EDEC - Early Childhood Education

This course focuses on "childhood" as it has been theorized, conceptualized, and experienced. Historical and social constructions will be explored with special focus on cultural differences in how children and their families experience childhood.

This course will focus on child study as a process of naturalistic observation, informal and formal assessment, and decision-making in early childhood classrooms. Assessments will include children from a variety of diverse cultural and language backgrounds, as well as children of different age and developmental levels, including children with disabilities, children with developmental delays, children who are at-risk for developmental delays, and children with special abilities.

Students will examine the history of curriculum designed for young children and will apply interdisciplinary knowledge from such fields as sociology, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology to practice in early childhood education.

This course will focus on the nature and the value of play as essential to children’s social, cognitive, physical, and emotional development. There will be a special focus on facilitating and assessing the processes of play as integral to developmentally appropriate practice in the early childhood classroom.

This course will focus on the development of language and literacy within multiple contexts and settings.

Curriculum designs for teaching the social studies in grades P-5 are explored. A primary focus is on the integration of basic literacy skills with conceptual teaching with developmental stages of the children.

A content course which integrates physical and life science. Students investigate the exchange of matter and energy between organisms and their environment.

A content course introducing the concept of the scientific model. Matter and energy are related to electrical phenomena as a basis for understanding the electrical nature of all matter.

A content course built upon the unifying theory of plate tectonics and explores how this concept can be used to explain the occurrences of volcanoes, earthquakes, and other geologic phenomena.

A content course built upon the theme of the uniqueness of the earth among all planets in the solar system and the features that produce weather. The focus is on planetary astronomy and topics in weather.

Candidates should have complete EDFS 6224, EDFS 6225, EDFS 6226, and EDFS 6231. This course will be taken within the last 9 hours. The course will serve as a culmination of coursework in the candidate’s major field of study and the study of how educational research methodologies can be used to test assumptions related to collaborative school improvement. Candidates will present a portfolio of their work to provide evidence of their ability to meet NAEYC Advanced Standards and Georgia Systematic Teacher Education Program (GSTEP) Framework.

Advanced study of theories of child development with emphasis on principles of human development and child study in relation to infancy and preschool through grade five (5).

This course examines the interactive relationships among families, schools, and communities. Students will examine recent research in order to deepen their understanding of the ways that these relationships have an impact on student learning.

In-depth study of topic selected for supplementary background or enrichment.

A study of writing as symbolic system, development of spelling and composition. Focused on writing process, writing strategies, current approaches and programs. Topics include metacognition, evaluating and assessing writing, students with writing-learning difficulties, and preparing students for writing test-taking.

This course focuses on the development of the thinking and reasoning of young children. Particular emphasis is placed on the processes of problem-solving.

Administrative procedures of programs for young children relative to policies, standards, financing, staffing, housing, supervision, and parent involvement.

Prerequisites: EDCI 7741, EDCI 7742, EDCI 7743, and EDCI 7744.This course will serve as a culmination of coursework in the candidate's major field of study and a research-based investigation of "Authentic learning communities" and becoming a dynamic leader in Early Childhood Education. Candidates should complete prerequisite courses before taking this course within the last 6 hours of Specialist degree coursework. Candidates will present a portfolio of their work to provide evidence of their ability to meet NAEYC Advanced Degree Standards and the John H. Lounsbury College of Education Specialist Degree in Education Standards.