Course Outline (Online 3.0 credits)
EVALUATION
Assignment 1: Online discussion
Assignment 2: Designing an Ideal Early Years Environment
Assignment 3: Final Project
This course is eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading. To determine whether you can take this course for Credit/D/Fail grading, visit the Credit/D/Fail website. You must register in the course before you can select the Credit/D/Fail grading option.
DESCRIPTION
Designing environments, experiences, activities, instruction and assessment to foster children’s learning in the Kindergarten year. (UBC Calendar)
Prerequisites: One of ECED 405; or ECED 416; or teaching experience; or successful completion of extended practicum.
ECED 417 is an elective course for the Diploma in Early Years Education and the Certificate in Early Years Education.
OBJECTIVES
The course reflects the Faculty of Education’s commitment to preparing teachers who are knowledgeable, skillful, flexible and compassionate in their professional practice, and who will be guided by a sense of social and ethical responsibility in relation to their students and the wider society.
You will learn about:
- The role of Kindergarten in terms of schooling and society
- Developmentally appropriate practices
- The design of a child centered Kindergarten class (routines, play and centres)
- Issue of school “readiness”
- Communication with families and resources to support communidation
- Types of assessment practices
- Programmatic approaches to Kindergarten (e.g. Montessori, Reggio, etc.)
- Current educational issues
A balance of activities for learning is vital so that we meet everyone’s needs in some way. You will be encouraged to take part in weekly discussions and activities; watch online videos, explore websites, learn from PowerPoint Presentations and information provided by the instructor, and share resources, materials and ideas with peers.
Active participation is mandatory for this course. You will be successful only if you are involved on a regular basis and make connections with other classmates and the instructor. This means students are expected to engage actively in the learning experiences in the virtual classroom, in course readings and assignments, and in making connections to related school experiences on a regular basis for the term of the course.
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
In lieu of a formal text for the course, a variety of BC Ministry of Education documents, websites, articles and excerpts from texts are used. Download the following materials for all classes and become familiar with them:
Full Day Kindergarten
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/early-learning/teach/kindergarten
Primary Years: The Primary Program: A Framework for Teaching
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/primary_program
BC Ministry of Education Kindergarten – Grade 9 Curriculum
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/curriculum
Canadian Association for Young Children (CAYC)
http://www.cayc.ca/content/philosophy
- Read: Philosophy Statement; Positions Statements: Play Statement – Complete; Positions Statements: Play Statement for School Age Children.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/dap
- Read the Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is an online course offered on Canvas – http://canvas.ubc.ca. Students are required to have a computer, access to the Internet, and a Campus Wide Login ID and password to access the course website.
There is no textbook required.
LIBRARY RESOURCES: Connect From Home
Your EZproxy connection will allow you to access library resources from your computer on or off campus. For more information, go to https://services.library.ubc.ca/electronic-access/connect/
MORE INFORMATION
Telephone: 604.822.2013, or toll-free in North America: 1.888.492.1122
Email: eced.educ@ubc.ca
Latest Revision on: November 5, 2019