Purpose: This assignment is a signature assignment designed to measure the Institutional Learning Outcome—Civic Engagement. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of the connections between civic engagement and your role as an educator. This assignment will also measure your competence in NAEYC Standard 6.
The key elements of Standard 6 are the following:
6a: Identify and involve themselves with the early childhood field and serve as informed advocates for young children, families, and the profession.
6b: Know about and uphold ethical and other early childhood professional guidelines.
6c: Use professional communication skills, including technology-mediated strategies, to effectively support young children’s learning and development and to work with families and colleagues.
6d: Engage in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice.
6e: Develop and sustain the habit of reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.
Instructions:
Examine the resources below to build your understanding of civic engagement, civic identity and the importance of early childhood education to public life, particularly related to equity and civil rights.
Examine Standard 6.
You may write or create a video reflection about your role as a teacher, your growth as a professional and how you connect to community life. Use the headings below to guide the listener or reader and be sure to specifically include the required information in each section.
No more than one page per each of the three sections is needed. Write in APA format. No more than 2 minutes video recording per section. If you record, you still need to cite in APA format. Here are the three criteria to cover.
Analysis of Knowledge – How does the field of early childhood education contribute to the community?
Give an example of how your knowledge of early childhood education positively contributes to your own civic engagement and your own participation in civic life, politics, and/or government. (This can be about your local community.)
Refer to your work in the standards this semester. Refer also to the Civic Identity Resources below.
Cite a reference in this section (could be citing yourself and/or the standards and/or other resources).
Civic Identity – Who are you in the community? Your civic identity – understanding of your role in the community – is constantly evolving and intertwined with other identities, your engagement with others, and your own intellectual development.
How do you see yourself right now as a citizen in the community in relation to your role as a teacher?
Referring to the Civic Identity Resources, describe what you have learned about yourself during your teaching or practicum experience. Relate your experience to a sense of civic identity and commitment to public action, keeping in mind that you are taking “public action” within a classroom.
Cite one reference in this section.
Professional Identity – Where are you going? Reflect on your experience, growth and current identities and describe how your actions as an educator benefit individuals or communities. Community can be thought of as the nation, the local community that you live in; the community of children, families and teachers that you work with; the larger ECE community and workforce, or in any way that makes sense to you.
This is where you will talk about Standard 6 and about your future actions.
Refer to at least one key element of Standard 6, and some aspect of your Professional Growth Plan from ECED 300.
How have you grown as a professional?
How do you see yourself engaged in your community?
What actions do you see yourself doing to benefit your community?
What are your next steps for your professional and career development’
Cite one key element from Standard 6 and refer to your Professional Growth Plan
