas, recognize their own limitations when going through this process - be able to reflect upon it in a discussion and try to include the short list on page 7. (This would also be a great student activity - if we could incorporate it somehow - but that is your chapter, so.....) I find when I can recognize my own limitations I am better able to "see" through my student's eyes and let them go with things - be creative - because, as the book states, some creativity actions can be inappropriate, behavioral issues, etc. but we shouldn't smother that process - try to encourage the child to work through the problem to help alleviate the behavior....I digress. sorry!
Chapter 2, while a bit redundant and dry did have some interesting points.
* Gaining the knowledge and skills is critical to creative behaviors. I liked how the author stated, " The curriculum is the guide by which early childhood teachers determine what will be presented to children. Creativity is fostered according to how the curriculum is presented to the child." (p.28 summary) Part of that "how" includes the language used in presenting it to the child. In order to stimulate creativity language actually shapes thoughts, feelings and experiences.
* I liked the creative questioning section because it provided varied examples. And, the language is appropriate to stimulate problem solving type responses - or cognitive thinking which leads to creativity.
* Differentiated instruction is the norm these days but is important for new teachers to know and understand.
* I liked the "recipe" in modifying curriculum.
* The "Think About it..." on page 25 was interesting - not many teachers are promoting creativity according to that survey - I would like to think that that is an anomaly - based on our students in our current class I would say that creativity is alive and well in Vermont teachers-to-be!
Okay,
I am off to read Chapter 3 - I agree, even though we have chosen not to use it, it may contain valuable information to cause us to reconsider...
Will post more later!
Lynn
Here's my copied notes from Chapter 1 and then below them are my notes from Chapter 2.
I read the preface and chapter 1 of the text and am reading it both for the class and for presentation ideas to faculty when we start developing it. The opening paragraph in the Preface (the larger font paragraph) was an eye opener - I think I'll address this in greater detail in the technology chapter but it definitely needs to be discussed!! The instructor's manual has discussion topics for online discussions - might as well not reinvent the wheel if the questions are already created! I haven't looked at them yet but discovered that little tidbit when reading the preface.
Chapter one was a good read in defining what creativity is as well as convergent and divergent thinking. I especially liked the charts on page 6 and page 8 - little tidbits of people's conceptions of creativity! :) I had a brain fart about using creativity in our presentation - put some items on each table and have the faculty members sitting there create something with these items - the objective would be to collaborate (something we do), share ideas, recognize their own limitations when going through this process - be able to reflect upon it in a discussion and try to include the short list on page 7. (This would also be a great student activity - if we could incorporate it somehow - but that is your chapter, so.....) I find when I can recognize my own limitations I am better able to "see" through my student's eyes and let them go with things - be creative - because, as the book states, some creativity actions can be inappropriate, behavioral issues, etc. but we shouldn't smother that process - try to encourage the child to work through the problem to help alleviate the behavior....I digress. sorry!
Chapter 2, while a bit redundant and dry did have some interesting points.
* Gaining the knowledge and skills is critical to creative behaviors. I liked how the author stated, " The curriculum is the guide by which early childhood teachers determine what will be presented to children. Creativity is fostered according to how the curriculum is presented to the child." (p.28 summary) Part of that "how" includes the language used in presenting it to the child. In order to stimulate creativity language actually shapes thoughts, feelings and experiences.
* I liked the creative questioning section because it provided varied examples. And, the language is appropriate to stimulate problem solving type responses - or cognitive thinking which leads to creativity.
* Differentiated instruction is the norm these days but is important for new teachers to know and understand.
* I liked the "recipe" in modifying curriculum.
* The "Think About it..." on page 25 was interesting - not many teachers are promoting creativity according to that survey - I would like to think that that is an anomaly - based on our students in our current class I would say that creativity is alive and well in Vermont teachers-to-be!
Okay,
I am off to read Chapter 3 - I agree, even though we have chosen not to use it, it may contain valuable information to cause us to reconsider...
Will post more later!
Lynn
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Hi Lynn,
I have been looking at how the grading policy can fit with the final project, and I'm struggling with it too. I think we need to have a phone conversation so I can get a good handle on the particulars of the final. I think it would be easy to change the scale to 185 points, but then that defeats our original goal of keeping the three classes the same. Is it possible to make the overall final project worth 25 points?
I will try to call you tonight. I have some errands to run and I want to be in front of my computer when we talk.
How are you doing with the retirement issue?
Suzanne
I have been looking at how the grading policy can fit with the final project, and I'm struggling with it too. I think we need to have a phone conversation so I can get a good handle on the particulars of the final. I think it would be easy to change the scale to 185 points, but then that defeats our original goal of keeping the three classes the same. Is it possible to make the overall final project worth 25 points?
