Early Childhood Education (ECED)
ECED 1000 Introduction to Early Childhood Education — 4 credits
In this course students will study the historical roots and contemporary manifestations of early childhood education theories and practices. Theories regarding the learning modes and stages of development in the young child will be presented, including exceptionalities. Students will characterize the components of curriculum development inherent in developmentally appropriate practice. Students will begin to explore their own personal biases and how they may shape their understanding of children and education.
ECED 2040W Historical, Cultural and Social Foundations of Early Childhood Education — 4 credits
In this course students will study the relationships between early childhood education and the cultural, historical and social realities of the United States. Students will study the history of early childhood education and critically examine ways in which power and privilege have influenced the evolution of the education system at large and specifically early childhood education. The existence of implicit, and explicit, teacher bias will be explored in-depth using current research, self-reflective practices, and an understanding of systemic "isms" present in today's educational institutions. Students will gain the knowledge, resources, and tools to be culturally responsive and practice anti-bias and anti-racist teaching strategies.
Prerequisite: ECED 1000.
ECED 2200 The Art of Early Childhood Classroom Guidance and Assessment — 4 credits
In this course students will examine classroom management and assessment from relationship-driven, anti-bias, and anti-racist points of view. Students will consider the connection for children between past trauma and current behavior in the classroom. The current structure at work in mainstream educational classroom management will be critically examined and students will construct their own vision of transformational classroom management and assessment. Students will choose strategies that are respectful, cooperative, and empowering to children. The intersection of classroom management and assessment will be examined. Students will understand and develop authentic assessment tools and practices based on observation and developmentally appropriate practice, including motivation and relationship-driven techniques that consider individual needs. Students will adapt classroom management and assessment strategies to diverse cultural norms and examine the influences of their own implicit bias in discipline and assessment choices. This course requires 20 hours of observation in an Early Childhood classroom.
Prerequisite: ECED 1000.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2040W.
ECED 2300 Early Childhood Education Accreditation and Standards — 1 credit
This course provides an overview of the legal and professional mandates related to early childhood teaching. Competency–based modules include the Department of Human Services regulations, Department of Education standards for the Standards of Effective Practice for Teachers, and the Standards for Early Childhood Teachers (or others as specified by state of residence). Professional development sites such as Develop are included, as well as Parent Aware standards (Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System) and the opportunity to explore other state early childhood education policies and requirements.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
ECED 2400 Effective Practice in Early Childhood Education — 4 credits
In this course students will be introduced to early childhood educational theory and methods. They will learn about developmental theory, needs of young children, teaching practices and materials, characteristics of a functioning early childhood classroom, and the role of the early childhood teacher. Intentional practices such as creating an inclusive classroom by honoring diverse learners, fostering a strong classroom community, and anti bias and anti racist teaching will be explored and applied to course assignments. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these concepts through written essays, class discussions, creating lesson plans, and engaging in critical reflection. This class will be taught primarily online but includes a three-day session on campus.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
ECED 2500 Technology in Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education — 1 credit
Students examine current issues related to integrating digital technology in the early childhood P-3 classroom settings. We explore effective forms of technology integration for varied settings, needs and populations. For instance, students will identify and use digital tools that can enhance outcomes for learners; and/or improve efficiency in teaching, providing feedback to learners, communicating with parents, or assessment. Students will learn to use technology to provide authentic and empowered learning.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
ECED 2600 Health, Wellness and Nutrition in Early Childhood Education — 1 credit
In this course students will gain a deeper understanding of the three foundational building blocks for healthy growth, development and wellness: nutrition, health and safety. Students will explore the many facets of each component including feeding strategies, food safety, health assessments, mental health, establishing safe environments, addressing child abuse and neglect, and more. Student understanding will be assessed through collaborative online discussion, 3 quizzes which include multiple choice and short answer questions, and a final exam. Upon completion of the course, students will feel confident in their ability to develop and carry out a wellness curriculum in their teaching practices and classroom environment.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
ECED 2681 Directed Study — 1 credit
ECED 3280 Infant and Toddler Methods and Materials — 4 credits
The foundation of early childhood development begins with understanding the intricate cognitive process that evolves from conception through the toddler years. It is through this understanding of development, learning to design, prepare, and interact appropriately with infants and toddlers that a healthy stage can be set for further early childhood development. In this course emphasis will be placed on the role of the adult in guiding healthy adult-child relationships in both home and group care environments. This course includes 10 hours of required fieldwork.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2040W.
ECED 3340 Child in the Family — 4 credits
Study of the needs of the child at each stage of her/his development with an emphasis on finding appropriate ways of meeting these needs within the context of the family. Identification of possible physical and emotional crises children may face including methods for effectively dealing with these crises. Offered in the College for Adults.
