Common Course Outline

Catalog Description

Course Description

This course demonstrates the student’s summative development as a teacher through a 150-hour capstone experience working alongside a skilled teacher in a high-quality early childhood program. Students will demonstrate professional knowledge, dispositions, and practices as they apply the concepts and teaching strategies gained in previous coursework. In addition, students meet regularly to review, reflect and document learning to strengthen their teaching practices. The course culminates with a student showcase.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

December, 2024

Outline of Major Content Areas

1. The Reflective Early Childhood Teacher
2. Relationship-based teaching
3. Teaching through conversation
4. Teaching Inquiry-based learning
5. Emergent curriculum
6. Documentation
7. Professionalism
8. Personal and Professional Responsibility

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

1. Establish and maintain positive, reciprocal relationships with children and colleagues.
2. Demonstrate professional responsibility, confidentiality, ethical behavior, and professional growth.
3. Demonstrate professional, respectful communication and interactions with families, colleagues, and the community.
4. Collaborate with other professionals to promote children’s development and learning.
5. Demonstrate respect for children, families, colleagues, and all forms of diversity within the practicum site.
6. Use strategies to observe and assess children’s emerging level of physical, cognitive, language, social emotional, and creative development.
7. Use teaching strategies that encourage positive interaction, exploration, engagement, questioning, critical thinking, problem solving, self-expression, self-motivation, confidence, and persistence.
8. Plan, prepare, and implement meaningful, developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with state learning standards for individuals, small groups, and large groups that emerge from the interest, experiences, and abilities of the children.
9. Adapt learning experiences to children’s interests, life experiences, abilities, and needs.
10. Engage in collaborative reflection, documentation, and evaluation.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

NA

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

• Course Participation
• External Evaluation
• Self-Evaluation
• NOCTI Exam
• Showcase Presentation

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Personal and Professional Accountability

Students will take responsibility as active learners for achieving their educational and personal goals.

Special Information (if any)

None