Discussion 1 200-250

Creative Movement and Dramatic Play Centers

The early childhood professional’s role in performing arts is to encourage performing arts play by providing the appropriate environment, equipment, and attitudes. In an ideal early childhood environment the dramatic play center and creative movement area are separate, each containing specific props and equipment designed to support the development of a specific age range.

Imagine yourself working in an early childhood center, your room does not offer enough space, so you want to place basic equipment and props throughout the room to encourage dramatic play and creative movement. Obtain several early childhood supply catalogs or visit their websites. Using a budget of $300, choose items for one of these age groups: 2–3 years, 4–5 years, or 6–8 years. Use the information in this unit’s Readings and Web Resources and explain:

Why you chose each item

How you plan to use it (each item needs to have more than one specific use)

What developmental skills the item addresses

Discussion 2 200-250

Technology in the Early Childhood Program

NAEYC’s 1996 position on the use of technology in the early childhood program stated:

In evaluating the appropriate use of technology, NAEYC applies principles of developmentally appropriate practice (Bredekamp 1987) and appropriate curriculum and assessment (NAEYC & NAECS/SDE 1992.) In short, NAEYC believes that in any given situation, a professional judgment by the teacher is required to determine if a specific use of technology is age appropriate, individually appropriate, and culturally appropriate.

The effective use of computers, or technology, in the early childhood program, which can help meet the needs of various learning styles or multiple intelligences, depends on their use as developmentally appropriate interactive learning experiences — not just tools for rote learning or drill practice.

In this unit’s Readings you will study and compare two documents: NAEYC’s 1996 standards on early childhood learning technology and the newly adopted 2012 joint position statement of the NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College .

Was there any difference in the two positions? If so, explain.

What are the main themes of each statement?

Explain anything from the standards that you consider a good application to an early childhood classroom setting.

Discussion 3
 

Consider current events related to this unit’s topic by performing a short article search on topics related to ONE of the following: corporate ethics, corporate social responsibility, workplace diversity, or process for making ethical decisions.

Read an article published within the previous year related to one of the above.

Summarize the information in your own words.  

Describe a) what you learned from this information and b) how it relates to this unit’s topic. Be sure to identify which key term or phrase from this unit relates to your response. Include the article title, name(s) of author(s), the publication date, and, if available, the web link.

Discussion 4

Consider current events related to this unit’s topic by conducting a short article search on topics related to communication problems and how to avoid them.

Read an article published within the previous year related to the topic indicated above.

Summarize the information in your own words. 

Describe a) what you learned from this information and b) how it relates to this unit’s topic. Be sure to identify which key term or phrase from this unit relates to your response. Include the article title, name(s) of author(s), the publication date, and, if available, the web link.