Week 6

ECE 313 Fall 2023

 Agenda

Strength’s based observations

Our assignment
• Introduction to the pedagogical process
• Children telling their stories and educators interpreting those
stories
• Connecting children’s stories to HDLH
Strength’s based observation
 What is it
❖ A strengths-based approach to… early childhood education focuses
on identifying what works for the child instead of focusing on
what is “wrong” with the child and on [their] supposed deficits. In
other words, instead of insisting the child “fit” the curriculum, the
curriculum is built to respond to the child”
❖ Strength's Based Approach to Equity in Early Childhood Education
https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/strengthsbased.pdf
❖ We are not looking for children to have a specific type or kind of
development - we are looking for what they are doing at that
time
 Under pinning a strength’s based
approach
❖ "Underpinning this approach is the belief that each child is
capable and competent, possessing unique strengths and
talents.”
❖ "Also underlying this model is the belief that children
demonstrate their learning in different ways”
❖ "This strength-based approach requires that early childhood
educators engage in a more reflective practice, examining their
own values and professional practice and how these may affect
each child"
 Let’s watch Elijah
❖ What is your first reaction to Elijah?
❖ Look further…
❖ How is Elijah using the bins?
❖ What is Elijah discovering from this time with the bins?
❖ What could Elijah be wondering about and thinking about while
they play?
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Br_Vnh6A8&t=167s
 Perspectives
❖ If we look at what Elijah did as making a mess
❖ what would we tell their family?
❖ What conversation would we have with our teaching partners?
❖ If we look at Elijah as an explorer, a learner, and a teacher
❖ what would we tell the family about this play?
❖ What conversations could we have with our teaching partners about
this play?
❖ What could we plan next?
 In summary

❖ A strength’s based approach is how we as educators look at

children
❖ We need to start from a point of thinking of children as strong and
competent, then we can see their actions for the learning,
communicating, and growing that it really is.
Connecting Children’s Stories to
HDLH
 HDLH Foundations
❖ Belonging Page 24
❖ Goals and Expectations Page 26
❖ Well Being Page 29
❖ Goals and Expectations Page 32
❖ Engagement Page 35
❖ Goals and Expectations Page 37
❖ Expression Page 41
❖ Goals and Expectations Page 43
 This section is great
for your reflections too
 Why make the connection

❖ Demonstrates our professional practice to others

❖ Provides a common set of goals and language for ECEs
❖ Supports children by ensuring their needs are the focus
❖ Supports families through an understanding of our priorities
 Let’s practice

❖ Two toddlers are playing with blocks and looking at each other but
not talking. Child B knocks over the Child A’s blocks. Child A
laughs and knocks over Child B’s blocks. Child B shouts
“orrrrrrrrrrreeee” (I think they meant “more”)
❖ In your foundation group - pick one quote that connects your
foundation to this observation
 Practice #2

❖ Two infants are sitting on a blanket outside on the grass. Child A

crawls over to the grass and picks up a passing leaf. Child B
watches Child A. Child A sits up, squishes the leaf, puts it in her
mouth, then drops it on the blanket. Child B picks up the leaf,
puts it in their mouth, then spits it out again a bit at a time.
❖ In your foundation group - pick one quote that connects your
foundation to this observation
Our assignment
 Being outside assignment

❖ 1 - Go to a natural space. Wonder and feel.

❖ 2 - observe a child in a natural space
 Part 3

❖ Bringing the two experiences together and share with your

colleagues
Using your experience with nature (1) and your observation of the
children (2) you will create a documentation to share with your
classroom colleagues. Reflect on how your image of the child and
image of the educator has changed or grown during the first half of
the semester.
The Pedagogical Cycle
Which comes first?
 See
This is where you tell the story. Just the story. Pick a small story so you can tell it
step by step. write the story of your experience outside and the children’s
experience outside. What parts stood out for you? What did you do? What did the
children do? What were the important moments for you? You cannot tell the whole
story, so you have to pick the parts that were most important to you and share
those so that someone who was not there can imagine it.

