Philosophy

Looking to the 21st Century:
The Unified Transformative Early Education Model Philosophy

The growing diversity in the school age population has posed a tremendous educational challenge for schools nationwide. Pre-service and in-service training for teachers has had to be re-conceptualized to meet the unique needs of all students in today's schools.

In 1994, Dr. Eva Thorp and Dr. Sylvia Sanchez of the Graduate School of Education began working with early childhood education and bilingual/multicultural/ESL faculty to discuss a new concept of collaboration among the disciplines, one that was to lead to the establishment of an integrated teacher training model. Following this initial meeting, a university-community design group was formed to foster support and guidance from preschools, local school districts and community agencies serving young children in the development of a new pre-service training program. The goal was a model that would prepare teachers to work with culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse young children and their families in a variety of inclusive classroom and community settings.

Today, the Unified Transformative Early Education Model (UTEEM) is in its fourth year of operation. UTEEM rests on a philosophical foundation that acknowledges the key role of culture in the lives of both practitioners and families. It is committed to an integrated approach that is supportive of the home language, inclusive practices, collaboration, family centered practices, and developmentally appropriate practices in instruction and assessment.

UTEEM involves a two-year, full-time program of study with a non-standard scheduling format. University course work alternates on a weekly basis with field based internships in a broad range of early intervention and early education placements throughout the two-year program. Each semester provides an opportunity for intensive study of one age group: Birth to 3, Three to Five, and Five to Eight. Students completing the program are awarded a masters degree with licensure in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, and English as a Second Language.

University course work is organized into five strands that link curriculum materials and field experiences. These strands are :

Transforming Schools and Communities
Universality/Diversity in Child and Family Development
Language Acquisition, Communication, Literacy and Literature
Developmentally Appropriate Practices, and
Trans-disciplinary Perspectives on Assessment and Evaluation

The strands consolidate the major theories and understandings of the separate disciplines. Interwoven throughout each strand is an appreciation for child and family diversity; an emphasis on collaboration with family, other caregivers, and related professionals; and an emphasis on technological adaptations and applications in early childhood education and intervention.