This portfolio summarizes Amanda Tietjen's educational experience and philosophy. It includes her autobiography describing growing up in a small rural town and being influenced by hard work and strong community relationships. It also outlines her experience attending small local public schools where teachers knew students and families personally. The portfolio demonstrates Amanda's ability to apply child development knowledge, create effective learning environments, use appropriate assessment techniques, and understand the importance of family and community relationships, in line with early childhood professional standards. It expresses her goal of continuing her education to help children in her community.

1. Associates Portfolio in Early Childhood Development
Amanda Tietjen
CE299: Associates Capstone for Early Childhood Development
August 7, 2015
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3. Table of Contents
Table of Contents...............................................................................................................................3
Autobiography
I was born and raised in Tecumseh, Kansas. I have come from a blue collar family were my
parents are owners of a Mechanical Contracting Business as well as they live on 40 acres of land
and run a wheat crop farm. Tecumseh is a very small rural area, the kind of place where
everyone knows everyone’s family. And being raised in a small place like this everything that we
did as children reflected on our parents. As a child I worked on the farm helping with the gardens,
animals, house, and cooking. This being what was said to be the females work. I also was very big
into making trails and forts in the woods as well as riding motorcycles. I did not grow up with
computers and cell phones, I played outside. Tecumseh being such a small town we were very close
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4. and built very strong long lasting relationships with each other. I still to this day 1500 miles away
from Kansas keep relationships that I have had since grade school. I think that growing in this
environment has helped me to have what is called old school morals. As well as I feel that I have a
sense of hard work ethic and how to build lasting relationships.
In Tecumseh, Kansas I attended a public school. Although since we were so far out in the
country this was the only option for the children. The classrooms were very small and the teachers
were very attentive toward us. As I said before everyone knew each other so the teachers were
familiar with our parents and the parents were familiar with the teachers and all of the other
parents as well. There was not much that we could get away with that everyone did not know. I
believed this helped us as well as the teacher in the educational setting. We all knew each other so
we knew what each other excelled in and could work together to get things accomplished. Also the
teachers knew us personally so they could better understand how to teach us effectively and attend
to each child as an individual. I believe this setting was a good example of a way to help the
children excel because they are taking what they know the child is capable of and making it
something the child can thrive on for the rest of their lives.
Specific examples of this public school setting would include, the teachers and parents are
personal with each other. You would see some of your teachers at a party at your house or at the
neighbors, we were all very close. This closeness helps in knowing the individual child as well as
for the child to feel comfortable and close in the school setting. Another would be the small
classrooms, this is effective in being able to attend to each child as an individual. We as the
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5. children knew that the teachers and our parents knew each other personally so this held us
accountable for our behavior during school hours. And we also knew each other as we grew with
the same people and the same settings, helping us to develop our own styles and uniqueness.
These events influenced my beliefs and values concerning education in a tremendous way.
Every time a child was going down the wrong path there was a parent or teacher there to pick that
child up and put him or her back on to the right path. As the saying goes it takes a village to raise
a child. And I believe that I can give these same morals back to the children today. Teaching them
the importance of having a relationship with the parent and the effectiveness of a caring teacher.
As well as bringing the children together so they can learn from each other and find their own
unique talents.
These mentors were very important in shaping my education and future goals. Starting
with my second grade teacher Mrs. Brown, she was a caring teacher that really took the time to
know not just her students but every student in the school. She had a way of making each child
feel special and that they could accomplish anything that they set their minds to. I also was very
close to a gym teacher in high school. Mr. Gonzales (Gonzo as we called him). He was very close to
my family (I come from a family of championship wrestlers also), and Gonzo always keep a close
watch over me in high school. Anytime that he felt I was going to the extreme or going down the
wrong path he made it a point to pull me aside and have a heart to heart with me, always letting
me know that he was there for me and that I was not alone. This really gave me the confidence to
achieve my goals and get through high school with a lot less stress and peer pressure, knowing I
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6. had support from an adult. And I have to mention the one man that even though he is passed on
was the greatest influence on every aspect of my life and that would be my grandfather Edward K.