Your turn.
Use point form notes for now
 Think

What were you thinking about while you were outside? What were
the children thinking about outside? What theories were you
testing? What theories were the children testing? Compare your
thinking and the children’s thinking.

Your turn.
Use point form notes for now
 Feel
You are writing about both your feelings and the children’s
feelings during the time of the observation. What were you
feeling during this outdoor experience? What do you think the
children were feeling during their outdoor experience? How did
it feel to be part of the learning process while you were outside,
and while you were observing? Compare your feelings and the
children’s feelings.

Your turn.
Use point form notes for now
 Relationships
This section is about relationships. What is your relationship like
with the outdoors? How has this changed your relationship with the
outdoors? What is the children’s relationship like with the outdoors?
Does this change the way you think about the relationship between
the children, the adults and the environment?

Your turn.
Use point form notes for now
 Connect

Pick one foundation from HDLH and make a clear connection

between your experience, your learning, and the foundation. Have a
short quote from one of the foundations and make clear connections
between your See section and that quote.

Name the foundations… Which one do you

feel is the best match for this experience?
 Conclusion

❖ I added this for my presentation.

❖ I felt like I needed to sum up for the audience
❖ I felt like I needed one more statement to make sure both myself
and my audience had the opportunity to make this connection.
❖ You can pick if your presentation needs a conclusion or not
 Summary of our work today (Not part of my
sample presentation)
❖ Infants and toddlers don’t tell their own stories..so we have to tell
their stories to others
❖ How we share those stories is really dependent on our image of
the child
❖ If we see the child as competent and capable, we see the child’s
strengths
❖ The process of sharing a child’s story should be a learning process
for us and the person engaging with us
❖ Using the pedagogical cycle for this assignment, gives you a
chance to look for the child’s strengths and your own strengths.
But the mentor REALLY REALLY
won’t go outside
What to do if there is no nature

If you tried to go outside

or
If you get outside and there is no nature to engage with
Alternative Assignment:
(can only be used after a discussion with your Professor and written
approval by email which must be submitted with your assignment)
“The children at placement have no exposure to nature…what should I do?”
On a very rare occasion, children at placement will not have the opportunity
to engage with nature. If that is the case, you have a few options, but you
need to discuss this with your Professor before you engage in one of these
options. You will need written approval, submitted with your assignment, to
pick this option.
 3 options
1. Ask your field mentor if they would mind taking the children to nature even though it is not part of
the regular routine.
2. Bring some nature to the children. A branch, some grass, flowers, anything from nature that can be
shared with the children. Use the experience of bringing nature to the children for this assignment
3. Observe children in the outdoor or indoor space that they are allowed to play in. It might be a
playground without natural materials. It might be a stroller. It might be on a walk, where they can’t
explore, just walk. While you observe the children consider the following:
· What do the children do in that space?
· What do the children look at?
· What do the children pick up or notice?
· What might the children be feeling or thinking?
For all of these options, go through all of the components of the pedagogical
process in the assignment (see, think, feel, relationships, and connect). As you
do this, think about what the children might be missing by not having
contact with nature.
Include a bit of a summary about your thinking. Is nature important for
children? Think about your experience with nature, was that important to you?
Should child care’s be allowed to keep children from nature?
 Next week in class

❖ PRESENTATIONS!!!!
❖ Upload your presentation to BB before class
❖ Make sure to include a script or voice over
❖ And YES…we will have more class after the presentations
 How our presentations will work
❖ Shortly after class starts you will be put into small groups (so you
can’t be late! you will lose 10% for a late arrival and more if you
are not there on time to present - could result in a failing grade)
❖ You will each get 5 minutes to present to your group
❖ After everyone has presented you will have some discussion
questions
❖ We will meet together to discuss our learning and the highlights
from the presentations