I will try to call you tonight. I have some errands to run and I want to be in front of my computer when we talk.
How are you doing with the retirement issue?
Suzanne
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Hello Suzanne!
I have taken your grading policy and added the assignments - I am struggling with how to give value to these assignments and keep your policy. Can we move the maximum points up to 185? If we count each week as 10 points and the assignments that would add up to 185 given that week 15 would be the week they shared their creative projects for an additional 10 bonus points if we decide to do that. here's how I have altered your policy - provide feedback, change it whatever, but I won't put it in the class until I hear from you.
Grading Policy
A few words about grading: It is not our favorite part of teaching. However, it is necessary and gives you an idea of how you are doing throughout the class. We will make every effort to post your grades for the week as soon as possible.
The grading system for this course is based on a scale of 10. You can earn as many as 10 points for each week’s assignments, which include posts, submission of assigned projects, essays, and responses. The final project is worth 25 points
The total number of points you can earn for the course is 165. This means the grading for the semester looks like this:
168 – 185 points = A
157 – 167 points = B
146 – 156 points = C
126 – 136 points = D
At Midterm: (maximum points available: 70)
63 – 70 points = A
56 – 62 points = B
49 – 55 points = C
42 – 48 points = D
WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD GRADES:
8-10 points = Excellent posts which include information from the reading assignments and critical thinking on your part. Responses are spread throughout the week and indicate that you have not only read the assigned reading, but your peer’s posts as well.
7 points = Several posts which include some references to the reading material, and more than two responses which are posted at different times.
5-6 points = A post which addresses the question in a very general way, and one or two responses that are written at the same time. Blackboard tracks posting times, so it is evident when you have spent 15 minutes on your posts for the week. Even though you may in fact be reading every post all week, I have no way of knowing this if you do not interact with your peers.
An absence is indicated by a grade of 0 for the week.
As the above criteria indicates, I am looking for meaningful synthesis of the reading material, quality interactions spread over the course of the week, and “critical thinking” on your part. Critical thinking is indicated by your opinion on the topic, and why you feel the way you do.
If you ever have questions or comments about grades or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone. It is always better to address issues sooner rather than later.
Assignments for this course are:
Creative Activity Lesson Plan 10 points
You will create a lesson plan for a creative activity. You can refer to page 71 in your text entitled “Presentation of Creative Activities.”
Literature Review 5 points
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook. You will select one of the books in “Books for Children” at the end of the chapter. You will write a brief summary and reaction and then create one activity to go along with the piece of literature. These are not required to be full lesson plans. Examples of a literature review will be provided. These will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for a class discussion. When your week is represented your reviews will be due the first day of each week in relation to the chapters represented. They are due the first day so that they will generate discussions throughout the week.
Website Review 5 points
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook (this does not need to be the same chapter you selected for the literature review). You will select one of the websites listed at the end of the chapter or under WEBSITES (for the appropriate chapter). You will then complete a website evaluation on your selected website. Like the literature review, these will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for class discussion. Again, your reviews will be due the first day of each week in relation to the chapters represented. They are due the first day so that they will generate discussions throughout the week.
Small Group Reports 5 points
Think of these as tasks you would do in small groups if our class met on ground. For most of the tasks you will discuss problems/ideas in small groups (online, not necessarily at the same time) and then one person will submit the project for the entire group. Since these will also be discussed in the forum they must be submitted early in the week to generate discussion.
Creative Project 20 points
This will be an individual creative project. This will be a unique project for you. You will choose an interest area and develop a small unit on the theme/interest area you choose. It must contain a minimum of three lesson plans complete with objectives, methods, materials, standards addressed, (Vermont Framework of Standards), bibliography of sources, desired outcomes and assessment process. You will submit an outline of your project to the discussion board so that as a class we can provide feedback through discussion. The final project will be due in the discussion forum no later than 6 pm, Monday at the end of week 13.
I have taken your grading policy and added the assignments - I am struggling with how to give value to these assignments and keep your policy. Can we move the maximum points up to 185? If we count each week as 10 points and the assignments that would add up to 185 given that week 15 would be the week they shared their creative projects for an additional 10 bonus points if we decide to do that. here's how I have altered your policy - provide feedback, change it whatever, but I won't put it in the class until I hear from you.
Grading Policy
A few words about grading: It is not our favorite part of teaching. However, it is necessary and gives you an idea of how you are doing throughout the class. We will make every effort to post your grades for the week as soon as possible.
