Suzanne,

Your final for the literature course is good - however, I noticed in the course description that students have to develop a curriculum using different methods and styles from those studied. Once we determine the text we can see which methods of curriculum design we want to place our major focus on. We can teach those methods and have students use pieces of them to fit their own curriculum - it's a good final project and you have some groundwork all done!! We just need to edit it to fit the needs of this course! I also have done similar assessments and will send mine along when I get back -(see my first blog entry below). Perhaps we can combine them in some way - I definitely think two minds are good in this class because we can present a variety of learning and teaching styles not just one. )I am in school right now and don't have access to my CCV online materials - they are on my home computer, which I will be taking with me.

I am also very interested in the gender course this summer - just wanted to pass that along....

Hi Suzanne,

Sorry I haven't been back in here - I couldn't remember how to access it and had to find your email and come in that way. I'm not used to blogs - this is my first one!!  Anyway, I too have all the books we discussed and waiting for your feedback. I will be at Disney World next week, but available. I still have to do my online classes! But I won't be online long periods of time like now. I want to enjoy my grandchildren and vacation as much as possible. I will check in however. Thanks for getting the course description! Once we decide on a text we can start developing the syllabus and finalizing the course description. Just a question - do you post discussion forums weekly or all at once? Do you have an assignments folder in your classes that students can access and work on or do you assign the tasks a week or two before they are due? I am just trying to get a bit of a handle on how you approach the online teaching environment. I can adapt if needed.  I usually develop the whole course before hand then place everything in the course. I urge students to work ahead but many times they don't - it depends on the class. However, I do tell them I don't work ahead. But I realize sometimes they will be out of town a week or have other life interferences so I put everything out there and they can do the work and post early if they are going to be out. That way they don't lose a week. Just some thoughts! I'm flying out tomorrow, Friday the 27th but will have my computer and will be online. I won't have the texts with me but am familiar enough, I think if you want to make a decision. Talk to you soon!

Lynn

Course Description and Essential Objectives

Lynn,
I contacted Sarah Corrow in Newport and asked for this information for our class.

Course Description:

In this course, learners develop an understanding of the philosophical principles, societal expectations, and practical demands of building curriculum for early childhood education. Emphasis is on developing a child-centered, integrated, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for the early years from infancy to age 8. A variety of curricular approaches will be modeled and assessed.

Essential Objectives:

1. Discuss the historical influences and evolution of early childhood education as it connects to curriculum development, theories, and practices.
2. Describe key concepts (goals, objectives, articulation, etc.), data sources (society, subject matter, state and national guidelines, etc.) and specific models of curricular development, along with their rationales and limitations.
3. Design a curriculum based on theories and research in child development that is inclusive and based on children's interests, strengths, and needs (e.g., learning style modalities, multiple intelligences, exceptionalities, learning domains, etc.) that incorporates the Vermont Early Childhood Learning Standards.
4. Articulate the definition of play, its importance in curriculum for children, and how children construct their knowledge through play.
5. Design and experiment with a variety of open-ended learning rersources and materials for children including the use of technology.
6. Assess the effectiveness of a curriculum and make apprpriate changes to increase learning (e.g., using an ongoing cycle of observation, reflection, and response).
7. Reflect on the many roles of the teacher, including teacher as researcher and develop a personal-professional philosophy of education and curriculum.

I received the three text books (mentioned in my last post) this morning. I see why you like the Jackman book - it is very logically organized. I also like the small booklet that came with it, which is a very good overview of developmental milestones.
I will be perusing the other two books over the next few days and will post my reactions. Maybe we could choose a text by sometime next week?

Take care,
Suzanne
802.922.0058

Text Book Update

Hi Lynn,
No worries - I often get called Susan because it is a more common name than Suzanne.
I heard from Nicole in the Newport office this morning. She received three of the text books and sent them to me. I should have the following by the end of the week:

• Early Education Curriculum, Author Jackman.
• Teaching as Inquiry
• Curriculum Models and Early Childhood Education.

I will look them over immediately and post my initial thoughts here.

Since the focus of our course will be curriculum development, I thought you might be interested in seeing the final I use for my Literature for Children course. It is the creation of a study unit using a variety of materials and books from several genres to explore a theme. There may be some ideas here that we could use for our course.


The purpose of the final is to give you an opportunity to use what you have learned in this Children’s Literature course. Your unit must adhere to the following format and include the following sections:
*Intended age group or grade level for which it is intended
*Topic or focus of the unit
*Theme or Topic to be explored in the unit:
*Standards or Objectives: (If you are familiar with the Vermont Standards for your intended grade level, you can include these in your study unit, but it is not a requirement)
*Questions you would like students to consider and grapple with throughout the study unit:
*Literature and Media Selections to be used: (Clear indication of the literature and other materials you will use, using MLA documentation format)
*Concepts you want students to know as a result of the unit:
*Prereading (initiating activities)
*Activities to be used during reading: Specific activities you will use in the classroom (a minimum of three)
*Response activities: (A minimum of three, two of which will be the multiple intelligences activities done earlier)
*Evaluation/Assessment strategies:
These study units will vary in length depending on the topic, age group/grade level selected, and time frame for study unit.
If you create a unit study that is logical, cohesive, meets the criteria in the grading rubric, and contains everything your peers will need to know to understand what you are doing and why, you will have successfully completed the assignment.

