Title:EarlyChildhoodStudentTeachingTransportationUnit

Date:July2015
ArtifactDescription:
Forfourweeksinthesummerof2015IhadtheopportunitytocompletemyEarly
ChildhoodStudentTeachingattheUWPlattevilleChildrensCenter.Iworkedwith
childrenbetweentheagesoftwoandthreeyearsold.DuringthosefourweeksIwas
responsibleforplanningatwoweekunitonatopicofmychoosing.Ichosetodomy
unitontransportation,inwhichIwascompletelyincontroloffurnishingtheroomwith
appropriatebooks,toys,signage,games,andplannedactivities.
WisconsinTeacherStandardAlignment:
ThisexperiencealignswithWisconsinTeacherStandard2:DevelopmentTeachers
knowhowchildrengrow.Theteacherunderstandshowchildrenwithbroadrangesof
abilitylearnandprovidesinstructionthatsupportstheirintellectual,social,andpersonal
development.
Thisexperiencebestalignswiththisstandardbecauseintheseearlystagestherangein
abilitiesofchildrencanbeveryprominent.Withinthisgroupofchildrentherewere
hugevariationsinthechildrensintellectual,social,andspeechdevelopment,aswellas
intheirlargeandsmallmotorskills.Whenconsideringappropriatelearningactivities,I
hadtotakeintoconsiderationthesefactorsanddesigncoherentinstructiontomeetthe
needsofallthechildren.
Thisexperienceallowedmetoreachahigherlevelofcompetencybecauseittookagreat
dealofpreparationandplanningtodesignmeaningfullearningactivitiesthatcouldbe
differentiatedenoughtomeettheneedsofallthechildreninthegroup.Anexampleof
thisisagameIdesignedwithcoloredcarsthatneededtobeputintheirparkingspots.
Forchildrenthathadnotdevelopedtheverbalskillsornumbersense,itcouldbetaught
asacolorsortingactivity.Forchildrenthathaddevelopedtheseskills,itcouldbeused
asacountingactivity.Thehandlingandmaneuveringofthetoycarsalsomadeitagreat
activityforbuildingfinemotorskills.Asaneducator,youmustalwaysbeconsiderate
andawareoftheplethoraofabilitiesofthestudentsyouareteachinganddesignlessons
thatcanbedifferentiatedtomeetthosevaryingneeds.
UWPlattevilleKnowledge,Skills,DispositionStatementAlignment:
ThisexperiencebestalignswithKSD2.e:OrganizesPhysicalSpaceThecandidatehas
theabilitytoestablishaclassroomenvironmentthatissafe.Physicalresourceswillbe
arrangedtobestservetheteacherandstudentinprovidingproductivelearningforall
students.

ThisexperiencealignsbestwiththisKSDbecauseatthisagelevel,safetyisahugea
concern.Asidefromfurnishingtheclassroomwithgamesandactivitiesthatwereage
appropriate,IalsohadtobecognizantofthematerialsIwasbringingintotheclassroom
andiftheyposedanysafetythreattotheseyoungchildren.Understandingthe
developmentalstagesthesechildrenwereinalsoimpactedhowIarrangedthespaceand
howoftenIrotatedmaterialsinandoutoftheclassroom.
Iammorecompetentafterthisexperiencebecauseatanyagelevelateachermustutilize
resourcestoequiptheclassroomwithdevelopmentallyappropriatematerials.Inorderto
dothisateachermustunderstandhowchildrengrowanddevelopanddesignlessonsand
unitsaroundthedevelopmentalneedsoftheclass.Atanyagethiscouldmeanfocusing
onthedevelopmentofthestudentsintellectual,social,and/orpersonaldevelopment.An
educatormustseekoutresourcesnecessarytoprovidestudentswithavarietyoflearning
opportunitiesthatwillassistthemindevelopingtheseskills.
SecondaryKSDs:
KSD1.c:SelectsInstructionalGoals
KSD1.d:DemonstratesKnowledgeofResources
KSD3.c:EngagesStudentsinLearning
PersonalReflection
WhatIlearnedaboutteaching/learningfromthisexperience:
FromthisexperienceIlearnedtobeamoreeffectiveeducatorbecausethepriorityof
meetingthedevelopmentalneedsofthegroupofchildrenIwasworkingwithrequired
thatItakeintoconsiderationeveryaspectoftheirdevelopment.Atanyagelevel,an
educatorwillundoubtedlybeworkingwithstudentsofvaryingabilities.Duringthis
experienceIhadchildrenwithsuchvaryingabilitiesthatrequiredIseekoutresources
thatallowedmetoprovidethebestlearningopportunitytoaideinthesechildrens
growthanddevelopment.Thisincludedsupplyingtheclassroomlibrarywithavarietyof
booksrangingfromboardpicturebookstoinformationbooks,whichsomeofthe
childrenpreferredtoberead.Duringthisplacement,IfeltIbecamemoreawareofhow
tobettermeetthedevelopmentalneedsofagroupofchildren.
Whatlearnedaboutmyselfasaprospectiveeducatorasaresultofthisexperience:
Asaprospectiveeducator,Ibetterunderstandtheimportanceandnecessityof
differentiatedinstructionatanyagelevel.Althoughtheinstructionintheseearlyyearsis
largelyplaybased,thegamesandactivitiesthataredesignedatthisstagemuststill
challengechildrenandpromotepersonalgrowthanddevelopment.Asaneducator,it
willbeuptometoassessthedevelopmentofeachstudentinmyclassroomandmake
adjustmentsinmyinstructionineverythingfromquestioningtechniquesto
differentiatingwhattheproductofanassignmentwilllooklike.Beingableto

differentiateinstructionbyunderstandinghowchildrengrowanddevelopiskeytotheir
success.