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 understand and use positive relationships and
supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know,
understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools
to connect with children and families and positively influence each childs development and learning. (NAEYC,
2010)

Brief Description of Evidence:

As part of my ECED 235 Preschool Practicum class during the spring 2014 semester, I was to transform
an existing center in the classroom into something completely different. The transformation must be
developmentally appropriate and inviting to the age group, must have elements of multiculturalism and antibias, literacy elements, neat and appealing, include elements of learning such as math, science, etc, and children
should know how to play, how to clean, and allowed to explore the entire center. I chose to transform the center
from a kitchen area into an art studio complete with a moving wooden mannequin, blank canvas, and an easel. I
chose to do an art studio with them because that week in the classroom they were learning about the different
types of art, famous artists, and their paintings.

Analysis of What I Learned:

While observing the classroom, I was able to learn about the interest of the children and how they liked
to play. The week of my center transformation, the children were learning about art. I decided the best way to
transform the center would be to incorporate everything I had observed in the classroom and turn it into an art
studio. This style of set up is very closely linked with Reggio in the sense that it is child directed, it allows for
exploration and creativity, it reaches many different areas of learning such as math (brush size sorting) and
science (mixing colors), and allows the children to be hands on and use as many senses as possible in order to
learn.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

I believe I am competent in this standard because I was able to reinvent a center that was
developmentally appropriate to their learning, relevant to what was going on in the classroom, and would be
able to be child directed. I understand that teaching and learning is a complex enterprise and depends on the
childs ages, characteristics, and settings within the classroom. I used the positive relationships and interactions
with the head teacher to create a center that would benefit the children and their families the most. I know,
understand, and use a variety of approaches, instructional strategies, and tools such as real paintbrushes, easels,
and wooden models connect the children with a positive development and learning.