Early Childhood Education School of Education Externship Handbook 2009 - 2010

Welcome to Rasmussen College Early Childhood Education!
Our goal is to prepare high quality early childhood education professionals who exhibit best practices in the care and education of young children and their families.
This manual is designed to be a guide for students, faculty and cooperating teacher throughout the externship experience.
Mission Statement
Rasmussen College's Early Childhood Education Program prepares early childhood educators to serve young children, their families, and their communities. We foster and advocate developmentally and culturally appropriate practices among early childhood professionals. We value diversity, professionalism, collaboration, and research-based practice. We strive to provide young children with meaningful experiences that provide a foundation for a productive life.
Conceptual Framework
The Early Childhood Education program at Rasmussen College prepares skilled teachers with a strong theoretical foundation and an understanding of the relationship between theory, teaching, learning, and professionalism. We ensure students receive rich opportunities for practical application in externship experiences. We are committed to teaching and using positive interpersonal communication skills in a diverse environment. Definition of Terms For purposes of this document, the following terms will be used to represent several meanings: a. Early Childhood Professional: An early childhood educator may care for and educate young children and families in a variety of capacities, for example, Family child care provider, Toddler Teacher, Youth Mentor, Family Advocate, Personal Care Assistant, Family Literacy Tutor, Children’s Museum Activity Leader. b. Faculty: Instructor, Field Supervisor. c. Cooperating Teacher: An individual in the field who agrees to partner with you and your Faculty to develop you as a professional. For example, they may be called, Director, Mentor, Supervisor, Program Manager, or Master Teacher. d. Externship Site: A place organized for the care and education of young children and families. Some examples of externship sites include: Rec. Centers, Non-profit organizations, Youth and Family Programs, Healthy Families, Enrichment (swimming, drama, food, language camps), Community Education, Public Policy, Family home; Churches, Preschools, Elementary Schools, Before and After School Programs, Parks, Nature Reserves, Private child care, Family child care, Children's Toy Store, Performing Arts Programs, Museum. e. Code of Ethical Conduct: National Association for the Education of Young Children position statement: As an early childhood professional, students are expected to demonstrate the highest expectation of behavior while working in an early childhood setting. Externship
Early childhood students will enroll in an intensive externship or student teaching experience. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “Performance in field experiences offers the most valid assessment” for early childhood students enrolled in the associate degree program (p. 114). In other words, the work that you do with young children and families, as observed by Faculty and your Cooperating Teacher, provides us with the best indication of your ability to apply what you have learned in the college classroom. Your externship is an opportunity for you to grow professionally as an early childhood educator in the early childhood setting. Purpose of Externship-The purpose of the externship is for students to apply knowledge gained from college coursework, faculty, cooperating teacher and colleagues. The combination of theory and practice will help you develop your skills as an early childhood professional. Definition of Externship-An externship is a training program that is part of a course of student