The grading system for this course is based on a scale of 10. You can earn as many as 10 points for each week’s assignments, which include posts, submission of assigned projects, essays, and responses. The final project is worth 25 points
The total number of points you can earn for the course is 165. This means the grading for the semester looks like this:
168 – 185 points = A
157 – 167 points = B
146 – 156 points = C
126 – 136 points = D
At Midterm: (maximum points available: 70)
63 – 70 points = A
56 – 62 points = B
49 – 55 points = C
42 – 48 points = D
WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD GRADES:
8-10 points = Excellent posts which include information from the reading assignments and critical thinking on your part. Responses are spread throughout the week and indicate that you have not only read the assigned reading, but your peer’s posts as well.
7 points = Several posts which include some references to the reading material, and more than two responses which are posted at different times.
5-6 points = A post which addresses the question in a very general way, and one or two responses that are written at the same time. Blackboard tracks posting times, so it is evident when you have spent 15 minutes on your posts for the week. Even though you may in fact be reading every post all week, I have no way of knowing this if you do not interact with your peers.
An absence is indicated by a grade of 0 for the week.
As the above criteria indicates, I am looking for meaningful synthesis of the reading material, quality interactions spread over the course of the week, and “critical thinking” on your part. Critical thinking is indicated by your opinion on the topic, and why you feel the way you do.
If you ever have questions or comments about grades or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone. It is always better to address issues sooner rather than later.
Assignments for this course are:
Creative Activity Lesson Plan 10 points
You will create a lesson plan for a creative activity. You can refer to page 71 in your text entitled “Presentation of Creative Activities.”
Literature Review 5 points
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook. You will select one of the books in “Books for Children” at the end of the chapter. You will write a brief summary and reaction and then create one activity to go along with the piece of literature. These are not required to be full lesson plans. Examples of a literature review will be provided. These will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for a class discussion. When your week is represented your reviews will be due the first day of each week in relation to the chapters represented. They are due the first day so that they will generate discussions throughout the week.
Website Review 5 points
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook (this does not need to be the same chapter you selected for the literature review). You will select one of the websites listed at the end of the chapter or under WEBSITES (for the appropriate chapter). You will then complete a website evaluation on your selected website. Like the literature review, these will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for class discussion. Again, your reviews will be due the first day of each week in relation to the chapters represented. They are due the first day so that they will generate discussions throughout the week.
Small Group Reports 5 points
Think of these as tasks you would do in small groups if our class met on ground. For most of the tasks you will discuss problems/ideas in small groups (online, not necessarily at the same time) and then one person will submit the project for the entire group. Since these will also be discussed in the forum they must be submitted early in the week to generate discussion.
Creative Project 20 points
This will be an individual creative project. This will be a unique project for you. You will choose an interest area and develop a small unit on the theme/interest area you choose. It must contain a minimum of three lesson plans complete with objectives, methods, materials, standards addressed, (Vermont Framework of Standards), bibliography of sources, desired outcomes and assessment process. You will submit an outline of your project to the discussion board so that as a class we can provide feedback through discussion. The final project will be due in the discussion forum no later than 6 pm, Monday at the end of week 13.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Lynn,
I am able to access your Fostering Creativity course (thank you, Sarah!) and I just read the whole discussion board over coffee this morning. Oh, my! It is just wonderful and has me revved up and excited for teaching this class with you. In a perfect world, I would spend the next few days reading the text and making a million notes about how what you have relates to this new edition and my own thoughts. Alas, I have Jarrame until Monday and I want to make the most of it because I won't see him for a while. When I arrive at my father's next week, I will be able to devote some time to this task.
I want to find a few great websites on multiple intelligences (which I have squirrelled away in my wonky filing system) and add them to the readings. I can see so many ways to incorporate the service learning and observation piece into this great framework. As much as I love our curriculum class, I am going to enjoy this one even more because I get to use my art background in the context of my early childhood background - a validating and centering experience for me!
Follow up to our Wednesday discussion:
The ISBN for Bridges Out of Poverty is 13: 978-0-978642-00-6
As per our discussion about your interest in science, here are a few of my favorite titles from the world of quantum physics:
The Tao of Physics, by Fritzof Capra
The Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Gary Zukov
Art and Physics, by Leonard Shlain
There are others related to this list, but these are the three that had the biggest impact on me personally na actually produced the mental shift that changed my way of seeing a lot of things. I came to have a comfortable relationship with my mother's death because of these books. The first two helped me see the amazing connections between science and spirituality, and the third one helped me understand why art is more than meets the eye. If you really want to get into the science and mystery behind quantum physics, read Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteries, by John Gribbin. It will knock you off your pins!
