ECE I - Course Description

The Early Childhood Education I course is the foundational course under the Early Childhood Care & Education pathway and prepares the student for employment in early childhood education and services. The course addresses the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors associated with supporting and promoting optimal growth and development of infants and children. The pre-requisite for this course is advisor approval.

ECE II - Course Description

Early Childhood Education II is the second course in the Early Childhood Care and Education pathway and further prepares the student for employment in early childhood care and education services. The course provides a history of education, licensing and accreditation requirements, and foundations of basic observation practices and applications. Early childhood care, education, and development issues are also addressed and include health, safety, and nutrition education; certification in CPR/First Aid/Fire Safety; information about child abuse and neglect; symptoms and prevention of major childhood illnesses and diseases; and prevention and control of communicable illnesses.

ECE III - Course Description

Early Childhood Education III is the third course in the Early Childhood Care and Education pathway and one option for program completers who may not have the opportunity of participating in the Early Childhood Education Internship. The course provides in-depth study of early brain development and its implications for early learning, appropriate technology integration, and developmentally appropriate parenting and child guidance trends. Also addressed are collaborative parent/teacher/child relationships and guidance, child directed play, the changing dynamics of family culture and diversity, the causes and effects of stress on young children, and infant nutrition.

ECE Practicum - Course Description

The practicum offers a candidate in the Early Childhood Education career pathway a field experience under the direct supervision of a certified early childhood educator (mentor). This field experience may be used as partial requirements for the candidate to earn the nationally recognized CDA credential. The practicum stresses observing, analyzing, and classifying activities of the mentor and comparing personal traits with those of successful early childhood educators. The candidate intern will develop a portfolio of their skills, plan and teach a lesson or lessons, understand and practice confidentiality as it pertains to the teaching profession, meet the needs of students with special needs, maintain the safety of the students, practice professionalism, and demonstrate ethical behavior.