EDUC 3120
THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILD
John A. Piel, Ph. D
College of Education 390 Office phone: 704-687-8731 Email: japiel@uncc.edu
Office hours: Monday - Wednesday 10-11; Monday 1-5PM Others by appointment
Course Description
The course is designed for pre-service elementary teachers whose certification requires integrated knowledge of child development, teaching, and professional roles of school-based staff. Students examine child development theories and research findings, conceptual relationships between education and developmental paradigms, pathways of individual student development, child‑centered and other types of educational reforms, the concept of developmental "needs," and the roles and responsibilities of school staff for meeting those needs. Field activities require approximately 10 hours of clinical data collection from which students prepare written reports, and 10-15 hours of tutoring. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
PREREQUISITES EDUC 2100, SPED 2100 and Admission to Teacher Education
1. Overall GPA of 2.50
2. Successful completion of 45 hours of course work
2. Passing score on Praxis I series
3. Grade of "C" or higher for EDUC 2100
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND 3120 CONNECTIONS
Professional Educators Transforming Lives, the Conceptual Framework for Professional Education Programs at UNC Charlotte, identifies the proficiencies that our graduates will demonstrate. During coursework, early field experiences, and clinical practice candidates have multiple opportunities to develop the knowledge, effectiveness, and commitment necessary to transform the lives of the learners with whom they work. This course seeks to develop the proficiencies that are highlighted below.
Core Proficiency: Knowledge. Candidates will demonstrate the Knowledge that provides the foundation for transforming the lives of the children, youth, and families with whom they work. This knowledge includes elements such as:
K1: Knowledge relevant to life in the 21st century
K2: Specialty area knowledge
K3: Pedagogical knowledge
K4: Knowledge of learners and their contexts
K5: Self-awareness
K6: Knowledge of policies, laws, standards, and issues
Core Proficiency: Effectiveness. Candidates will demonstrate Effectiveness in their work with children, youth, and families by applying knowledge and developing effective skills in areas such as:
E1: 21st century skills
E2: Planning, implementation, and evaluation
E3: Research-based practice
E4: Research skills
E5: Culturally competent practice
E6: Response to diverse learners
E7: Reflective practice
Core Proficiency: Commitment. Candidates will demonstrate their Commitment to transforming the lives of others through their actions in areas such as:
C1: Positive impact on learners
C2: Ethics
C3: Leadership
C4: Collaboration
C5: Advocacy
C6: Professional identity and continuous growth
The core proficiencies of knowledge, effectiveness, and commitment are fully aligned with the North Carolina standards for teachers, school executives, and counselors. This course seeks to develop the North Carolina standards that are indicated below.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards (2007): 1) Demonstrate leadership, 2) Establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students, 3) Know the content they teach, 4) Facilitate learning for their students, 5) Reflect on their practice.
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PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS NCDPI/ACEI/INTASC
NCDPI Standards – Core Standard III. Teachers demonstrate their belief that diversity in the classroom, in the school, and in the society is a strength. Teachers show their commitment to this belief by their daily conduct. They do not allow subtle or overt intolerance or bigotry in their classrooms or schools, and they actively select materials and develop lessons that counteract stereotypes. [Case Study, Clinical Report]
Teachers
treat students as individuals.
Teachers maintain high expectations for children
of all backgrounds. Teachers avoid stereotypes or jumping to conclusions about
individual children based on race and ethnicity, gender, language, family
economic level, or any of the other ways in which our society defines groups.
[Case Study, Clinical Report]
Teachers know and respect the influence of race, ethnicity, gender, religion and other aspects of culture on a child's development and personality. Teachers have and actively seek knowledge of others through reading, personal interaction, and direct experience. They strive to understand how an individual child's culture and background influence his or her school performance. In schools and communities where population diversity is limited, teachers find ways to acquaint children with the wide variety of people who make up our society and world. [Case Study, Clinical Report, Exams]
Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. Teachers make inclusion of special needs students in the regular classroom a positive experience for each student in the class. Teachers collaborate with the range of support specialists to help them meet the needs of all students. [Case Study, Clinical Report]
Understand how students’ cognitive, physical, socio-cultural, linguistic, emotional, and moral development influence learning and address these factors when making instructional decisions (NC DPI Diversity Standard 2).
ACEI Standard 1. Know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the development of children and young adolescents to construct learning opportunities that support individual student’s development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation. In addition, Candidates use knowledge and understanding to construct learning opportunities that support individual students’ development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation.
ACEI Standard 3b. Understand how elementary students differ in their development and approaches to learning, and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse students.
ACEI Standard 4. Know, understand, and use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate and strengthen instruction that will promote continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each elementary student.
SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of the course, the successful student will be able to:
A. Identify the zeitgeist effects which influence both the "what" and the "how" of our knowledge of human development
B. Demonstrate an understanding of theories and principles of learning
Relate paradigms of developmental theories to educational orientations
Classify developmental theories according to paradigm
Classify educational ideologies in terms of: implicit assumptions about children's needs, desired educational experiences, short‑term and long‑term goals of education, and appropriate teaching practices
C. Understand the integration of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development from prenatal through adolescent stages
Understand prenatal and infant development
Identify facts of human reproduction & sexuality
Differentiate between phenotypes and genotypes
Identify Grandmother effect of protein on neonates
Identify components and stages of human childbirth
Identify schemas of infant development
D. Demonstrate an understanding of the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children in grades K-6
Identify six pathways of development (physical, linguistic, cognitive, moral, social, emotional)
Demonstrate an understanding of the impact and effect of prior experiences on cognitive development
Identify interactions among the developmental pathways
Identify family and community systems which support or retard development along the pathways
Identify practices found in elementary schools which enhance or retard development along the pathways
E. Demonstrate an understanding of principles and patterns of human growth and development
Recognize elementary school children as individuals with feelings, attitudes, and emotions that shape their responses.
Identify age related patterns of development in infancy and early childhood
Understand theoretical interpretations of behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional behaviors and needs of elementary school children
Identify research findings about elementary students' physical development, including sex differences in fine motor coordination
Demonstrate knowledge of the implications of cognitive development among elementary school children, including their ability to establish personal goals, to organize information, and to assume greater control of their learning)
Identify research findings about elementary students' cognitive development
Demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships among self-esteem, sense of security, and school achievement and the necessity for elementary school children to develop a realistic sense of self
Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that affect social growth
Demonstrate an understanding of ways by which elementary school children can become aware of their roles in and contributions to the classroom society, including an increased awareness of the rights and feelings of others Identify research findings about elementary students' social development as a function of their family background and social perspective taking ability
Demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to children from diverse backgrounds
Identify research findings about elementary students' language development as a function of their gender, SES, ethnicity, family, and social dynamics
Identify research findings about elementary students' moral development
F. Observe behavior of elementary school children, discriminate among behaviors manifested, and identity patterns of growth and development
Study elementary students' development through direct, guided observations and through data collection and systematic analysis
Demonstrate an understanding of issues concerning confidentiality and informed consent
Directly assess the language, cognitive, and moral development of selected elementary students
Observe elementary classrooms and analyze instructional practices in terms of curriculum prerequisites and students' levels of development
G. Understand the integration of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development from prenatal through adolescent stages
Understand early adolescent phenomena
Identify elements and interpretations of theories, which incorporate adolescence
Identify physical changes manifested during pubescence
Identify socio-cultural treatment of adolescents, including Rites of Passage
H. Demonstrate an understanding of guidance principles as they relate to patterns of development and behavior among elementary school children
Recognize guidance principles and practices in elementary schools
Identify the role and responsibility of the guidance counselor or student services specialist in elementary schools
Identify common practices among North Carolina elementary school guidance counselors
Identify issues of "confidentiality" as they affect the practices and responsibilities of elementary school teachers and guidance counselors
Identify appropriate relationships between the school guidance counselor, classroom teachers, students, parents, and school administrators
Analyze the relationship between duties performed by practitioners in guidance and counseling and the job expectations of non-practitioners
TEXTBOOKS
Feldman, Robert S. (2012) Child Development, 6th Ed. New York. Pearson Publishers.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Given the Conceptual Framework, State and Professional Standards and Specific Course Objectives both exams and field assignments will be used to assess student learning. Student attendance will be noted and recorded. Points will be awarded for attendance, These points often determine the difference from one letter grade to another. Passing the course is highly unlikely for students who do not attend class regularly.
Two exams covering both class & text material (100 points each)
A cumulative final exam, covering both class & text material (200 points)
One observation paper (60 points) to include information about Language Maturity
Attendance -- potential for 15 points added for attendance. 1 point for each week of perfect attendance.
Demonstrate the proper Dispositions necessary for becoming a teacher (P/F). You are being evaluated by all your professors while you are in the college of education to determine if you have what it takes to be a teacher. Two important dispositions that I place emphasis on are WORK ETHIC and ON TIME behavior. We all need to do our absolute best when working with children. No personal problems will influence our behavior with our students. On time means just that. Do not arrive late for class and by all means do not arrive late for your school assignments. Your students, their teachers, and I expect you at the time you are assigned. These two dispositions are critical to you becoming a teacher.
