Early
Childhood: Observation
& Assessment
Instructor Name: Dr. Marrea Winnega
Facilitator Name: Darcie Donegan, MA/Ed.
Phone: 509-891-7219
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PST Monday - Friday
Email: darcie_donegan@virtualeduc.com
Address: Virtual Education Software
16201 E Indiana Ave,
Suite 1450
Spokane, WA 99216
Technical
Support: support@virtualeduc.com
Welcome
to Early Childhood: Observation &
Assessment, an interactive distance learning course which explores observation and assessment instruments, as
well as recommended practices and available resources for infants, toddlers,
and preschoolers. Content includes an
emphasis on observing young children and assessing their early childhood
learning environments.
This computer-based instruction course
is a self-supporting program that provides instruction, structured practice,
and evaluation all on your home or school computer. Technical support information can be found in the Help section of your course.
Course Materials
(Online)
Title: Early Childhood: Observation &
Assessment
Instructor Name: Dr. Marrea Winnega
Facilitator Name: Darcie Donegan, MA/Ed.
Publisher: Virtual
Education Software, inc. 2008, Revised 2012
Academic Work
Academic
work submitted by the individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests)
shall be the student’s own work or appropriately attributed, in part or in
whole, to its correct source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group
prepared) materials as if they are one’s own work is unacceptable.
Aiding Honesty
in Others
The
individual will encourage honesty in others by refraining from providing
materials or information to another person with knowledge that these materials
or information will be used improperly.
Violations of
these academic standards will result in the assignment of a failing grade and
subsequent loss of credit for the course.
Level
of Application
This
course is designed as one part of a five-part series on early childhood
education. Upon completion of all five
courses, you will have covered all of the
Expected
Learning Outcomes:
As a result of this course, participants will
demonstrate their ability to:
·
Learn
best practices for observing and assessing the development of young children.
This course is
designed to help educators, para-professionals and child caregivers observe and
assess various aspects of children’s development and programs. Participants will learn the components
necessary for strong observation skills, such as self-awareness, objectivity,
confidentiality and ethical guidelines. Web links to videos and other
observation and assessment resources will be included.
The course will then discuss various
types of observation and recording tools, as well as the advantages and
disadvantages associated with each.
Students will learn how to set goals, plan, and choose the best instrument
for specific situations. Included will
be tools for assessing environments,
programming, and child-staff interactions.
The why, when, where, what and how of conducting appropriate
observations and authentic assessments will be covered.
Participants will gain techniques for organizing,
analyzing and interpreting observation data.
This course will teach how to apply assessment information to improve
program quality and to best meet the needs of individual children.
Students will discuss proper methods for
displaying observations and sharing assessments. Included will be portfolio development and
other documentation methods that make children’s experiences visible. The course will then show ways to communicate
observation and assessment information to parents and other appropriate adults.
Finally, students will apply course concepts by creating an observation and
assessment plan for their own classroom environment.
Student Expectations
As a student, you will be expected to:
·
Complete
all information chapters covering Observation
& Assessment, showing a competent understanding of the material
presented.
·
Complete
all chapter exams covering Observation & Assessment, showing a
competent understanding of the material presented.
·
Complete
a review of any chapter on which your examination score was below 70%.
·
Retake
any examination, after completing an information review, to increase that
examination score to a minimum of 70% (maximum of three attempts). *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by
college or university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to
determine what your minimum exam score requirements are.
·
Complete
all course journal article and essay writing assignments with the minimum word
count shown for each writing assignment.
·
Complete
a course evaluation form at the end of the course.
Course Topics
General
Overview of Chapters One through Four Topics:
1)
Introduction
to Observation & Assessment: What and Why?
2)
Definitions,
History & Trends in Early Childhood Assessment
3)
Personal
Ethical & Legal Guidelines: Best Practices
4)
Observing
& Recording Tools: Using & Choosing
5)
Authentic
Assessment of Children & Environments
6)
Interpreting
for Meaning: Analyzing & Applying Data
7)
Documentations
& Communication: Showing & Sharing
8)
Course
Summary and Conclusion
Examinations
At
the end of each course chapter, you will be expected to complete an examination
designed to assess your knowledge. You may take these exams a total of three
times. Your last score will save, not the highest score. After your third
attempt, each examination will lock and not allow further access. The average from your exam scores will be
printed on your certificate. However,
this is not your final grade since your required writing assignments have not
been reviewed. Exceptionally written or
poorly written required writing assignments, or violation of the academic
integrity policy in the course syllabus, will affect your grade. As this is a self-paced computerized
instruction program, you may review course information as often as necessary. You will not be able to exit any examinations
until you have answered all questions. If you try to exit the exam before you
complete all questions, your information will be lost. You are expected to
complete the entire exam in one sitting.
