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EDEC 750

EDEC 750: Internship in Early Childhood Education

Prerequisite or Co-requisite:  Admission to Teacher Education Program

Credit Hours: Nine (9) hours of field experience

Full‑time clinical practicum semester experience in one or more grade levels with prekindergarten/ kindergarten/primary grade children. This experience begins with limited participation, and culminates in assumption of full teaching responsibility for a minimum of 300 clock hours, including a minimum of 150 supervised teaching hours. Students conduct an action research project as part of this internship.

 

Detailed Description and Course Syllabus

Interns are required to participate in the full range of duties of teachers for the duration of the internship and abide by the placement calendars and policies. The placement is a public elementary school pre-K through 3rd grade classroom. Interns are expected to participate in all professional and community activities expected of Cooperating Professionals and to demonstrate commitment to the profession’s codes of ethical conduct. These experiences combined will total a minimum of 300 clock hours, including a minimum of 150 supervised teaching hours with the students of the placement.

 

Seminars are regularly scheduled to enhance professional development of interns.  Seminars will focus on the integration of theory and application derived from studies related to the knowledge bases and understanding of best practices in early childhood education.  Seminar topics will emphasize:

  • Professionalism
  • Current issues as they arise
  • Action Research

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

This course will consist of:

  • Regularly scheduled seminars
  • On-site observation and conferencing
  • Planning, teaching, assessing children’s progress
  • Student participation in site community development and services
  • Action Research Project development, implementation and evaluation
  • Self-assessment and reflection

 

Goals and Objectives of the Course

Goals, objectives, and assignments in the class address NCATE Standards 1c: Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills for Teacher Candidates, 1d: Student Learning for Teacher Candidates, and 1g: Professional Dispositions for all candidates.

 

Objectives below also include the following standards:

·        Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Licensure Standards Professional Studies requirements Competency #6: Supervised classroom experience

·        Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Licensure Standards Early/primary education preK-3 competency #1: Methods and #2: Knowledge and skills

·        National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standard

  • Standard #1: Promoting Child Development and Learning
  • Standard #2: Building Family and Community Relationships
  • Standard #3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Yong Children and Families
  • Standard #4: Teaching and Learning
  • Standard #5: Becoming a Professional

·        Council for Exceptional Children (CEC/DEC) Common Core Standards

  • Standard #1: Foundations
  • Standard #2: Development and Characteristics of Learners
  • Standard #3: Individual Learning Differences
  • Standard #4: Instructional Strategies
  • Standard #5: Learning Environments and Social Interactions
  • Standard #6: Language
  • Standard #7: Instructional Planning
  • Standard #8: Assessment
  • Standard #9: Professional and Ethical Practice
  • Standard #10: Collaboration

 

IDEC competencies identified in the course objectives were developed to organize standards from six national and state specialty professional areas for which a crosswalk is provided. The following objectives address IDEC competencies 5: Clinical Experiences and 6: Professionalism in addition to the specific competencies listed for each objective.

 

This course is designed to provide in-depth opportunities for interns to integrate theory and practice derived from studies related to the knowledge bases and understandings of best practices in early childhood education. Interns will practice and demonstrate skills in the following Graduate ECE Program competencies:

 

1. Describes typical and atypical child growth and development, including at risk and disabling conditions. (IDEC 1.1)

2. Participates as a team member to establish and maintain collaborative reciprocal relationships with families and other professionals in diverse settings, utilizing technologies for communication and information exchange. (IDEC 2.1)

3. Demonstrates respect for the diversity of families, children, and settings, and maximize child potential within the context of diversity in home, community, and society. (IDEC 2.2)

4. Selects and uses a variety of culturally unbiased formal and informal assessments, data collection, and evaluation measures, including specific sensory and motor measures, for the identification of child strengths and needs, and to monitor child progress, and report results to families and others. (IDEC 3.2)

5. Establishes and maintains physically and psychologically safe and healthy learning environments for young children. (IDEC 4.1)

6. Plans and implements curriculum and instruction that affirms and respects child and family cultural diversity. (IDEC 4.2)

7. Plans and implements meaningful developmentally appropriate learning experiences in all developmental domains, using functionally appropriate instructional practices and following national, state, and local curricular standards/guidelines. (IDEC 4.3)

8. Promotes positive relationships with and among children and the development of self-regulation and responsibility through the application of principles of positive behavior support and classroom management for individuals and groups. (IDEC 4.4)

9. Plans and implements health, nutrition, and safety practices addressing the development of good mental health and resilience to counter stress and trauma in young children. (IDEC 4.5)

10. Plans and implements instruction incorporating strategies from multiple disciplines including strategies to address specific disabilities and integrate content into meaningful contexts for children. (IDEC 4.6)

11. Plans and implements instruction in language/communication and developmentally appropriate literacy skills. (IDEC 4.7)

12. Plans and appropriately incorporates the use of technology, including assistive/adaptive technology to maximize outcomes for diverse learners. (IDEC 4.8)

13. Teaches under supervision of qualified professionals in providing services to diverse children (ages and abilities) and families in a variety of settings, and analyzes their experiences. (IDEC 5.1)

14. Recognizes signs of emotional distress, abuse/neglect, and follow established procedures for reporting to the authorities. (IDEC 6.1)

15. Establishes and maintains positive collaborative relationships and problem-solve with other professionals and agencies. (IDEC 6.4)

16. Adheres to professional Codes of ethical conduct. (IDEC 6.5)

17. Actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally including analyzing, evaluating, and applying research. (IDEC 6.7)

18. Uses technology as a tool for teaching, learning, research, and communication. (IDEC 6.8)

19. Demonstrates appropriate professional writing skills including organization, clarity, spelling, and grammar (e.g. punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction, etc.). (IDEC 6.9)

 

Assessment Measures

  • Attendance in placement and weekly seminar
  • Log of student teaching placement activities
  • Written assignments applying best practices to instruction with children and families
  • Assigned field experience activities as described in IDEC Internship Handbook
  • Written reflections on instruction
  • Student self-analyses
  • Feedback from cooperating professionals in field sites and university supervisor
  • Key NCATE Performance Assessment: “IDEC Student Teaching Evaluation”
  • Key NCATE Performance Assessment: “Professional Characteristics and Dispositions”
  • Key NCATE Performance Assessment: “Assessment-based Instruction: Action Research Project”

 

Other Course Information

IDEC Internships Handbook provides detailed information on policies, procedures, responsibilities, and expectations for performance. A-F Graded.

 

Review and Approval

April 2003    Proposed New Course      Barbara Foulks Boyd

4/24/09    Revised Syllabus                 Boyoung Park

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