Early Childhood Education (ECED)

Considers current problems and issues in early childhood education.

This course guides students in critically examining their own perspectives regarding diversity, seeks to expand students' awareness and understanding of individuals and groups representing differences, and explores pedagogical issues and practices essential for embracing the whole community of learners and families.

Introductory study of the role of the teacher, the role of the learner and the developing child as the basis for designing programs and developing curriculum for children 0-8 with different abilities and from various cultures.

Study of content, processes, teaching methods and materials for teaching science and social studies in the early childhood classroom. Knowledge of cognitive development as applied to the selection of content in method will be examined.

This course is a supervised field experience in which students work in an early childhood laboratory classroom with pre-kindergarten age children. It emphasizes applications of age-appropriate guidance strategies for facilitating children's total development, including children with diverse needs. Observational strategies for assessing growth and progress are developed.

This course integrates child development knowledge and theories, academic content knowledge, and age/stage appropriate guidance strategies for teaching children pre-kindergarten through grade three. Emphasis on observational/assessment strategies and inquiry processes related to young children's growth and development as a basis for teaching decisions.

This field experience supports the study of child development and emerging literacy through direct observation and interactions with children in a classroom setting. Candidates will examine and reflect on their personal attitudes, assumptions and behaviors toward students and their families who represent diverse class, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Students will complete 80 hours over the course of the full semester (16 weeks).

This is the first of two courses that helps prospective early childhood teachers (PreK-3) develop mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge, skills and understanding to design and implement effective, developmentally appropriate mathematics instruction for grades PreK-3. Emphasis is on children's mathematical learning in the following mathematical strands: number and number sense, computation and estimation, and patterns, functions and algebra.

This is the second of two courses that helps prospective early childhood teachers (PreK-3) develop mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge, skills and understanding to design and implement effective, developmentally appropriate mathematics instruction for grades PreK-3. Emphasis is on children's mathematical learning of geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability.

This all-day, primary-grade practicum allows students to demonstrate their educational decision-making skills through planning, implementing and evaluating appropriate activities for children of diverse interests, needs and abilities. Strategies to assess learning, guide behavior, work with professionals and involve families are applied in this practicum and accompanying seminar.

Enables students to apply in public school classrooms those understandings, skills and attitudes acquired in all components of teacher education. Under the guidance of university supervisors and cooperating teachers, students engage in full-time teaching responsibilities.

This fieldwork is designed to provide support for students and reinforces skills and concepts learned during the education program which are being applied during student teaching. Particular attention is given to school and family/community unity.

Designed to give capable students opportunities to complete independent research on educational problems under faculty guidance. The plan for the study must be presented to the department head in prescribed form for approval prior to registration.

The teaching seminar is a space for students to reflect on their experiences, grapple with how to best meet the needs of diverse learners and contemplate their evolving identity as a teacher. Through this course, students will recognize the vital role that families and communities play in shaping and supporting children. Students will become a resource for themselves, their peers, their grade level team, their students and the families. As students transition from being a student to a professional, they will continue to develop not only their content knowledge and pedagogy, but also their skills and dispositions.