Vermont Core Teaching Standards Standard 2.

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

2. The teacher uses understanding of learners' commonalities and individual differences within and across diverse communities to design inclusive learning experiences that enable each learner to meet high standards.

Evidence 1:

Introduction to Exceptional Populations, EDU 2110, Johnson State College, 2005, Transcript

Description:

This course was an introduction to mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging conditions and approaches to working with children with special needs in various settings. This course provided a study of the history, philosophy, and current practices relating to education of children with special needs and assists participants in defining their roles with special needs children.

Analysis/Reflection:

This course covered the different ways typical development can be delayed in young children, and discussed language, motor, cognitive, emotional, and social problems that can result from that. We discussed and demonstrated appropriate ways to observe, report, and record information about challenging behavior in children. I learned about current remediation techniques used in classrooms, treatment centers, and homes with children who have disabilities or impairments. We not only learned about disabilities, but also how to identify and describe the characteristics of the gifted and talented students, and discussed methods of instruction to help them flourish as well.

I have a couple of children in my class for whom I need to adjust the environment and materials to accommodate their style of learning. I have added another personal space area, because I have more than one child that needs time alone to calm down. I include different materials for some of the advanced children in my group. The ages in my group range from 6 months to 5 years, and with some of the older children interested and ready for writing and math readiness I supply them with materials that will allow them to become engaged and challenged.

2.

2.

Evidence 2:

Methods and Materials in Early Childhood Education, ECE 215, Community College of Vermont, 1989, Transcript

Description:

This course is designed to teach the methods and materials needed for designing quality care and educational programs for young children. Developmentally appropriately activities and teaching practices are discussed in relation to each of the developmental and curricula areas. This course covered ages birth through school age children.

Analysis/Reflection:

Throughout this course I gained new knowledge for providing a safe and nurturing educational learning environment for young children. I learned how to effectively set up learning centers in the classroom and to provide materials for self-directed play and learning. The course also covered ways to promote social and physical skills, family involvement, program management, professionalism, and positive guidance. One of the most rewarding features of this course was that every class we were able to tour a different center or home environment. I was intrigued how each and every space we toured had a different learning environment. I gained new insights on how to arrange environments and provide developmentally age appropriate materials.

I consider my program a hands-on, play-based, emergent curriculum in which I let the children guide how and what they want to learn. I believe that, when the child is in control of their learning, their interest and learning become more evolved.

2.

2.

Evidence 3:

Lesson Plan of "Who We Are" About Diversity and Abilities in our classroom and world, Lesson Plan and Photos

Description:

This lesson plan is about diversity and how people from our community and around the world are the same but different as well. We have a couple several children from different ethnic backgrounds and religions, and so I incorporated diversity and as well abilities into this lesson plan. The lesson plan was to have four eggs of different colors but I actually had five eggs.

Analysis/Reflection:

The children were introduced to this lesson plan about how we are all the same, yet different. The lesson plan illustrates how we all have commonalities, but we are different and special in our own unique way. From reading books on different multicultural backgrounds, family structures, abilities, and religions we learned that we all have a place in our community and world. I believe exposing the children to people of all social and ethnic backgrounds with differing abilities helps children understand that we are all special in our own way.

After reading a few books on diversity and talking about how people are similar and different, we did this activity on how like eggs, people may be different on the outside such as hair color, skin color, or clothes but we are all the same inside.

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2.