Course Description

An active learning approach is used to develop student's skills in planning, implementing and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children ages 1 year to 10 years. Various curriculum areas are covered: science, pre-math, math, drama and music, creative art, sensory, gross and fine motor, social studies and language arts. Basic skills and concepts, resource materials and teaching methods (developmental) are explored for each curriculum area. There is a strong emphasis on individualizing curriculum using the child's interests, modality of learning and intelligence theories. This course includes 32 practicum hours of experiential learning in an early care and education setting for preschoolers. Group 2 course.

Credit Hours

4

Contact Hours

4

Lecture Hours

4

Recommended Prerequisites or Skills Competencies

ECE 101

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge:

• Identify major issues in education that directly relate to method and curriculum choices made by teachers for early childhood education.
• Record observations during their practicum hours.

Application:

• Describe the importance of using children's interests to promote learning in the curriculum.
• Utilize children's interests to create a project based approach in curriculum design.
• Use new learning and skill while working directly with children during practicum classroom hours.

Integration:

• Integrate the real world arts and technology in curriculum design.
• Integrate cultural diversity into the curriculum to use in the classroom environment.
• Assist in lesson planning and implementation as determined by the practicum class room supervisor.
• Write a reflective journal for their practicum to connect experience to future work in the field of education.

Human Dimension:

• Investigate the affective domain in teaching to develop the interpersonal teaching skills to interact positively with young children in care.
• Explore the nature of the education process and observe how children respond and learn in the practicum classroom hours.

Caring - Civic Learning:

• Actively advocate for the well-being of children and families in their community.

Learning How to Learn:

• Analyze their own thinking and learning skills to design their course success plan.