Course Syllabus
Children in a Multicultural Context Practicum |
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| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2020 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Child Development, Education / Educational Studies, Human Development |
| Faculty Members: |
Maja Sbahi Biehl - msb@dis.dk |
| Program Director: |
Neringa Vendelbo - nb@dis.dk |
| Program Assistant: |
Julia Magnuson - jma@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Thursday |
Description of Course
What is Danish childcare and education? What are the underlying principles that structure the Danish approach to working with children? These questions serve as a springboard into the field of ‘pedagogy’ in Denmark.
This course emphasizes and integrates application of research, critical reflection and hands on experience in order to explore the connection between pedagogical approaches and professional practices with children. You will be immersed within Danish society while working once a week at a Danish childcare institution or school. Paired together with your core course, your experience will supplement the educational, social, developmental, and historical theories presented. Though the focus of the practicum is general pedagogy, you will be using the experiences in your sites as a backdrop to considering perspectives of multiculturalism in a Danish institutional and educational context. Ongoing themes will permeate our study. They include (but are not limited to):
- What is the Danish definition of “the good childhood”?
- From a Danish pedagogical perspective, what cultural values and social trends are visible in the daily routines when working with children?
- How can your observations from your site contribute to a discussion about educational policies and reform both in Denmark and in the United States?
The course is designed as a combination between visits to your practicum site and workshops intended to promote group discussion and debate about your experiences. Reflections on your observations will be the foundations of discussions and analysis about the activities, routines, and behaviors in Danish institutions.
Learning Objectives
In this course, students will examine current research and assessments in relation to pedagogy in a Danish context. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the major elements, theoretical perspectives, and interdisciplinary approaches to the discipline of ‘pedagogy’
- Actively participate in the everyday workings of a Danish children’s institution or school
- Debate and reflect on the current challenges and debates within Danish pedagogy in particular through the integration of research with practical observations and experiences
- Assess this application through the development of observational, analytic, and creative thinking skills
Faculty
Maja Sbahi Biehl
Email: msb@dis.dk
Cand.comm. in Communication and Educational Studies from Roskilde University (2004). Specialized in Intercultural Communication and pedagogy. BA in Speech and Communication from San Francisco State University. International Student Advisor at Roskilde University, Communication Department (2001-2002). Interpreter and pedagogical supervisor for Turkish youth in Farum municipality (1999-2000). Substitute teacher at Bybækschool (prep class for minority students) and playschool teacher at International Bernadotte school (1998-2000). Experience working with children in daycare center- Sofiegårdens vuggestue (1998) and for an ethnic youth project for Copenhagen municipality (1999-2000). Experience as a volunteer for the Danish Red Cross Asylum center - Culture House and aided in the upstart of a Mother and Child group “Mamatu” (2002). Volunteer work with Danish-Turkish parent association and inner city schools (2008). With DIS since 2005.
Consultation: Office Hours by appointment
Readings
BUPL (2006) The Work of the Pedagogue: Roles and Tasks. BUPL, http://www.bupl.dk/iwfile/BALG-7X4GBX/$file/The%20work%20of%20the%20pedagogue.pdf
Harrison, J.K. (2008) ‘Professional Learning and the Reflective Practitioner’, in Dymoke, S. & Harrison, J.K. (Eds) Reflective Teaching and Learning. A guide to professional issues for beginning secondary teachers. London, Sage. Pp. 6-46
Hedegaard, Marianne (2009): “Children’s development from a Cultural – Historical Approach: Children’s activity in Everyday Local Settings as Foundation for Their development, in Mind, Culture and Activity, 16:1, 64-82. http://dx-doi.org/10.1080/10749030802477374
Jenkins, R. (2011). “Chapter 7: Actually, Everything; The State of Denmark”. Being Danish: Paradoxes of Identity in Everyday Life. Copenhagen, Denmark: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2011. Pp. 159-172
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
Kampmann, J. and Nielsen, H. W. (2004): Socialized Childhood: Children’s Childhoods in Denmark, in A.M. Jensen, A. Ben – Arieh, C. Conti, D. Kutsar, M. Nic Ehiolla Prádraig and H.W. Nielsen (eds.) Children’s Welfare in ageing Europe Vol I & II, Tartu: Tartu University Press.
Kragh-Müller, Grethe and Isbell, Rebecca. “Children’s perspectives on their everyday lives in Child Care in Two Cultures: Denmark and the United States. “Early Childhood Education Journal 39.1 (2011): 17-27. Web.
Olwig, KF (2011): ' Children's Sociality: The Civilizing Project in the Danish Kindergarten', Social Analysis, vol 55, nr. 2, s. 121-141.
Wagner, J. (2006). “An Outsider’s Perspective: Childhoods and Early Education in the Nordic Countries”. Nordic Childhoods and Early Education. Information Age Publishing.
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.)
Approach to Teaching
This course is structured as a series of workshops and advising sessions, in coordination with students. The advising workshops are centered on structured discussions of central concepts and themes from your experiences at your site, and are designed as an opportunity to use your fellow students as professional resources. The portfolio is intended to document your personal, academic and professional learning throughout the semester, and will complement and support the activities at your practicum site and the discussions at supervision.
Field studies.
As the majority of the course component is your weekly visit to your site, field studies are not included as part of this course. The hands-on, experiential element through practicum visits is fully utilized in class discussions, lectures, and assignments.
