Arranging the Learning Environment

1. Arranging the Learning Environment (Preschool Daycare Centre) By: Vanessa Fitzpatrick

2. Learning Outcome #1 Students will identify the core learning areas in a preschool room. Students will demonstrate a understanding of each learning area, and which materials, equipment and resources belong in each learning area. Student Centered Approach: K-W-L (Know-What to Learn-Learned) This will provide the students an opportunity to recall what they observed while on placement in daycare, they will be required to list the learning areas and all the items that make that area an educational experience for preschool children. This also allows students the chance to list what they want to learn about in regards to learning areas. The last column is where the students list all what they learned and then apply it to a hands on experience- assignment.

3. K-W-L Approach First create a handout-chart with 3 columns. The columns will be as follows: 1st column will be what the students already know about learning areas in preschool daycares. The 2nd column will be where the students will list what they want to learn about learning areas and the 3rd column will be what the students learned after completing the outcome. Give each student a handout, have them recall and write down what learning areas they observed in the preschool daycares that they were on during placement. Have the students list what materials, equipment and resources they seen in each learning area. Side note: (there is 11 learning areas in total in a preschool daycare room)

4. K-W-L Approach Next the students will list what they want to know about each learning area. This list will include any questions that they may have in regards to why and how to set up the area to which toys belong in which area. The final column will remain blank until the students have completed the assigned readings and can identify the materials, equipment, and resources that belong in each learning area-according to Manitoba Daycare Regulations.

5. K-W-L Approach The learning process: Have the students begin researching for the information they need to fill out the last column on their handouts. They will also be checking to see if what they listed on their column number 1 is also part of the materials and equipment list for daycare. Students will go online and look for the Best Practices Manual and look for the section on Early Learning & Care Environment. http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/elccmanual/ Students will read about the learning environment, then they will go to the following link: Www.gov.mb.ca/fs/chidcare/pubs/equipment_preschool_en.pdf Lists the equipment and materials for each learning area.

6. K-W-L Assignment: Have the students create a scaled out plan of the preschool room. This will be a drawn out floor plan of where they would place each learning area, including drawings of the equipment, furniture. (doesn’t have to look like actual furniture-can be drawn as squares and labeled to as what it represents.) Next the students will create a list of what materials and resources which will go into each area. Students will also label the areas according to how many children can be in that particular area at one time. Label the areas to indicate what area it is. Ex. Music Area with pictures to let children know that it is a music area.

7. Learning Outcome #2 Students will learn how to set up a preschool room using all the learning areas, materials, equipment and resources. List and label learning areas for children. Identify traffic and flow patterns in a preschool room. Identify proper area designations-where does each learning area belong. Side note: (there is a proper way to set up a daycare room with 11 areas.)

8. Cooperative Learning Approach In daycare TEAM Work is very crucial so I think this learning approach combined with the assignment of having the students work together to set up an empty preschool daycare room would work as a great learning tool. The students would have to each give their input, then set up one area of their choice. This would also encourage those much needed team work skills that we require when working with children and families.

9. Cooperative Learning Approach The learning process: Cooperative learning approach would involve the small group of students I have 7 in total. This group would be required to work together and have each one take part in setting up a preschool room. The success of the group would depend on everyone, same as daycare, it takes a team to run a daycare program.

10. Cooperative Learning Approach Explain to the students that they will be going into the ATEC Preschool Daycare Centre and be setting it up using all the furniture, equipment, materials and resources found in the back storage room. Before they actually go into this hands on experience review what areas they learned about in outcome #1. This will be their learning experience and assignment combined as this is a rather a large task to complete. Each student would have to participate in order to get the one area set up and then the last four areas it would be team work so they would have to sit down and discuss how they plan to set up those four areas and come up with a plan and implement it.

11. Cooperative Learning Assessment: Did each student set up their chosen area? Did each student take part in the set up of the remaining four areas? Did each area have the required materials, equipment, and resources? Was there enough materials and resources for the number of children who would be playing in that area? Where is the area set up, it the quiet areas together and noisy and messy areas together? Things that I would be looking for when doing an assessment. Were the areas properly labeled to indicate how many children can be in that area and also labeled to let children know which area is which?

12. Learning Outcome #3 Students will learn to evaluate the preschool learning environment. Identify the strengths and the needs of each learning area. How to recognize appropriate materials, equipment and resources for the preschool age groups 2 to 5 year olds. Identify if the learning environment is meeting the needs of all the children? If not then what can be done to meet the needs of all children? Learner’s Approach- Journals/Blog This learner approach will help students observe and take notes on what is considered appropriate play experiences in a preschool setting. Students can take note of what they experienced while observing children at play in the environment they created in the second learning outcome. From their journals they can determine what changes need to be made and what strengths they found in each learning area. From their journals they can make the changes need to fit the needs of the children. A journal will allow them to take notes on what works and what does not work in the preschool room. It’s a reflection record and a great way to keep a record of ideas for future use.

13. Journal Learning Approach The assignment for the journal approach would be done on a week basis for a two month period. The students would go into the daycare while children are at play-this would be the daycare on campus so that the students could do a short observation and interact with the children in the different learning areas they set up.

14. Journals Learning Assignment: Students will be required to journal the following: -how the children play in the area they set up on their own, are the children playing and interacting or are they showing challenging behaviors? does the environment support the child’s self-regulation? does the environment support child direction? I have many other questions and could go on and on but I have a time limit….