ECE 28 CLASS NOTES WEEK 7 CHAPTER 11
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IN INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS KEY TERMS consolidate holistic readiness contingent stimulation incremental redirection developmental disequilibrium mediated learning scaffolding developmental inconsistency mediator task analysis developmental appropriate practices milieu teachable moments generalization multidimensional transactional learning TEACHER TRAINING In 1996, the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) developed a joint position statement focusing on training for professionals working with young children with special needs. In 1987, the NAEYC published a document outlining guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices for young children. TEACHER CONCERNS Inclusion concerns: Challenging behaviors. Support services from occupational therapy, speech therapy, instructional assistance from the special education teacher, and/or a special education instructional aide. Enrollment in multiple programs: Morning and afternoon enrollment in varying programs. OPTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING All states have a designated lead agency that provides community-based in-service training for professionals working with young children. Regional & local chapters of NAEYC that provide an annual conference with educational programs. Two-year colleges & vocational/technical schools offer teacher training courses. Nationwide, Head Start provides training for their staff on how to include young children with disabilities. Local, regional & state childcare organizations offer training. United Cerebral Palsy & ARC sponsor workshops & seminars in many communities. Located in Shasta County, Rowell Family Empowerment offers support, education and advocacy for families of children with disabilities. THE APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH: REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PRINCIPLES Developmental sequences: The sequence of development rather than chronological age. Moving steadily forward. Interrelationships among developmental domains: Each area of development affects & is affected by every other area of development. Developmental inconsistencies: Developmental inconsistency is to be expected, development is an irregular process. THE APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH: REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PRINCIPLES The transactional process: Transactional learnings are the consequence of direct & indirect teaching. Contingent stimulation: New learning comes about because of the prompt responses of others. Readiness to learn: A major educational focus that all children in America will start school ready to learn. Teachable moments: Naturally occurring opportunities when a child is most likely to learn.
THE APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH: MILIEU TEACHING Incidental teaching provides the best use of teachable moments. Milieu teaching strategy is that it is child-initiated. Child requests help, materials or information. Meeting a child where their interests lie. Responding in a way that matches the child's skill level. Introducing the bit of novelty that provides challenge for the child. THE APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH: CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS A teacher's enthusiasm is a mutually supportive process that stems from the child's skills & accomplishments to promote learning. Task analysis is the process of sequencing developmental tasks into small, incremental steps. A consistent teacher provides a predictable & stable environment, & clear expectations & consequences. The ability to be flexible, to improvise, to adapt an activity to individual or group needs at any given moment is a quality of an effective teacher. Children who can trust the consistency of a teacher's expectations become more trustworthy themselves. Providing limits: In the form of classroom rules, providing limits allow children to relax, they know someone else will make a decision. Early childhood education rules focus on safety, care of property, & the well being of the group. Positive redirection. The role of an effective teacher is that of a facilitator. THE APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH: THE TEACHER AS MEDIATOR The constructivist theorists emphasize the role of the adult in helping children learn to solve cognitive & social problems. Scaffolding: decrease support + higher demands independent problem solving. Mediated learning model theorizes that cognitive & social development are intertwined. The teacher's role is to foster children's awareness of their own thought processes by asking them to predict outcomes, test reality, & communicate their thoughts. Generalization is used to think about how a given skill can be used in a different situation.