Expectations of the students:
In this course each and every one of us has the equal and unique responsibility to facilitate the most optimal learning outcomes. You are expected to:
- be professional, ethical, and respectful towards staff and children at your site
- contribute to discussions and group activities with questions and reflections during advising
- draw on your interactions and observations from daily life in Denmark to the theory, research, and practices of Danish pedagogy in class
- be punctual and attend all days of your practicum
- bring your logbook with written experiences and reflection from every practicum visit
- apply, observe, and reflect on, the tools presented in the core course, both as assigned and as otherwise relevant
- Maintain professional and consistent communication with site. Write an introduction e-mail to your on site supervisor at Practicum Orientation. Communicate with the site if you are not able to attend or if any changes to your schedule happen. You will be responsible for registering your hours at the site on the timesheet.
When participating in the designated workshop days, you are expected to be able to take initiative to work both independently and in a group. This means taking initiative to stay on topic during discussions and to use the readings to support the examples you contribute.
Practicum
Students are placed in a Danish Vuggestue (infant-toddler center), Børnehave (pre-school), Folkeskole (public school), or Fritidshjem/Klub (after school program). Students will observe and interact with children each week, working under the guidance of a supervising pedagogue. Although students will be appointed a practicum supervisor at the site, they are also expected to consult the other staff to ask for help, instruction and guidance when needed.
At the practicum site, students will experience the everyday culture of the institution: working with children, staff and parents in a Danish childcare facility. You are required to go to your site at least 10 times and attain between 45-55 hours of practical experience. You are strongly encouraged to make one visit to a fellow student’s site in order to experience the differences between practices within Danish childcare facilities.
Practicum Advising
Additionally, through the semester, you will also have practicum workshops where there will be ample opportunity for you to discuss your practicum experiences with your peers and faculty. Please see the calendar for the assigned dates.
Assignments and Evaluation
Assignments for this course are focused on giving students an introduction to the methods used in gathering information and applying theory.
|
Assignment |
% of Grade |
|
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Participation |
Timesheet 5 journal entries |
50% |
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Advising |
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Practicum assignment: Report
|
25% |
|
|
Portfolio
|
25% |
|
|
Total |
100% |
|
Participation (50%)
Active participation in class will include writing academic and personal reflections in logbooks, completing class readings ahead of time, contributing to class discussions, and individual dialogues with students and faculty. (See Expectations of the Students above.)
Active participation at your practicum site is also reflected in this portion of the grade. Students are expected to engage in the daily activities at the site, as well as consult directly with pedagogues regarding any assistance they can provide.
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Time Sheets and Attendance: At the end of the semester, students must submit a completed ‘time sheet’ with the signature of the supervising pedagogue to confirm that they have completed the required hours for this course (45-55 hours). Time sheets must be handed in to Maja or uploaded on Canvas. Copies of time sheets are available in the Modules section of this syllabus.
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Make-up hours: Visits to the sites will take place on 10 scheduled Thursdays; however, if you need to make up hours, you are responsible for scheduling them with your site. There are 12 possible Thursdays over the course of the Fall 2019 semester – it is your responsibility to arrange with your site directly (in advance!) which 10 of the 12 Thursdays you will be present at your site.
- 10 practicum reflections/journal entries by each Thursday 17:00 pm (at the latest Friday morning 10:00 am)
- Logbook: I strongly recommend that you do journaling so please use the logbooks given to you during the practicum workshop to write your thoughts, reactions and refelctions from practicum. Throughout the semester, you will reflect and summarize your experiences at your site through writing both open-ended and directed analytical reflections in their logbooks. You are required to write in their logbooks following EVERY visit to your site. Students are welcome to make a digital logbook or online blog as a logbook – if it is not public. Please do not write the name of the site, staff, or children. Confidentiality and anonymity is a must.
The course content is HEAVILY dependent on an ongoing documentation of your process, and you are expected to use your logbook as a foundation for you to connect and strengthen your own learning. Logbooks are for your own reflections and journal writing, and you are encouraged to incorporate reflections from logbooks to assignments, and to use the logbook to practice and reflect on the tools and methods in your portfolio assignments.
You will write about the following topics in your logbooks:
- Learning goals and personal objectives for practicum
- Issues regarding Danish pedagogy and education
- Environment and play issues
- Language and communication
- Interactions – between children, pedagogue–child, parent-child, parent-pedagogue/teacher, and pedagogue/teacher-pedagogue/teacher
- Field Studies and Study Tours
- Personal learning, social and emotional development
- Practice and reflect on the different pedagogical and qualitative tools that you have learned about and discussed in the practicum workshops
Logbook Objectives:
- Combine your knowledge and observations from sites to think critically about the Danish pedagogical approach
- Develop observational and analytical skills – learn the importance of observation as a research and teaching tool
- Reflect on the connection between theory and practice through first-hand experiences at your site
Practicum assignment: Report (25%)
Students will write a report about their practicum experience to their site. The report should be 2-3 pages and should be a professional document that is ethical and grounded in the readings and discussions from the core course. There should be no mention of the names of the children for anonymity and confidentiality. More information will be provided in class.
Portfolio (25%)
This is a professional learning portfolio and a more personal and reflective assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to write a cohesive and holistic assignment about the practicum experience. More information will be provided in class.
DIS guidelines indicate that each page is equal to 300 words. It is optional for students to include any creative elements they would like – photographs, artwork, etc. outside of the pages of text. To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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