Early Childhood Pre K-3: Movie Night:Criticl Childhd

Through documentary film, research and diverse stories, contemplates the lives of children around the world, the life-spaces they inhabit, and commonly held ideas about children and parenting from multi-cultural, critical and feminist perspectives; provides a greater appreciation for childhood, both as a cultural construction, and as a distinctly constructed culture.

All students warmly welcomed, including PACE students.

A course beyond the ordinary: Gather in community to consider diverse childhoods throughout history and around the globe. NO PREREQUISITES! A good documentary film is a powerful tool to promote deep thinking, critical reflection, and impactful dialogue. By combining images, compelling stories, diverse ideologies, histories and contexts, we aim to attain a deeper understanding of children and childhoods. Childhood is a common experience that unites all of us, however, this course will cast a broad net to look far beyond our own experiences for inspiration regarding the richness of our human diversity. In doing so, we will be contemplative regarding how childhood is not a universal category or experience, and how it has changed across time. We will explore the lives of children, the life-spaces they inhabit, and commonly held ideas about children and parenting from educational, multi-cultural and developmental perspectives. In doing so, we will consider systemic inequities, social phenomena and ongoing disparities that impact children. Together, we will pose questions, including, “What does it mean to be a child?” In responding, we will construct greater appreciation for childhood both as a cultural construction and as a distinctly constructed culture. In looking forward, we will consider action that may disrupt power and oppression to promote advocacy for social change on behalf of children. This course draws on Black-Feminist Perspectives of Childhood Studies from prominent scholars, including Hill Collins (1995), Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), bell hooks (2013), Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995), and Gholdy Mohammad (2020). Scholarly resources will be available to students through a specially curated eReserve through the UVM Howe Library System. This course is approved to fulfill the S1 and D2 categories of the Catamount Core Curriculum. This course also fulfills a Social Studies content concentration requirement for EDEC and ELED majors. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Demonstrate a complex and competency-based view of childhood, including how children function as cultural embodiments and also social agents in their own right. 2. Critically engage with your learning community in an ongoing reflective writing practice that reveals your awareness of and appreciation for the diversity of childhood in all its forms including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, geography, religion, socio-economic status, language, gender identity, age, disability; and/or family structure. 3. Develop skills of critical reflection and analysis by linking film with research and empirical knowledge, and illuminating tensions and questions, in ways that are inclusive, interdisciplinary, pluralistic, anti-bias and anti-racist. 4. Challenge the status quo by critiquing, deconstructing, disrupting, and/or advocating for children’s needs and rights, using the tools of Black feminism, by analyzing salient themes in a selected film. In doing so, students will integrate ethnographic, sociological, historical and/or applied examples of social science research. COURSE ASPIRATIONS: • Think deeply, reflect regularly, dialogue authentically, call in; share both perspective and joy • Situate your understanding of children and childhood through a critical and comparative lens to serve as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion • Practice speaking and writing in respectful and inclusive terms that showcase your ever-expanding appreciation for others • Experience personal growth and inspiration Good Films, Good Peeps, Good Convo!!! B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Popcorn)

Expectations include regular attendance to view films, reading, critical reflection and writing, dialogue in groups, one short presentation in class using a TED-talk style format (We call this a FRED Talk), two open note quizzes, and a video-based final project. Students are expected to practice good listening, criticality, openness to multiple points of view, respectful communication, accountability, and effective collaboration with peers.

Your grade for the course will be determined by the following: • Class and Film Screening Attendance: 20% • Yellow Dig Discussion Group Engagement: 20% • FRED Talk (Film/Research Engaging Discussion) In Class Group Presentation and Reflection: 20% • DOCKs #1 & #2 (Demonstration of Content Knowledge--Open note Quizzes): 20% • Critical Addendum Video (CAV): 20% There will be NO books to purchase.