Young. He was the most humble, gentile, kind, amazing man I have ever meet and I have based a
lot of my life goals, my choices in men, and my parenting skills around him. He was hard working,
a good father, and a family man, the best example for a little girl growing up that he could be. I
have taken all of these examples and shaped who I am from these examples. I want to help
children to learn the art of play and have fun with each other as well as learn from each other. I
want to give back to my community and make a difference in the children’s lives, so that they too
can make the right choices and set common goals for themselves and their lives to come, using love
and support to guide them.
Personal Educational Philosophy
Characteristics I value in an educated person, is the fact that an educated person has
critical thinking about any given subject, can be more in tune with how to use their creativity,
has the tools to collaborate with others in problem solving and can make connections with what
they have learned to their everyday life and career.
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7. I believe I have developed some of these characteristics during my education at Kaplan
University. For example, I have learned the emotional, social and physical development of young
children and how this has a direct effect on their development. I have changed my many views
that I have had as a parent, about how a child develops and the importance of the adults in their
lives, as well as why it is so crucial to guide them in the right direction. I can critically think
about each child’s development and at what point in their development they should be, being
able to identify when there is a delay in learning, and how to help influence the child and their
families to strengthen areas they may need some help in. I also have developed a new love for
play and how using our creativity and imaginations can help children to develop in many ways
socially, physically, and cognitively.
I think these characteristics are important because the development of children
determines the quality of health, well-being, learning and behavior for the child’s future (WHO,
2015). It is our job as educators to be knowledgeable about a child’s development so that we are
able to identify delays and prevent other conditions. We can help nurture a child and teach those
coping skills as well as creative ways to play and learn new things. So that each child can learn
and grow to their fullest potential.
I would like to pursue additional training in Psychology with an emphasis on children. A
bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis on children could help me to get more in-
depth in working with children, so that I can work more one on one with problem solving and
behavioral skills. I would like to become a wellness coach, a victim advocate, disability
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8. advocate, or case manager. While still continuing my education to attain a master’s degree in
psychology so that I can one day enter the field of mental health counseling for children.
AASEC-1 Knowledge Base/CE299-1: Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of child
development and learning theory in early childhood settings
I choose this CE114: Early Childhood Development unit 9 assignment artifact because it
demonstrates my ability to apply knowledge of child development and learning theory in early
childhood settings. It is a very important and personal assignment to me, I am passionate about the fact
that we educate parents, children and each other about nutrition, obesity and how it effects a child’s
development and their health. The school that I am presenting in the artifact is an actual school with an
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9. actual program that teaches children the value in growing, cooking and eating fresh foods. They take the
time to teach the children about nutrition and how it is an important part in their development.
I learned a tremendous amount about childhood development through the completion of my
project on obesity. As well as the importance of educators having a knowledge of child development and
learning to better advocate for children that are developmentally delayed or obese. Just knowing that
genes may play a big role in a child’s eating habits as well as their physical activity helps me to
understand more about them and what they may be going through. Or that poverty and not having
notorious foods available are huge contributors to obesity. Obesity can effect a child physically, socially
and emotionally contributing to low self-esteem and bullying that happens to these children all of the
time. All of this can lead them into behavioral problems, learning problems, and depression. As well as
some very serious health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Which is heart breaking to me
because I actually know children that go through this.
I feel that it is our job as educators to inspire, educate, and guide children and their families to
want to be healthier and happier with who they are. I want to be able to do just that in my community.
Helping to inform and inspire families to be involved together in being healthy. I feel like if the parent
wants to be healthy then the child will also. I want to learn more about what resources my community
offers to educate parents and children about nutrition, obesity, and how to eat healthy on a budget. As
well as how I can educate and advocate for the children and families in my community.
