Course Syllabus

Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Child development, Education/Educational Studies
Prerequisite(s):	Criminal clearance from state or local authorities prior to leaving the U.S. (or your country of citizenship) is required.
Corequisite Course(s):	Child Development and Education in Scandinavia
Faculty Members:	Nanna Duchêne (current students please contact via the Canvas Inbox)
Program Contact:	Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Time: Thursdays 13.15-14.35 Classroom: V23-301

Course Description

In this course you will get an unique opportunity to participate in a real-life setting at a Danish educational institution for children and students (Daycares or Schools).

The course is made up of classes and practicum visits.  One day a week you will visit your practicum site. You will be placed either in a nursery (0-2 years), preschool (3-5 years), primary school (6–11 years) or secondary school (12-16 years).  At the site you will observe and interact with children/students and teachers/pedagogues, and from there develop pedagogical and didactical interventions to be implemented by you at the site. In class, together with your classmates and faculty, you will have the opportunity discuss your practicum experience and develop pedagogical and didactical interventions that reflects Scandinavian views on children, interplay between play and learning, lesson planning, relationships with the child or the students, the role of the pedagogue and teacher.

Practicum visits

• The practicum offers a unique opportunity for students of the of Child Development and Education in Scandinavia core course to explore how central concepts in Scandinavian pedagogy and didactics manifest themselves in institutional settings in Denmark.
• The visits will provide the opportunity for you to interact with children, adolescents, pedagogues and teachers. You will engage in experiential learning activities, which are intended to build, broaden and deepen your intercultural skills, knowledge of Child Development and Education in Scandinavia and reflections on core course curriculum.
• You will engage in the practicum under the guidance of a supervising pedagogue or teacher.  Although you will be appointed a practicum supervisor at the site, you are also expected to consult the other staff to ask for help, instruction and guidance when needed
• You are required to go to your site at least 10 times and attain a minimum of 35 hours of practical experience.
• 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 11 possible Thursdays over the course of the semester – it is your responsibility to arrange with your site directly (in advance!) which 10 of the 11 Thursdays you will be present at your site. If other days than Thursdays are not in conflict with your other DIS classes or the site, you can arrange for other days as well. Beware that you might end up needing the extra 11^thdate in case of illness during the course, so be aware of all 11 days!
• Please note, that if the hours are not met, this could result in failing the course. 

Learning Objectives

In this course, students will examine current research and assessments in relation to pedagogy and education in a Danish context. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Learn about the pedagogical approaches in various Danish institutions
• Gain experience in actively participating in the everyday life in Danish Childcare Institutions or Schools
• Explore the role of central concepts in Scandinavian pedagogy and Ed. 
• Integrate theory and research with practical observations and experiences
• Assess practical observations and experiences through the development of observational, analytical, creative, and critical thinking skills
• Develop pedagogical and didactical interventions informed by educational theory on the background of research at the sites

Faculty

Nanna Duchêne: Associate professor, Philosophy of Education. External lecturer for several years at Aarhus University and Associated Professor at University Colleges  within disciplines: Philosophy of Education, General Education, Children with special needs and Practicum. Several years of experience as Editor of Journals on Education. With DIS since 2021. Teaches the subjects: 'Childhood Development and Education - general and practicum' and 'Playful Learning in Scandinavian Classrooms'. (nanna.duchene@dis.dk)

Approach to Teaching

Aside from your independent visits to your practicum site, this course has class once a week. In this course, the classroom will create a space for combining and linking theory from the Core Course with your practical experiences from the practicum site. In class you will also have the opportunity discuss your practicum experience, develop pedagogical and didactical interventions together with your classmates and faculty, and work with participatory research project with inquiry groups.  Class will take the form of a seminar where the focal point is class discussions with your peers and professor. 

Expectations of the Students

In this course, each person has the equal and unique responsibility to facilitate the most optimal learning outcomes. You are expected to:

• Complete all readings prior to coming to class
• Be respectful and inclusive to faculty and peers
• Contribute to discussions
• Draw upon your interactions and observations from the site to the theory, research, and practices of Danish pedagogy presented in the practicum course as well as your core course
• Be a positive role model for the children at your practicum site with high engagement and initiating behavior
• Be a positive representative of DIS at your practicum site showing respect and engagement with children and staff

Evaluation

• Students will be evaluated throughout the term using a variety of methods.  All students are expected to actively participate in class, which will form part of their grading.  Students will also be required to complete various individual or group assignments throughout the term relating to their practicum site.
• It is also a requirement that you submit a completed ‘time sheet’ with the signature of the supervising pedagogue to confirm that you have completed the required hours for this course (minimum35 hours) distributed over 10 visits. Time sheets must be uploaded via Canvas. It is the student’s responsibility to get this sheet signed by staff at the practicum site.
• Absence from class will only be excused in serious situations but informing your faculty regarding your attendance is always necessary. Unexcused absences include travelling or an absence that has not been discussed with the faculty. 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Attendance, Active participation and Engagement in Class Mondays	25%
Assignment A: Reflective Practicum Blog: Looking at Pedagogical Practice.	20%
Assignment B: Deep Dive Blog Posts: Connecting Theory to Practice	20%
Assignment C: Case Study Analysis: Connecting Theory, Practice, and Cross-Cultural Perspectives.	35%
Total	100%

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, you must complete all of the assigned work, and upload signed timesheet from your practicum site. Regarding late assignments:  5 points for each late day (submission will be an F if it is more than 1 week late)

Active participation and engagement. In Scandinavia most teachers base their didactical decisions on the believe that when students are active and experience their voices matters in class it increases their motivation to participate, and they experience having a more active role. At the same time, it also means that the teacher expects and encourage the students to be actively co-determining in their own learning process, that they participate in class discussions, that they provide input in the form of questions to the teacher and peers, that they seek to have an impact on teaching methods, teaching content and overall curriculum design, and last but not least: that they support everybody's feeling of belonging to a community in the classroom. Please note that since this course has its center around Scandinavian pedagogy, active participation and engagement as described above counts more than usual.

