Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 | EDU-2045-VO04S - Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Ed

Synchronous Class

Synchronous courses are delivered through a combination of online and regularly-scheduled Zoom sessions. In synchronous classes, students must attend Zoom sessions and actively engage with each other and faculty in course activities and discussions.

Faculty

Everett Ware
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Gilberto Diaz Santos

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course explores philosophical principles and practical demands of building curricula for early childhood education. Based on integrated state and national standards, emphasis is on developing a child-centered and developmentally appropriate curricula for the early years from infancy to age eight. Recommended Prior Learning: a course in child development. This course introduces concepts that are aligned with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Standards for Early Childhood Educators: Standards?1-6

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss the historical influences and evolution of early childhood education as it connects to curriculum development, theories, and practices. [NAEYC Standard 5b, 5c, 6b]
2. Design curricula based on theories and research in child development that consider universal design, learning style modalities, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, nature and sciences, social studies and creative expression for early education. [NAEYC Standard 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 4c, 5b, 5c]
3. Discuss the roles of environment (indoors and outdoors), schedule, and routine in curriculum development and implementation. [NAEYC Standard 1c]
4. Assess an early education curriculum for its effective use of state and national standards (VELS and NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practices). [NAEYC Standard 1d, 3b, 4b 4c, 6d]
5. Practice creating meaningful content and learning experiences for children using an ongoing cycle of observation, reflection, documentation, and response. [NAEYC Standard 3a, 3b, 3c, 5b, 5c]
6. Compare and contrast models of curricula, including open-ended, played-based, and more structured academic approaches. [NAEYC Standard 4b, 5c]
7. Describe a variety of media and instructional technologies that may be used to enhance learning environments and curricula. [NAEYC Standard 4b, 5b, 5c, 6c]
8. Explore collaborative strategies for engaging and communicating with families about curriculum planning and implementation. [NAEYC Standard 2a, 2b, 2c, 3d, 6a, 6c]
9. Reflect on one’s professional role as teacher and use self-assessment techniques to enhance curricula for the children and families served in one’s practice. [NAEYC Standard 5b, 5c, 6a, 6e]

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Integrated: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges the use of AI is an essential skill in today's world. By using genAI for specific purposes, students become equipped with relevant skills and tools necessary to thrive in a technology-driven society. Emphasizing the mastery of generative AI should empower you to harness its potential, enhancing your problem-solving abilities and preparing you for future challenges and opportunities. Be aware, however, that any time generative AI is used at any point in the assignment without attribution it may be considered a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

In-class time will be interactive and collaborative; and activities may include:

• Small and large group discussions via Zoom
• Brief lectures and presentations
• Short videos/films and reflection activities
• Small group activities
• Curriculum writing workshops and peer-review
• Presentations from guest speakers

Outside of class, you will be expected to prepare for in-class discussions and activities by:

• Completing weekly readings, watching videos, and completing online modules
• Reflect in weekly journal assignments
• Practice writing lesson plans and creating curriculum materials
• Revise written work and curriculum materials for the final portfolio

Evaluation Criteria

Your final course grade will be calculated using the following weighted categories:

• 20% Journals and Reflections
• 30% Portfolio Drafts (written assignments)
• 20% Final Portfolio (revised versions of all portfolio drafts, plus cover page and a final reflection)
• 10% Final Reflection
• 20% Attendance and Participation

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Synchronous Participation:

This is a synchronous online course, which will meet weekly via Zoom. For participation during each class, you will be expected to:

• Be prepared for class discussions by completing readings and pre-class videos and assignments.
• Have your camera on during all discussion portions of the class.
  • Your camera is optional while I am presenting and sharing my screen.
  • Please let me know if your internet bandwidth is a barrier to having your camera on.
  • Be visibly engaged and present while your camera is on.
• Respond to questions and engage in discussion through verbal/audio response and written chat when appropriate.
• Participate actively in breakout room/small group activities and discussions.
• Respond to in-class polls or quizzes.

Attendance and Participation Grade:

Attendance is an essential part of the course. You are expected to regularly attend every weekly meeting of the course, for the full two hours, and communicate with me via email/Canvas if you cannot attend.

Attendance is part of your final grade. You are allowed up to 2 absences without impact on your grade, as long as you communicate with me about your absence. After 3 absences, you are at risk of failing the course due to CCV's attendance policy.

Attendance and participation are graded for each class as follows: 50% for attending, 25% for at least one contribution to the discussions (substantial chat, spoken comment, or question), and another 25% for additional substantial contributions.

Low Participation Days:

If you are not feeling well, an alternative to missing class can be having a “low-participation” day.

If you need a “low-participation” day due to feeling unwell (physical or mental health) or caring for another person/child, please let me know via email or private chat at the start of class; no further explanation is needed. You can have up to 2 low-participation days per semester without affecting your participation grade, and it will not count as an absence. During a low-participation day, you can keep your camera off, and I will not call on you or expect a response from you. Please still be listening and engaging to the best of your abilities.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late Work and Extensions:

I understand that life happens, and even the best students need extensions sometimes. If you reach out and communicate about your needs, late penalties will be waived. Here’s how to do that:

• Email or send a Canvas message before the deadline to request an extension (or as soon as possible if an emergency prevents you from communicating earlier). You don’t need to explain why you need more time, but you do need to include:

  • Which assignment(s)

  • New due date (when can you get it to me?)

• If you need an extension of less than 24 hours, you do not need to email/message me. All deadlines have a 24-hour grace period.

• After requesting an extension, if you need more time than originally expected, just send me another email/message—I can extend the extension if needed.

• If Canvas automatically grades your assignment a zero but you already requested an extension, don't worry; I will change this once I receive and grade your assignment.

It is never too late to reach out. Everyone gets overwhelmed sometimes, and deadlines can slip by. If you find that missing assignments are piling up or you’re struggling to catch up, contact me right away so we can make a plan together. As long as you stay in touch and keep communicating about your needs, I’ll work with you to help you get back on track.

Missing Work:

If you do not request an extension, your work will be considered missing. Canvas will automatically grade all missing work with a zero.

After 24 hours from the deadline, I will not accept late work without an extension request or other communication about your plan. You must email or Canvas message me before submitting late work.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

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