Developmentally Classroom Design - Essay Example

?Table of Contents Reflection 5 Culturally Respectful Menu 6 Reflection 6 Play Observation for a Child with Special Needs 7 Reflection 8 Lesson Plan 9 Reflection 10 Reflective Journal Choice 11 Reflection 12 Practicum Evaluation 13 Reflection 18 Education Philosophy 19 Reflection 20 Chosen Artifact 21 Reflection 22 A. Entrance/Exit B. Cubbies C. Mat Storage Shelves D. Sinks E. Teacher supply cabinet F. Bathroom G. Shelves for storing diapering supplies H. Changing table I. Tables and chairs J. Group time area K. Art center L. Soft/Book center M. Small manipulative center N. Block center O. Dramatic Play center P. Climbing area Q. Window Front 3-D view Back 3-D view 3-D view from sides Reflection I created the models for my classroom using an online classroom planning tool. It was really helpful to be able to use the program to plan how I wanted to set up my room. However, the choices of furniture were limited, so I couldn’t be as detailed as I would have liked. I still want to set my future classroom up like the classroom I designed, although I might switch the art center and the soft/book center so that the art center has better lighting. Culturally Respectful Menu Breakfast Lunch Snack Monday Corn pancakes Milk Spaghetti, salad and pears Milk Banana bread Orange Juice Tuesday Sausage Rolls Milk Cuban sandwich, Arroz con pollo, pineapple Milk Tortilla chips Apple Juice Wednesday Open Faced Omelet Orange Juice Chinese pot stickers, fried rice, steamed vegetables Milk Chinese filled buns Milk Thursday Quiche Lorraine Milk Burritos, refried beans, guacamole salad Milk Rice crackers Apple Juice Friday Huevos Rancheros Orange Juice Yakitori, egg noodles, fruit skewers Milk Cheese buns Milk Reflection I arranged the menu the way that I did to make sure that the children got milk twice a day and fruit or vegetables every day. I also made sure that there are at least three different food groups present each day. On the menu, I offered food from the United States, Latin America, South America, Europe and Asia. I really like how culturally varied the menu is, however if I had to plan a menu again, I would make sure that the students were getting a fruit and a vegetable every day. I would also try to balance the menu so that it was less carbohydrate heavy on certain days. Play Observation for a Child with Special Needs I observed in a 4 year old classroom. The classroom, as well as the child care center it was in, followed Adlerian psychology. The basic idea of Adlerian psychology is to encourage the development of healthy and cooperative individuals and families. The student that I focused on was a student that was diagnosed with ADHD. One technique that I noticed a teacher use when working with the child was rewarding the child when he had a good behavior and ignoring negative behavior. I believe the goal of this method was to show the student that the teacher would only pay him attention when he was behaving well. This was an effective strategy because it caused the student to behave in more positive ways. Another technique that I saw was keeping a posted schedule and referring the child to the schedule whenever he asked a question about what was coming next. The goal of this method was to provide a stable, structured schedule for the child to refer to. I believe this was an effective strategy because the child often used it and had a reduced anxiety about what was coming up next. I also noticed that the teacher gave clear behavior expectations before all activities. The goal of this method was to remind the student of what behaviors were acceptable in class. I believe this was an effective strategy because it helped the student to remember how he should behave during activities. The teacher also spoke to the student privately when they were doing more complex activities. The goal of this activity was to reinforce the steps needed to complete the activity and to clarify any steps. She went over the steps that he would have to take to complete the activity with him, then asked him if he had any questions and offered to help him later if he needed it. I believe this was an effective strategy because it reinforced the earlier instructions and reduced the anxiety of the student when he didn’t know what to do. He knew that the teacher was there to help. Reflection The strategies that the teachers used with the ADHD student really seemed to be effective. If I have an ADHD student in my classroom, I will employ all the techniques that I observed those teachers using. Since that observation, I have done more research on ADHD. If I had a child with ADHD in my classroom, I would also use cues, like songs or rhymes, that let the children know what is coming next. In addition, I would give the children many opportunities to let their energy out in a positive way. Lesson Plan Level: 4 Year old Preschool Lesson: Know our Names Objective: Students will be able to visually recognize and write their first name. Standards: 1a: Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs 1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging Learning environments Concept: Students will recognize and write their name. Materials: Sand Alphabet blocks Index cards (for name cards) Paintbrushes Lesson: Introduction: The teacher will introduce name cards to children. Activity: Learning Centers Art Children will write their names in water on the wall outside. Sand/Water Children will write their names in sand. Blocks Children will spell their names with alphabet blocks. Evaluation: The teacher will observe to see if students can recognize and write their names. Extensions: Art: Have children paint their name on paper. Sand/Water: Have children make a sand painting of their name. Blocks: Ask children to spell their last name, also. Reflection I chose this lesson plan to include in my portfolio because it covered two standards and it helped teach my students an essential skill while exercising different learning domains. The students used their cognitive domain when they had to recreate their name with water, sand and blocks. They increased their fine motor skills when they used the paintbrush to write their names. When the