A few Assignments I use and like:
I am able to access your Fostering Creativity course (thank you, Sarah!) and I just read the whole discussion board over coffee this morning. Oh, my! It is just wonderful and has me revved up and excited for teaching this class with you. In a perfect world, I would spend the next few days reading the text and making a million notes about how what you have relates to this new edition and my own thoughts. Alas, I have Jarrame until Monday and I want to make the most of it because I won't see him for a while. When I arrive at my father's next week, I will be able to devote some time to this task.
I want to find a few great websites on multiple intelligences (which I have squirrelled away in my wonky filing system) and add them to the readings. I can see so many ways to incorporate the service learning and observation piece into this great framework. As much as I love our curriculum class, I am going to enjoy this one even more because I get to use my art background in the context of my early childhood background - a validating and centering experience for me!
Follow up to our Wednesday discussion:
The ISBN for Bridges Out of Poverty is 13: 978-0-978642-00-6
As per our discussion about your interest in science, here are a few of my favorite titles from the world of quantum physics:
The Tao of Physics, by Fritzof Capra
The Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Gary Zukov
Art and Physics, by Leonard Shlain
There are others related to this list, but these are the three that had the biggest impact on me personally na actually produced the mental shift that changed my way of seeing a lot of things. I came to have a comfortable relationship with my mother's death because of these books. The first two helped me see the amazing connections between science and spirituality, and the third one helped me understand why art is more than meets the eye. If you really want to get into the science and mystery behind quantum physics, read Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteries, by John Gribbin. It will knock you off your pins!
A few Assignments I use and like:
 | Satisfaction Survey Satisfaction Survey Potentially worth 5 points of extra credit! The purpose of this survey is to assess the effectiveness of this course and the methods used. It is meant to supplement CCV’s evaluation and will be used to improve specific elements of this course. It is very important that you also complete the official CCV evaluation concerning this course, which will be available to you at the end of the semester. PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY: Copy and paste this survey into a Word document, enter your answers, and email it to me at the address below no later than April 30th. When I receive your survey I will add up to 5 points of extra credit to your total points, but these will not show up on the gradesheet. Blackboard has a hard time accommodating “extra credit,” so I will manually add them at the end of the semester. I thank you in advance for taking the time to give honest, well thought out responses to the questions. Your opinions are valuable to me. Suzanne suzpurcell@gmail.com Spring, 2009 Satisfaction Survey Title of the CCV course you took this semester: How did this course fit into your plans for the future? How many online courses have you taken? Is online a good environment in which to take this course? Did the structure of this course (weekly opening dates for the discussions, deadlines for original posts and peer responses) work well for you. Please explain. Did this course cover the topics you expected? Please comment on the textbook(s) used for this course. Did it meet your needs? What did you like the most about the text? What did you like least? What was your favorite aspect of the course? What would you change to improve the course? Did you feel you could ask for help when you needed it? Did you feel comfortable in approaching the instructor for help? Did you feel comfortable approaching your peers? Would you recommend this course to other students? Please feel free to add any comments in any way relevant to your experience in this class: Thank you for taking the time to provide this valuable feedback. Suzanne suzpurcell@gmail.com Letter to Next Semester's Students, used as part of the final for English Comp.: Write a letter to next semester’s students. In this letter you will welcome them to this class, and tell them what they need to know to be successful in this course. Among the elements you might address in this letter are ideas about building a good learning community, how to overcome writer’s block, how to effectively use the journals for generating ideas, how you rate the elements of writing in terms of importance (grammar, mechanics, structure, flow, audience, voice, generation of ideas, writer’s confidence, etc.), how to provide constructive criticism to peers, how learning to write more confidently impacts the writer, or anything else of interest and importance to you. Your letter will be at least 500 words in length, carefully proofread and spell checked, and shared with at least one other person before submitting. This letter is a chance to show off the skills you worked hard to acquire this semester, so make it a nice piece of writing. |
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lynn,
The stuff you posted looks great! I don't feel left out at all because I created some of this stuff. Again, thanks for taking the time to get this show on the road!
Suzanne
Grading Policy
A few words about grading: It is not my favorite part of teaching. However, it is necessary and gives you an idea of how you are doing throughout the class. I will make every effort to post your grades for the week as soon as possible.
