Course Syllabus

Child Development in Scandinavia A

Semester & Location:	Spring 2018 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Helsinki, Finland
Corequisite Course:	Child Development in Scandinavia Practicum
Major Disciplines:	Child Development, Education/Educational Studies, Human Development
Faculty Members:	Eeva Laine Jakobsen
Program Director:	Maja Sbahi Biehl - msb@dis.dk
Program Assistant:	Colleen Kolb - cko@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Mondays 10.05 - 13.00, Nørregade 7 - A23

Description of Course

This course focuses on the central aspects of early childhood development in Scandinavia. It addresses the contemporary issues facing professionals working with young children, as well as how services for children in Scandinavian countries differ from approaches in the rest of the world. Class discussions are addressed through the lenses of public policy, current research, and practitioner perspectives.

Burning issues such as the pros and cons of free play, attachment to primary but also secondary caregivers, school readiness versus social pedagogy and gender stereotypes in childhood will serve as the foundation for class discussions, practicum, and field studies. These approaches will also be integrated by using a long study tour to Finland as a case study, within the global context of child development.

Overall, this course will employ two perspectives on childhood – that of early education, as well as early school-aged children.  A foundation for the course is exploring the theories for each topic presented, and then applying them to professional practice when working with children in a variety of capacities.  As such, a co-requisite for this course is the course “Child Development in Scandinavia Practicum”, where students will complete 45-55 hours at a Danish children’s institution or school.  The experiences and observations from practicum will be integrated into discussions in order to highlight the connections between theory and practice. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students in this class will...

• Identify, discuss, and analyze theories covered in class
• Cooperate and draw from the perspectives of peers in group discussions and group work
• Apply core concepts from class to practice
• Analyze practicum experiences, field studies and study tours, and draw connections between these and the academic topics presented in class
• Experience and reflect upon what it means to embody teaching and learning, and link these experiences to working with children
• Discuss and challenge views on childhood, care taking and education from both cultural-historical and educational perspectives.

Faculty

Eeva Laine Jakobsen

Eeva Laine Jakobsen, MA in Educational Psychology ( Aarhus University, Department of Education, 2014). BA in Social Services with creative activities (Laurea Polytechnic, Department of Social Education, Vantaa, Finland, 2005). Student at Slagelse Pædagogseminariet (Spring and fall 2003). Social Educator(pædagog) in After School Club Marievang (2005-2010). Social Educator in Special Center Slagelse. Working with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and counseling families (2005-present). With DIS since 2015.

Class Representatives

Each semester DIS looks for class representatives to become an official spokesperson for their class, addressing any concerns that may arise (in academic or related matters), suggesting improvements and coming up with new ideas. Class representatives are a great way for DIS faculty to ensure better and timelier feedback on their courses, assessments and teaching styles, and as such perform an invaluable role in connecting student needs with faculty instruction during term time. Class Representatives will be elected in class at the beginning of the semester. Class representatives will meet with the course faculty 2-3 times during the semester and will also be responsible for helping the class do midterm evaluations.

 

Approach to Teaching

The class will be seen as a community of learners, who have the opportunity to share interests and learn from one another. The academic content and the socialization among students and teacher are integrally connected, and we use discussions of group dynamics in the class as an element of academic learning. 

A class will be planned based on theory and research articles you have read prior to the class. We will bring in different pedagogical and didactic tools, which we will reflect upon as a group, and you will be asked to bring back ideas, thoughts and reflections from practicum, field studies and everyday life and link these experiences with theory and research discussed in class. Teaching strategies can include peer led discussions, group work, cooperative exercises etc.

Expectations of the Students

You are expected to:

• Consider everyone as valued and equal members of the class community, who treat each other with respect, acknowledgement, politeness, openness and care – an environment that is believed to promote learning
• Be creative and open minded
• Reflect and think independently, bring in ideas and thoughts during each class through discussions, individual- and group work
• Show engagement, participation, contribution and responsibility.
• Demonstrate academic rigor, active listening and punctuality
• Draw upon interactions and observations from daily life in Denmark and practicum to the theory, research, and practice
• Work independently and be active in group work
• Complete readings prior to each class

Field Studies

The field study will include a visit of common interest for this class. The idea is to have a shared experience that will both examine the previous learned and bring in new experiences and day life in the area around educating and working with children. See Field  Study days on Course calendar on Canvas.

Study Tours

Core Course week and study tours are an integral part of the core course and the aim is to build the bridge between theory from classes to practice in the field. You will travel with your classmates and DIS faculty/staff on two study tours; a short study tour during Core Course Week and a long study tour to Finland.

While on a program study tour, DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study or the destination. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

Travel Policies

You are required to travel with your group to the destination. If you have to deviate from the group travel plans, you need approval from the program director and the study tours office.   

