Preschool Learning Guidelines
and Core Competencies Online
Training Modules
Anne Douglass, Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Boston
Angi Stone-MacDonald, Ph.D. University of Massachusetts
Boston
MaryLu Love, M.S. University of Massachusetts Boston
Online Module Walkthrough
Core Competencies Course
•
Area #1 - Understanding the Growth and Core Development of
Children and Youth
•
Area #2 – Guiding and Interacting with Children and Youth
•
Area #3 – Partnering with Families and Communities
•
Area #4 – Health, Safety, and Nutrition
•
Area #5 – Learning Environments and Implementing Curriculum
•
Area #6 – Observation, Assessment, and Documentation
•
Area #7 – Program Planning and Development
•
Area #8 – Professionalism and Leadership
Preschool Learning
Experiences Course
• Mathematics
• English/Language Arts
• Science
• History and Social Science
• Arts
• Health Education
• Early Childhood Program Standards (Blue Book)
Course Logistics
15 hours required to complete each course
• Theory and practice
• Presentations between 30-45 each including video links
• Course readings and web resources
• Reflection and application
• quizzes
• assessments
• assignments
Core Competencies for Early
Education and Care and Out of School
Time Educators:
#5
Learning Environments and
Implementing Curriculum
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
Indicator and Levels
Know and be able to do:
Initial
Educator :
• With supervision,
•No administrative
responsibilities
Mid
Educator:
• Works directly
with children and
youth
•May have
administrative or
supervisory
responsibilities
Advance
Educator, leader,
mentor:
•Administrative,
supervisory,
mentoring or
training role
Links with Other
Professional Documents
• Licensing Sections 7.06, 7.07
• Code of Ethics
• NAEYC Accreditation: #2 Curriculum, #3 Teaching & #9
Physical Environment
• NAFCC Accreditation: #2 Environment, & #3 Developmental
Learning Activities
• DEC Recommended Practice Child-Focused Practices & Technology
Applications
• COA Accreditation: ASP – PS #5 Programming and Activities ,
ASP – PS #6 Indoor Environment & ASP – PS #7 Outdoor
Environment
Area 5: Learning Environments
and Implementing Curriculum
• High quality environments and utilizing
strategies
• consistent schedules and routines,
• transition activities
• interesting materials and activities
• arranging a classroom to enhance learning
•Understanding developmentally appropriate
curriculum models that prepare children and
youth for success in school
B. Curriculum
5. Schedule
6. Learning experiences
7. IEP’s and IFSP
8. All domains of learning
9. Language and literacy development
10. Promote physical, mental, nutritional , and oral
health
B
Language Rich Environment
• Opportunities to experience oral and written
communication
• Communicate needs, thoughts and experiences
• Describes things and events
• Respond to questions
• Build vocabulary – though rich experiences
• Non-verbal communication strategies
B
Communication
Receptive
Expressive
Oral language
Listening
Talking
Print
Reading
Writing
B
Early Literacy Skills
Code-Related
Skills
 Alphabet
Knowledge
Print Concepts
Phonological
Awareness
Letter-Sound
Knowledge
Early
Literacy
Meaning-Related
Skills
Vocabulary
Grammatical
Understanding
Narrative
Comprehension
Reflection of learning
Make a plan for how you will:
• Deepen your knowledge of Learning Environments and
Implementing Curriculum
• Guide other adults working in the field deepen their
knowledge of Learning Environments and Implementing
Curriculum
• Use your knowledge while developing policy, support
families understanding of Learning Environments and
Implementing Curriculum
Initial Level Discussion
Questions
• Describe how you will deepen your knowledge to
create learning environments and implement
curriculum to support each child’s growth and
development.
• Identify the specific age group you work with; talk
about specific learning goals for this age group,
describe the curriculum and environment you use to
support children’s growth and development.
Core Competency Self-Assessment
Massachusetts State Preschool Learning
Experiences
Mathematics Module
Created by UMass Boston EECIS faculty
Please press the play
button to move to the next slide.
Overview of the Math Preschool
Learning Experiences
• Number Sense
• Patterns and Relations
• Shapes and Spatial Sense
• Measurement
• Data Collection and Analysis
Review the Overview of Math document before continuing
this module.
Number Sense 1
1. Listen to and say the names of
numbers in meaningful contexts.
Children need to learn to say
numbers and connect them to the
appropriate quantities.
Video clip: Five Little Monkeys Video
Shapes and Spatial Sense 10
10. Investigate and identify materials of various shapes, using
appropriate language.
In this video, children learn about shapes in their environment: Shapes video
Measurement 13
13. Use estimation in meaningful ways and follow up by
verifying the accuracy of estimations.
Name
Guess
Sarah
50
John
8
Lei
25
Michelle
16
Ryan
12
Alana
3
Joanna
42
ACTUAL
33
Math Module Quiz
OpenCourseWare
Purpose of Research
• Understand how technology-mediated learning can
be used in MA professional development system
• Understand the technological capacity of the EEC
workforce and ways to improve capacity
• Understand how trainers and participants used the
modules and how the training will impact practice
Research Questions
• Did participants increase their knowledge of using the
online training modules?
• How do participant characteristics impact growth?
• Does job title and experience impact participants’
knowledge of specific core competency categories?
• How do educators and providers use these courses to
advance their professional development qualifications
and/or the QRIS?
More Research Questions
• Can use of technology in training support
technology use for future training?
• What are the technology skills and comfort levels of
the EEC workforce?
• What challenges/barriers do trainers/educators face
in using these courses? How could MA strengthen
its infrastructure for supporting online and distance
learning professional development?
Research Plan
• Participant Surveys
• Self-study via OpenCourseWare (OCW)
• Trainer/director facilitated trainings
• College credit course participants
• Trainer Surveys
• At training
• After facilitating two training sessions