Writing
Assignments
This course has
two required writing components. ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE REVIEWED. Exceptionally or poorly written assignments, or
violation of the academic integrity policy noted in the course syllabus, will
affect your grade. Be sure to refer to
the Grading Guidelines for Writing
Assignments, sent as an attachment with your original course link.
It is highly
recommended that you write and save all writing assignments in an external word
processing program (such as Word or Notepad), and then copy and paste these
into the course program so that you will have backup copies.
To save your essays:
When
you select the question or article you wish to respond to, ‘Simple Text’ or
‘Text Edit’ will launch automatically. When you are finished entering your
response, simply click SAVE.
You must SAVE
before you write another essay or move on to another part of the course.
1) Essay Requirement: Critical Thinking
Questions
There are four
Critical Thinking Questions that you must complete. You will do research on the
questions and write brief essay
responses relating it to the course content (and your personal experiences,
when possible). To view the questions,
click on REQUIRED ESSAY and choose the Critical Thinking Question that you are
ready to complete; this will bring up a screen where you may enter your
essay. You must write a minimum of 500
words (maximum 1,000) per essay. You may
go back at any point to edit your essays, but you must be certain to click SAVE
once you have completed your edits.
You must SAVE before you write another essay or move
on to another part of the course.
2)
Essay Requirement: Journal Articles
This task requires you to write a review
of three peer-reviewed or scholarly journal articles, preferably written by an
author with a Ph.D. (blogs and news articles are not acceptable) of your choice
on a topic related to this course. You
may choose your topic by entering the Key Words (click on the Key Words button)
into a search engine of your choice (Bing, Google, Yahoo, etc.). Choose three relevant articles and write a
critical summary of the information given in each article, explaining how the
information relates to, supports, or refutes information given in this course.
Conclude your review with your thoughts and impressions (200 words per journal
article minimum, 400 words maximum). Be sure to provide the journal name,
volume, date, and any other critical information to allow the instructor to
access and review that article.
To write your
essays, click on REQUIRED ESSAY and choose the Journal Article that you would
like to complete; this will bring up a screen where you can write your review.
When you are ready to stop, click SAVE. You may go back at any
point to edit your essays, but you must be certain to click SAVE once you are
done with your edits. For more information on the features of this assignment,
please consult the HELP menu.
You must SAVE before you write another essay or move
on to another part of the course.
Facilitator Description
Early Childhood:
Observation & Assessment has been developed by Darcie Donegan,
MA/Ed., the instructor of record. Darcie received her BA at the University of
Washington and her Master’s degree from Pacific Oaks College in Human
Development, specializing in Early Childhood Education and Adult
Education. She has worked with young children and their caregivers for
more than 30 years in various capacities, including as a preschool teacher,
center director, parent educator, trainer, and consultant. Darcie has
also been an international consultant through the Soros Foundation and taught
in many different countries. She is currently adjunct faculty in ECE at Whatcom
Community College, a Washington State Department of Early Learning approved
trainer, and is the author of the ten Parenting Preschoolers modules for
Washington State’s Organization of Parent Education Programs (OPEP).
Areas of special interest include infants and toddlers, child
development, observation and assessment, social-emotional development, brain
development, child care, and parenting. Darcie is the mother of three
teenagers and has been married to a (nice)
lawyer for 20 years. In addition to this course, Darcie is the
author of another course in this Early Childhood series called Early Childhood: Typical & Atypical Development. Please contact
Professor Donegan if you have course content or examination questions.
Dr. Marrea Winnega, is a Licensed
Clinical Psychologist with 20 years of experience in the field of Autism
Spectrum Disorders. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Clinical
Psychology in the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Psychiatry. She consults for schools and agencies serving
individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger’s Disorder. She
has also conducted numerous workshops, in-services, and trainings throughout
the United States. Please contact Professor Donegan if you have course content
or examination questions.
You may contact the facilitator by
emailing Professor Donegan at darcie_donegan@virtualeduc.com
or calling her at 509-891-7219, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
PST. Phone messages will be answered within 24 hours. Phone conferences will be limited to ten minutes per student, per
day, given that this is a self-paced instructional program. Please do not
contact the instructor about technical problems, course glitches or other
issues that involve the operation of the course.
If you have questions or problems
related to the operation of this course, please try everything twice. If the
problem persists please check our support pages for FAQs and known issues at www.virtualeduc.com and also the Help
section of your course.
If you need personal assistance then
email support@virtualeduc.com or
call (509) 891-7219. When contacting
technical support, please know your course version number (it is located at the
bottom left side of the Welcome Screen) and your operating system, and be
seated in front of the computer at the time of your call.
Minimum Computer
Requirements
Please
refer to VESi’s website: www.virtualeduc.com
or contact VESi if you have further questions about the compatibility of your
operating system.
