ECE Early Childhood Education Courses at Global Campus

This course provides an overview of the field of early childhood education including history, philosophy, advocacy, public policy, issues, trends, and careers. 

Introduction to Early Childhood Behavior Management will address age-appropriate behavioral expectations and the learning environment as a tool for promoting positive and prosocial behavior. Current research and theory related to managing young children’s behavior and strategies for communicating with and involving diverse families to support positive behavioral outcomes will be examined. Learners will apply knowledge of observing, collecting data, and recording children’s behavior to support and address behavioral challenges in the classroom and develop strategies for responding to challenging behavior.

Introduction to Curriculum and Instruction for the Early Childhood Classroom lays the foundation for creating a meaningful curriculum for young learners.  The course focuses on examining the role of early childhood educators in creating, implementing, and assessing curriculum. Learners will evaluate teaching strategies for supporting instruction, apply state and professional standards to curriculum and learning activities, and plan culturally relevant learning opportunities that embrace diversity, inclusivity, equity, and children’s interests. Additionally, learners will design activities for facilitating developmentally appropriately curriculum.

Introduction to Child Development examines the principles of child development from birth to age eight. Students will discuss the major developmental stages, domains, and milestones of child development. Students will also analyze how developmental stages, domains of development, and knowledge of theories support developmentally appropriate practices. Using their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices, students will describe environments that nurture the physical, socio-emotional, language and cognitive growth of every child. Students will conduct observations to plan developmentally appropriate instruction that supports children’s individual needs. Finally, students will explore the importance of family involvement in supporting growth and development of young learners.

Professional Responsibilities in the Early Childhood Environment examines key topics related to ensuring high-quality early learning environments by examining what it means to be an early childhood professional. In this course, students will describe the professional standards and ethical behaviors necessary to maintain a high-quality learning environment. Students will also analyze the concept of professionalism within the context of early childhood education and examine administrative practices for running well maintained early childhood facilities. Additionally, students evaluate the importance of professional development, reflective practice, and lifelong learning for early childhood professionals. Finally, students develop a plan to foster advocacy in the field of early childhood education and care.

This course provides information related to standards and best practices that promote children’s health and overall well-being. It investigates sound nutritional practices and safe learning environments. This course involves information for developing sound health and safety procedures for learning environments of young children. Students will explore resources to make recommendations to families which support the health, nutrition, and safety of young children.

This course will provide students with a solid foundation of the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed by leaders in the field of early childhood education. The various diverse expectations, responsibilities, and duties of a leader in a high-quality early childhood education program will be explored.  The course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the role of the early childhood educator leader in leading a quality early childhood education program. 

Students will examine factors that promote effective communication and collaboration between early educators, families of children, and the community. In additional, learners will identify resources to foster these partnerships.

This course provides an introduction to the developmental stages of language acquisition in young children from birth to the age of 6. The focus of the course is on the facilitation of language acquisition in young children. 

Adolescence is the largest developmental period other than infancy. The purpose of this course is to provide a solid foundation for educators and professionals to be able to critically think about supporting healthy adolescent development. In this course, students will apply key concepts and developmental theories related to the physical, social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive changes during adolescence.  Students will interpret research on the development of adolescent gender identity, sexuality, and romantic relationships.  Additionally, students will analyze effective practices for communication with adolescents in the context of family and school.  Throughout the course students will analyze the impact of diverse experiences on adolescent development. Lastly, students will propose strategies for supporting adolescents facing mental health and behavioral issues.