ECED 2090
Creative Development
3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course provides strategies for promoting creative development of the child ages' birth to nine. Students will gain an understanding of the concept of creativity: why it is important, and how the development of creativity in young children can be encouraged. Emphasis is on the development of creativity in relation to art, music, language, movement and dramatic arts. Field experience is required.

Course Objectives:

The student will:

1. Know and understand the theoretical context of creativity as it relates to the areas of child development.

2. Identify developmental levels and stages of art for young children.

3. Understand the importance of creative thinking for adults and children.

4. Identify environmental influences on the separate development of creativity and self-expression.

5. Develop strategies for stimulating creativity, including questioning, problem-solving group activities, and socio-dramatic play for use throughout an integrated curriculum.

6. Be able to plan, organize, supervise, and implement developmentally appropriate activities dealing with creative and expressive arts for children birth to nine utilizing a variety materials, resources, and art media.

7. Understand how to integrate diversity and a multicultural perspective in creative activities.

8. Develop a personal philosophy of creative and expressive art.

Prerequisites and Co requisites:

None

Course Topics:

·        Theories that support creative development in young children

·        Fostering creativity and aesthetics in children birth to age nine

·        Planning and implementing creative and expressive activities

·        Art and the development of the young child

·        Play, development and creativity

·        Creative environments

·        Multicultural and anti-bias activities in planning for creative expression

·        Creative problem solving

Specific Course Requirements:

1.Students must complete the following modules*:

    a. Fostering Creativity in Young Children

    b. Promoting Aesthetic Experiences 

    c. Planning and Implementing Creative Activities

    d. Play, Development and Creativity

    e. Art and the Development of the Young Child

    f. Creative Dramatic Play, Movement, and Music Experiences

    g. Creative Language, Science, and Math Experiences

    h. Creative Food, Social Studies, and Heath and Safety Experiences

    i.  Creative Celebrations and Aesthetic Awareness of the Seasons

* Students will complete all textbook readings, assignments, field experiences, and quizzes within each module.

2.  Read and prepare a review of 2 current (within the last two years) journal articles related to creativity in children.

3. Engage in on-line threaded discussions.

4. Write an essay describing your philosophy of creativity.

 

 

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://rodp.bkstr.com.

Supplementary Materials:

None

Hardware Requirements:

PC users: A minimum computer system to successfully access all the tools in this course is a Pentium 166 or better with 32 megabytes of RAM or better and Windows 95 or higher.  A modem, 56k or better.

Mac users: Minimum system requirements are a 604 Power PC processor, preferably a G3 (iMacs are included) or G4 processor computer running Mac 0S 8.5 or above. A minimum of 64 Megabytes of RAM, preferably 128 with at least 25 Megabytes assigned to your browser. A modem, 56k or better.

Software Requirements:

PC users: Communications software: Internet Explorer version 5 or Netscape version 4.58 or later. Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software.

Mac users:  Communications software:  Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.75.  Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software.

 

Instructor Information

Please see inside sheet for more details about the instructor.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures:

All quizzes will take place within this course. You will be allowed to take your quizzes online.  No special arrangements are necessary.

Grading Procedure:

There will be a total of 1000 points during the course.  Those points are divided into

  • Tests.....................................................200 points
  • Reading Assignments and Activities.........200 points
  • Field Experiences or Web Activities..........200 points
  • Summaries.............................................100 points
  • Participation on the Discussion Boards.....100 points
  • Philosophy of Creativity Paper..................100 points
  • Journal Reviews (2) .................................100 points

 

Grading Scale:

A= 1000 - 900 points

B= 899 -  800 points

C= 799 -  700 points

D= 699 -  600 points

F= 599 and below

Assignments and Participation

Assignments and Projects:

1.       Students will complete all modules.  Each module will include the following:

·         Learning outcomes

·         Textbook or Online Reading Assignments

·         Written Assignments

·         Learning activities and/or field experiences

·         Reflection

·         Quiz

2.       Students will read and prepare a review of two current (within the last two years) articles related to creativity in children.  Each review must be at least one page, no more than two pages typed.  The first paragraph is to be a summary of the article; the second is your opinion of the information.  Be sure to give all credits:  author, article title, journal title, volume number, month, year, and page numbers.

3.       Students will participate fully in all on-line threaded discussions.

4.      Students will write an essay describing his or her philosophy of creativity and its relation to teaching practice that is grounded in the theories of creativity and development presented in this course.

Class Participation:

You are expected to participate in all interactive aspects of the course. For example, you must communicate with other students via e-mails and discussion board exchanges. You are expected to communicate with your instructor on a regular basis and check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements. Also, you must actively participate in threaded online discussion events.

Punctuality:

You are encouraged to work at your own pace; however, deadlines are placed on class activities, assignments, quizzes and exams. You should become familiar with the Class Calendar to determine when materials are due and adjust your study schedule accordingly.

Course Ground Rules

Assignments will be presented as noted in the course calendar. You will have until the due date to complete each assignment.

You should use your assigned WebCT e-mail addresses for all communications.

You should observe netiquette at all times.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students are expected to check their e-mail at least once or twice a day and to work on their assignments regularly. It will be impossible to complete your work if you do not.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members.

Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather than starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other's ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion

Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses.

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:

If you are having problems logging into your course, timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://askrodp.custhelp.com