Refer to the addendum regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion
Information, Items to be Submitted and how to submit your completed
information. The addendum will also note any additional course assignments that
you may be required to complete that are not listed in this syllabus.
Allen, K.E.,
& Marotz, L.R. (2012). Developmental
profiles: Pre-birth through twelve
(7th ed.). New York, NY: Thomson-Delmar
Learning.
Beatty, J.
(1986). Observing development in young
children (6th ed., 2006). New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Bentzen, W.R.
(2000). Seeing young children: A guide to
assessing and recording behavior (4th ed., 2005). New York, NY: Thomson-Delmar Learning.
Billman, J.,
& Sherman, J. (1996). Observation and
participation in early childhood settings: A practicum guide (2nd ed.,
2003). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (Eds.). (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in
early childhood programs (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: National Association
for the Education of Young Children.
Bredekamp, S., & Rosegrant, T. (Eds.). (1992). Reaching
potentials: Appropriate curriculum and assessment for young children (Vol.
1). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Child.
Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2012). The art of awareness: How observation can
transform your teaching (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Merrill Education/Redleaf
Press.
Harms, T., Clifford, R.M., & Cryer, D. (2004). Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R); Infant-Toddler Rating
Scale Revised (ITERS_R) 1996; and, School
Age Environmental Rating Scale, 1995.
New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Jablon, J., Dombro, A.D., & Dichtelmiller, M. (1999). The power of observation for birth through age 8 (2nd ed., 2007).
Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc. and NAEYC.
Jalongo, M.R.,
& Isenberg, J.P. (2000). Exploring your role: An introduction to
early childhood education (4th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson.
Koralek, D.
(Ed.). (2004). Spotlight on young children and assessment. Washington DC: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.
McAfee, O.,
& Leong, D.J. (1994). Assessing and
guiding young children’s development and learning (5th ed., 2010). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
McDonal, S.
(1997). The portfolio and its use: A road
map for assessment. Little Rock, AR: Southern Early Childhood Association.
Meisels, S.J., & Provence, S. (1989). Screening and assessment: Guidelines for identifying young disabled and
developmentally vulnerable children and their families. Washington, DC:
National Center for Clinical Infant Programs.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
(2004). Early childhood curriculum,
assessment, and program evaluation—Building an effective, accountable system in
programs for children birth through age 8. Washington, DC: Author.
Shepard, L.,
Kagan, S.L., & Wurtz, E. (Eds.). (1998). Principles and recommendations for early childhood assessments. Washington, DC: National Education Goals
Panel.
Shores, E.F.,
& Grace, C. (1998). The portfolio
book: A step-by-step guide for teachers (rev. ed., 2005). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson.
Stiggins, R.J.
(2000). Specifications for a
performance-based assessment system for teacher preparation. Portland, OR:
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Wortham, S.
(1990). Assessment in early childhood
education (6th ed., 2011). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
The following
are web sites, videos, and links to articles or reports related to early
childhood observation and assessment and related issues (in alphabetical
order):
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/topics/science_of_early_childhood/
http://www.qrisnetwork.org/sites/all/files/resources/gscobb/2012-05-28%2008:04/WebsitesforQRIS.pdf
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/eecd/assessment/screening/screeningandass.htm
http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/negp/reports/prinrec.pdf
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~mbdurieu/ChildDevelopmentTop20Websites.pdf
http://rec.ohiorc.org/orc_documents/orc/recv2/briefs/pdf/0012.pdf
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/public/etd-15516149741201/shj.pdf
http://www.cde.state.co.us/resultsmatter/RMVideoSeries_PracticingObservation.htm#top
http://www.centerforresilientchildren.org/
http://www.childcareexchange.com/library/5011250.pdf
http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PIC-PRE-K.pdf
http://www.gillettechildrens.org/fileupload/vol18no2.pdf
http://www.healthunit.org/professionals/redflags/Red-Flags-Guide.pdf
http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=2
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/CAPEexpand.pdf
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/research/Assessment_Systems.pdf
http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200401/shillady.pdf
http://www.naeyc.org/resources/research/kreadinessassessment
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12446&page=145
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/assessing.html
http://www.pgss.k12.nd.us/power_points/Early_Childhood_%20Authentic_Assessment_training_module.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/Xiaoyulu/portfolio-assessment
http://www.teacherscollegepress.com/early_childhood_observation.html
http://www.teachingstrategies.com/page/GOLD-assessment-online.cfm
http://www.teachstone.org/about-the-class/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyQpNhaWz0c
Course content is updated every three years. Due to this update timeline, some URL links may no longer be active or may have changed. Please type the title of the organization into the command line of any Internet browser search window and you will be able to find whether the URL link is still active or any new link to the corresponding organization's web home page.
Updated
9/2/14 JN