The Early Childhood Education degree prepares students to certify in grades PreK-4 with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This program focuses on the needs of the early learner and their unique needs as they learn to learn.
The program is designed to meet all the Pennsylvania Department of Education's mandated content requirements while still offering the certification candidate over two hundred hours of field experiences in early childhood education settings prior to their student teaching semester.
Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science with a major in early childhood education
Required courses:
ECE 110 Child Development I| This course will provide an overview of early
childhood educators' beliefs that inquiry
learning
through curriculum integration is the most
effective way to teach young children. The
emergence of constructivism and the age-related
patterns of intellectual growth will be examined.
This knowledge will be essential for pre-service
teachers learning to make competent decisions
about curriculum and teaching methodology. The
delivery approach will follow a
theory-to-practice
format so students can "see" how an understanding
of theories of development and relationships
enhances practice and planning. This course
requires updated federal background clearances
for field component. Course restricted to ECE majors only. Non-majors may
register with permission of the Education department chair 3 credits. |
*
ECE 115 Child Development II| This course will provide an understanding of the
overall patterns of child development and
learning. The student will gain insight into the
relationships between child development, learning
and teaching and the variation from these typical
patterns. The emphasis will be placed on reviewing
the characteristics of children at different ages
and stages of development. Specific developmental
appropriate practices for school-aged children
will be examined. Delivery approach will include,
but not be limited to, authentic classroom videos,
analyzing and responding to real student and
teacher artifacts, case studies and simulations. Prerequisite: ECE 110. 3 credits. |
| Freshman Seminar - This course is designed to
acclimate freshman education majors (ECE and
ECE/SPE) to fieldwork policies and procedures and
clarify students' interests and long-term goals
in education. Additional topics include career
development, professional dispositions, and
academic advising. This will be a
satisfactory/unsatisfactory course for all
students. Graded pass/fail. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 0 credits. |
| This course will focus on the developmental tasks
and perspectives of the adults in children's
lives. Students will spend time understanding the
roles of parents, teachers, and other caregivers
in the lives of young children as they work to
form caring relationships with those around them.
The delivery approach will follow a
theory-to-practice format so students can "see"
how an understanding of theories of development
and relationships enhances practice. The professor
will promote experiential learning, critical
thinking, synthesis, planning, evaluation and
action. 3 credits. |
| This course will involve an in-depth examination
of child development and learning, family and
community relationships, effective assessment
strategies developmentally effective approaches
to
teaching and learning and ethical guidelines
related to early childhood practice. Students
will
have opportunities to view and design challenging
learning environments. They will practice using
observation, documentation and other appropriate
assessment tools and approaches in field
experiences. Delivery approach will include, but
not be limited to, analyzing and responding to
authentic classroom artifacts, case study
analysis, simulations, journal critiques and
field
experiences. Fulfills requirement: Social Scientific Inquiry. 3 credits. |
| This course will begin with a definition of
creativity as it applies to young children in the
early childhood classroom. Specific attention will
be given to clarifying the importance of art,
music and drama in child development and learning.
Delivery approach will include, but not be limited
to, authentic classroom video viewing, field
observations, group presentations, and research
articles. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115, limited to early childhood
education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that addresses the growth and
development of the young reader in the emergent
and early beginning stages of literacy
development. The course foundation is supported
by both a balanced approach to literacy and
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Foundational
Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading
Literature, Writing, and Speaking and Listening.
Recognizing the importance of early instruction
and intervention, students will explore a variety
of strategies, methods, and assessment tools to
meet the needs of learners, including students
with special needs, struggling readers, and
English language learners. Special attention in
the course is given to the following topics: oral
language development, phonemic awareness,
phonics, and the essential role of quality
children's literature. PDE Stages 1&2 field
competencies are assessed in this embedded course. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115, limited to early childhood
education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| Sophomore Seminar - This course is designed to
continue discussion on topics related to
fieldwork, evaluations, and lesson planning.
Additional topics include teacher candidacy,
resume writing, educational technology,
professional dispositions, and academic advising.