The grading system for this course is based on a scale of 10. You can earn as many as 10 points for each week’s assignments, which include posts, submission of assigned projects, essays, and responses. The final project is worth 25 points
The total number of points you can earn for the course is 165. This means the grading for the semester looks like this:
148 – 165 points = A
132 – 147 points = B
116 – 131 points = C
99 – 115 points = D
At Midterm: (maximum points available: 70)
63 – 70 points = A
56 – 62 points = B
49 – 55 points = C
42 – 48 points = D
WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD GRADES:
8-10 points = Excellent posts which include information from the reading assignments and critical thinking on your part. Responses are spread throughout the week and indicate that you have not only read the assigned reading, but your peer’s posts as well.
7 points = Several posts which include some references to the reading material, and more than two responses which are posted at different times.
5-6 points = A post which addresses the question in a very general way, and one or two responses that are written at the same time. Blackboard tracks posting times, so it is evident when you have spent 15 minutes on your posts for the week. Even though you may in fact be reading every post all week, I have no way of knowing this if you do not interact with your peers.
An absence is indicated by a grade of 0 for the week.
As the above criteria indicates, I am looking for meaningful synthesis of the reading material, quality interactions spread over the course of the week, and “critical thinking” on your part. Critical thinking is indicated by your opinion on the topic, and why you feel the way you do.
If you ever have questions or comments about grades or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone. It is always better to address issues sooner rather than later.
Suzanne
suzpurcell@gmail.com
802-922-0058
The section below is what I post after midterms, or email to a student of things are not going well.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GRADES:
To earn a 10, you have to submit substantial posts that reflect what you've read in the text. They must be submitted on time according to the instructions for that Discussion Board. In addition, you have to be posting more than two posts to your peers. Some folks are posting 10 or more responses. This tells me they are reading everyone's posts (a requirement for this course) and that they are actively engaging in the discussions.
One factor that is important is when you post. Posting early in the week's session ensures that everyone will read your post and you are much more likely to receive feedback from your peers. This often results in your greater involvement because you will be responding to responses. This constitutes active participation.
You also have an opportunity to earn extra credit. Please scroll down through the Discussion Board instructions for information about this project, and be very careful to follow the instructions exactly.
I hope this is helpful. As always, if you need to discuss any of this further, please contact me.
Suzanne
suzpurcell@gmail.com
802.922.0058
The stuff you posted looks great! I don't feel left out at all because I created some of this stuff. Again, thanks for taking the time to get this show on the road!
Suzanne
Grading Policy
A few words about grading: It is not my favorite part of teaching. However, it is necessary and gives you an idea of how you are doing throughout the class. I will make every effort to post your grades for the week as soon as possible.
The grading system for this course is based on a scale of 10. You can earn as many as 10 points for each week’s assignments, which include posts, submission of assigned projects, essays, and responses. The final project is worth 25 points
The total number of points you can earn for the course is 165. This means the grading for the semester looks like this:
148 – 165 points = A
132 – 147 points = B
116 – 131 points = C
99 – 115 points = D
At Midterm: (maximum points available: 70)
63 – 70 points = A
56 – 62 points = B
49 – 55 points = C
42 – 48 points = D
WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD GRADES:
8-10 points = Excellent posts which include information from the reading assignments and critical thinking on your part. Responses are spread throughout the week and indicate that you have not only read the assigned reading, but your peer’s posts as well.
7 points = Several posts which include some references to the reading material, and more than two responses which are posted at different times.
5-6 points = A post which addresses the question in a very general way, and one or two responses that are written at the same time. Blackboard tracks posting times, so it is evident when you have spent 15 minutes on your posts for the week. Even though you may in fact be reading every post all week, I have no way of knowing this if you do not interact with your peers.
An absence is indicated by a grade of 0 for the week.
As the above criteria indicates, I am looking for meaningful synthesis of the reading material, quality interactions spread over the course of the week, and “critical thinking” on your part. Critical thinking is indicated by your opinion on the topic, and why you feel the way you do.
If you ever have questions or comments about grades or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone. It is always better to address issues sooner rather than later.
Suzanne
suzpurcell@gmail.com
802-922-0058
The section below is what I post after midterms, or email to a student of things are not going well.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GRADES:
To earn a 10, you have to submit substantial posts that reflect what you've read in the text. They must be submitted on time according to the instructions for that Discussion Board. In addition, you have to be posting more than two posts to your peers. Some folks are posting 10 or more responses. This tells me they are reading everyone's posts (a requirement for this course) and that they are actively engaging in the discussions.
One factor that is important is when you post. Posting early in the week's session ensures that everyone will read your post and you are much more likely to receive feedback from your peers. This often results in your greater involvement because you will be responding to responses. This constitutes active participation.
You also have an opportunity to earn extra credit. Please scroll down through the Discussion Board instructions for information about this project, and be very careful to follow the instructions exactly.
I hope this is helpful. As always, if you need to discuss any of this further, please contact me.
