Why Are You Interested At This Research Internship?

Felicia Bonner is a graduated from Florida State University and is the Director of Child Care Evaluation Services at the Children’s Forum since August of 2011. She originally started with the Forum in 1998 as a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor, and then moving into the position of overseeing the Director Credential Program in 1999 until 2005. In the summer of 2005 Felicia’s family relocated to Bradenton, Florida where she worked for the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County as an Early Learning Specialist for a year. Her professional interests center on early care and education. She recently volunteered with the Mayor’s Quality Task Force on Improved Quality and Affordable Childcare for All and for the last 4 years has volunteered with the United

Christina J. Groark, Stephanie K. McCarthy, Afton R. Kirk. (2014). Early Child Development: From Theory to Practice. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Being an early childhood/special education major, I decided to observe during my field experience hours in a preschool class at Prairie Children Preschool, in Aurora. In this classroom, I observed a blended classroom, with ten out of fifteen children having IEPs. Thus far, I have visited three times and have completed a total of nine hours in the classroom. One opportunity I have in my placement is to be able to observe in the classroom on Fridays, during which only students enrolled in the Preschool for all program. Through my field experience I was able to observe Ms. Vanessa Seppa in the blended classroom. I have observed her work with children towards goals that have been set. Only having experience in early education made me curious as to the difference from preschool to the upper grades. One of my relatives was a substitute in a special education class and connected me to Vanessa Villalobos, who is a special education teacher in middle school.

Toddlers and preschoolers are at different developmental stages, and therefore require their teachers to use different approaches and techniques to further learning. I completed my observations at the Bright and Early Children’s Learning Center where I observed a toddler classroom and a preschool classroom. My observations took place from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on the 21st and 28th of September. The first day that I observed I was placed in the toddler classroom which had two teachers, Miss Ashlynn and Miss Miranda, and six students, most of whom were two years old. In the preschool classroom there was one teacher, Miss Stephanie, and eight students, each of whom were 3 years old or 4 years old. While the rooms were physically similar, the teachers used different strategies and activities to appeal to the different age groups.

Through working with 0-2 year olds it has provided me with opportunities and experience to acknowledge children’s needs by finding ways to communicate through body language. By having opportunities to extend by knowledge via different courses has allowed me to extend my knowledge. Although I have gained a

I am a student at Florida Atlantic University studying early childhood education. I am enrolled in EEC 3214 class this semester; the class is called designing and implementing a blending curriculum: birth to age eight. I am required to complete a field experience assignment at a preschool. I will observe young children ranging from three to five years old. I assure you that I will keep all information confidential. In addition, I reassure you that I will not share the information collected outside of my course and that no identifying information will be shared. I will respect and follow all the school’s policies and procedures in a professional manner.

The classroom setting is kindergarten with a mixed environment of general education students and special education students. The child can do his work; however, he is resistant by saying he does not want to read or write because it is boring. Being WZ one-to-one paraprofessional is challenging since the child has behavioral issues that requires professional assistance for developmental support.

My experiences working with children officially began in 2012 when I started working for One of A Kind Progressive Early Education. I worked with children of all ages, primarily toddlers and preschoolers. While working at One of A Kind, I assisted the lead teachers as much as possible. I helped develop daily routines of activities, lesson plans, nap, and toilet-training times that seemed most effective for the students. I worked with parents during pick up and drop off times to make sure they were happy with the schedule and care their child was receiving. I was in charge of maintaining a safe environment for the students at One of A Kind.

Corresponding concerning this article should be addressed to Kirby Magbie, Department of Early Childhood Education, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. Contact: knmagbie@crimson.ua.edu

I selected my Family Collaborative Project as an artifact that represents my competency to assess the ongoing learning of children (including those with disabilities) birth-to-three in a collaborative manner with paraprofessionals and families. I used two different screening tools based on a systematic approach of assessment: Developmental Screen Ages & Stages and the Assessment, Evaluation and Programming System (AEPS). The Family Collaborative Project encompassed my ability to collect screening data, assess and record children’s on-going development, use developmentally appropriate learning outcomes that align with Kentucky Early Childhood Standards. Further the results of the assessment provided me the opportunity to work as a team with families, paraprofessionals and teachers to design learning outcomes and plan future services and instruction.

The education of the young mind is an important step in preparing the child for future learning experiences. The evolution of early childhood education has changed how adults and parents view the importance of offering stimulating and exciting opportunities to the very young. Early childhood Education offers the young child learning experiences that benefit them throughout their educational career. They soon embark on a whole new world of learning. These children are not only experiencing standard brain growth, but verbal and physical skills as well. Early childhood education teachers use a variation of techniques for instructing. They use lesson plans, worksheets, and even teacher resources for these young minds.

Child development is the foundation upon which early childhood practice is based. Because the psychomotor, socioemotional, cognitive, and linguistic developmental domains are inter-related, early childhood professionals in all types of programs (e.g., family child care homes, early childhood education centers) must comprehend both the processes of development and the adult’s role in supporting each child’s growth, development, and learning. (p. 1)

The Early Childhood Education program at Carlow University focuses on educating children from birth to grade four in any context—school, family, or community. As a signature mark of the program, students learn how to honor diversity and form strong inclusive relationships between child and caregiver/teacher. They learn that a child’s environment needs to be rooted in trust; physically and psychologically safe. They learn that the caregiver/teacher relationship needs

During my observations in the different classrooms at “The childcare Center”, I learned about the proper environment, the fundamentals of the teachers lesson plans, their health and safety regulations, their approach to guidance and discipline, and overall quality childcare. The center has eight different levels of age groups; each of them has their own curriculum based on their age and developmental needs. This curriculum changes and has a new theme each month that helps the lead teachers to be able to start their lesson plans each week. From infants all the way to pre-K the lesson plans include fine motor, gross motor, art and sensory, math and manipulatives, music and movement, language including both signing and Spanish.

Every builder knows "A house is only as strong as its foundation". They also know that they have to evaluate and become familiar the land before beginning to work. This rationale can be used as a guideline for teachers across the world, especially with the children in the early childhood stage, ages 2-6, because how teachers assist children in this stage will serve as the foundation for the life ahead of them. A child develops physically, cognitively and socially. It is important for the teachers to know how the child is developing in order for them to effectively teach the students because they lack of understanding can lead problems for the child. Additionally, if the teacher is aware of how the