This will be a satisfactory/unsatisfactory course
for all students. Graded pass/fail. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 0 credits. |
| This course will begin with a historical overview
of mathematics teaching and learning for young
children. Current ideas on teaching mathematics
will be introduced, as well as the many ways to
incorporate mathematics learning into everyday
classroom life. Assessments that encompass both
understanding and procedural skills will be
introduced. Curricular expectations related to
number and operations, geometry, measurement,
algebra, and data analysis and probability will be
explored. Delivery approach will include but not
be limited to inquiry-based instruction, journal
critiques and children's literature with
mathematical themes, subplots and references. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course provides a comprehensive, balanced
overview of curriculum development in early
childhood education. Standards, curriculum
mapping, and the future of curriculum will be
discussed as students understand what curriculum
is and the role they play as teachers in
curriculum development. The delivery approach
will include, but not be limited to, guest
speakers, text analysis, book study, technology
experiences, and field experiences. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that focuses on the growth and
development of the beginning reader. The course
foundation is supported by both a balanced
approach to literacy and the PDE Academic
Standards for Foundational Skills, Reading
Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing,
and Speaking and Listening. Emphasizing a strong
foundation in phonemic awareness, phonics,
spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
students will explore a variety of methods,
strategies, and assessments for the teaching of
reading as supported by the current research.
Special emphasis will be placed on making
appropriate accommodations and adaptations for
students with disabilities as well as struggling
readers and English language learners. PDE Stage
3 field experience competencies are assessed in
this embedded course. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that addresses the continued development
and growth of the fluent reader and writer. The
course foundation is supported by both a balanced
approach to literacy and the PDE Academic
Standards for Foundational Skills, Reading
Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing,
and Speaking and Listening. Stressing the
importance of comprehension, students will
explore a variety of classroom approaches to
teach reading and writing across the content
areas as supported by research. Emphasis will be
placed on making appropriate accommodations and
adaptations for students with disabilities as
well as struggling readers and English language
learners. Special attention is placed on the
development of thematic units and multi-genre
writing. Fulfills general education requirement:
Writing Process. PDE Stage 3 field experience
competencies are assessed in this embedded course. Prerequisite: ECE 110, 240, 330; limited to
early childhood education majors or permission of the
instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide pre-service
teachers an opportunity to learn about and
practice the implementation of teacher research
in a classroom-based setting. Students will learn
how to identify an area of focus, formulate a
research question, conduct a literature review,
design a research study, determine methods of
data collection, collect and analyze data, and
report research findings. Students will be
required to write a 3000-word paper detailing the
teacher research project. Writing will be taught
as a process. The instructor will offer
instruction in writing and will provide
substantive written and oral feedback on
students' written performance during the writing
process. Individual writing conferences are held
with each student during the drafting and
revision stages of the writing process. Fulfills requirement: Social Scientific Inquiry,Critical Thinking through Writing. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| Early childhood professionals are instrumental in
developing the foundations for wellness for young
children and their families. This course will
address current societal pressures that provide
new challenges to teachers of young children.
These many issues present new opportunities for
teachers to appreciate the interrelationships
among nutrition, health, and safety. Delivery
approach will include, but not be limited to,
field observations, group presentations, field
trips, and lecture. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce the
complexity of social studies and draws on years of
related research that demonstrates the importance
of inquiry learning to deepen children's
understanding of the integrated curriculum. The
areas of child development related to the social
studies, the current national standards and
practical ideas for teaching will also be
examined. Delivery approach will include, but not
be limited to, inquiry-oriented instruction, class
discussions, demonstrations of early concrete
learning experiences and hands-on experience with
various social studies programs. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is about children's play and
development beginning with a history of ideas,
beliefs, and activities of play, the early and
contemporary theories of play and how scholars
explain its meaning, functions, and developmental
benefits. Students will gain an understanding of
the developmental advantages of children's free
play and the disadvantages of not playing.
Delivery approach will include, but not be limited
to, lecture, individual and group presentations,
fieldwork observations and journaling. Prerequisite: ECE 110; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce the major
areas of science instruction and define the
relative importance of science content, processes,
skills and attitudes needed for young children to
successfully understand science. National Science
Education Standards will be examined to identify
what children at different ages and stages should
know and be able to do in the area of science.
