Profile photo of Dr. Josh Thompson (he/him)

Dr. Josh Thompson (he/him)

Professor Early Childhood Education

Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Office Location: EdSouth 204

Office Hours: By appointment

Phone: 903-886-5537

Email: josh.thompson@tamuc.edu

Professional Vita



ECE 566 Learning Environments

Course Description: This 3-hour graduate course provides knowledge and practice in designing developmentally appropriate learning environments and instructional design with the use of technological and other tools/materials to advance learning for children in Prekindergarten through the primary grades. Students will investigate the relationship between the classroom environment and instructional planning for young children.

Online class: Meet in D2L BrightSpace on http://myleoonline.tamuc.edu/.

Syllabus PDF

Course Schedule docx

Required Textbook:

Kostelnik, M., Soderman, A. K., Whiren, A. P., & Rupiper, M. (2019). Developmentally appropriate curriculum: Best practices in early childhood education (7th ed.). London, UK: Pearson. (previous editions are welcome, digital subscription are okay, too) ISBN-13: 978-0-13-352166-5

Resource Links:

Unit 1: Inspiring Spaces

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/environment

Duncan 2011 Breaking the Code .PDF

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

NAEYC (2020). Developmentally Appropriate Practice. NAEYC. www.naeyc.org/dap

Stanković-Ramirez, Z., & Thompson, J. (2022, Spring).1 A new view of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: What early childhood educators know about waves, individuals, and equity. TEPSA Leader: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association 35(2), 1-7.

Thompson, J., & Stanković-Ramirez. (2021, October). What early childhood educators know about developmentally appropriate practice. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(2), pp. 20-23. https://kappanonline.org/what-early-childhood-educators-know-about-developmentally-appropriate-practice/.

Power to the Profession

www.naeyc.org/profession

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/profession

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Unit 2: Evaluating & Designing

Evaluating Environments

Kostelnik, p. 147

T-TESS, Domain 3: Learning Environment www.teachfortexas.org

National Assessment Panel

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) www.ersi.info/ecers3.html

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) https://education.virginia.edu/classroom-assessment-scoring-system

Designing Environments

Companies in the designing classrooms business

Community Playthings https://www.communityplaythings.com/Inspiration/sample-classrooms

www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/RoomPlanning/index.html.

In particular, review this video of outdoor play: www.communityplaythings.com/resources/videos/outlast-play

Constructive Play

Environments, Inc.

Kaplanco.com

Lakeshore Learning https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/services/complete-classrooms

Scholastic.com http://teacher.scholastic.com/

Tools for Designing Environments

Paper and pencil

Classroom Architect

Classroom Design Programs

Ideas for organizing class activities

Class Jobs

Learning Centers

Literacy Centers

Morning Greeting Routines

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Unit 3: Domains of Learning - checking for learner effectives across all domains of development

P.L.A.C.E.S.

Stanković-Ramirez, Z. & Thompson, J. (2018). Rethinking developmental domains to improve classroom observations. Texas Child Care Quarterly, 42(2), 20-27. Available online https://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/fall18_domains.pdf.

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/places

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Unit 4: Integrating across disciplines

Inquiry-based learning

Integrating diverse literature everywhere

Classroom Culture Considerations

Boys in School

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/boys

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Gallery Walk

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/gw/

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Montessori

I am a Montessorian, certified by American Montessori Society www.amshq.org, a trainer with Dallas Montessori Teacher Education Program www.dallasmontessori.com, and a Montessori parent and grandparent www.casadepazmontessori.com, and www.stfrancisirving.org, and www.efwma.org. For more info on Montessori Education, start here: http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/montessori

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Observation of children learning

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/observation

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Learning Environments

Finally, this work in this class is mirrored over here at

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jthompson/environment/

Rubrics for ECE 566.rtf

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