ECC 142: Pedagogy (Learning and Practice) Assignment

Assignment Part 1 – Daily Traces: Taking theory to practice.

Gather traces of your thinking/learning/researching process. Think of this assignment as a place to sustain your living inquiry. It might include journaling, running records, anecdotal records, charts, descriptive writing, ELPs, artwork, photos, poetry, drawings (yours, children’s), quotes from children/families/educators, questions and ideas related to the parts of the process listed above.

Use the skills you developed in your ECC 140 and 141 practicums, choosing which documentation methods you find relevant to the centre’s culture and your own preferences. Engage in collaborative dialogue with your mentor to establish appropriate time DAILY to work on the gathering of traces. Date each entry and remember your role is to be engaged with children. Gathering traces should not remove you for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.

Assignment Part 2 – Pedagogical Narration

Create a series of 5 Pedagogical Narrations in any creative form. You may continue to use the template from 141 practicum, but you are encouraged to have fun with this project and experiment with other media. You might consider: sculpture, poster art or collage, or digital design tools such as WordPress, Prezi or Canva. ​

Work with your mentor and instructor to share your pedagogical narrations in ways that are relevant to the context in which you are practicing. This might be a bulletin board display, an art exhibit, sharing digital documents through apps or emails.

Each Pedagogical Narration should include evidence of:​

  • One or more photos, artifacts, quotes, or other traces of practice.
  • The question(s) for critical reflection that ‘launch’ your inquiry into the material/process/concept you are thinking with.
  • Descriptive narrative that tells the story of your living inquiry. What happened first, next – who/what was involved?
  • What new questions came up in the process that might launch the next part of your inquiry?

Assignment Part 3 – Pedagogical Choices

“Pedagogical choices include the plans, materials, and provocations that educators choose in their daily practice with children. Through the process of pedagogical narration, educators can think about why particular choices are made and can experiment with ideas” (ELF, p. 59).

In practicum seminars, you will be thinking with ideas from the ECEBC “Role of the Early Childhood Educator” position paper and other resources that invite you to reflect on your own philosophy, ethics, and commitments as an educator. Over the course of your inquiry, you will make pedagogical choices that will lead to further reflection and continued dialogue. Use one of the worksheet formats provided to document your pedagogical choices, explain your rationale, and invite your mentor to collaborate.

***You must consult with your mentor for guidance and approval of all planned activities.

PEDAGOGICAL CHOICES WORKSHEET Format Option #1    

When: (Date/time) __________________________________________________________________

Who was present? Did you invite collaborative dialogue with mentors/other educators/families/children/community partner/other? How? What were the children doing/saying that prompted you to do what you did?

 __________________________________________________________________

Describe your pedagogical choice: Did you bring in or set up specific materials? Did you read a relevant storybook? Provide a resource book to provoke further research? Did you arrange loose parts? Plan a circle time activity? Teach children a song in another language? Invite community members to teach a skill or share knowledge or perspectives?

__________________________________________________________________

Connect with an idea from the ECEBC position paper on the role of the ECE or other source related to philosophy and ethics in educational practice. How does your pedagogical choice support your pedagogical commitments? Explain the WHY behind this choice. What prompted you to do what you did?

__________________________________________________________________

What happened? Did it go as expected? What new questions/ideas emerged? How will you do things differently next time?

__________________________________________________________________

Mentor comments: __________________________________________________________________