Core Course Week & Short Tour: February 5-9

• Purpose: Gain a more in-depth understanding of pedagogy and education outside of Copenhagen. The visits will be integrated into the academic content of the course.   
• Orientation: Activities and visits will be presented the week before departure along with your responsibilities and itinerary for the week.

Long Study Tour: March 4-9

• Purpose: Explore the programs designed for children in Finland to investigate what the contributing factors are for one of the highest evaluated education systems in the world.
• Orientation: Activities and visits will be presented the week before departure along with your responsibilities and itinerary for the week.

Practicum

Students in this course are required to take the Child Development in Scandinavia Practicum class as a co-requisite. Students will be placed in a Danish institution or school for 45-55 hours during the semester, where they will work directly with children. 

Please see the Practicum syllabus for more details.

Evaluation

You are expected to complete the required readings prior to each class, and also to engage in class and group discussions. Active participation also includes showing interest and a well prepared attitude towards the subject and a respectful attitude towards the class environment and faculty. To achieve a high participation grade you will have to contribute to class discussions often, raising your hand and be attentive towards contributing to the flow of the class. It is seen as a sign of academic strength to take chances with contributions - even if this means having your thoughts challenged by the faculty or peers.

The grade will take into account:

• Active and verbal participation in class discussions, group work and field studies.
• Engagement during study tours; asking good questions and paying attention (also when it becomes hard).

Some students feel less comfortable speaking up continuously during class time and you can approach your faculty about this if you would like to show your engagement and participation in other ways. 

Grading

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, you must complete all of the assigned work.

Methods of Evaluation	Due dates	Percent
Attendance	Ongoing	10%
Participation and Engagement	Ongoing	15%
Strange Situation Reflection	Monday February 19th	15%
Long study tour cultural presentations	On tour	5%
Long study tour academic presentations	In class, Monday February 26th	20%
Final presentation proposal	Friday April 13th	10%
Final Presentations	Monday April 30th or May 2nd	25%
Total		100%

Assignment Submission

Assignments are submitted via Canvas unless otherwise noted. It is your own responsibility to check if assignments are correctly uploaded. If you have any internet or computer trouble I expect you to contact me and make arrangements for handing in the paper. If no time specification is given, a due date means handing in the specific date before midnight.

Additional Policies

Attendance

Absence will only be excused in serious situations, but informing your faculty regarding your attendance is always necessary. Unexcused absences include traveling or absence that has not been discussed with the faculty.  Regardless of whether lateness is excused or unexcused, it is still disruptive to  the class and you miss out on relevant information.

BE AWARE:  Missing one class day for this course is the equivalent of missing TWO classes for any other courses at DIS (because this course only meets once a week). 

Late Assignments

It is crucial for your learning that you stay on task and hand in assignments on or before the due date. All work– including in-class projects – have to be completed in order to pass the class. Late papers or projects will be marked down 5% for each late day (submission will receive an F if it is more than 1 week late).

Use of Laptops or Phones in Class

Computers are allowed in class for note-taking purposes or other use that supports the class or personal learning. Using laptops for private means, such as social media, emails or internet surfing, will have a negative impact on your participation grade. Phones are expected to be turned off and kept away during classes. You are also expected to keep phones away on study tours during visits and meals. Make sure you have other ways to take notes.

Awards

Academic Excellence Award

Each semester we recognize one outstanding student from the Child Development and Diversity Program with an Award of Academic Excellence. It is reserved for a student who has distinguished him- or herself through diligence, commitment, academic performance, and ideally a student who contributes to a good, collaborative learning environment in class. 

Readings

Texts for this course can be found online through Canvas. Texts listed under the ‘Course Schedule’ are expected to be read prior to the specific class.

• Änggård, Eva (2010).  Making use of “nature” in an outdoor preschool:  Classroom, home and fairyland.  Children, Youth and Environments, 20 (1), 4 – 25.
• Andersen, F. Ø. (2010). Danish and Finnish PISA results in a comparative, qualitative perspective: How can the stable and distinct differences between the Danish and Finnish PISA results be explained? Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 22(2), 159-175. doi: 10.1007/s11092-010-9095-x
• Berk, L.E., Mann, T.D., and Ogan, A.T. (2006). Make-Believe Play. Wellspring for Development of Self-Regulation. In D.G. Singer, R.M. Golinkoff and K.<Hirsch- Pasek (Eds.) Play=Learning: How Play Motivates and Enchances Children´s Cognitive and Social- Emotional Growth. Oxford University Press.
• Bowlby, J. (2005). A secure base : clinical applications of attachment theory (New ed. ed.). London: Routledge.
• Brostrom, S. (2006). Care and Education: Towards a New Paradigm in Early Childhood Education. Child Youth Care Forum.
• Broström, S. (2017). A dynamic learning concept in early years' education: a possible way to prevent schoolification. International Journal of Early Years Education, 25(1), 3-15. doi:10.1080/09669760.2016.1270196
• Broström, S., Jensen, A. S., & Hansen, O. H. (2017). Values in Danish early childhood education and care Nordic social pedagogical approach to early years (pp. 25-41): Springer.
• Chick, Kay A., Heilman-Houser, R, & Hunter, M. (2002): The Impact of Child Care on Gender Role Development and Gender Stereotypes
• Clausen, S. B., & Ringsmose, C. (2017). The professional identity of the Danish pedagogue : historical root in an education with focus on democracy, creativity, dannelse and a "childhood logic" Nordic social pedagogical approach to early years (pp. 237-252): Springer.
• Hart, S. (ed.) (2017 ) Inclusion, Play and Empathy- Neuroaffective Development in Children´s Groups. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. UK.
  
