THERE ARE 6 RESPONSES NEEDED.. EACH 2 RESPONSES HAS THEIR OWN INSTRUCTIONS

EDU499

 Guided Response: Professional development can cross programs. For example, The Learning and the Brain Annual Conference (Links to an external site.) has sessions that would address all programs. Is this a conference you would like to add to your list? Review your classmates’ choices, and respond to at least two who have shared at least one professional development opportunity that compliments your field of study. Explain why their choice is of interest to you and how it fits with your own professional development plan. 

JENNIFER’S POST:
 

The standard that I picked is social and emotional development.
This standard is interesting to me because of the fact that this is a major important development that is based on how teachers interact with children is at the very heart of starting at early childhood development and goes through basically the rest of the child’s entire learning experience. A main role for any teacher to play in the importance of a child turning into a successful adult one day.
A conference I found I would be interested in attending is called, CAAEYC 2020. “Participants will discover their transformative power to move from coping with burdens and challenges of the profession to building and activating resiliency in communities. Specifically, participants will explore three constructs for effective responses – awareness, connection, and empathy – that lead to breakthrough thinking as a result of reflective practices, courageous conversations, self-compassion, and self-care”. (Kaiser, 2020).
One continuing education opportunity for a masters degree in early childhood education I found on how obtaining your masters not only makes you more educated but qualified to be able to teach to the best of ones ability. The website I researched this on and found helpful information from on was retrieved from https://www.preschoolteacher.org.  (Links to an external site.)
An article I found that supports your learning and growth in my field was based on the early education field needs well-conducted empirical studies on which to base professional development practices. I could and would like to start a book club with this title called, Professional Developmental Practices. The article was retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com. (Links to an external site.)
A website that I found I researched myself was based on what science tells us about early childhood development and it was retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-11-20-what-science-tells-us-about-early-childhood-development (Links to an external site.).

References:
Kaiser, K. (2020). Bulding Life Long Promises. Retrieved from https://s6.goeshow.com/caaeyc/annual/2020/conference-schedule.cfm (Links to an external site.).
Foster, P. (2019).  A Primer in Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators. Retrieved from https://www.preschoolteacher.org. (Links to an external site.)

DINA’S POST:
 

Identify your chosen standard(s)

I chose a NAEYCs Professional Standard 10: Leadership and Management

Explain why this Professional Standard is interesting to you

The reason I chose this standard and it is interesting to me because I want to create high-quality experiences for not only children but also their families and teaching staff. By creating sensible policies and procedures, employing my knowledge of early childhood development, effective management strategies, including supporting the team and providing resources to families and staff in the learning and development of young children, I can build and maintain the quality of the program. Also, the leadership quality is essential to lead team members in achieving the program’s shared vision and mission to sustain the quality of the program.  

Research and find a conference in your field of study that you would want to attend.

I researched and found a conference in my field of study that I would like to attend is the NJAEYC 2nd Annual Leadership Institute, which has been rescheduled for January 2021. The focus of this annual conference is L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Equity, Advocacy, Diversity). The Keynote speaker will present the topic of how the leaders are the advocate of bringing equity and leadership in early childhood systems and provide the framework and action steps they can take (“NJAEYC,” n.d.). The conference also offers participants to chose from various leadership topics for morning and afternoon workshops sessions.  

Research and share one continuing education opportunity. (Masters, edX, 2nd language, certification).

I researched online certification for my continuing education opportunity, and I found Walden University’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology.   

Research and include one publication (journal, book, etc.) that supports your learning and growth in this area. Could you start a book club with this title?

I research and found the book on “Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves” (second edition) in NAEYCs resources. I am not sure if I can start a book club with this title, but I can use this book as a professional development resource to enhance teachers’ understanding and their role in fostering anti-bias educational practices in their classrooms. Young children need educators to help them understand diversity around them, such as culture, race, gender, abilities, and families and need “tools to make the world a more fair place for themselves and for each other” (NAEYC, n.d., para. 1). Thus, this book is a valuable source for educators and administrators.    

Research a choice of your own.

I researched a webpage that provides brief information on the science of early childhood development, focusing on how early adverse experiences affect a child’s brain development that can lead to life long challenges. The web page is retrieved on the Harvard University’s website “Center on the Developing Childhood” at https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-science-of-ecd/  (Links to an external site.)
Reference
NJAEYC. (n.d.). THE 2020 NJAEYC Leadership Institute. https://njaeyc.org/2020-leadership-institute-register/.
NAEYC. (n.d.). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/anti-bias-education.

 Guided Response: Post responses to at least two classmates. Provide suggestions and/or resources for peers to support their plans for staying competent or achieving competency with each Course Learning Outcome as well as their respective fields. 

MONICA’S POST:
 
Program Learning Outcomes
Attaining the learning outcomes help me improve my knowledge and skills on how to handle students and their families. It also helps me understand how to collaborate with other educators and build a goal that will support the children’s needs and reach their whole aspects in child development such as their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and communication skills. Knowing how to handle the children help me to be a better educator in the future. PLO 1: Demonstrate knowledge of child development principles, including cognitive, language, physical, and effective domains, in creating environments that are healthy, supportive, and challenging for children. I believe I was able to understand the need of the children is important and learning the process of how a child goes through can help children learn new skills and be successful in the future. PLO 2: Analyze the influence and impact of families and communities on a child’s learning and development. Collaborating with the families is the number one key to have a successful learning development and build well-educated citizens and be responsible in the community.