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10. AASEC-2 Child, Family, and Community Relationships/CE299-2: Demonstrate an
understanding of the development and implementation of strategies for building family and
community relationships
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11. My CE240: Young Children with Special Needs unit 9 assignment artifact is demonstrating my
understanding of the development and implementation of strategies for building family and community
relationships. My assignment shows the importance of a strong team consisting of the teacher, support
staff and family working together for the needs of a special needs child. I have learned that a teacher
play’s a very important part in each child’s life and it is crucial that teachers be educated about
childhood development. I choose this artifact because I want to be involved in making a child’s life
better. I know that having a disability can be challenging to the child and the parent, so being able to
provide early interventions could make a huge difference in the child’s future and the family’s
happiness. When a child has challenging behavior or severe disability team work is especially important
to meet the child’s needs (Allen & Glynnis, 2011). Teachers have knowledge of disabilities and can
provide early intervention and support to the family. Helping the family to be able to cope with
challenging behaviors as well as educating the family about the disability and the everyday stresses of
having a child with a disability. Teachers that are knowledgeable about childhood development can
detect delays in a child’s development helping them to reduce the severity of the delay and prevent
further delays. When there is a parent and teacher relationship the communication is opened and any
progress or delays can be discussed openly between the parent and teacher. Without early intervention
services parents and caregivers would not have the education and resources to help prevent
developmental delays and the severity of developmental disabilities along with support to promote each
child’s development with positive experiences.
My Reflection on meeting this outcome was the importance of being knowledgeable in
childhood development. I have learned that providing early interventions to families can be
difficult and if there is a concern about the child’s development then it should be addressed. It is
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12. also imperative that the teacher can detect certain disabilities and know the correct procedure in
getting help for the child and resources for the parent. In addition to the importance of providing
support to the family during this difficult time. It is important to know that early interventions
can reduce the number of developmental delays and the severity of the developmental
disabilities. Research has shown the children’s earliest experiences play a critical role in their
brains development (NECTAC, 2011). As a teacher it is essential to provide each child with
positive experiences in your classroom. Positive early experiences are essential for any child’s
later success in school, work and in their community (NECTAC, 2011). Children with special
needs that receive early interventions services show a positive outcome across all developmental
domains. As well as the families and caregivers benefit greatly by being educated to better suit
the needs of the child.
My Future Learning Goals related to this outcome is to become a part of a strong team
that is working together for the benefit of each child’s needs. I not only want to have a strong
knowledge of childhood development but I want to be able to provide early interventions to
families along with counseling and training to children with special needs and their families.
These services provided as appropriate by social workers, psychologists, and other qualified
personnel that will assist the family of the child with the understanding of the special needs of
the child and enhancing the child’s development with positive experiences (CMS, 2012).
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13. AASEC-3 Observation and Assessment/CE299-3: Identify developmentally appropriate
observational and assessment techniques for informing instructional planning for children and
their families
I choose my CE114 Early childhood development unit 5 assignment because it demonstrates my
knowledge of child-development and my ability to have developmentally appropriate observational and
assessment techniques. This assignment is helping to inform and educate the development of children
from birth to age 2 and goes over their development in all areas concerning physical and motor skills,
social and emotional development, their cognitive and language development as well as behavioral
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14. development. It is teaching how important is to know each child individually because they are their own
person and develop at their own rate. Observing this development with each child and then assessing the
children’s learning and development on a regular basis.
The most important thing that I have learned from this particular assignment is that children
develop at different rates and in order to understand a child’s development we need to recognize the
different areas of development and how they are interrelated. A lot of our development is influenced by
heredity and I have discovered that a child’s environment can influence their wellbeing, school success,
and social behavior at any developmental stage.
My goal related to this outcome would be to learn about different environments and how this will
affect the child’s development as well as what I can do to help a child and their family that may be
exposed to an environment that is not meeting the needs of the child’s development. I would like to be
able to help my community to be educated on the impact of poverty on a child’s wellbeing and what
people can do to get involved in helping a child in need.
AASEC-4 Learning Environments/CE299-4: Demonstrate the ability to use developmentally
appropriate principles, tools and practices to create effective learning environments for young
children
The artifact that I choose CE215: Early Childhood Curriculum Planning unit 9 assignment I feel
demonstrates my ability to use developmentally appropriate principles, tools and practices to create an
effective learning environment for young children. I enjoyed this lesson because I had a chance to
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15. actually work with children in a teaching setting. I addressed all of the developmental domains physical,
social, emotional, and cognitive and use them together in the activities I taught to my group of children.
I really love how the KWHL chart was used to find out what the children already know about the subject
and how they want to learn. This really gave them an opportunity to construct their own understanding
of the world around them.
I really learned a lot of creative ways to encourage children of all different developmental levels
to engage in the same activity and have fun with it as they are learning. As well as it was challenging but
fun to incorporate the developmental domains and understand how that is helping them to learn and
develop at their own rate.