Suzanne
suzpurcell@gmail.com
802.922.0058
What I have done today
Hey Suzanne!
Well I have started building our course! I have it opened, a brief announcement, instructor information, course description and assignments and grading. I am putting them here for you to look at as well. We can change anything at any time! I will do a bit every day and hopefully have this going well by next week! So here's what I have added:
Opening announcement:
Hello and welcome to Fostering Creativity in Young Children! You are lucky to have two instructors for this course - Suzanne Purcell and myself, Lynn Silvestro. We are currently developing the course and new materials will be added over the next few weeks so check back periodically to see what we have in store for the upcoming fall semester! I think you will enjoy this class because we will be creating fun activities, looking at some awesome websites and collaborating on a variety of young children's growth and development activities!
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact either or both of us! E-see you in class!
Lynn and Suzanne
Course description:
EDU-1250 Fostering Creative Learning for Children
Course Description
Students will explore creativity in children’s lives and learning environments. Emphasis will be on the exploration and integration of creative process in the learning situation. This course introduces students to the concepts of creativity, materials selection, setting up and modification of classrooms. Various approaches to teaching children will be discussed as they pertain to children’s age, development, and the arts, especially in a school setting.
Course Objectives
Successful students will be able to:
1. Define creativity and its role in the learning process of children.
2. Describe the developmental stages of early childhood and explain how creative activities will vary according to the child’s needs.
3. Explain the role of creative expression in children’s lives especially in formal instruction.
4. Explore the variety of approaches to developing creativity in children.
5. Explain why the process of creating is more important than the product on the play and work of children.
6. Discuss the role that various arts, such as music, visual arts and drama have in children’s learning.
7. Demonstrate how an aspect of creative expression enhances children’s learning.
Required Reading
Mayesky, Mary. 2009. Creative Activities for Young Children, 9th edition. New York: Delmar/Cengage Learning ISBN 1428321802
Methods
Weekly reading assignments from the textbooks and outside reading assignments; Weekly questions to be answered on the Discussion Board (DB), which are reflective of your reading; responses to posts on the Discussion Board.
Course Structure:
For the purpose of this course, our week begins on Tuesday, when the Discussion Board for the week opens. Your post in which you respond to the question(s) is due by midnight on Friday. Your responses to your peers’ posts are due by midnight on Sunday. If you meet these deadlines, you may continue discussion throughout Monday and earn credit for them.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The format for this class will be as follows:
Important: It is your responsibility to read every post in every Discussion Board.
You will begin each week’s lesson by reading the assigned pages in the textbook, as well as any additional assigned readings. Part of the grading process depends on how you synthesize the readings into your discussion board posts. After reading the assignments, you will compose an essay in response to the Discussion Board Instructions. There will be a separate Discussion Board set up for each week and you will submit all posts to that board. From the menu at the left, click on “Discussion Board.” Scroll to the DB for the current week. Open the DB by clicking on the underlined title. Click “Add a Thread,” and compose your answer in the dialog box. Initial weekly posts should be at least 300 words in length and will be labeled “Chapter __.” Responses to fellow students will be labeled “Response to (student’s name.). Note: All Discussion Board posts and replies must be proofread and spell checked prior to submission.
The Discussion Board will open on Tuesday, and your initial responses to the discussion question will be due by midnight on Friday. Responses to your peers’ posts will be due by midnight on Sunday. Responses to assigned readings must be submitted by Friday at midnight in order to receive credit for the posting. It is your responsibility to read everyone’s posts. This is a critical element of online learning and will require careful time scheduling.
The second part of the week’s assignment will be to respond to other students’ posts. These must be posted by midnight on Sunday. Again, it is your responsibility to read these posts as well. Of course it is fine for you to use the syllabus to see what the next week’s assignment will be, but please do not submit posts in advance of the opening date for each week’s discussion board. The discussion board is your virtual classroom, and it doesn’t make sense for you to speak to an empty room. It is also important to remember that there may be changes to the syllabus, or additional outside reading or research that should be reflected in your weekly posts.
I hope these general guidelines are helpful to you. Let us know if you need clarification on anything throughout the semester.
Assignments:
The following is a list of assignments – see the syllabus for due dates. Further instructions can be found in documents under “full assignments.”
• Creative Activity Lesson Plan
• Creative project
• Literature review and annotated bibliography
• Playful teachers
• Response to reviews
• Setting up an interest area
• Small group tasks
• Website review
Assignments and Grading:
Grading
Discussion Board CLASS TIMES Tuesday 6 pm to the following Monday 6 pm
Participation in the discussion forum will account for 30 percent of your grade. Zero to three points can be earned for each of the 14 class discussions. Three points represents excellent work in response to the questions and participation. Two points will be earned for a good to very good participation. One point for a response to only a single element of the discussion's assigned activities. No points will be recorded for a missed discussion. Assignments in missed discussion can not be 'made up' in the following week's discussion.
