EAD504 - Social Construction in Education: Middle Childhood

Subject Title
Social Construction in Education: Middle Childhood

Subject Description
Students develop an understanding of the concept of social constructivism as it relates to middle childhood and how this informs ECE practice. The context of middle childhood is of a community with its own social organization which includes roles, rules, behaviors and discourses. Within an ecological framework that extends from the individual child to the social organization and to the wider community, students learn how to coordinate collaborative projects that go beyond the classroom to include families and communities.

Credit Status
EAD 504 is a required subject in the Bachelor of Child Development.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon successful completion, the student is able to:

1. Analyze the theoretical basis of social constructivism in order to identify social learning opportunities.
2. Analyze the construction of reality by children in middle childhood to create meaningful learning experiences for the children.
3. Construct a personal philosophy of social constructivist learning to underpin teaching and learning decisions.
4. Evaluate the impact of social contructivist principles on effective physical learning environments for middle school aged children.
5. Design social constructivist learning experiences which create opportunities for co-construction of knowledge by children.
6. Integrate research results on current issues in middle childhood to recommend relevant classroom practice.

Academic Integrity
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca's commitment to deliver high-quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment. Ensure that you are aware of Seneca's Academic Integrity Policy which can be found at: http://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html Review section 2 of the policy for details regarding approaches to supporting integrity. Section 2.3 and Appendix B of the policy describe various sanctions that can be applied, if there is suspected academic misconduct (e.g., contract cheating, cheating, falsification, impersonation or plagiarism).

Please visit the Academic Integrity website http://open2.senecac.on.ca/sites/academic-integrity/for-students to understand and learn more about how to prepare and submit work so that it supports academic integrity, and to avoid academic misconduct.

Discrimination/Harassment
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Student Conduct Office at student.conduct@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The College will provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities in order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Services Office at ext. 22900 to initiate the process for documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes
Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom. Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and made available to students to support access to course content and promote student learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.