Becoming A CDA Candidate

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Becoming A CDA Candidate

• Welcome to our learning community
• September 7, 2006

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Tonight we will . . .

• Get to know one another
• Review course description, syllabus, and
• materials text and resources.
• Get organized
• Have fun
• Begin your journey towards becoming a CDA!

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Ground Rules

• Start and end on time
• Be prepared
• Take care of yourself
• Be active participants
• Share your thoughts
• Be respectful of one another
• Be open to new ideas

4
Getting to know you

• Draw a map of how you arrived here
• Include all life experiences that led you to
  coming to this class including your education,
  work, and life experiences.
• Share your map with one other person.
• Introductions

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Constructivist Approach

• You construct new knowledge
• Prior experience
• background knowledge new knowledge
• what you will learn
• The knowledge you gain in this class depends on
  what you do as well as what is presented.
• The more active you are the more knowledge you
  will build.

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Our shared vision

• Shared vision
• Personal goals
• Write out your personal goal
• Place in an envelope seal
• Revisit during the last session
• If you dont know where you are going, you wont
  know when you get there!

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The Basics

• The CDA process
• KWL Chart

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Definition of a CDA

• The Child Development Associate (CDA) is a person
  who is able to meet the specific needs of
  children and who, with parents and other adults,
  works to nurture childrens physical, social,
  emotional, and intellectual growth in a child
  development framework. The CDA Credential is
  awarded to child care providers and homevisitors
  who have demonstrated their skill in working with
  young children and their families by successfully
  completing the CDA process.

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Process

• Becoming a CDA is a process that you work at,
  learn, and nurture until it grows from within. It
  is a process by which you grow as an individual
  and as a professional.

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CDA Basics

• History
• Process
• Setting
• Training
• Advisor
• Professional Resource File
• Parent Questionnaires
• Verification Visit - timeline

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Overview

• Field Work 480 hours in the setting for which
  you are receiving your CDA.
• Field Advisor Observations
• 120 hour training in the 6 Competency Goals and
  Functional Areas.
• Professional Resource File
• Application
• Verification Visit

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History

• Credential concept for early childhood
  professional began in the 1970s
• A growing need for skilled child care workers
  (Head Start).
• Head Start NAEYC led
• Unique public and private partnership
• Developed a new step on the early childhood
  professional development career ladder.

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Current Relevance

• Renewed emphasis on accountability and assurance
  of . . .
• High quality preK learning environments.
• Highly qualified staff.
• Unique relationship between lead teacher and
  teacher assistants.
• CDA used as a quality indicator nationally,
  state-wide, and by licensing.
• Increased demand for preK programs.

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Setting

• Options
• Center Based Infant Toddler or PreK
• Family Child Care
• Home Visitor
• A Bilingual Specialization can be applied to
  any setting.

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Field Work Advisor Observations

• 480 hours / ten 40 hr. weeks
• Advisor will complete the CDA Assessment
  Observation Instrument to record observation of
  the candidate in the 13 Functional Areas.
• One or more observations minimum of 2 ½ - 3
  hours.
• Advisor must meet stated criteria.
• BA, AA or active CDA experience
• No conflict of interest
• Knowledgeable in comprehensive early childhood
  programming.
• See booklet for specific details

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Professional Resource File

• A collection of materials to be used in your work
  as an early childhood professional with children
  and their families.
• PRF provides a picture of what is valued by the
  candidate in functional areas.
• Candidates experience locating resources and
  articulating their work in each functional area.
• Professional looking, manageable in size,
  portable easy to add to and delete from.
• There are 3 parts to your PRF. . .
• Autobiography
• Statements of Competence (6 Goals)
• Resource Collection (17)

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Parent Questionnaire

• Parent questionnaires are included in your
  application packet.
• They are confidential and only read by Council
  Officials.
• You must distribute them and explain their
  importance. The parent must return them.
• How to distribute? Group meeting, Home visits,
  Mailing?
• Some parents may need help how could you
  facilitate this?
• Must be returned in a sealed envelope.

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Verification Visit

• Early Childhood Studies Review
• Oral Interview
• Professional Resource File Review

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Training

• 120 clock hours of formal child care education
  with at least 10 hours in 8 subject areas
• 1) Planning a safe, healthy, learning
  environment.
• 2) Steps to advance childrens physical and
  intellectual development.
• 3) Positive ways to support childrens social and
  emotional development.

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Training (continued)

• 4) Strategies to establish productive
  relationships with families.
• 5) Strategies to manage an effective program.
• 6) Maintaining a commitment to professionalism.
• 7) Observing and recording childrens behavior.
• 8) Principles of child development and learning.

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6 Competency Areas

• 1 To establish and maintain a safe, healthy,
  learning environment.
• 2 To advance physical and intellectual
  competence.
• 3 To support social and emotional development
  and to provide positive guidance.

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Competency Goals

• 4 To establish positive and productive
  relationships with families.
• 5 To ensure a well-run purposeful program
  responsive to participant needs.
• 6 To maintain a commitment to professionalism.

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13 Functional Areas

• Safe
• Healthy
• Learning Environment
• Physical
• Cognitive
• Communication

• Creative
• Self
• Social
• Guidance
• Families
• Program Management
• Professionalism

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Developmental Context

• Each functional area describes the developmental
  stage within which the competency goal is
  achieved.
• Example Learning Environment
• Read

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Getting to Know the Competency Goals Functional
Areas

• Count off by 4
• Get with your number mates
• Read thru you Goal 1, 2, 3, 4-5-6.
• Read thru the functional areas, developmental
  context and PRF documents
• Draw a poster

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Group Sharing

• Explain how your poster describes the Competency
  Goal and what you do as an early childhood
  educator.

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Our time together each week

• The Class syllabus, text, resources,
  organizational tools, expectations, website.

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Assignment Questions

• Read Chapter One and complete the reading
  reflections for discussion.
• Autobiography use your road map rough draft
  300 words.
• PRF 1 Name and address of the local child
  abuse reporting agency.
• PRF 2 Documentation of CPR First Aid.

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Our journey begins. . .

• A special book
• The Three Questions based on a story by Leo
  Tolstoy, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth