Child Development Portfolio

The Child Development Program is a comprehensive, occupational and transfer program that includes partnerships and strong collaborative relationships with a variety of local community and state agencies and programs.

The Program values the mission statement of the college and makes every effort to align with it:

The Mission of Imperial Valley College is to foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop the intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.

The core values, efforts and activities of the Child Development Department directly reflect key components of the Imperial Valley College mission. The Mission of the Child Development Department:

• To enhance the intellectual, cultural, and economic vitality of our diverse community
• To provide an accessible and effective learning environment which aids students in their pursuit of transfer, career preparation, job advancement, and personal fulfillment.
• To respect all people and cultures
• To encourage excellence, offer a balanced curriculum, promote teaching methods for diverse learning styles, and involve and enrich our community.

The Child Development program of courses integrates theory and practice to help students further their understanding of children.

I. Purpose of the Portfolio

This portfolio is intended to achieve several goals: to document your growth during the time you are a student in the Child Development Department, to illustrate that you have achieved the competencies that demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following: child growth and development, curriculum, observation and assessment, social and cultural diversity, cognitive and language development, social emotional development, and professional ethics.

It will also provide evidence of your ability to promote learning of children from diverse cultural, ethnic and language backgrounds. The portfolio will illustrate your best and most creative abilities as a competent Preschool teacher.

The student must defend their portfolio demonstrating knowledge in Child Development through an interview process.

II. Portfolio Content

• A. Cover Page

This provides details about you including your name, address for correspondence, workplace (if working) position and contact details including telephone number, postal address and e-mail.

• B. Table of Contents
• C. Education Plan signed by a Counselor (Requirement of CDEV100)
• D. Philosophy of Education

The teaching philosophy highlights the student's personal beliefs about the role of the teacher in teaching and the learning process. This philosophy should reflect the student's developing understanding on how to create and sustain an inclusive classroom in which the needs of all children are met. (Assigned in CDEV100 and CDEV200)

• E. Assignments

Representing each course and aligning to each of the program outcomes. All program outcomes must have assignments demonstrating satisfactory completion. Each of the assignments also represents the assessment tool for the Student Learning Outcomes for that course.

• F. Professional Development

Include memberships in professional organizations, conferences you have attended, and staff development workshops you have participated in.

• G. Career Map

This is your professional biography; a journey of your professional career to date. Limit this to one page. Do not try to include everything but identify key moments that contributed to your professional learning, growth, and achievement.

III. Program Objectives

Program Objectives: Upon satisfactorily completing the Imperial Valley College Child Development Major & Early Childhood Education Major, students will be able to:

1. Exhibit grounding in a child development knowledge base.

• A. Knowledge and understanding of young children's characteristics and needs.
• B. Knowledge and understanding of the multiple influences on early development and learning.
• C. Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children.
• D. Knowledge of various theoretical perspectives on development from conception through adolescences.

Demonstrate knowledge in building relationships with children, family and community.

• A. Knowledge, understanding and value of diverse family and community characteristics.
• B. Possess knowledge and skills to support and engage families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.
• C. Developing strategies to involve families and communities in young children's development and learning.

Observe, document, and assess to support young children and families.

• A. Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment – including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children.
• B. Knowledge of and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection.
• C. Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities.
• D. Knowledge of effective assessment which requires collaboration with families and with professional colleagues to build effective learning environments.

Demonstrate developmentally effective approaches to create positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation in working with children and families from diverse societies.

• A. Understanding that relationships and supportive interactions are the foundation of their work with children.
• B. Knowledge and understanding of effective teaching strategies and tools for early learning.
• C. Knowledge of and ability to use a variety of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning approaches.
• D. Reflect and evaluate the impact of their personal experiences on their practices to promote positive outcomes for children and teaching effectiveness.

Use content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum

• A. Understanding what content knowledge is important and why it is important to build curriculum
• B. Knowledge of central concepts, inquiry tools and structure of content areas needed to provide appropriate environments that support learning.
• C. Design and implement challenging curricula for each child.

Demonstrate Professionalism

• A. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical standards.
• B. Demonstrating skills as a developing professional in the field of early childhood.
• C. Integrating knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives on early childhood education.
• D. Promoting child development and learning.