I am interested to learn more about children and engaging them in creative play activities were I
can meet their needs on every developmental domain to all ages of children and help them to feel good
about themselves and have fun while they are learning. I think that just having an understanding of how
a child develops and learns through creative activities can open up a better way of understanding and
teaching each child.
AASEC-5 Ethics and Professionalism/CE299-5: Demonstrate use of professional
standards, ethical values, critical inquiry and advocacy practices of the Early Childhood field
I choose my CE101: Introduction to Early Childhood Education unit 9 assignment because it
demonstrates my knowledge of professional standards, ethical values, critical inquiry, and advocacy
practices of the early childhood field. When I started learning about early childhood education we began
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16. with learning the foundation of education and how the past has influenced our educational system. At
this point, I was beginning to learn strategies to meet the needs of all the students. Gaining the tools that
I will need to provide the most effective learning environment. And most importantly learning that each
child is different and we should identify with each child in their own way. As well as build relationships
with the families and the community we are in. The NAEYC has mapped out the Standards and Code of
Ethics for me and will guide me into developmentally appropriate practice in my professional career
thru training and continuing education programs.
It has been interesting for me to learn of the history of education and all of the different theories
behind the history. Theorists have opened our eyes to new generations and ways of thinking about how a
child develops as well as how they respond to being educated. This has helped me discover my role as
an educator and how I may be able to make a difference in a child’s development and learning. When
learning of Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences I found that there are many ways to encourage children to
be creative and open up their imaginations, and most of the time it involves play, not a child’s IQ. I have
learned that having a current knowledge of children’s development can help to prevent disabilities as
well as prevent other further delays with a child. And advocating for the children, the families, and the
community can help give a family the support they may need as well as help to prevent abuse and
neglect within the community.
We can never stop learning when it comes to children’s development and ethical standards in a
childcare facility. We are constantly developing new theories about children’s development and how
they respond to different environments so it is imperative that we stay current in order to keep the
children safe and engaged in the learning environment. My goal will always be to know what the laws
and regulations are so that I am able to keep children safe in any environment that I may provide. In
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17. addition to using my knowledge of children’s development to build a meaningful curriculum to enhance
their development and learning.
AASEC-6 Individuality and Cultural Diversity/CE299-6: Demonstrate an understanding of
the importance of individuality and cultural diversity of children and their families to learning
and development
The artifact that I choose CE230: Creative Activities for Young Children Multiculturalism
understanding project, because it demonstrates my understanding of the importance of individuality and
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18. cultural diversity of children and their families to learning and development. The presentation addresses
multiculturalism and diversity in the classroom and why it is important for educators to address this in
the classroom. As well as ideas that promote an understanding of other cultures helping the children to
see the differences they have and embrace them rather than reject them. It is important for children to
learn to be comfortable with people who are different as well as it is important for children to have
experiences with people who are different in order for them to understand and embrace these
differences.
It was great to learn different ways to educate children about different cultures I think this
can be made very fun in the classroom. The children not only get to learn about their own backgrounds
they also get to learn about other cultures as well. Helping them feel confident in themselves and except
others differences. Learning to enjoy the differences that they have and that being mean because
someone is different is not acceptable. I have found that honoring families of other cultures in the
classroom can ease the tension of not knowing the language and the feeling of not being able to relate to
the other children.
I love learning about different cultures and enjoy teaching my own children about people’s
differences and how to embrace them. I want to learn how to help change stereotypical thinking in my
community so that all children can see that we are not that different and we can help each other by
working together and learning more about each other.
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19. References
Bachelors In Psychology (Bachelors In Psychology)
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20. http://www.alleydog.com/bachelors-in-psychology.php
Master's Degrees In Psychology (MA/MS) (Master of Science Degree In Psychology)
http://www.alleydog.com/psychology-masters-degree.php
Maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/development/en/
Allen, Eileen K., and Glynnis Edwards Cowdery. The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early
Childhood Education, 7e, 7th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2011.
Children’s Medical Services (2012), Florida’s Early Steps System; retrieved from:
http://www.floridahealth.gov/alternatesites/cms-kids/families/early_steps/early_steps.html
NECTAC (2011), The importance of Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
and their Families, retrieved from:
http://www.nectac.org/~pdfs/pubs/importanceofearlyintervention.pdf
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