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EDT 57603 Applying Research to Educate the Early Childhood Exceptional Learner

 “We know better than we do.”  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote has always fascinated me.  Why are we not able to DO what we KNOW?  Over the years several ideas have occurred to me.  The one that applies to our efforts together is this.  We do not have the time to process new information so we can operationalize what we know.  This course will be about thinking and reflecting on the science of early childhood development.  It will also be about YOU taking what you learn to your classrooms or offices and “doing what you know”.  We will be sharing ideas from reading the text and experiences in our professional lives.

 Our textbook, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development, is a compendium of resources pertaining directly to our work with young children and families.  How will we use its 417 pages to focus our thinking?  The National Research Council suggests the following.

 “ With a wealth of new findings in neurobiology as well as in behavioral and social sciences, the goal is to use this burgeoning knowledge in a way that will ensure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of the nation.  This is especially true in light of the dramatic transformations in the social and economic circumstances in which families with young children are living today” (quoted from the inside front cover).

Here are some suggestions for successful completion of this course:

  1.      Each chapter has several points of interest.  Read them all, but choose one or two that especially relate to your journey as a learner.  Respond (according to the syllabus) to those sections.

 2.      Do not get behind in your reading and responding.  Part of your grade is based on timely submission of responses.

 3.      I have purposefully not required a research paper or project.  I really want you to focus your time on understanding the material in the text and applying it to your practice.  I reserve the right to add questions for your consideration as we discuss this material together.  Write notes to yourselves in the margins of the book.  Mark pages that move your early childhood spirits.

 4.      You will need to read more than just the text.  I want you to integrate other information into your response to the material and your response to the postings of others.  For example you may have discovered a web site that you think would be beneficial to classmates after reading postings.  Tell them!  Perhaps you have implemented a practice in your class that has proven successful.  Share it!  You may know of an article or book that relates to the responses of your learning community.  Speak up!

 5.      I have confidence that our discussions will be rich and stimulating.  You may want to print certain sections that document your knowledge in areas related to your portfolio.  These will become good examples of authentic assessment—real proof of understanding lifted from meaningful learning experiences.

 6.      Read the syllabus carefully.

 7.      Ask questions if anything is not clear.

 8.      Give me suggestions about how this class could be improved.

 9.      Enjoy this opportunity to learn together.

 10.  Do what you know!