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
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)
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.
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:
- 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.