Attendance (15 extra credit points)
You can earn up to 15 points toward your final grade by being in class. If you are in attendance, which means on time for class, for both class sessions each week you will receive 1 point per week. If you are ill with a Doctor's excuse you will be given 2 excused absences during the semester. All other absences are unexcused.
Exams
Both exams will have identical structure and will differ only in content. Items will be multiple choice, machine scored, and will represent material taken from both class and textbook. Students need to bring #2 pencils to each exam. Students may also bring one 5 x 8 index card per test to list any pertinent information deemed appropriate.
Final Exam
The Final Exam is cumulative and will consist of items from the first exam (approx.1/3), items from the second exam (approx.1/3), and items generated from the third unit of the course. Students may bring exam 1 index card, exam 2 index card, and final exam index card with them to the final exam.
Field Placement
Field placement for ELED 3120 will be in a low performing, low income school. This is necessary so that you have a varied field placement experience while in the ELED program. The office of field experience will make these placements, get your field placement forms in early.
COURSE GRADING
427-460 – A
395-426 – B
363-394 – C
335-362 – D
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students have the responsibility to know and observe the requirements of The UNCC Code of Student Academic Integrity. This code forbids both cheating and complicity in academic dishonesty. Academic evaluations in this course assume that student work is free from academic dishonesty of any type, and grades will therefore be adversely affected by academic dishonesty. In addition students who violate the Code can be expelled from UNCC.
Exams in this course will be carefully monitored to create a climate in which cheating does not occur. Students will cover their answer sheets with the examination. Students caught cheating (including looking at another's answer sheet) will be given a "0" for the exam. In addition, the regularly computed course grade will be reduced one letter grade for the course. Field assignments must represent each student's own work and must be free of plagiarism of any kind (see definition in UNCC Catalog). While discussion with the instructor and class mates is an appropriate form of preparing one's assignment, the work turned in must be the student's own composition, except that appropriate citations must be clearly noted. Students caught plagiarizing will be given a "0" for the assignment, and their regularly computed course grade will be reduced one letter grade for the course.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
The College of Education at UNC Charlotte is committed to social justice and respect for all individuals, and it seeks to create a culture of inclusion that actively supports all who live, work, and serve in a diverse nation and world. Attaining justice and respect involves all members of our community in recognizing that multi-dimensional diversity contributes to the College's learning environments, thereby enriching the community and improving opportunities for human understanding. While the term "diversity" is often used to refer to differences, the College's intention is for inclusiveness, an inclusiveness of individuals who are diverse in ability/ disability, age, economic status, ethnicity, gender, language, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Therefore, the College aspires to become a more diverse community in order to extend its enriching benefits to all participants. An essential feature of our community is an environment that supports exploration, learning, and work free from bias and harassment, thereby improving the growth and development of each member of the community.
COURSE SCHEDULE
***Unit two is highly influenced by readings in Feldman, read ahead!!!!
Introduction and course overview
Unit I The Concept of Zeitgeist Read Chapter 1
Theories of child development The Endogenous Paradigm – Freud/Psychosexual, Erikson/Psychosocial Read Chapter 2
Theories: The Endogenous Paradigm/Psychosexual/Psychosocial -
Theories: The Exogenous Paradigm/Mechanistic -- Skinner
Theories: The Exogenous Paradigm/Social Cognitive -- Bandura
The Constructivist Paradigm/Organismic Cognitive -- Piaget
***Exam One (100 Points) -- 75 % Lecture, 25 % Text -- Chapter 1 -2
***Unit two is highly influenced by readings in Feldman, read ahead!!!!
The Miracle of Life -- Read Chapter 3
Genetic Endowment --
Unit II Physical Development of Infants and Toddlers--Read Chapter 5
Intellectual Development of Infants and Toddlers -- Language Development - P/S Language Activity -- Read Chapter 6
Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers Read -- Chapter 7
Early Childhood Physical and Cognitive Development -- Read Chapter 8 - 9
Early Childhood Social/Emotional Development -- Read Chapter 10
***Exam Two (100 points) 50% Lecture -- 50% Text Chapters 3 – 10
Middle Childhood Physical Development Read Chapter 11
Middle Childhood Cognitive Development Read Chapter 12
Middle Childhood Social/Emotional Development Read Chapter 13
The Role of the Guidance Counselor in an Elementary School
Rites of Passage -- Transition from Childhood to Adulthood
Adolescent Physical Development Read Chapter 14
Adolescent Cognitive Development - Revisiting the Paradigms
Adolescent Social and Emotional Development Read Chapter 16
Test Review and Catch Up
Final exam, cumulative (200 points)
Covers all class material, all identified chapter in Feldman