• Heckman, J. J. (2006). Skill Formation and the Economics of Investing in Disadvantaged Children. Science, 312(5782), 1900-1902. doi: 10.1126/science.1128898
• Hedegaard, M. (2009). Children’s development from a cultural–historical approach:  Children’s activity in everyday local settings as foundation for their development. Mind, Culture and Activity, 16(1), 64–81.
• Hoffmann, J & Russ, S. (2012) Pretend Play, Creativity and Emotion Regulation in Children. In: Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. 2012. Vol. 6. No. 2, 175-184.
• Højholt, C. & Kousholt, D. (2015) Children participating and developing agency in and across various social practices. DPU. Aarhus University. Copenhagen.
• Jenkins, R. (2011).  “Chapter 8:  ‘Holding the Hand of Every Child’:  Civil enculturation”.  Being Danish:  Paradoxes of Identity in Everyday Life.  Copenhagen, Denmark:  Museum Tusculanum Press, 2011.  Pp. 173-202 
• King, B. M., & Regan, P. (2014). Gender Identity and Gender Roles Human Sexuality Today (8th Edition) (pp. 201-223): MyPsychLab.
• Kragh-Müller, G. (2017). The key characteristics of Danish/Nordic child care culture Nordic social pedagogical approach to early years (pp. 3-23): Springer.
• Kragh-Müller, G., & Isbell, R. (2011). Children's perspectives on their everyday lives in child care in two cultures : Denmark and the United States. Early Childhood Education Journal, 2011(39), 17-27.
• Larsen, M, R. (2012) A Paradox of Inclusion. Administrative Procedures and Children´s perspectives on Difficulties in School. In: Children, Childhood and Everyday life, pages 143-60. 
• MacNaughton, G. (1997). Who's Got the Power? Rethinking gender equity strategies in early childhood. International Journal of Early Years Education, 5(1), 57-66. doi:10.1080/0966976970050106
• Paechter, C. (2007). Being boys being girls : learning masculinities and femininities. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press.
• Panksepp, J. (2008). PLAY, ADHD and the Construction of the Social Brain: Should the First Class each Day Be Recess? American Jornal of Play, 1(1): 55-79
• Pianta, R. C., & Stuhlman, M. W. (2004). Teacher-child relationships and children's success in the first years of school. School Psychology Review, 33(3), 444.
• Ploug, N. (2011). The Nordic child care regime — History, development and challenges. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(3), 517-522. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.10.019
• Pramling, N., Doverborg, E., & Samuelsson, I. P. (2017). Re-metaphorizing teaching and learning in early childhood education beyond the instruction – social fostering divide Nordic social pedagogical approach to early years (pp. 73-92): Springer.
• Ringsmose, C., & Clausen, S. B. (2017). Comparative perspectives on early childhood : choices and values Nordic social pedagogical approach to early years (pp. 73-92): Springer.
• Sabol, T. J., & Pianta, R. C. (2012). Recent trends in research on teacher-child relationships. Attachment & Human Development, 14(3), 213-231. doi:10.1080/14616734.2012.672262
• Sondergaard, D. M. (2012). Bullying and Social Exclusion Anxiety in Schools. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 33(3), 355-372. doi:10.1080/01425692.2012.662824
• Stern, D. (2004).  The present moment in psychotherapy and everyday life.  Chapter 6, p. 13
• Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 
• Wagner, J. T. (2006): “Fishing Naked – Nordic Early Childhood Philosophy and Practice” in Nordic Childhoods and Early Education.  Information Age Publishing.  ISBN: 978-1593113506 (324p.)
• Williams-Siegfredsen, J. (2012).  Understanding the Danish forest school approach. New York, NY:  Routledge.
• Wyver, S., Tranter, P., Naughton, G., Little, H., Sandseter, E. B. H., & Bundy, A. (2010). Ten Ways to Restrict Children's Freedom to Play: The Problem of Surplus Safety. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(3), 263-277.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISaborad.org