Associated Students Children’s Center/Child Development Laboratory (ASCC/CDL)
Welcome to the link for the Associated Students Children’s Center/Child Development Laboratory!
The University and the Child Development Program have an agreement with the Associated Students to provide opportunities for students to observe and participate with the staff, children, and families.
Thus, the teaching and learning function of this facility is a primary objective. The 2004 merger of the Associated Students Children’s Center and the Child Development Laboratory has strengthened this function by providing Child Development students opportunities to work in an “authentic” environment similar to what students will face upon graduation. The observation room in Modoc Hall is used by classes in Child Development and many other majors to complete assignments about how children grow and develop.
The following Child Development courses use the ASCC/CDL extensively:
Child Development 251 students use the Observation Room near the Modoc classroom to complete observations about children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Child Development 352 (typically Junior level) students gain skills in applying knowledge of children’s growth and development to appropriate experiences in the creative arts, play, math, science, literacy, and language. Planning, implementing, and evaluating curriculum activities are key components of the course. Students in the class work directly with children in an approved community program approximately 3 hours a week.
Child Development 392 (Senior level) students gain knowledge and skills in the following objectives:
- To increase knowledge of child development in children ages 0-5 years.
- To expand skills and knowledge of how child development programs are operated, organized, and managed to meet the developmentally appropriate needs of young children and their families.
- To further enhance and refine observation skills in assessing children’s development and the use of those skills to determine appropriate program practice and policy.
- To develop behavior management skills to enhance children’s growth.
- To increase awareness, knowledge, and skills of professional relationships among adults who work with young children including communication skills, self assessment and reflection.
Child Development 492 (Senior level) is the advanced internship for senior majors. The majority of the internship sites were chosen by these students. In this class, students write individually determined internship learning objectives, and select the ASCC/CDL or another community-based agency placement that matches their career interest in children from birth through 18 years of age and/or their families. Students spend six hours a week in their internship placement for twelve weeks, for a total of 72 internship hours.