Attendance/Discussion Forum
Specific material will be presented for you to respond to. Also each week literature and web site reviews will be submitted for discussion. Other activities such as small group activities and a creative lesson plan will also be submitted to the forum for discussion. 3 points (14 x 3 = 42)
Creative Activity Lesson Plan
You will create a lesson plan for a creative activity. You can refer to pages 30-33 in your text entitled “Activities for Children,” for examples. 10 points
Creative Project
This will be an individual creative project. This will be a unique project for you. You will choose an interest area and develop a small unit on the theme/interest area you choose. It must contain a minimum of three lesson plans complete with objectives, methods, materials, standards addressed, (Vermont Early Learning Standards or the Vermont Framework of Standards, VELS), annotated bibliography of sources with book cover graphic, desired outcomes and assessment process. You will submit an outline of your project to the discussion board so that as a class we can provide feedback through discussion. The final project will be due in the digital drop box no later than 6 pm, on Monday of week 13. 20 points
Literature Review
Each of you will find a book for children. You will write a brief summary and reaction and then create one activity to go along with the piece of literature. These are not required to be full lesson plans. Examples of a literature review will be provided. These will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for a class discussion. 5 points
Website Review
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook. You will select one of the websites listed at the end of the chapter or under helpful Websites (for the appropriate chapter). You will then complete a website evaluation on your selected website. Like the literature review, these will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for class discussion. 5 points
Response to Reviews
Throughout the semester you will be required to respond to Website Reviews and Literature Reviews. You will respond in the discussion forum. The class will discuss the activity you developed and your reviews to provide feedback.
Small Group Tasks
Think of these as tasks you would do in small groups if our class met on ground. For most of the tasks you will discuss problems/ideas in small groups (online, not necessarily at the same time) and then one person will submit the project for the entire group. 6 points (6 x 3 = 18)
Small Group Task Assessment
Each student will assess their own teammates using the criteria I have provided
I just copied and pasted our instructor information into the course. I will do more tomorrow! Take care!
Lynn
Well I have started building our course! I have it opened, a brief announcement, instructor information, course description and assignments and grading. I am putting them here for you to look at as well. We can change anything at any time! I will do a bit every day and hopefully have this going well by next week! So here's what I have added:
Opening announcement:
Hello and welcome to Fostering Creativity in Young Children! You are lucky to have two instructors for this course - Suzanne Purcell and myself, Lynn Silvestro. We are currently developing the course and new materials will be added over the next few weeks so check back periodically to see what we have in store for the upcoming fall semester! I think you will enjoy this class because we will be creating fun activities, looking at some awesome websites and collaborating on a variety of young children's growth and development activities!
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact either or both of us! E-see you in class!
Lynn and Suzanne
Course description:
EDU-1250 Fostering Creative Learning for Children
Course Description
Students will explore creativity in children’s lives and learning environments. Emphasis will be on the exploration and integration of creative process in the learning situation. This course introduces students to the concepts of creativity, materials selection, setting up and modification of classrooms. Various approaches to teaching children will be discussed as they pertain to children’s age, development, and the arts, especially in a school setting.
Course Objectives
Successful students will be able to:
1. Define creativity and its role in the learning process of children.
2. Describe the developmental stages of early childhood and explain how creative activities will vary according to the child’s needs.
3. Explain the role of creative expression in children’s lives especially in formal instruction.
4. Explore the variety of approaches to developing creativity in children.
5. Explain why the process of creating is more important than the product on the play and work of children.
6. Discuss the role that various arts, such as music, visual arts and drama have in children’s learning.
7. Demonstrate how an aspect of creative expression enhances children’s learning.
Required Reading
Mayesky, Mary. 2009. Creative Activities for Young Children, 9th edition. New York: Delmar/Cengage Learning ISBN 1428321802
Methods
Weekly reading assignments from the textbooks and outside reading assignments; Weekly questions to be answered on the Discussion Board (DB), which are reflective of your reading; responses to posts on the Discussion Board.
Course Structure:
For the purpose of this course, our week begins on Tuesday, when the Discussion Board for the week opens. Your post in which you respond to the question(s) is due by midnight on Friday. Your responses to your peers’ posts are due by midnight on Sunday. If you meet these deadlines, you may continue discussion throughout Monday and earn credit for them.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The format for this class will be as follows:
Important: It is your responsibility to read every post in every Discussion Board.
