Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: discuss the roles and responsibilities of professional early childhood educators and the importance of continued professional development; describe a variety of early childhood education program models and learning environments for children  from birth through age eight; discuss historical and theoretical bases for early childhood education; identify practices for early care and education that reflect sensitivity to differences in socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity, and differing abilities; recognize the importance of working with the families and communities of the children they serve; apply and create developmentally appropriate practices and learning environments for children from birth through eight years of age; use program and curriculum standards and assessment of children and programs to impact early childhood education programs; practice reflective thinking in becoming an effective early childhood educator; use observation to recognize the basic components of quality early childhood program setting; and develop a beginning portfolio using knowledge of the teacher portfolio process.