Grading: Initial post and a minimum of 3 replies to peers: potentially worth 25 points (See grading criteria section)

This may or may not be applicable - I just thought I would share it with you.
I hope all is well with you this week. I look forward to posting again on the weekend.
Suzanne
802.922.0058

Sorry Suzanne

I just realized you name was Suzanne! Sorry about that!

Hi Susan!

I finally got in - I had a few problems - my email is a yahoo and the blog kept asking me for my google address. I finally just put in my yahoo address and go in! Glad to finally be here!

I have received a few more texts, one a teachers manual to supplement the text, but I haven't had a chance to look them over yet. I am adding my profile below for you as well. I look forward to working with you!

A little something about me . . .

Teaching is my third career, one to which I am wedded for life. I love to teach and I learn as much from my students as they do from me. Learning was never easy for me; therefore I try to keep my classes simple but challenging.

I graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a BS and completed my graduate work at the University of Arkansas. I have been teaching online since 1996 and have taught a variety of courses. I also teach high school Humanities full time in Poland, Maine. History is my first love and I teach history both at the high school level and specifically Native American Histories and Cultures online.

I have worked for CCV since 1995, first as a classroom instructor in Rutland, then full time as an academic coordinator and online instructor. Upon the untimely death of my husband in 2004 I decided to move closer to my children and currently reside in Naples, Maine where I enjoy the company of my grandchildren and family. My grandchildren, Gwen and Eli are 2 and 4 years old respectively and I use many of the methods and ideas discussed in some of my education classes to teach them. They are my guinea pigs for learning. I also volunteer at my grandchildren’s day care center to provide early childhood education activities and lessons. I have worked in the 3-5 yr old pre-school environment and love working with this age group. It is a nice change from my high school teenagers!

At home I care for my mentally retarded sister and am involved with Special Olympics and other related programs for the mentally challenged. I enjoy working with special needs people and have used some of the ideas and methods from these education classes with them as well.

Another major interest in my life is working closely with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My Grandson, Eli has Cystic Fibrosis and I enjoy participating in every fundraiser and all events that occur throughout the year to raise money for research to find a cure.

I love to travel and visit Vermont often as I left many dear friends and acquaintances there. I have also visited Ireland, England, Scotland, Paris, Italy and own a timeshare in St. Maarten. As you can probably gather after reading this brief biography, I am a workaholic and am very involved with life in general. I love the outdoors, working with children of all ages and volunteering my time to give back to the community that has supported and nurtured me.

Welcome Lynn

Hello Lynn,
I have created this Blogger site to facilitate our communication as we develop this course. You can scroll down and see my Instructor Profile. You can add comments at the bottom of each section, or you can add a new post of your own. To do this, click on New Post in the upper right and a dialogue box will open. When you have finished composing your post, click Publish This Post in lower left. We can use this blog to gather and share resources and various elements of the course, as well as discussing the pros and cons of textbooks. I find this an easy way to communicate and hope that you will like it too. You and I are the only readers and authors, so this is a private blog space.
If you are interested in using blogs with your students, it is very easy to create these using the Blogger site. Go to Blogger.com and follow the simple instructions for setting up a blog. Go to the Dashboard and click on Settings to specify who will have access to the blog. Students can use these for individual journals, small group work, or as an entire class.
Let me know what you think of it.
Suzanne
802.922.0058

PS: I have been looking for a Course Description and Essential Objectives in the CCV online Catalog, but can't access it. If you have found it, please post it for me.

Instructor Profile

Suzanne Purcell
Community College of Vermont
Spring, 2009

I'm very excited to be teaching for Community College of Vermont. I've been teaching for CCV since 2002, while at the same time working in the field of early childhood education in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I recently left that position because I have discovered that I have a passion for working with adult learners. I graduated from CCV in 1989 and feel strongly that the firm educational background I acquired as a student here was a pivotal factor in my future educational endeavors. I believe in CCV and its potential for positive impact on Vermonters.

After graduating from CCV, I went on to Vermont College in Montpelier where I completed my undergraduate degree in fine arts and art history. In the fall of 2002 I completed the graduate program at the University of Oklahoma where I studied art history, specifically nineteenth century sculpture.

I've taught a variety of classes including Foundations of Reading and Writing, Intercultural Communication, Interpreting Global Issues, English Composition, Educating Exceptional Populations, and Literature for Children. This is my ninth semester teaching online and I'm very excited about the possibilities this mode of teaching offers to the CCV community. My goal for this class is to foster a learning community in which we all contribute and we all learn.

I have two grown children and three wonderful grandsons. I love to travel and one of my ambitions is to travel around the world. I've been to Italy and hope to go to Greece next year. I went to Belize with my father in March, which was wonderful! Among my interests are motorcycle touring, jewelry making, knitting, reading and writing. I love to read historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, detective novels, and travel journals.

My house is an old farmhouse situated high on a hill in the Northeast Kingdom with a wonderful view. The house was built in the 1840s, which means it requires constant upkeep but offers irresistible charm. Recently I've found a wonderful couple to rent the house. I now divide my time between Burlington, where I live with my boyfriend of many years, and my father's horse ranch in southeastern Oklahoma.

Every semester, I feel I learn as much if not more than my students. I'd like all of us to think of ourselves as teachers and learners, and these roles will be shared among us. In this way, we will create a rich and interesting learning community.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to meeting each of you and beginning this shared experience.

Suzanne
suzpurcell@gmail.com
802.922.0058