students made their name in blocks, they used both fine and gross motor skills. This lesson was successful because more of my students could write their name afterwards. Although, if I did this lesson again, I would add an activity: ‘scrambled names’. ‘Scrambled names’ is a game in which students are given the letters in their name and they have to put the letters in order to make their names. Reflective Journal Choice We did an activity called “My Favorite Snack” in dramatic play in the 4 year old classroom. In the activity, the children “made” their favorite snack from play food. Then, I talked with the children about what they were making and asked them how to make it. I then did an extension activity in art and had the children draw their favorite foods. Afterwards, I had the children tell me the steps to make it and I wrote them down. This way, we made a recipe together. This activity relates to standard 5c: Using their own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula for each child. I chose this activity because it is a good example of creating an activity that creates a challenge for each child while integrating different learning areas. The children had a lot of fun with this activity, but I noticed that some of them had difficulty coming up with the steps for making the snack. If I did the activity again, I would introduce sequential ordering, or steps, before I did the activity. I would also like to provide a wider variety of play food for the children to use in the activity. Reflection I chose this journal because I really liked how integrated the activity was. The activity worked on early language and math skills (sequencing and recall) and fine motor skills (drawing). Students were allowed to pretend to make their favorite foods, giving us an opportunity to discuss preferences and then we worked on sequencing and recall when we came up with the steps for making the food. They also used their fine motor skills when they drew a picture of the food. The drawings also helped me to see the different levels of artistic talent that the children possessed. Practicum Evaluation I. Promoting Child Development and Learning Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Knows and understands young children’s characteristics 3 b. Knows and understands young children’s needs 3 c. Uses developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments 3 Total Points 9 Total Points Section I = 9 1 point – activities, assignments, and journals are do not provide in depth knowledge of developmentally appropriate learning 2 points – activities, assignments, and journals show adequate understanding of developmentally appropriate learning 3 points – activities, assignments, and journals demonstrate in depth knowledge of developmentally appropriate learning II. Building Family and Community Relationships Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Knows about and understands diverse family and community characteristics. 3 b. Supports and engages families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships. 3 c. Involves families and communities in children’s development and learning 3 Total Points 9 Total Points Section II = 9 1 point – activities, assignments, and journals show limited evidence of family involvement 2 points - activities, assignments, and journals show adequate evidence of family involvement 3 points - activities, assignments, and journals show in-depth evidence of family involvement III. Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Understands the goals, benefits and uses of assessments 2 Working towards getting a better understanding b. Knows about assessment partnerships with families and with professional colleagues 2 Working towards getting a better understanding c. Knows about and uses observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches 3 d. Understands and practices responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child 3 Total Points 6 4 Total Points Section III = 10 1 point – Activities, assignments, and journals show limited use of observation and documentation in planning for children 2 points – Activities, assignments, and journals show adequate use of observation and documentation in planning for children 3 points – Activities, assignments, and journals show in-depth use of observation and documentation in planning for children IV. Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Understands positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children 3 b. Knows and understands effective strategies and tools for early childhood education 3 c. Uses a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches. 2 Need to work on this area d. Reflects on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child. 3 Total Points 9 2 Total Points Section IV = 11 1 point – activities, assignments, and journals show limited evidence of effective approaches to connect with children and families 2 points – activities, assignments, and journals show adequate evidence of effective approaches to connect with children and families 3 points – activities, assignments, and journals show in-depth evidence of effective approaches to connect with children and families V. Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Understands content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines 3 b. Knows and uses the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines 3 c. Using their own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula for each child. 3 Total Points 9 Total Points Section VI = 1 point – activities, assignments, and journals show limited evidence of using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum 2 points – activities, assignments, and journals show adequate evidence of using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum 3 points – activities, assignments, and journals show in-depth evidence of using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum VI. Becoming a Professional Criteria Exceeds Requirements 3 points Meets Requirements 2 points Meets Few Requirements 1 point Does Not Meet Requirements 0 points N/A Comments a. Identifies and involves oneself with the early childhood field 3 b. Knows about and upholds ethical standards and other professional guidelines 3 c. Engages in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice 2 Has room for improvement d. Integrates knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education. 