Kirsten Cole
Associate Professor
Teacher Education
EMAIL: kcole@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: S-616
Office Hours: (email for current office hours)
Phone: (212) 220-1289
Kirsten Cole (she/her) is a teacher, researcher, and parent based in Brooklyn, NY. Her research interests include the study of teachers’ lives, the relationship between families and teachers, and anti-racist/anti-bias education. Cole has the pleasure to teach and learn from her students and colleagues as an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at BMCC.
Expertise
Early Childhood Education
Degrees
- B.A. Wesleyan University, English, 1993
- M.F.A. California College of the Arts, Textiles, 1999
- Ph.D. CUNY – Graduate Center, Urban Education, 2013
Courses Taught
- This course provides an overview of the social context of early care and education. It focuses on the historical, philosophical, sociological, and political foundations of programs for young children, birth to eight years. The following topics will be explored in depth: Historical and contemporary theories of early childhood education, multicultural and social ecological factors in early care and schooling, particularly for diverse urban settings; early childhood programming; family and community involvement; advocacy, trends and current issues in early childhood practice. This course requires 30 hours of fieldwork. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 110
- This course is an introduction to the theories, methods and materials of curriculum planning in early childhood education (preschool to 2nd grade), with an emphasis on providing developmentally and culturally appropriate learning environments and experiences that encourage creativity in young children. The following topics are explored in depth: the intellectual and emotional importance of fostering creativity, the role of play in learning, the design of effective arts-based learning environments; the role of visual arts, music, movement and language arts/emergent literacy in developing children?s cognitive, social-emotional, physical, language and self-help skills. Course work includes workshops in planning and implementing creative arts experiences for your children.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 110
Course Syllabus - 3 CRS.4 HRS.NULL LAB HRS.ECE 110 (Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education)
- This course examines the psychological and psychosocial foundations of early childhood and relates these foundations to educational practice with your children, birth to eight years. It focuses on historical and contemporary theories of childhood development. Early learning is considered in relation to biological factors, child and family factors, program factors and social factors, particularly in diverse urban settings. Young children?s physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional development is explored as contributors to and as consequences of early learning experiences. This course requires 15 hours of fieldwork.
- This is a fieldwork course focusing on the observation and assessment of young children. It requires supervised participation in an assigned early childhood education setting (preschool to second grade) and attendance at a weekly seminar. Students will learn the appropriate use of assessment and observation strategies to document the development, growth, play and learning of young children; and how authentic assessment methods can be used to tailor curriculum to promote children?s success. Recording strategies, rating systems, child studies/portfolios, and various assessment tools are explored. Students spend a minimum of 60 hours in the field. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 210 and ECE 211
- This is a capstone fieldwork course that enables students to demonstrate their competencies teaching young children. It requires supervised participation in an assigned early childhood education setting (preschool to 2nd grade) and attendance at a weekly seminar. Students will utilize practical classroom experiences to make connections between theory and practice, develop professional behaviors, and build a comprehensive understanding of children and families. Child centered, play-oriented approaches to teaching, learning and assessment; and knowledge of curriculum content areas will be emphasized as student teachers design, implement and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for infants and toddlers with diverse learning styles and needs. Students spend a minimum of 90 hours in the field. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 311 and ECE 312
Research and Projects
- Anti-Racist Pedagogy Faculty Fellowship – CETLS series and other programming. SPRING 2022
- Anti-Racist Pedagogy Summer Workshops and Faculty/Student Fellowships – Funded by BMCC’s President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation. 2021-2022.
- Examining Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Impacting Men’s Decisions to Teach: A comparative study of men in Early Childhood (ECE/UPK) settings and school-based programs.
Professor Cole and colleagues from the Teacher Education Department received a $315,000 grant from the Foundation for Child Development. Professor Cole served as one of the study’s Co-PIs in conducting a two-year research project from 2016-2018.
Publications
- Building a Gender-Balanced Workforce: Supporting Male Teachers. Young Children. Washington: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
- ‘Why not become a police officer?’ Challenges in the Recruitment and Retention of Men in Early Childhood Education. Peer-reviewed book chapter in Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.
- Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families. Young Children. National Assn. for the Education of Young Children
- Power Parents and the Gentrification of the PTA. Peer-reviewed book chapter published in Women Education Scholars and Their Children’s Schooling. Routledge Research in Education
- Breaking Down Silos: Teaching for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Across Disciplines, Humboldt Journal of Social Relations. Issue 39
- Joy in the Making: Young Children and the Visual Arts – chapter in Young Children and the Arts. Ed. Carol Korn-Buzstyn. Information Age Publishing
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
Selected for BMCC’s 2018 Faculty Leadership Fellows Program.
Selected for CUNY’s 2017 Faculty Fellowship Publication Program.
Additional Information
Interviewed in the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/09/nyregion/nyc-schools-gifted-education.html
Interviewed on NY1: https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/10/11/this-brooklyn-school-is-already-phasing-out–gifted-and-talented–classes
Interviewed in New York Magazine: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/can-ending-gifted-and-talented-programs-desegregate-schools.html
