APPROACHES THEORIES AND PRACTICE BRENDA HARRIS ECE INTRODUCTION

APPROACHES, THEORIES AND PRACTICE BRENDA HARRIS ECE INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LYNN MORRISON AUGUST 8, 2015

Theorists/Theories – Most connected to least connected Learning Approaches – Most connected to least connected 1. Skinner –operant conditioning theory 1. Creative Curriculum 2. Gardner-Multiple Intelligence theory 2. High Scope 3. Piaget-Cognitive Development 3. Montesorri 4. Bandura-Social Learning theory 4. Project approach 5. Erikson-Pyschosocial theory of development 5. Direct instruction 6. Freud-: Psychosexual Theory of Development 6. Reggio Emilia 7. Kohlberg- Moral Development Theory 8. Vygotsky-Sociocultural Theory of Development

OPERANT CONDITIONING

§ Type of learning in which a person repeats a behavior that is reinforced or ceases a behavior that is disciplined § Humans can learn at any age § Encourages positive reinforcement § Not necessarily in the form of a reward, but perhaps a praise.

• Discipline or rewards are important to a child's development and success • Building operant conditioning into lesson plans it is possible to teach children useful skills as well as positive behavior (http: //www. teach-nology. com). • Instead of giving a reward use a praise or stickers.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE

• Concept that human intelligence is multifaceted rather then a mere combination of verbal and mathematical skills that are measured by traditional intelligence tests (Estes & Krogh, 2012). • Introduced in 1983

• Begins at birth and continues through life • Offers different ways to present learning materials as not everyone learns in the same way. • Studies show that students are turned onto learning when classroom experience incorporates artistic, athletic and musical activities (http: //www. thirteen. org).

• Students become balanced individuals that can function as a member of society. • Provide a classroom that is rich and engaging in activities that evoke a range of intelligences. • I will be able to teach the students skills that will help them learn to solve problems.

CREATIVE CURRICULUM

• The Creative Curriculum helps teachers interact with children in ways that promote development and learning, foster children’s social competence, support children’s learning through play, create rich environments for learning, and forge strong home-school connections (http: //teachingstrategies. com). • Teachers are better able to support children’s development and learning (http: //teachingstrategies. com).

• Founded in 1988 by Diane Trister Dodge (Estes & Krogh, 2012). • Learning environments affect children's behaviors as well as their development and learning skills. • View Children holistically by recognizing that development among the development domains is overlapping and simultaneous (Estes & Krogh, 2012).

• Will help to engage the students with activities that captivate their attention. • Students that are engaged and can be active with what they are learning will learn better. • This type of teaching will help the children to learn through play, asking questions and discovery.

HIGH SCOPE APPROACH

• At the heart of high scope is the interest and choices of children. Active learning means that children have direct hands on experiences to people, objects, events and ideas

• Developed by David P. Weikart in the early 1960’s (Estes & Krogh, 2012). • Based on Piaget’s constructivist principles. • Allows for both learner-initiated and teacher initiated activities. • Most widely accepted early childhood education curriculum models in the United States. • Most important part of the high scope approach is the plan-do-review sequence where children can make choice about what they will do (http: //www. highscope. org).

• Using the high scope approach will help me to provide a daily balance of variety and learning experiences. • We could not only participate in smaller group activities but also larger ones as well. • Using this approach with preschoolers can help to shape the attitude they have toward learning. • The high scope builds on the strengths and abilities to maximize them.

COMPARING OPERANT CONDITIONING AND CREATIVE CURRICULUM • Operant conditioning and creative curriculum focus on the behaviors and how the children learn their behaviors. • Creative curriculum promotes development and operant conditioning uses praise to promote that development. • If a child is exhibiting a behavior that is wrong operant conditioning recognizes that bad behavior by ignoring it or explaining why the behavior is unacceptable. • Both can help to teach useful skill that will help the children to be able to solve problems later in life. •

REFERENCES • http: //www. teach-nology. com/tutorials/teaching/operantcond. html • http: //teachingstrategies. com/content/page. Docs/Research-Foundation-Creative-Curriculum. pdf • Estes, L. S. , & Krogh, S. L. (2012). Pathways to teaching young children: An introduction to early childhood education. San Diego, CA Bridgepoint Education, Inc • http: //www. highscope. org/Content. asp? Content. Id=171