Critical Thinking -

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Explain the importance
  • Exhibit proficiency in critical thinking

Teaching

A bit about Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is not best described in definition..... but by a description of the process.  When you are using critical thinking you are analyzing and evaluating something to form a judgement. Most often you will use critical thinking skills to solve a problem. And in your jounrals, you use critical thinking to reflect and process your experienes at your practicum site.

In the simplest form, we use critical thinking on an everyday basis without even knowing it.  For example:  We hear a baby crying.  This is an issue.  We check the baby’s diaper, then we try to provide a teether or a soft blanket, then we make a bottle if nothing else is working and the baby shows signs of hunger (trying to suck on your arm or eating a toy etc.).   Later on that day you think about how the baby seemed to have gone too long in the crying process.  You think to yourself, “I wonder how I could soothe the baby quicker.”  Then you remember the process you went through and decide that maybe you could look at the daily sheet to see when the baby last ate and start a bottle before you change their diaper.  This way the bottle will be ready when you get out.

Poof!  You have (on a small scale) just practiced critical thinking. 

For more information about critical thinking and its content visit Defining Critical Thinking

 

A bit about the NAEYC Professional Preperation Standards and the Practicum Evaluation.

Also in early childhood, educators are held to a high level of standards due to the critical nature of our work. The NAEYC Initial and Advanced Standards were developed to empower and instill value into the early childhood education field. Professionals are expected to strive towards excellency within the standards and display growth and expertise in these areas.

Kennebec Valley Community College evaluates the early childhood education students with an evaluation tool that follows the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards to not only prepare the students for the field, but to set them up for success.

As part of your assignment, you will be looking closely at six standards and using those critical thinking skills to ask yourself, "WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?" and "HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?" You will also be looking at the evaluation form that will be used for lesson 7 and lesson 14 to adequately understand what areas of growth are expected of you and how you will work to acheive the skills NAEYC expects of educators in the early childhood field.

On pages 29-41 of the NAEYC Initial and Advanced Standards you will see the initial standards summary. These pages can be found in your practicum handbooks and online. You should live and breath these standards in addition to the code of ethical conduct (also a NAEYC publication). These standards will be the backbone of your work and again...... how we evaluate your skills!!!!


Assessment

Special Assignment - Critical Thinking - Assignment

Your practicum evaluation form is aligned with the initial standards summary located in the NAEYC Professional Preperation Standards. The six standards you are evaluated on are:

Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and Learning

Standard 2: Building Family and Community Relationships

Standard 3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families

Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effetive Approaches

Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum

Standard 6: Becoming a Professional

Each standard has 3-5 key elements that highlight the components of each standard. Your practicum evaluation indicators are related to these components and you are expected to know them well and actively be working on them. For this assignment you will be focusing on Standards 1, 4 and 6. For EACH standard you will:

  1. Explain in 5-6 sentences why the standard is important in the early childhood field and how it relates to you as a practicum student
  2. List out the key elements and match the indicators in the evaluation with them. For example:
    • Standard 2 - Building Family and Community Relationships
      • 2a. - Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics
      • 2b. - Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships
        • indicator a - Distributed a letter to families and introduced themselves as allowed
        • indicator b - respectfully engages in conversations with chilren about family
      • 2c. - Involving families and communities in young children's development and learning

As you can see, because you are in PRACTICUM I - you only have to match the indicators that are for PRACTICUM ONE.

 

 

 

 

 

 
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