MAECEL Virtual Toolbox – Tool #2 Practical Application of My Graduate Program

An important overarching theme of the content for this week of class has been what it takes to become an early childhood professional. In your reading and discussion on professional standards you had to defend standard 6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education (NAEYC, 2011). In your discussion on ethics in early childhood education you acknowledged the importance of engaging in an “ongoing process of self-reflection…” (Bredekamp, 2017, figure 16.3). As you can see, an important aspect of becoming a professional is reflection.

In the article, Fostering Reflection (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., Danielson (2009) states that “Great teachers know when to make decisions quickly and when to step back and reflect” (para. 1). As part of your reflection as both an educator and a student, it is important that you understand how the learning you are engaged in right now will not only benefit your future career, but has important practical application. The purpose of this assignment is to guide you in this reflection process in the hopes that as you progress through your program you will continue to reflect on what you learn in each course.

Content Expectations:
For this assignment you will create a presentation for your future self. This presentation should be created as a 5-6 slide power point or Google Slides presentation.

Your presentation audience is your future self upon completion of your program capstone course. Your presentation must include the following:

• Goal(s) upon Entering this Program
  • Identify your career goals and what led you to begin your graduate program.
  • Defend why these goals are important to you and the impact they will have on the field of early childhood education.
• Program Learning Outcomes (PLO’s)
  • Summarize each of the 7 program learning outcomes (please refer to the instructor guidance for a complete list of the program learning outcomes). In your summary, include examples how each PLO is specifically aligned with the NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation and its practical application to the field of early childhood education. Support this portion of your presentation by directly citing the NAEYC standards.
• Tying it Together
  • Explain specifically how each program learning outcome supports your individual career goals.
  • Defend to your future self how mastering each of the program learning outcomes has practical application to not only the field of early childhood education, but also to your specific career goals. Support this portion of your presentation with at least two scholarly resources.
• Research and Resource Expectations:
  • Source Requirement:
    • At least two scholarly peer-reviewed or credible sources. Please use the MAECEL Source Guide if you need assistance with how to locate scholarly peer-reviewed or credible sources.

Writing and Formatting Expectations:

• Title Slide: Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of presentation
  • Student’s name
• Organization: Demonstrates logical progression of ideas.
• Syntax and Mechanics: Writing displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• APA Formatting: Papers are formatted properly and all sources are cited and referenced in APA style as outlined in there  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Suggested Assignment Length: This assignment should be a 5-6 slide power point or Google Slides presentation (not including title and reference pages).