2 Has room for improvement e. Engages in informed advocacy for children and the profession. 2 Has room for improvement Total Points 6 6 Total Points Section VI = 12 1 point – activities, assignments, and journals show limited evidence of becoming a professional. 2 points – activities, assignments, and journals show adequate evidence of becoming a professional 3 points – activities, assignments, and journals show in-depth evidence of becoming a professional Point Totals Comments I. Promoting Child Development and Learning 9 II. Building Family and Community Partnerships 9 III. Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families 10 IV. Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families 11 V. Becoming a Professional 12 Total Points Grade Received: 51 Grading Scale A: 66 – 60 B: 59 - 53 C: 52 - 46 D: 45 – 31 F: 30 - below Reflection I scored highest in ‘Promoting Child Development and Learning’, ‘Building Family and Community Relationships’ and ‘Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum.’ I exceeded expectations throughout these categories. I believe this is because I have a good understanding of the characteristics and needs of a young child and I believe in communication and cooperation with parents and the community. This will make it easier to plan my curriculum and I will have an easier time communicating with parents. I am also good at writing lesson plans and activities. This will make it easier for me to come up with activities and lessons on my own. I scored lowest in ‘Becoming a Professional’. I believe this is because I need to read more articles and education news to stay up to date on what is happening in the early childhood field. I also need to become more knowledgeable about the different issues that affect students and teachers in an early childhood classroom. Education Philosophy At the beginning of my journey towards becoming a teacher, I believed in having high expectations for my students. I knew that every child can learn and even excel when I provided them with the means to succeed. My role was to teach them academic content and skills and educate them socially as well. I believed in a classroom based on a sense of respect and on personal responsibility. Now, as I near the end of my journey, I still believe these key concepts, but I have learned a lot more about being an educator. It is important for a teacher to have high expectations for her students. However, it’s just as important for those expectations to be clearly stated and reinforced. I know now that behavior expectations and academic goals should be stated at the beginning of each activity and children should be praised when they meet those goals and expectations. Every child can learn when he is provided with the means to succeed. These means include providing different learning style options for the classroom, reinforcing previously taught materials in new lessons and allowing the child to start on his or her own level. Some children learn best through seeing, some learn best through listening, and some learn best through doing. I will combine all of these learning styles in my lessons. I will also keep all of my lessons connected by connecting previously taught material with new material. Allowing a child to start on his own level is also important. Children will come to me with varying degrees of skill. Children who are less skilled will become frustrated if asked to do a task that is beyond them. Children who are very skilled will become bored if asked to do a task that is too easy. It is important to offer differing difficulty levels within an activity. A teacher must not only teach students academic skills, but social skills as well. This process involves discussions with students, modeling of those skills and reinforcing students who are using these skills appropriately. Discussions will take place during morning meetings or when an event has happened that warrants discussion. I will model appropriate academic and social skills to my students each day, but I will also do a weekly skit with students, modeling an academic or social skill. It is also important to praise students when they are using the skills appropriately. It is important for a classroom to be built on respect and responsibility. However, it’s not enough to simply discuss respect and responsibility with the class. I must model these concepts also, by integrating them into my classroom rules and behavior expectations. Reflection I have learned a lot since I wrote my first philosophy of education. When I wrote my first philosophy, I believed in having high expectations, that every child could learn, and that my role was to teach them academically and socially. I believed in a classroom based on respect and responsibility. While my basic beliefs stay the same, I have learned how to implement these beliefs. Now that I know how to use my high expectations to accelerate student learning and how to build a lesson for a child, I am a lot closer to helping every child learn and excel. Knowing how to teach social skills and integrate them with academic skills will help me to form a classroom of respectful and responsible students. Chosen Artifact A teacher is a gardener. She starts off with a plot of land, the classroom, that she has to prepare for her garden, her class. Once the land is ready, the teacher begins to work on her garden. She receives a random assortment of plants, her students, that are in varying degrees of wellbeing. She plants them and gives each plant special care. Some plants, students, need a little extra attention to flourish, but if the gardener does her best then she will have an outstanding garden! Reflection I thought for a long time on what a teacher was like. I wanted an image of a teacher that agreed with my philosophy of teacher and I believe I found it. A teacher is like a gardener. She cares for her garden, giving each plant special care. With a little work, all of her students can flourish! Read More