Preschool Learning Guidelines and Core Competencies Online Training Modules

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Preschool Learning Guidelines and Core
Competencies Online Training Modules

• Anne Douglass, Ph.D. University of Massachusetts
  Boston
• Angi Stone-MacDonald, Ph.D. University of
  Massachusetts Boston
• MaryLu Love, M.S. University of Massachusetts
  Boston

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Online Module Walkthrough
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Core Competencies Course

• Area 1 - Understanding the Growth and Core
  Development of Children and Youth
• Area 2 Guiding and Interacting with Children
  and Youth
• Area 3 Partnering with Families and
  Communities
• Area 4 Health, Safety, and Nutrition
• Area 5 Learning Environments and Implementing
  Curriculum
• Area 6 Observation, Assessment, and
  Documentation
• Area 7 Program Planning and Development
• Area 8 Professionalism and Leadership

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Preschool Learning Experiences Course

• Mathematics
• English/Language Arts
• Science
• History and Social Science
• Arts
• Health Education
• Early Childhood Program Standards (Blue Book)

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Course Logistics

• 15 hours required to complete each course
• Theory and practice
• Presentations between 30-45 each including video
  links
• Course readings and web resources
• Reflection and application
• quizzes
• assessments
• assignments

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Core Competencies for Early Education and Care
and Out of School Time Educators 5Learning
Environments and Implementing Curriculum

• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and
  Care

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Indicator and Levels
Know and be able to do
Initial Mid Advance
Educator With supervision, No administrative responsibilities Educator Works directly with children and youth May have administrative or supervisory responsibilities Educator, leader, mentor Administrative, supervisory, mentoring or training role
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Links with Other Professional Documents

• Licensing Sections 7.06, 7.07
• Code of Ethics
• NAEYC Accreditation 2 Curriculum, 3 Teaching
  9 Physical Environment
• NAFCC Accreditation 2 Environment, 3
  Developmental Learning Activities
• DEC Recommended Practice Child-Focused Practices
  Technology Applications
• COA Accreditation ASP PS 5 Programming and
  Activities , ASP PS 6 Indoor Environment  
  ASP PS 7 Outdoor Environment

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Area 5 Learning Environments and Implementing
Curriculum

• High quality environments and utilizing
  strategies
• consistent schedules and routines,
• transition activities
• interesting materials and activities
• arranging a classroom to enhance learning
• Understanding developmentally appropriate
  curriculum models that prepare children and youth
  for success in school

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B. Curriculum

1. Schedule
2. Learning experiences
3. IEPs and IFSP
4. All domains of learning
5. Language and literacy development
6. Promote physical, mental, nutritional , and oral
   health

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Language Rich Environment
B

• Opportunities to experience oral and written
  communication
• Communicate needs, thoughts and experiences
• Describes things and events
• Respond to questions
• Build vocabulary though rich experiences
• Non-verbal communication strategies

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Communication
B
Receptive Expressive
Oral language Listening Talking
Print Reading Writing
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Early Literacy Skills
B

• Code-Related Skills
• Alphabet Knowledge
• Print Concepts
• Phonological Awareness
• Letter-Sound Knowledge

• Meaning-Related Skills
• Vocabulary
• Grammatical Understanding
• Narrative
• Comprehension

Early Literacy
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Reflection of learning

• Make a plan for how you will
• Deepen your knowledge of Learning Environments
  and Implementing Curriculum
• Guide other adults working in the field deepen
  their knowledge of Learning Environments and
  Implementing Curriculum
• Use your knowledge while developing policy,
  support families understanding of Learning
  Environments and Implementing Curriculum

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Initial Level Discussion Questions

• Describe how you will deepen your knowledge to
  create learning environments and implement
  curriculum to support each childs growth and
  development. 
• Identify the specific age group you work with
  talk about specific learning goals for this age
  group, describe the curriculum and environment
  you use to support childrens growth and
  development.

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Core Competency Self-Assessment
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Massachusetts State Preschool Learning
ExperiencesMathematics Module

• Created by UMass Boston EECIS faculty
• Please press the play button to move to the
  next slide.

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Overview of the Math Preschool Learning
Experiences

• Number Sense
• Patterns and Relations
• Shapes and Spatial Sense
• Measurement
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Review the Overview of Math document before
  continuing this module.

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Number Sense 1

• 1. Listen to and say the names of numbers in
  meaningful contexts.

Children need to learn to say numbers and connect
them to the appropriate quantities.
Video clip Five Little Monkeys Video    
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Shapes and Spatial Sense 10

• 10. Investigate and identify materials of various
  shapes, using appropriate language.

In this video, children learn about shapes in
their environment Shapes video
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Measurement 13

• 13. Use estimation in meaningful ways and follow
  up by verifying the accuracy of estimations.

Name Guess
Sarah 50
John 8
Lei 25
Michelle 16
Ryan 12
Alana 3
Joanna 42
ACTUAL 33
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Math Module Quiz
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OpenCourseWare
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Purpose of Research

• Understand how technology-mediated learning can
  be used in MA professional development system
• Understand the technological capacity of the EEC
  workforce and ways to improve capacity
• Understand how trainers and participants used the
  modules and how the training will impact practice

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Research Questions

• Did participants increase their knowledge of
  using the online training modules?
• How do participant characteristics impact growth?
  
• Does job title and experience impact
  participants knowledge of specific core
  competency categories?
• How do educators and providers use these courses
  to advance their professional development
  qualifications and/or the QRIS?

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More Research Questions

• Can use of technology in training support
  technology use for future training?
• What are the technology skills and comfort levels
  of the EEC workforce?
• What challenges/barriers do trainers/educators
  face in using these courses? How could MA
  strengthen its infrastructure for supporting
  online and distance learning professional
  development?

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Research Plan

• Participant Surveys
• Self-study via OpenCourseWare (OCW)
• Trainer/director facilitated trainings
• College credit course participants
• Trainer Surveys
• At training
• After facilitating two training sessions