Assignments

The practicum Assignments cowers two dimensions: (1) A practical / pedagogical dimension that deals with the teacher's work with pupils or the pedagogues work with children and (2) the analytical dimension, which is aimed at being able to examine one's own and others' practice. 

Assignment A: Reflective Practicum Blog: Looking at Pedagogical Practice. After each weekly practicum visit, you'll write a blog post. The first four posts, covering your initial visits, will be graded together. Each post should describe an experience, explain your choice, and analyze its pedagogical essence by linking it to core course readings and discussions. Each week, read and respond to 1-2 classmates' posts, addressing their questions, making connections, or suggesting resources.

Assignment B: Deep Dive Blog Posts: Connecting Theory to Practice. In class, we'll choose three key topics to explore this semester. I'll provide relevant texts and materials for each topic. Weekly, you'll read these texts, answer my questions, and connect insights to your practicum site with specific examples. You’ll write 3 entries (one for each topic) before class, and we’ll discuss your findings together. Each week, read and respond to 2-3 classmates' posts, addressing their questions or offering useful resources. The three Deep Dive blog posts will be graded collectively. 

Assignment C: Case Study Analysis: Connecting Theory, Practice, and Cross-Cultural Perspectives. For this group assignment, choose a case from your practicum visit to a daycare, school, or high school in Denmark. Describe the case, then analyze it using core course concepts and practicum discussions. Compare it with practices from your home country to highlight cultural differences and insights. Reflect on what you learned and how this experience has shaped your understanding of education. Finally, suggest improvements or alternative approaches, supported by course insights and adaptable to different cultural contexts. You will need to write and present your analysis in class; both components will contribute to your final grade.

Additional Policies

Confidentiality: Please note that you must respect confidentiality at your site, so it is forbidden to put names of institutions, children, parents, or staff in assignments or on the internet. In order to take photos of children (please note U.N. Conventions on Children’s Rights), staff members or parents, students must ask for permission from the institution and must confirm with practicum instructors. The use of photos for anything must be confirmed by practicum supervisor or leader of the practicum site.

Use of laptops or phones: Students are expected to be fully present and engaged during the entire class period. This entails that all phones must be set on silent and put away and laptops are allowed only for note taking.

It is not allowed to use your phone while being with the children at your practicum site. It will affect your final grade if practicum sites report any use of phones etc. during time spent with children. 

Readings

• BUPL (2006). The work of the Pedagogue. Roles and tasks.
• Einarsdottir, Johanna (2014). Democracy, caring, and competence values perspectives in ECEC curricula in Nordic countries. In International Journal of Early Years Education.
• Hedegaard, Mariane (2018). Children’s Perspectives. In Children, Childhood, and Everyday Life.
• Højholt, Charlotte (2018): Children’s perspectives and learning communities. In Hedegaard (Ed.): Children, Childhood, and Everyday Life: Children’s Perspectives, 2nd Edition
• Jensen, Broström, and Hansen (2010). Critical perspectives on Danish early childhood education and care. Between the technical and the political. In Early Years: An International Research Journal
• Ministry of Children and Education (2022): Early Childhood Education and Care (0-5 year), and Primary and Lower Secondary Education (6-16 year)
• Nordic Social Pedagogical Approach to Early Years, International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, 2017: Ringsmose and Clausen. Chapter 5. Comparative Perspectives on Early Childhood. Choices and Values; Kragh-Müller, Grethe and Rebecca Isbell. Chapter 8. Children’s perspectives on their everyday lives in Child Care in Two Cultures Denmark and the United States; Svinth, Lone. Chapter 9. Increasing Pedagogical Attentiveness Towards Children’s Perspectives and Participation in Toddler Child Care; Brogaard-Clausen, Sigrid and Charlotte Ringsmose. Chapter 14. The Professional Identity of the Danish Pedagogue Historical Root in an Education with Focus on Democracy, Creativity, Dannelse and a Childhood Logic.
• Ploug, Niels (2012). The Nordic childcare regime. History, development, and challenges. In Children and Youth Services Review.
• Poulsen, Christina Holm (2021). Chapter 6. Children's perspectives – why and how? In School difficulties and inclusion opportunities - from a child's perspective.
• Purolia, Anna-Maija et al. (2016). Interpreting Values in the Daily Practices of Nordic Preschools. A Cross-Cultural Analysis. In International Journal of Early Childhood.
• You’re welcome. An introduction to the Danish Folkeskole. UP Nr.2. 2021. Degn, Mikkelsen, et Dorf. Social change, political interests and educational ideas The Danish Folkeskole 1960-2021; Fibæk, Per Laursen. The authentic teacher; Illeris, Knud. Learning and Teacher roles; Klinge, Louise. Dynamics in the Teacher and pupil relationship; Dorf. Hans Governing by targets. The educational conflict of the last decade.
• Winther Lindqvist (2021). Caring Well for children in ECEC from a wholeness approach. The role of moral imagination. In Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 30.

*Note that different/ extra reading may occur based on the interests of the class

Academic Accommodations

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

Academic Regulations

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

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code

 

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