1. Classmate
2. Hi everyone! My name is Shannon Dowling. I am currently a certified teacher in elementary education and students with disabilities for grades 1-6. I am looking to expand my certification to early childhood education, which is the reason I am taking this course.
One of my favorite stories is
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. This book tells the story of Chloe and her friends, who mistreat a new classmate, Maya, based on the difference in her appearance and worn clothing. Maya attempts to befriend these girls many times throughout the story, where she is rather ignored and made fun of. By the end of the book, Maya’s family moves away and Chloe is regretful that she was unkind to Maya, and now will never have the chance to be kind to her. I like this story, and use it frequently in my classroom because it explores the impact of what it means to be unkind to someone, and how our words and actions can affect someone.
My goals for this course are to expand my knowledge in early childhood education pedagogy by understanding the implementation of developmentally appropriate practices, as well as how to implement technology into the classroom. In addition, I am hoping to finish this course with a greater understanding of how complex socio-economic and global issues affect early childhood families.
References:
Woodson, Jacqueline. (2012). Each Kindness. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books.
3. Calssmate
4. My name is Justine Miranda, and I’ve just completed my second year of teaching Pre-K. I hold a degree in Childhood Education and have 11 years of experience teaching upper grades before transitioning into the Early Childhood classroom.
5. My favorite childhood story is
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. As a child, I loved the illustrations and vividly remember how my teacher read it aloud with expression and different voices. Now as an adult, I understand that it is much more than just silly monsters and a boy in a silly costume. This book addresses a child’s emotions and shows how imagination and pretend play can be important coping skills for dealing with big feelings. It also reminds us that it’s okay to make mistakes.
6. My goals for this course are to deepen my understanding of best practices in early childhood education, stay current with up-to-date research on early childhood cognitive development and policies, and create an inclusive classroom environment. My goal is to walk away with practical tools and a more profound knowledge of ECE to improve my teaching, enhance my instructional strategies, and implement best practices that will support my students’ learning and growth.
7. While reading Chapter 1, this sentence really resonated with me: Relationships matter -There is a saying in early childhood education that “all education involves relationships.” (Morrison, Woika, & Breffni, 2022, p. 15)
8. Reference:
9. Morrison, G. S., Woika, M. J., & Breffni, L. (2022).
Early childhood education today (15th ed.). Pearson.
10.
