09 Jul For this learning activity, you will need to find the Indiana Early Learning Foundations and the Childcare I-LEAD website.

For this learning activity, you will need to find the Indiana Early Learning Foundations and the Childcare I-LEAD website.  The links are provided below.

Because the Early Learning Foundations document is a resource you will use for all of your curriculum planning, it is strongly suggested that you print it out and put it in a binder or have it spiral bound to make it easy for you to use on a regular basis.   You CAN use the online version, but it is a little more tricky to navigate to find what you need in that format. 

Part One:

Once you have located the Indiana Early Learning Foundations, complete the following activities to orient yourself to its content:

1.  Read the background section on pages 1-4.  This tells how the Foundations came to be and the people who worked hard to create the document for your use.

2.  Look at the overall organization of the Foundations.  It is organized into 8 areas of study, with an overview at the beginning of each area explaining its content.

3.  Next, read one of the “Guide To Using the Foundations” sections at the start of one of the areas of study,  This section is repeated at the beginning of each area of study.  This will help you understand how the Foundations, Topics, Age Ranges, and Indicators are organized.

4.  Now look at the section entitled “Dual Language Learners” on pages 51-52.  Note the WIDA Early English Language Development Standards and how they relate to the Indiana Early Learning Foundations.  

5.  Next, examine the section on “Supporting Exceptional Learners” on pages 53-55 to see how the Universal Design for Learning applies to early childhood education.

6.  Note the Glossary of Terms on pages 56-59.  These are the definitions of terms used in the standards and indicators to help you understand them better.  

7.  In Appendix A (page 62), you will find information about the alignment of the Foundations to the ISTAR-KR assessment tool used by the Indiana Department of Education to evaluate early learning outcomes.

8.  In Appendix B, you will see how to use the Indiana Early Learning Foundations Classroom Planning Matrix.  This is a lesson plan format that is required by some early learning programs and can be used effectively by any early childhood educator to plan curriculum.

Part 2: 

Once you have completed the above exploration of the Early Learning Foundations, go to the I-LEAD website.  If you do not already have an account, create one by clicking on the Login button.  It will take you to a page that will allow you to confirm your email address and create an account.  Once you have completed your profile, you will arrive at the Dashboard.  Click on “Start Your Indiana Learning Path.”  It will take you to the Early Learning Indiana Catalog.  On the left side, click on “Courses.”  To the right, you will see “Categories.”  Click on “Learning Environment.”  Scroll down to “Introductory.”  You will see the course entitled “Introduction to the NEW Indiana Early Learning Foundations.”  Click on register and open the course.  It will take about an hour to complete it.  Your training will be recorded on the portal and will count toward your required training hours for your first job as an early childhood educator.

After you have completed the I-LEAD training and your own exploration of the Foundations, write a complete paragraph describing 5 important features of the Early Learning Foundations that will help you, as an early childhood educator,  plan better lessons for young children.   Be sure to cite your source document (the Indiana Foundations).  Also list the sections of the I-LEAD Course you completed and upload your I-LEAD certificate to show you have completed the training.