Jennifer Gilken
Associate Professor, ECE Program Coordinator
Teacher Education
EMAIL: jgilken@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: S-616G
Office Hours: Wed. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Phone: +1 (212) 776-2411
Jennifer Gilken is a professor and researcher living in Brooklyn, NY with her family. She completed her BS in Early Childhood, Childhood and Special Education at Temple University. She completed her Masters in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer Gilken has worked in the field of early childhood for over 20 years. She has been a teacher in Head Start and kindergarten, a director of early childhood programs, and an assistant professor. Currently, she has the privilege of working with pre-service early childhood education students at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City. Jennifer received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research interests include examining ways to support the infant toddler workforce, STEM in early childhood education, and investigating methods that support students’ feelings of belonging. Jennifer is the current Vice President of the New York State Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NYSAECTE).
Expertise
Infant-Toddler Workforce Development
Infant-Toddler Curriculum
Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education
Student Centered Instruction
Early Childhood Advocacy and Leadership
STEAM in Early Childhood
Degrees
B.S., Early Childhood, Childhood, and Special Education, Temple University (1994)
M.S.Ed., Early Childhood Education, University of Pennsylvania (1998)
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, The CUNY Graduate Center (2018)
Courses Taught
- This course focuses on the theories, methods and materials of early childhood education for infants (birth to 18 months), with emphasis on addressing developmental needs and culturally appropriate practices in their education and care. The following topics are explored in depth: social, emotional, cognitive and physical development of infants; basic principles of infant care giving, including providing culturally sensitive and consistent care; arrangement of the environment and developmentally appropriate experiences to promote infant growth and learning; the role of parents and establishing partnerships with families.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 110 - This is a fieldwork course focusing on the observation and assessment of infants and toddlers. It requires supervised participation in an assigned early childhood education setting (birth to 36 months) 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 infants and toddlers; 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 209 and ECE 210
- This course is a continuation of ECE 209, focusing on the theories, methods and materials of early childhood education for toddlers (ages 18 months to 36 months). The following topics are explored in-depth: social, emotional, cognitive, physical and self-help development of toddlers; basic principles of toddler caregiving, including providing culturally sensitive and consistent care; arrangement of the learning environment and developmentally and culturally appropriate experiences to promote toddler growth and learning; the role of parents and establishing partnerships with families. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 209 and ECE 210
- This capstone fieldwork course is designed to (1) reflect a strength-based stance toward children and families and affirm the identities and cultural and linguistic diversity of all learners, (2) develop practical and evidence-based knowledge for supporting language and literacy acquisition and development, and (3) enable students to demonstrate their competencies teaching infants and toddlers. It requires supervised participation in an early childhood education setting (Birth- thirty-six months) and participation in a weekly seminar. Students will explore principles, methods, and materials, informed by current research, for supporting young children’s language and literacy acquisition and development. Students will utilize practical classroom experiences to make connections between theory and practice, develop professional behaviors around working with infants, toddlers, families, and build a comprehensive understanding of the role of language and literacy in an integrated curriculum. Students will design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences that integrate language and literacy learning for infants and toddlers with diverse learning styles and needs, with strong emphasis on child centered, play-oriented, and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, as well as knowledge that is integrated across the curriculum. Students spend a minimum of 90 hours in the field.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 308 and ECE 309
Research and Projects
Grant #55886-04 02 Early Childhood Research Network: Institutes of Higher Education in New York State Collaborative Summer Symposium: Supporting early childhood faculty to included infant-toddler content into courses
Grant # 72338-01-10, New York City Early Childhood Research Network: An Exploration of the Infant Toddler Teacher Course Content and Teacher Education Pipeline
Publications
Gilken, J., Longley, J., & Crosby, J. (2022). Finding Space for Infants and Toddlers in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-12. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01299-7
Gilken, J., Longley, J., & Guirguis, R. (2021). Preparing Preservice Teachers to Promote Mathematical Thinking in Infants, Toddlers, And Preschool-age Children. Journal of Mathematics Education, 13(2), 50-63. https://web.archive.org/web/20211123024459id_/https://educationforatoz.com/images/2021_JME-ECED-3–Gilken.pdf
Longley, J.M., & Gilken, J.M. (2020). Mentoring in early childhood settings: Elements of Effective Relationships. Dimensions in Early Childhood.
Gilken, J.M., & Johnson, H. L. (2019). Supporting Belongingness Through Instructional Interventions in Community College Classrooms. Community College Enterprise, vol. 25, no. 1, 2019, p. 32+.
Gilken, J. M. & Johnson, H. L. (2019). Implementing a Peer Feedback Intervention within a Community of Practice Framework. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 1-12.
Longley, J. M., & Gilken, J. M. (2019). Preparing Infant/Toddler Professionals: A Community College’s Perspective. Occasional Paper Series, 2019(42), 8.
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-raise-a-family/31065#expert=Jen_Gilken
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
Selected for BMCC’s 2019 Faculty Leadership Fellows Program
Selected as a 2020 Exchange Leader, Child Care Exchange Leadership Initiative