PLO 3: Design and assess developmentally appropriate strategies and programs promoting positive development and learning for children. This is important to build a learning environment that will help the children explore their creativity and having an educator that knew teaching and the methods of teaching children.

PLO 4: Identify components of personnel management in the recruiting, hiring, and maintenance of staff in quality child care settings. I feel like I was able to understand this outcome. Knowing your team is very important to have successful ways of achieving your goals.

PLO 5: Demonstrate knowledge of fiscal, legal, ethical, and program requirements in quality child care settings. Early childhood educators should create an environment that will support the children’s needs and interests. I believe I was able to help do my responsibilities as an educator by helping children develop confidence, independence, and trust in themselves. I was able to understand the code of ethical conduct and guidelines and able to work to do things to the best of my ability.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for our course, EDU499:
Explain how achieving EACH of the CLOs has supported your professional goals. Provide at least one specific example of how for EACH Course Learning Outcome.
Explain whether you feel you are competent in EACH CLO and why.     
Synthesizing theories, knowledge, and professional standards have enabled me to understand how I can maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for the children and how I can use my practice to support the children’s needs and interests. It also helps me ensure how an educator can provide high-quality education and guide other teachers in the process of assessment and help them track their performance. Knowing the evidence-based practice helped me to be an effective educator and how I can use it to improve my teaching and help students achieve their goals. I feel competent in course learning outcomes because I was able to use it on how to support the children, parents, administrators, and others.

WENDY’S POST:
 
Explain how achieving each of the Program Learning Outcome has supported your professional goals. Provide at least one specific example of how for EACH Program Learning Outcomes.
PLO 1: Design effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment to meet the needs of diverse learners. Taking courses at AU provided me with the knowledge needed to design and use developmentally appropriate curriculum, to give instruction, and assessment. I learned and now frequently use the terms formative assessment and summative assessment.
PLO 2: Demonstrate knowledge of child and adolescent development in the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional domains. Part of providing high quality, developmentally appropriate preschool experiences is knowing the development of the three- to five-year-old age group. This knowledge has helped me to plan simple projects for kids and only give one or two-step directions.
PLO 3: Identify the unique needs of special learners and adapt curriculum and instruction to meet these needs. Most of my education courses at AU helped me to think about different needs for different students. EDU 321 Introduction to Serving English Language Learners was a particular favorite for this reason. It really helped me to understand what the ELLs in my classroom were going through. I was able to slow down my instruction and use more visual cues and picture cards.
PLO 4: Apply alignment practices of standards, instruction, and assessment to identified academic, district and state standards, goals and priorities as part of the planning and material selection process. The education studies degree gave me the opportunity to move back and forth between the Early Learning Development Standards and the Common Core State Standards depending on what age group that I was working with at the moment. Gaining knowledge in the CCSS helped me to see how the ELDS directly ties into the more advanced skills needed for grade school and beyond. Skills build on each other. A preschooler learning shapes is an early skill for geometry.
PLO 5: Apply foundational research skills to a topic of interest in an area of education. Applying research skills helped me to think more deeply and more critically about a topic. Whenever I hear a bit of news from someone, the first thing I think is, where did they get their information from? Was it peer-reviewed and considered reliable?
Explain whether you feel you are competent in EACH Program Learning Outcome and why.
Yes, I think that I am competent in each of the PLOs. My grades reflect that I am competent. I have made changes to my teaching practices as I have learned along the way. Each PLO has helped me to become a global thinker with the ability to differentiate abilities.
Explain how achieving EACH of the CLOs has supported your professional goals. Provide at least one specific example of how for EACH Course Learning Outcome.
CLO 1:  Synthesize theories, knowledge, and professional standards related to the field of study. EDU 499 uses a big project to synthesize theories, knowledge, and standards together. This helps my professional goals because I have had the opportunity to learn about each piece of education. Now I have put it all together and gained a great deal of knowledge.
CLO 2:  Assess multiple influences such as social and cultural factors, contemporary issues, and trends in practice. Developmentally appropriate practice and cultural practices go hand-in-hand. I have had the opportunity to become more aware of the role social and cultural factors play in the classroom and within learning.
CLO 3:  Apply evidence-based strategies, approaches, and technologies related to the field of study. The learning that was acquired in past courses is applied in the EDU 499 project.
CLO 4:  Explain environments that support optimal outcomes in the field of study. An appropriate environment is an important part of learning. EDU 499 has a component where we design the most appropriate environment for our position and what we are teaching at the AU Multigenerational Center.
CLO 5:  Propose professional and ethical based practices that emphasize access, participation, and partnerships. Opportunities have been made available to use best practices. The course project offers a section that helps us connect our project to other education majors. This provides for further synthesis of knowledge, participation, and partnerships. It goes along with becoming a global citizen.
Explain whether you feel you are competent in EACH CLO and why.    
Yes, I think that I am competent in each of the CLOs. I have grown and learned throughout my weeks in EDU 499. The feedback from Instructor Renae and from my peers supports this.