Prerequisite: PSYC 2025 or PSYC 2026.
ECED 3350 Understanding of Diverse Family Experiences and Student Exceptionalities in Early Childhood — 4 credits
This course is designed for early childhood professionals to increase their awareness of diverse family experiences and early childhood exceptionalities. Students will learn about working with families through the lens of context. Students will also learn techniques and strategies to engage families of diverse backgrounds and acquire knowledge about the early identification of children with special needs.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
ECED 3560 Emergent Literacy in the Content Areas — 2 credits
This course is designed for pre-service early childhood educators to investigate the role of literacy (reading, writing, listening and speaking) across the primary curriculum. The course assumes that effective teachers of language arts are knowledgeable, literate and curious people who develop and maintain a classroom community in which they and their students learn together. It also recognizes a need for equitable literacy practices that support the development of all students regardless of their race, gender identity, social class, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ability-level, or family background.
Specifically, the interdisciplinary nature of literacy and the ways it moves from concrete to abstract will be explored and scaffolded in order to prepare pre-service early childhood educators to applying emergent content literacy knowledge to real world experiences. Through engagement in readings, media, online discussions and inquiry projects students in this course will learn about the discipline-specific demands of literacy in the content areas. The course will also explore academic, personal, and social considerations that are particular to students in the primary grades, including the roles of motivation, comprehension, critical thinking and assessment in teaching and learning. Pre-service early childhood educators will identify and utilize literacy strategies, text forms and key principles of literacy across the content areas to foster equity minded literacy experiences in early childhood education.
This course requires 10 hours of fieldwork experience.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2040W.
ECED 3600 Teaching and Learning in the Lower Elementary Classroom — 3 credits
In this course students will be introduced to early elementary educational theory and methods. They will learn about developmental theory, needs of elementary children, teaching practices and materials, characteristics of a functioning early elementary classroom, and the role of the early elementary teacher. Intentional practices such as creating an inclusive classroom by honoring diverse learners, fostering a strong classroom community, and anti bias and anti racist teaching will be explored and applied to course assignments. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these concepts through written essays, classroom observations, creating lesson plans, and engaging in critical reflection. This class will be taught online but includes ten hours of fieldwork.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2040W.
ECED 3650 Early Childhood Education Student Teaching Seminar — 2 credits
During student teaching, students meet to share ideas from their classrooms and extend their course learning. Particular focus is placed on developing teacher leadership. In addition, information, support and guidance in the completion of the edTPA will be provided. Taken concurrently with student teaching. Prerequsite: All ECED coursework, completion of the ECED Pre Student Teaching Interview.
ECED 4105 Early Childhood Practical Life and Dramatic Play — 2 credits
The goals of coordination of movement, independence, concentration, and development of the sense of order as approached through Montessori practical life pedagogy. Emphasis on the cycle of activity and its process, and the analysis of movement involved in the area of Practical Life. The principle objectives of the course are: 1) To teach the practical application and sequence of Montessori materials utilizing the practical life skills and materials. 2) To connect the current research in child development to the philosophy and theory developed by Maria Montessori.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2040W.
ECED 4155 Early Childhood Sensorial — 2 credits
In this course students will create a rationale and develop the techniques necessary to ensure the development of sensory growth in young children. Introduction of sensorial materials in a sequential order with an emphasis on the refinement of sensory perception, repetition, control of error and language (three period lesson) will be presented and practiced. Distinct education in presentation techniques as applicable to the materials and the young child will be addressed.
Prerequisites with concurrency: ECED 2040W, ECED 2400.
ECED 4265 Creative Expression in Early Childhood — 2 credits
Early childhood art, music, and movement is a developmental process of absorption, exploration, and self-expression. Students analyze the cultural manifestations of the creative forms and how they can be integrated in the early childhood environment. Physical Education is presented as Movement, which may include the development of the body through exploration, cooperative play, games, rhythms, and dance. Art is presented as an exploration of media and the modes of creation, and as a means to self-expression with a focus on variety. Emphasis is on the process of an art activity, rather than the product. Music is presented to foster an appreciation of music in general, and to aid in creative expression through singing and playing. Exploration of individual and collective music applications are explored, as is the intersection of music and culture. This course requires 10 hours of field work experience.
Prerequisites with concurrency: ECED 2040W, ECED 2400.
ECED 4275 Early Childhood Science — 2 credits
Students in Early Childhood Science will learn to involve the child and utilize the child’s intrinsic interest and curiosity in the observation of scientific phenomena through simple experiments. Because young children love the natural and physical world, care of the earth is introduced along with the importance of protecting our environment for the future. The mathematical brain and logical thinking of young children is developed through computational thinking activities, including classifying, experimenting and drawing conclusions. The study of Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science/Physics and Chemistry, Technology and Engineering for the young child is introduced. Equity, inclusion, and diversity as they pertain to science are addressed in the context of social justice, and anti-bias, anti-racist teaching.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2400.