You will begin each week’s lesson by reading the assigned pages in the textbook, as well as any additional assigned readings. Part of the grading process depends on how you synthesize the readings into your discussion board posts. After reading the assignments, you will compose an essay in response to the Discussion Board Instructions. There will be a separate Discussion Board set up for each week and you will submit all posts to that board. From the menu at the left, click on “Discussion Board.” Scroll to the DB for the current week. Open the DB by clicking on the underlined title. Click “Add a Thread,” and compose your answer in the dialog box. Initial weekly posts should be at least 300 words in length and will be labeled “Chapter __.” Responses to fellow students will be labeled “Response to (student’s name.). Note: All Discussion Board posts and replies must be proofread and spell checked prior to submission.
The Discussion Board will open on Tuesday, and your initial responses to the discussion question will be due by midnight on Friday. Responses to your peers’ posts will be due by midnight on Sunday. Responses to assigned readings must be submitted by Friday at midnight in order to receive credit for the posting. It is your responsibility to read everyone’s posts. This is a critical element of online learning and will require careful time scheduling.
The second part of the week’s assignment will be to respond to other students’ posts. These must be posted by midnight on Sunday. Again, it is your responsibility to read these posts as well. Of course it is fine for you to use the syllabus to see what the next week’s assignment will be, but please do not submit posts in advance of the opening date for each week’s discussion board. The discussion board is your virtual classroom, and it doesn’t make sense for you to speak to an empty room. It is also important to remember that there may be changes to the syllabus, or additional outside reading or research that should be reflected in your weekly posts.
I hope these general guidelines are helpful to you. Let us know if you need clarification on anything throughout the semester.
Assignments:
The following is a list of assignments – see the syllabus for due dates. Further instructions can be found in documents under “full assignments.”
• Creative Activity Lesson Plan
• Creative project
• Literature review and annotated bibliography
• Playful teachers
• Response to reviews
• Setting up an interest area
• Small group tasks
• Website review
Assignments and Grading:
Grading
Discussion Board CLASS TIMES Tuesday 6 pm to the following Monday 6 pm
Participation in the discussion forum will account for 30 percent of your grade. Zero to three points can be earned for each of the 14 class discussions. Three points represents excellent work in response to the questions and participation. Two points will be earned for a good to very good participation. One point for a response to only a single element of the discussion's assigned activities. No points will be recorded for a missed discussion. Assignments in missed discussion can not be 'made up' in the following week's discussion.
Attendance/Discussion Forum
Specific material will be presented for you to respond to. Also each week literature and web site reviews will be submitted for discussion. Other activities such as small group activities and a creative lesson plan will also be submitted to the forum for discussion. 3 points (14 x 3 = 42)
Creative Activity Lesson Plan
You will create a lesson plan for a creative activity. You can refer to pages 30-33 in your text entitled “Activities for Children,” for examples. 10 points
Creative Project
This will be an individual creative project. This will be a unique project for you. You will choose an interest area and develop a small unit on the theme/interest area you choose. It must contain a minimum of three lesson plans complete with objectives, methods, materials, standards addressed, (Vermont Early Learning Standards or the Vermont Framework of Standards, VELS), annotated bibliography of sources with book cover graphic, desired outcomes and assessment process. You will submit an outline of your project to the discussion board so that as a class we can provide feedback through discussion. The final project will be due in the digital drop box no later than 6 pm, on Monday of week 13. 20 points
Literature Review
Each of you will find a book for children. You will write a brief summary and reaction and then create one activity to go along with the piece of literature. These are not required to be full lesson plans. Examples of a literature review will be provided. These will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for a class discussion. 5 points
Website Review
Each of you will sign up for a chapter in the textbook. You will select one of the websites listed at the end of the chapter or under helpful Websites (for the appropriate chapter). You will then complete a website evaluation on your selected website. Like the literature review, these will be submitted into a specific forum in the discussion board for class discussion. 5 points
Response to Reviews
Throughout the semester you will be required to respond to Website Reviews and Literature Reviews. You will respond in the discussion forum. The class will discuss the activity you developed and your reviews to provide feedback.
Small Group Tasks
Think of these as tasks you would do in small groups if our class met on ground. For most of the tasks you will discuss problems/ideas in small groups (online, not necessarily at the same time) and then one person will submit the project for the entire group. 6 points (6 x 3 = 18)
Small Group Task Assessment
Each student will assess their own teammates using the criteria I have provided
I just copied and pasted our instructor information into the course. I will do more tomorrow! Take care!
Lynn
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