Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 4. USING DEVELOPMENTALLY EFFECTIVE APPROACHES Candidates prepared in
early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young
children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on childrens ages,
characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They a)
understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation
for their work with young children and families. Candidates b, c) know, understand, and
use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and
tools to connect with children and families and d) positively influence each childs
development and learning (NAEYC, 2010).

Brief Description of Evidence:

As part of my ECED 243 Cognitive Curriculum course during the Fall 2016 semester,
I completed a four-part master learning assignment. First, I observed and interacted with
a group of young children to ascertain what their interests and needs were. I then created
a web, and planned an open-ended learning experience based on the childrens interest.
Next, I facilitated the invitation to learn by providing playdough, natural materials, and
other loose parts for the children to explore and create with. Finally, I created a
documentation panel with photos, anecdotal notes, and quotes from the children.

Analysis of What I Learned:

While completing this project, I learned how important it is to carefully observe and
interact with young children to plan learning experiences based on their needs and
interests. I also learned how to be a facilitator of a childs learning experiences by
providing open-ended materials for a child to explore and create with. While working, and
reflecting on this assignment, I realized how several components relate to the Reggio
Emelia philosophy of childrens education. I have grown in my understanding that children
often learn better through play based experiences. Children need to be given
opportunities to explore, question, and test things out in a safe, loving environment.
Children learn best from what they experience. I also learned how to create and display a
documentation panel.

This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC

Standard:
This artifact proves my competence in the above standard because I was successful
in using developmentally appropriate practices to plan and implement an open-ended
learning experience for a group of young children. Through careful observation and

meaningful conversation, I discovered the unique interests and needs of the children
which began from their natural experience. The materials I provided and the setting for
the experience were appropriate for the unique characteristics of the children and the
environment they were in. I successfully utilized both outdoor and indoor settings for the
learning project. I further demonstrated my competence in creating a documentation
panel to use as a tool for displaying evidence of the learning process, and to facilitate
reciprocal communication with parents.