Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership

CCT 360 Advanced Administration of Early Childhood Programs (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Provides learners with an opportunity to have more advanced exposure to varying approaches involving budget development, legal and fiscal management and techniques for maintaining sound fiscal accountability in early childhood settings. In addition, an emphasis will be placed on supervision and evaluation of staff, mentoring, professional development, licensing, public policy and accreditation.

CFS 357 Organizing and Leading Parent Groups (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Explores critical issues in organizing and leading parent groups: getting started, problems in entering a new group, identifying specific needs, different leadership models and approaches, what parents want to know, how to balance the educational and therapeutic needs of a group, and tailoring the leader’s style to facilitate discussion and teach skills.

EDU 240 The Impact of Special Needs on Learning and Development: The Early Years (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Considers the ways in which various special needs may impact children’s learning and development. Emphasizes understanding the learning experience from the perspective of the child with special needs and his/her family. Introduces policies and regulations relevant to special education and their implications for optimally serving all children. Addresses curriculum development and instructional methodology appropriate for inclusive classrooms. Examines learners’ educational needs in an historical and social context. Considers factors that affect learning including neurological, perceptual, cognitive, language, motor, behavioral, and motivational challenges. Learners examine ways to apply the theoretical knowledge presented in this course to their practice.

EDU 322 Parent-Teacher Communication (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Explores the use of communication skills that create more effective relationships between parents and early childhood professionals. Participants will gain insight into parental concerns and will explore communication styles through active listening techniques and direct experiences. Topics include: characteristics of effective communication, culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate practices, working with a range of families, negotiating differences, reflective parent conferences, and child evaluations. Children will be seen in the context of the family and the family will be seen in the context of community.

EDU 327 Reading and Writing for Young Children in a Diverse Society (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Analyzes the stages of the child’s reading development from birth to 11 years of age. Examines assessment procedures, teaching strategies, print environments, reading materials, and classroom organizational patterns in terms of their effect upon the child’s expected course of reading development and in light of current reading research. Emphasizes the child as a reader during the emergent, initial, and confirming stages of reading development.

EDU 352 Information Technology in Early Childhood Education (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Equips learners with the fundamental skills and strategies that will enable them to take full advantage of educational technology. Provides learners with the background necessary to use computers and electronic media to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems in education. Learners will evaluate the use of a variety of electronic media for the classroom and early childhood education, design lessons and curricula, and create appropriate learning environments using technological means. Learners will also gather the information needed to use technology in the assessment process and data analysis. It is anticipated that the average elementary student today may experience a rate of change that is 500 times greater than today’s adults have faced in their lifetime. Given that fact, it is vital that learners understand technology and technological change.

EDU 382 Leadership in Early Education and Care (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Exposes learners to leadership in early childhood settings, including leadership theories and dimensions. Emphasis will be placed on leadership skills needed for the supervision and evaluation of staff, mentoring, professional development, and assessment. Articulates and analyzes the Professional Learning Communities model as one leadership model for early care and education.

EDU 480 Development of a Professional Teacher Portfolio (4 Undergraduate Credits – Offered in Two Parts Over 2 Semesters)

Demonstrates the building and development of a professional portfolio similar to those that artists, photographers, and architects develop to display their best work. The portfolio, a three-dimensional resume and a visual representation of one's teaching experiences and accomplishments, is an ever-growing personal and professional collection of artifacts and reflections on one’s accomplishments, learning, strengths, and best works. Educators use their portfolios throughout their careers to document their professional growth, and demonstrate that they have achieved certain standards and competencies. A portfolio is an on-going record of one’s teaching career that provides evidence of increasing expertise. It can also be used as an important tool when used to reflect upon one's teaching and identify areas to strengthen when considering lifelong learning opportunities.

EDU 483 Entrepreneurship in Early Childhood Education Context (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Provides learners with the foundation to plan, build, implement, manage and grow an organization that provides a service or product for children and families. Learners gain a keen understanding of the realities of entrepreneurship, including the pitfalls encountered and the lessons learned by other entrepreneurs. Topics to be reviewed include how to think analytically about organizational systems, how leaders play a critical role in shaping an organization, how to determine and marshal the financial resources necessary for a start-up business, and what to do to improve the likelihood of success. Competencies in organizational design, human resources management, leadership, plan preparation, analysis of risk, and organizational behavior relevant to small businesses are addressed. Learners develop a business plan establishing an organization such as a childcare chain, enrichment center, or 24-hour childcare network; develop an educational learning product; create a catalog of educational resources; and/or launch an online or retail store to offer children’s edutainment products. Each plan will include a description of the product or service, marketing plan, descriptions of the competition and targeted markets, channel for distribution, financial plan, and estimate of start-up funding needed. Projects may be completed individually or in small groups. Throughout the course, criterion will be established to allow a panel to identify innovative and promising concepts to receive recognition and/or an award(s).