ECED 4365 Early Childhood Mathematics — 2 credits
Presenting the basic skills of mathematics using developmental materials. Emphasis on process: from the numbers 1-10 through the decimal system, the operations of arithmetic and memorization of basic facts. Includes supervised practice with materials.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2400.
ECED 4375 Early Childhood Language Arts and Reading — 2 credits
Analysis of language as spoken and written communication. Rationale for the sensory-motor involvement with emphasis on the sequence of skills to be developed to assist the child's natural growth toward effective spoken and written communication. Oral language, phonetic analysis, initial writing, handwriting skills, early reading and beginning grammar skills are taught as a foundation for total reading.
Prerequisites with concurrency: ECED 2040W, ECED 2400.
ECED 4385 Early Childhood Social and Cultural Studies — 2 credits
Early Childhood Social and Cultural Studies exposes students to the teaching of geography and history. The course takes a holistic approach to the study of history and culture, using interdisciplinary knowledge to construct the body of knowledge. In this course students will learn to explain the content, presentation and rationale for the study of history, geography, and culture within early childhood.
Prerequisite: ECED 2040W.
Prerequisite with concurrency: ECED 2400.
ECED 4682 Directed Study — 2 credits
Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.
ECED 4684 Directed Study — 4 credits
Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.
ECED 4700 AMS Pract & Sem I — 4 credits
This course is designed for candidates who are working to complete their American Montessori Society certificate program. It completes one half of the required nine-month practicum required to obtain the AMS credential. This practicum experience is be designed to support candidates to apply theory into practice. Practicum seminar will include utilizing Montessori materials and problem-solving sessions.
Note: Students who are doing their practicum at a distance from the college will be responsible to pay all additional costs of observation by the practicum coordinator*.
Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the AMS Early Childhood Education certificate program and have completed summer methods courses (ECED 2400, 4105, 4155, 4265, 4275, 4365, 4375, 4385) prior to this practicum course.
ECED 4705 Early Childhood Education Practicum I — 5 credits
This course is designed for candidates who are working to complete their American Montessori Society certificate program. This course completes one half of the required nine-month practicum required to obtain the AMS credential. This practicum experience is be designed to support candidates to apply theory into practice. Practicum seminar will include utilizing Montessori materials and problem-solving sessions. Note: Students who are doing their practicum at a distance from the college will be responsible to pay all additional costs of observation by the practicum coordinator*.
Prerequisite(s): Students must be enrolled in the AMS Early Childhood Education certificate program and have completed summer methods courses (ECED 2400, 4105, 4155, 4265,4275, 4365, 4375, 4385) prior to this practicum course.
ECED 4710 Early Childhood Education Practicum II — 5 credits
This course is designed for candidates who are working to complete their American Montessori Society certificate program. It completes one half of the required nine-month practicum required to obtain the AMS credential. This practicum experience is be designed to support candidates to apply theory into practice. Practicum seminar will include utilizing Montessori materials and problem-solving sessions.
Note: Students who are doing their practicum at a distance from the college will be responsible to pay all additional costs of observation by the practicum coordinator*.
Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program prior to this practicum course.
ECED 4807 Early Childhood Student Teaching — 7 credits
ECED 4840 Bachelor Completer Capstone Project: A Critical Exploration of Early Childhood Education — 2 credits
In this course, students will explore an early childhood topic of their choice deeply and critically, using an anti-bias and anti-racist lens. Resources compiled over their time in the Early Childhood Education program through the Ed Portfolio will be used to guide and shape chosen topics. Students will be supported in selecting relevant and impactful literature to expand knowledge on their topic of choice and take up different perspectives on issues in early childhood. Emphasis will be placed on looking critically, holistically and with an equity oriented mindset during research, discussions, editing and writing.
Prerequisites: ECED 2040W.
ECED 4840W Bachelor Completer Capstone Project: A Critical Exploration of Early Childhood Education — 2 credits
In this course, students will explore an early childhood topic of their choice deeply and critically, using an anti-bias and anti-racist lens. Resources compiled over their time in the Early Childhood Education program through the Ed Portfolio will be used to guide and shape chosen topics. Students will be supported in selecting relevant and impactful literature to expand knowledge on their topic of choice and take up different perspectives on issues in early childhood. Emphasis will be placed on looking critically, holistically and with an equity oriented mindset during research, discussions, editing and writing.
Prerequisites: ECED 2040W.
ECED 4952 Independent Study — 2 credits
ECED 4953 Independent Study — 3 credits