Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education

Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education EDUC 502: Creating a Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Curriculum Dr. David Brody Summer 2013

Contact Information: [email protected]

Course Description: This course focuses on the skills necessary for planning and implementing curricula for early childhood classrooms. The holiday cycle will be studied as a basis for integrating art, music, science, mathematics and language arts as well as Jewish values, customs and symbols into classroom practice.

Required Texts: Handelman, M.S. (2000). Jewish Every Day, Denver: ARE. Epstein, A.S. (2007). The Intentional Teacher, Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children’s Learning, Washington DC: NAEYC

Course Accommodations for Disabilities: Hebrew College is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in programs. Accordingly, if a student has a documented disability, and as a result, needs a reasonable accommodation to attend, participate or complete course requirements, then he or she should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. For further information, see the Student Handbook at http://hebrewcollege.edu/sites/default/files/student_handbook.pdf.

If you require course accommodations because of a documented disability or an emergency medical condition, please email your instructor as soon as possible. We are happy to work with you on any issues you have to ensure that you can participate fully in the class and complete the course requirements. Please do not wait until the assignments are due for a retroactive accommodation, but discuss the situation with your instructor before you experience difficulty

Course Schedule: Unit 1 (June 10-16) Topics: Learning Theory and the Jewish Early Childhood Education; Choosing a Topic for the Final Project

Readings: Schickedanz, J. A. (1990). Theoretical Framework, in Strategies for teaching young children. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1- 10.

Discussion Board Assignment: “Learning Theory and the Passover Seder” Discussion Board Assignment: “First come first served!” - choosing a topic for the final project

Unit 2 (June 17-23) Topics: Developmentally Appropriate Practice: What Does It Mean?

Readings: Kostelnik, M.J., Soderman, A.K., and Whiren, A.P. (2004). Developmentally appropriate curriculum – best practices in early childhood education, third edition. Columbus: Pearson, 14- 37. Readings of background material from various sources about the topic for the final project. Discussion Board Assignments “DAP in the Jewish Preschool”. “Preparing Myself to Prepare the Curriculum”

The Emergent Curriculum: A Different Approach These readings are optional for those interested in learning more about the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood curriculum: Jaruszewicz, Candace (1994). Reggio Emilia: An In-Depth View, report, ERIC document, ED376936, pages 4 – 15.

BJE Early Childhood and the Reggio Emilia Philosophy http://www.bjechicago.org/ps_our_philosophy.asp

Unit 3 (June 24-30) Topics: Writing Goals and Objectives and Webbing

Readings: Schickedanz, J. A. (1990). Planning, Organizing, and Evaluating, in Strategies for teaching young children. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 18-29.

Katz, L. G. (1993). Dispositions as Educational Goals. ERIC Digest. ERIC Identifier, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana, Il. ED363454 http://www.ericdigests.org/1994/goals.htm

Handelman, M.S. (2000). Webbing and webbing Jewishly, in Jewish every day, Denver: ARE, 11-15. (moved from unit 3, Play and webbing – above).

Discussion Board Assignment: “Rationale, Goals and Objectives”

Unit 4 (July 1-7) Topics: Ongoing Curriculum: Shabbat and Israel

Readings: Heschel, A. J. (1951). The Sabbath: its meaning for modern man. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2-10.

Handelman, M.S. (2000). Shabbat, in Jewish every day, Denver: ARE, 105-130.

Handelman, M.S. (2000). Israel all year, in Jewish every day, Denver: ARE, 89-102.

Discussion Board Assignments: “Heschel, Handelman, and Me” “Moving from Goals and Objectives to Activities for the Israel Curriculum”

Unit 5 (July 8-14) Topics: Short Term Planning: Holidays

Readings: Strassfield, M. (1985). The Jewish holidays, a guide and commentary. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1-2. Readings from a variety of sources - background material for one holiday

Discussion Board Assignment: “Holiday Curriculum Based on a Big Idea”

Unit 6 (July 15-21) Topics: Language Arts and Play across the Curriculum

Readings: Epstein, A.S. (2007). Language and Literacy, The intentional teacher, choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning, Washington DC: NAEYC, 23-40.

Discussion Board Assignment: “Books and Literacy in my Curriculum”

Unit 7 (July 22-28) Topics: Creative Arts in the Early Childhood Program

Readings: Epstein, A.S. (2007). Physical movement; The Visual Arts, The intentional teacher, choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning, Washington DC: NAEYC, 87-126.

Discussion Board Assignment: “The Creative Arts and My Own Curriculum Project”

Optional Unit Topics: Integrating Science and Math in the Judaic Curriculum Readings: Epstein, A.S. (2007). Mathematics and scientific inquiry, The intentional teacher, choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning, Washington DC: NAEYC, 41-66.

Optional: Discussion Board Assignment: “Math and Science in my Project”

Unit 8 (July 29 - August 4) Topics: Spirituality in Young Children and its Curricular Implications

Required Reading: Handelman, M.S. (2000). God, Prayer, and Spirituality, in Jewish every day, Denver: ARE, 54-76.

Optional Reading: "Some Affirmative Ways of Meeting God," In Kushner, H. When children ask about God: a guide for parents don't always have all the answers, New York: Schocken Books, 1995, pages 162-176.

Additional Optional Readings: Giesenberg, A. (2000). Spiritual development and young children. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 8 (2), 23-29.

Ryan, M and Stower, L. (1998). A vision of the whole child: the significance of religious experiences in early childhood. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 23 (1), 1-4.

Discussion Board Assignment: “Opportunities for Spiritual Development in the Jewish Early Childhood Setting”

July 28 - August 2: Consultations for Final Project I will be available for phone or Skype consultations during this week. Skype meetings can be arranged in advance, between the hours of 10:00 am to 2:00 pm EST. My phone number is +972545304458 and my Skype name is davidbrody1.

Final date for submitted the project: August 11. The final project should be submitted in the assignment Dropbox entitled “Final Assignment”