HDP 264 Research Methods (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Introduces the use of scientific methods to answer questions raised in the study of human behavior and development. Learners will examine the basics of research design, selection of measures, data collection, descriptive analysis, and research ethics. Learners will develop research questions, conduct a research study, and present their findings through small group and/or individual projects. Reviews and examines current trends and issues in pre-school education that exist both globally and locally. In doing so, participants will be able to identify implications of research and realize its significance in exacting improvement and change to pre-school programs and classroom practices. In addition, participants will reflect on their teaching practices and identify gaps and issues that they would like to address through research, then develop a conceptual framework on how to approach a research project.

HDP 362 The Meaning and Development of Play (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Explores the meaning and development of play from infancy through adulthood. Various manifestations of play, such as solitary activity, sociodramatic play, and games with rules, will be considered and discussed in the light of developmental and educational concerns. Major theoretical and empirical contributions to the study of play will be examined, including the work of Erikson, Piaget, Bruner and Singer. Topics to be covered include: the modes in which play is expressed at various ages; the role of play in social, emotional and cognitive development; the value of play to learning and therapy; and the role of the environment in shaping play.

LPA 706 The Role of the Mentor Teacher (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Addresses issues raised by mentor teachers as they move into a variety of new roles and structures. Discusses effective observation, communication and supervising skills; adult development and learning; state-of-the-art knowledge about teaching, learning and curriculum; and societal changes. Examines organizational issues such as selecting and assigning mentors, differentiating teacher roles, empowering teachers, working out evaluation responsibilities, providing time and other resources and creating and coordinating the required new roles and structures for both mentor teachers and the protégés. Surveys the many aspects of creating healthy organizations for children and families in Asia such as school environments and early child care centers.

LSC 335 Environmental Impacts (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Studies the complexity of current regional, national, and international ecological problems. Focuses on how and why modern society and population growth cause environmental problems, and the effects these problems may have on future generations. Cultural, economic, biological, and political aspects of environmental problems are explored. Lectures, case studies, laboratory experiments/research, field experiences, and films are used. Coursework will require frequent use of technology and entail independent research, Internet searches, technology applications, maintaining a research log, and an annotated bibliography of research sources.

MAT 205 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Develops an understanding of the elementary statistical techniques necessary to handle group data in the behavioral sciences. Includes setting up frequency distributions, portrayal of data by graphs, measures of central tendency and variability of data, percentiles and standard scores. Emphasis is on sampling theory, hypothesis testing, and drawing conclusions about a population from sample data.

PRO 415 Helping Children Cope with Stress  (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Presents theory, research, and clinical evidence concerning the effects of stress on children’s coping patterns and development. Stressors ranging from normal family life cycle transitions to the threat of separation and loss through divorce, illness, or death, to the chronic stress of poverty are addressed. Explores concepts of vulnerability and resilience and practical methods for helping children increase their competence in mastering stress in the Singaporean context.

RES 651/RES 652 Action Research I/II (4 Undergraduate Credits – Offered in Two Parts Over 2 Semesters)

Offers learners the opportunity to initiate a year-long research project to answer questions they have about teaching and learning, and schools and communities. The course introduces learners to the use of scientific inquiry and research methodology. Learners develop library research and professional writing skills and gain familiarity with methods used to study questions arising from practice. The second part of the course advances learner-designed research projects initially conceptualized in part one. Projects include use of relevant theories, brief literature reviews, the collection and analysis of data, and a final report.

SPE 341 Assessing Students with Special Needs (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Provides discussion and practice in assessing academic, social, behavioral domains of children. Focuses on informal and formal tools to analyze, interpret, and communicate results to families and school teams. Covers interpretation assessment results related to Individualized Education Program development, curricula, and racial and cultural bias. Discusses effective, informal assessment techniques and emphasizes an ecological approach to gathering information. Introduces standardized assessment and screening instruments and provides an overview of the purposes and limitations of such tests.

SPE 394 Designing Curriculum and Learning Environments for Students with Special Needs (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Provides instruction and experience in designing curricula and learning environments for students with special needs. Students apply theoretical and assessment information to establish goals and objectives; to select, modify and develop materials and instructional activities; to identify and use resources to meet individual and group goals; and to evaluate the appropriateness of ongoing programs. Techniques and materials for developing language, academic, social and career/vocational skills are presented.

THE 277 Drama for Children (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Explores the value of creative drama for preschool and early childhood education. Learners will develop the skills and techniques required to create drama activities that enhance self expression and build self-esteem and community. Learners will plan, implement, and evaluate drama experiences for children while investigating the role of drama as a vehicle for teaching and learning in a variety of settings.

THE 351 Learning and Teaching through the Arts (4 Undergraduate Credits)

Analyzes the creative processes through movement, drama, and creative writing. Participants will examine current literature in creativity, multiple intelligences theory, and the arts. Learners will develop the knowledge on how to bridge the gap between theory and practice in order to effectively integrate the arts into a classroom or workplace setting. The course combines theatre games, improvisations, and creative exercises with readings, reflective assignments, and discussions.