Early Childhood Education Learning Environments and Practicum

This course is designed to support students in demonstrating, recording, and documenting how they have put into practice what they have learned, as well as share about their own educational philosophy related to linguistically and culturally responsive teaching. It offers guidance in combining theory and practice using a technique called reflective practice wherein students have the opportunity to think about and discuss their teaching experiences. Using the Soy Bilingüe 102-point assessment as the guiding text, this seminar supports students in addressing all six parts of the tool: (1) Parent and Community Collaboration, (2) Linguistically and Culturally Relevant Environments, (3) Interactions during Schedule Components, (4) Child Nurturing and Guidance, (5) Assessment and Planning, and (6) Indigenous Languages. During each session, participants write reflections on their teaching, which can be used as entries for their portfolios. They further develop their classroom or family childcare program language plan, as well as gather sample lesson plans for first language and second language small group time, circle time, and small group time that demonstrate how the teacher can adjust teaching strategies to the language acquisition level of the children. The centering of the children’s home languages and cultural backgrounds is emphasized. The goal is for students to develop an entry for each of the 102 items of the portfolio.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

5 - Practicum in Early Childhood Education