Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard:

STANDARD 5. USING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD MEANIGFUL CURRICULUM Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child. (NAEYC, 2011)

Brief Description of Evidence:

In the fall semester of 2013, during my ECED 243, Cognitive Curriculum course, I developed a unit framework for preschool aged children. This framework required the use of the Indiana Foundations, measurable objectives, and a variety of activities that focused on each of the developmental domains, while also ensuring that each of the various multiple intelligence areas were met. I was able to use a theme to create this framework that appealed to children and was engaging for them.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Through the completion of this unit framework, I was able to use an overall theme the children enjoy to develop activities that focused on the multiple domains of development. I know now the importance of incorporating activities that encourage children and that allow them to help build knowledge in all the different developmental domains. Through this artifact, I have learned how to integrate subject matter into the curriculum and which will allow for children to become actively involved in their development. From all the subject areas, children will be able to make real life connections, based on the knowledge gained from these activities.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

This project is just one of my many projects where I took the interests of children and put together activities to scaffold childrens learning. I developed activities that interest children and allow for development in all areas of the developmental domains for these children. Through the implementation of this project, along with the research I did to come up with the activities for the different domains, has made me feel more confident that I have chosen activities that are developmentally appropriate for young children, and that I can continually do so.