Course Syllabus

Course Description

This course provides opportunities for students to examine partnerships among early childhood professionals, families, and the communities in which they work. Throughout the course, students evaluate how their daily instructional practices promote positive outcomes for young children. Students explore the various partnerships necessary in early childhood education and discover how these partnerships can support curriculum, learners’ development, and the learning environment. Course requirements provide several opportunities for students to examine and discuss the effectiveness of ethical communication and collaboration strategies. Approaching course topics as reflective practitioners, students are able to determine how these specific partnerships fit into their future roles.

Course Design

ECE 631 is designed for students to examine partnerships among early childhood professionals, families, and the communities in which they work. Furthermore, this course will support students’ understanding of the importance of effective partnerships with families within the community and how to effectively create those partnerships. The culminating project will demonstrate competency in the Program Learning Outcomes, through the development of a guidebook and corresponding family presentation. Course activities provide a variety of interactions that allow students to demonstrate their learning of the Course and Program Learning Outcomes, their ability to collaborate with each other, to engage in critical and creative thinking, as well as their ethical reasoning ability.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Examine how home and community partnerships can support early childhood curriculum, learner’s development, and the learning environment.

2. Defend the importance of family and community partnerships in early childhood education.

3. Evaluate curriculum, assessment, and instruction in an effort to improve outcomes for young children, families, and communities.

4. Design effective, ethical communication and collaboration strategies as an educational leader in early childhood education.

Course Map

The course map illustrates the careful design of the course through which each learning objective is supported by one or more specific learning activities in order to create integrity and pedagogical depth in the learning experience.

LEARNING OUTCOME WEEK ASSIGNMENT

1. Examine how home and community partnerships can support early childhood curriculum, learner’s development and the learning environment.

1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 6

• Understanding Diverse Families – Discussion

• Diversity Trends in Families – Discussion

• Types of Family and Community Partnerships – Discussion

• Benefits of Effective Partnerships – Discussion

• Family Partnerships – Journal

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Developing Partnerships – Assignment

• Effective Communication as an Educational Leader – Discussion

• Ethical and Respectful Family Interactions – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Communicating, Engaging, and Encouraging Family Partnerships – Assignment

• Family Support and Information – Discussion

• Teachers, Families, and Communities – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Community Resources – Assignment

• Families in Particular Circumstances – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Parent Message – Summative Assessment

2. Defend the importance of family and community partnerships in early childhood education.

1 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 6

• Understanding Diverse Families – Discussion

• Diversity Trends in Families – Discussion

• Types of Families and Community Partnerships – Discussion

• Family Partnerships – Journal

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Developing Family Partnerships – Assignment

• Effective Communication as an Educational Leader – Discussion

• Teachers, Families, and Communities – Discussion

• Families in Particular Circumstances – Discussion

• The Importance of Family Community Partnerships – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Parent Message – Summative Assessment

3. Evaluate curriculum, assessment and instruction in an effort to improve outcomes

1 3 3

• Diversity Trends in Families – Discussion

for young children, families, and communities.

5 6 6

• Ethical and Respectful Family Interactions – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Communicating, Engaging, and Encouraging Family Partnerships – Assignment

• Leadership Journal – Journal

• Cultural Responsiveness – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Parent Message – Summative Assessment

4. Design effective and ethical communication and collaboration strategies as an educational leader in early childhood education.

1 1 2 3 3 3 5 5 5 6 6

• Diversity Trends in Families – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Parenting Roles – Assignment

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Developing Family Partnerships – Assignment

• Effective Communication as an Educational Leader – Discussion

• Ethical and Respectful Family Interactions – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Communicating, Engaging, and Encouraging Family Partnerships – Assignment

• Resolving Challenging Attitudes and Behaviors – Discussion

• Families in Particular Circumstances – Discussion

• Leadership Journal – Journal

• Cultural Responsiveness – Discussion

• Children, Families, and Communities Guidebook: Parent Message – Summative Assessment