Early Childhood Pre K-3: Science of Everyday Life

Prepares students to apply STEM content, most relevant for working with children, birth-grade 3. Examines concepts related to Life Science, Physical Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Sustainability. Examines how play contributes to children's construction of STEM knowledge and why Environmental Education should begin in Early Childhood. Prerequisites: EDEC 1630, EDEL 1240, EDEC 1070, or Instructor permission.

All students welcome. Prereqs enforced by the system: EDEC 1630 or EDEL 1240 or EDEC 1070;

This course is designed around Gholdy Muhammad’s HILL model (2020; 2023). Throughout this course, candidates (individually and collaboratively) will work towards the following learning pursuits: Identity (1) I will interrogate and explore my own identities and lineages of science, innovation, artistry, crafting, and making, (2) I will align my understanding of critical and culturally and histrocailly sustaining/responsive STEAM learning to my vision and values of teaching. Skills (1) Develop skills, techniques, and vocabulary related to designing and teaching STEAM learning for young children, (2) Build working familiarity with early childhood STEM concepts identified in VELS, NGSS and NAEYC standards and be able to design them into culturally and historically responsive STEAM curriculum design and teaching, (3) Give and receive constructively critical feedback to and from peers (4) Build a digital portfolio for class and professional use. Intellect (1) Become knowledgeable with concepts relevant to young children’s cognitive interests and abilities as they relate to STEAM, Environmental Justice, and Sustainability/Regenerative Reciprocity, (2) Understand how the domains of STEAM can integrate and intersect in the world and in culturally and historically responsive learning and development of young children. (3) Recognize the curricular and pedagogical potential of natural and man-made objects, materials, and more-than-human kin/Land for culturally sustaining STEAM learning, (4) Conceptually and practically understand a range of pedagogical approaches valid for critical STEAM learning in ECE. Criticality (1) Analyze how the components of Environmental Justice affect our lives and the lives, learning, and development of young children of diverse backgrounds, identities, and living environments, (2) Design and implement Futurist and Environmentally Just curriculum for transformative early childhood education. Joy (1) Center nourishment, pleasure, joy, belonging, and meaningful relationship-building as learners, (2) Build and participate in a critically-informed, inclusive, and equitable STEAM learning community.

This course will assess for each student’s learning and growth across the semester, oriented around the course learning pursuits. There are five modes of participation and projects that students are required to engage in to demonstrate their learning towards these pursuits. Assessments will be based on dialogic feedback between Alexia, each student, the whole class, and between peers. In lieu of individual grades or points during the semester, each student will be notified if their work is “complete” or “incomplete.” If “complete,” students have demonstrated enough of their growth towards the learning goals of that project. If “incomplete,” students will have the opportunity to revise their work to better work towards the goals of the project. Students will organize their learning processes and products in a final professional portfolio at the end of the semester to specify and showcase their successes, challenges, and new understandings from the course as they map back to the learning pursuits of the course.