Delivery approach will include, but not be limited
to: inquiry-oriented instruction, class
discussions, integrated unit plans and hands-on
experience with various science programs. Prerequisite: ECE 110; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
*
ECE 385 Advocacy, Leadership, and Collaboration| This course will begin with an examination of the
professional and ethical standards expected of an
early childhood educator. Collaboration with
families, the community, and public agencies will
be practiced and further developed through
co-teaching opportunities. Delivery approach will
include, but not be limited to, field
experiences, class discussions, simulations and
reflective writings. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide preservice
teachers an opportunity to demonstrate their
integration competency learned through
Constellation LVC courses and education courses in
the major via a written paper and/or
interdisciplinary research project. The overall
project will require students to demonstrate
problem solving and critical reading skills
around a topic/issue/concern/interest related to
teaching and/or education. Students will be
asked to interrogate this
topic/issue/concern/interest from an
interdisciplinary perspective. Students will be
required to present, defend, and reflect on the
project to faculty and/or peers and/or
cooperating teachers and select school personnel. Fulfills requirement: Integrative Experience. Pre or co-requisite: The Connective Experience (COE) and,
in particular, the integrative component of the COE must be
taken prior to or concurrently with this course.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 and ECE 440 or ECE 441/SPE 441.
This course is for ECE and ECE/SPE majors only. 3 credits. |
| Special topics related to current concerns in
education are researched and presented by the
students in the course. Issues related to
teaching
and to further professional growth are explored.
Students will receive extensive interview
preparation, certification preparation (TIMMS)
and prepare senior job portfolios. Prerequisite: Limited to spring semester senior early
childhood education majors or permission of instructor. 3 credits. |
| An introduction to the educational technologies
used in the classroom that help facilitate
learning and to help us and our students become
digitally aware in the 21st century. This course
focuses on emphasizing a conscientious approach
to technology that goes beyond current technology
fads. Among the topics covered are technology
basics, history - future of educational
technology, communicating with students and
parents, developing a personal learning network
and staying current on trends and applications
related to educational technology. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore education majors, or
other certification candidates with permission of
instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed for the pre-service
elementary educator (and other majors) to gain an
understanding of the complex factors impacting the
education and language acquisition of diverse
language and cultural minority groups of the
United States. A focus will be the examination of
relevant cultural issues such as communication and
interaction styles, values, socio-cultural
characteristics, and demographics, as well as the
development of the teacher's individual
cross-cultural competence. Fulfills requirement: Human Diversity. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce all
categories of disability. Specific attention will
be given to the potential cognitive, physical,
social, behavioral, and language differences in
children with disabilities. Delivery approach
will include, but not be limited to lecture,
case study discussions, and writing instruction.
Students will be expected to write two papers
(totaling 3,000 words) researching various
aspects of disability. Writing instruction will
be provided throughout this course. The
instructor will provide substantive written
and/or oral feedback through individual writing
conferences, which will be held throughout the
semester. In addition, this course has a two hour
per week required field experience. Fulfills requirement: Critical Thinking through Writing. Course restricted to Education majors. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce
accommodations and supports for students receiving
special education services. Special focus will be
given to effective instructional strategies in
inclusive settings, literacy development in core
and intervention areas, and assessment. 3 credits. |
| This course will begin with a historical overview
of the field of special education, including key
legislation and litigation that drives current
practice. Assessment tools for diagnosing
disability will be introduced, as well as
assessment tools for documenting student
progress. In addition, collaboration and
communication skills essential for working as a
part of the special education team will be
practiced and further developed. Delivery
approach will include, but not be limited to
lecture, field experiences, and hands-on
experience with various assessments. Two hours
per week of fieldwork is required. 3 credits. |
*ECE 115 and 385 are not required for Special Education double-majors
Note: Students may graduate with the B.S. degree without completing student teaching. Students who are pursuing teacher certification must complete 12 credit hours of
ECE 440 ECE Student Teaching| Each student spends an entire semester in an area
school under the supervision of a carefully
selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or
students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisites: Completion of all Early Childhood courses in
the major, cumulative GPA at or above the minimum GPA
specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and Act 49-2
course requirements. 12 credits. |
or
ECE 441 ECE Dual Major Student Teaching| Each ECE/SPE dual major will spend eight weeks in
an early childhood education environment in an
area school under the supervision of a carefully
selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or
students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisites: Completion of all courses in the ECE/Special
Education Dual Major, cumulative GPA at or above the
minimum GPA specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
Education certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and
Act 49-2 course requirements. 6 credits. |
/
SPE 441 ECE Special Education Student Teaching| Each ECE/SPE dual major will spend eight weeks in
a stand-alone special education environment in an
area school under the supervision of a carefully
selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or
students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisite: Completion of all courses in the ECE/Special
Education Dual Major, cumulative GPA at or above the
minimum GPA specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
Education certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and
Act 49-2 course requirements. 6 credits. |
Student Teaching in addition to completing all requirements for the major in Early Childhood Education.