The requested page could not be found.

Are you looking for:

Early Childhood Education Externship
PURPOSE
The Early Childhood Education Externship badge documents the acquisition of practical skills and experience in historical, theoretical and developmental foundations for educating young children and designing and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum in order to provide the primary teacher with the most help possible.

jOB/CAREER REQUIREMENTS
This experience focuses on development of children from birth through age 8, the roles, responsibilities and requirements of individuals working in early childhood classrooms as well as curriculum development so that assistants can help the teachers most effective while also helping to cultivate a creative, caring and nurturing environment for young children.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WORKPLACE TASKS:
The Externship badge confirms the earner's continued and successful practice of the following tasks demonstrating their ability to:
  • Analyze the roles, responsibilities, and requirements for those who work in early childhood education (ECE) settings and the evolution of the field of ECE 
  • Analyze current issues in ECE that have implications for children, families, and society 
  • Describe the age-related developmental accomplishments of young children from birth through age 8 in each of the developmental domains 
  • Analyze programs that support individual differences, culturally responsive, and inclusive 
  • Analyze ECE standards as related to preparing developmentally appropriate activities 
  • Analyze practices that ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all children 
  • Compare strategies to develop emotional self-regulation and avoid challenging behaviors 
  • Describe strategies that foster childcare worker and family partnerships 
  • Describe the role of assessment/documentation to inform curriculum development
  • Evaluate the attributes of professionalism in ECE including advocacy, and social justice 
  • Analyze how a learning experience reflects a developmentally appropriate practice 
  • Explain how curriculum is affected by theories, models, government programs, and standards 
  • Create a plan to establish reciprocal relationships with families 
  • Plan developmentally appropriate learning environments and experiences for young children 
  • Compare different teaching techniques in relationship to children's development and learning 
  • Compare various forms of assessment for planning, documenting, communicating, and reflecting
  • Design a developmentally appropriate math, science, technology,
Early Childhood Education Professionals

Who are early childhood education (ECE) professionals, and what do they do? ECE professionals understand how children develop from birth through age eight. They have the knowledge, skills, and energy to work effectively with children.

You may be surprised by the diverse job opportunities in this field. The level of education attained affects job options in most careers, and ECE is no different. Different roles in the ECE field have varying educational expectations. ECE professionals have a wide variety of settings where they can serve children in the education field.

After completing this resource, Learners will be able to:

  • Explain the mission and purpose of the early childhood professional
  • Describe the various roles of professionals in the field of early childhood education
  • Explain education expectations for those working in various roles in the field of ECE
  • Describe the unique characteristics of various early childhood settings including family child care, center-based child care and education (public and private), infant/toddler care, Head Start, public pre-kindergarten, primary grades, and after-school care
Professionalism in Early Childhood Education

As you explore the field of early childhood education (ECE), you will learn what it means to be an ECE professional. One aspect is ethical conduct. Professionals resolve the ethical dilemmas they encounter with a well-established code. Professionals also depend on evidence-based practices to inform their decision-making processes.

Advocacy has a central role in ECE. It means supporting or recommending changes to existing practices. You may be passionate about maintaining low teacher-student ratios. Or your commitment to social justice may inspire you to advocate for equitable benefits and compensation for ECE professionals. Whatever you choose, the importance of informed advocacy cannot be overemphasized. As an advocate, you expect to be taken seriously. Therefore, you really have to know your profession when you advocate for children, whether you lobby your senator or attend the local school board meeting.

After completing this resource, Learners will be able to:

  • Explain what it means to be an ECE professional: ethical conduct and using evidence-based practices
  • Describe the role of advocacy in the field of ECE
  • Explain ways early childhood professionals can contribute the development of policies that impact early childhood education
  • Explain what it means to be a culturally competent early childhood professional
Loading...