Teaching code

4S008124

Teacher

Chiara Sita'

Credits

5

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

M-PED/01 - PEDAGOGY, THEORIES OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL EDUCATION

Period

Sem. 1A dal Sep 27, 2021 al Nov 6, 2021.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

The students will know and understand the main concepts and authors in Early Childhood education, with a special focus on the relationship between care and early development. They will also get familiar with the current Italian and European ECEC system. They will be able to analyse and discuss the main critical issues on education and young children, starting from their own representations of child, family, learning and educational relationships. They will be able to recognize and critically analyse practices and educational models in real ECEC settings and to make appropriate and situated choices of educational interventions in connection to the child's needs, developmental stage, and context.

Program

Knowledge that you must have prior to attending the course (acquired in the first year): foundations and models of pedagogical theory, basic notions of developmental psychology, and history of early childhood education.
The activities that contribute to the achievement of the learning goals are presented below.
1a. To consolidate the knowledge of the roots and of the main conceptual references of the pedagogy of childhood, with particular reference to the theme of care.
The study of texts and the attendance of classes contribute to this goal. The handbook presents the main concepts and authors of infant education and care, while the other texts offer a theoretical framework and guidelines for the practice of care.
1b. Know the essential elements of the Italian and European panorama on services for early childhood (0-3).
This objective will be achieved in particular with the study of the books and the encounter with the Reggio Approach in collaboration with the Loris Malaguzzi International center.
1c. Develop an adequate understanding of critical issues regarding the meaning of education in the 0-6 age range starting from the analysis and elaboration of their images of child, family, learning, educational relationships in childhood.
During class, a space will be dedicated to the discussion of representations and mental models that students use to understand and interpret the world of children and the role of educational figures. These activities are aimed at promoting awareness of how some rooted assumptions guide practices and solicit a critical approach to stereotypical representations of children, families, educational relationships, and learning. Furthermore, the books support the achievement of this objective, always making explicit the connection between models and practices and dedicating space to the theme of continuing education, reflexivity and supervision in educational work with children.
2a. To be able to analyze educational practices and models in childcare services from a pedagogical point of view.
In particular, during the lessons and field visits, particular attention will be paid to the development of observational skills oriented to understand the spaces, the objects, the gestures of the educational figures and to read and deepen their meanings and motivations in relation to theories and educational models.
2b. To know how to contextualize one's educational intervention in relation to the needs of the child and the environment and self-evaluate in the exercise of the educational practice.
During the lessons there will be moments of work in groups and discussion on concrete cases that will contribute to enhance the reflexive, planning and evaluative skills and to put each and every one in the conditions of experimenting in a protected and non-judgmental space the processes of thought, comparison and decision-making that take place in educational practice. The cases will also be available on the platform in order to allow those who do not attend but are interested to have tools for experiencing reflection on practice.

Bibliography

Examination Methods

The exam is based on a written test with different types of question (multiple choice, open-ended, analysis of pictures and professional writing...). The test provides evaluation on content knowledge, conceptual understanding, analytic skills.

Specifically, achievement of course objectives in the written test will be ascertained as follows:

OB1. To know the roots and main conceptual references of childhood pedagogy, with a particular focus on the relationship between care and developmental processes: multiple choice and open questions on the handbook "Prospettive educative per i servizi 0-6"
OB2. Knowledge of the current Italian and European landscape of early childhood services (0-3). Questions about the European framework for quality in early childhood services presented in the handbook "Prospettive educative per i servizi 0-6".
OB3. To understand the critical issues regarding the meaning of education in the 0-6 years age group starting from the analysis and elaboration of one's own images of child, family, learning, educational relationships in childhood: open questions and commentary on concrete situations
OB4. To analyze, from a pedagogical point of view, educational practices and models in services for children: open-ended questions to comment on images of educational materials and practices in the 0-3 age group.
OB5. To know how to contextualize one's own educational intervention in relation to the needs of the child, her developmental stage and the environment:

For the development of skills related to OB 3-4-5, it is recommended - in addition to the study of texts - to attend classes continuously and, if unable, to refer to the exercises proposed in the Moodle platform.