Aboriginal Basic Early Childhood Education

Course Descriptions

ECE 101  Human Growth & Development I
Credits: 4
This course is an in depth study of child development and learning from the prenatal period through the first two years of life.  Historical perspectives and theories of child development as well as current research findings are discussed. Practical applications of child study are thoroughly examined and students will form their own theoretical perspective on child development and learning. Aboriginal child development is a significant part of this course. The role of the caregiver, ethics and different research strategies for child study are examined. 

ECE 102  Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Credits: 3
This course outlines the field of ECE as a profession, the definition of the young child, the diversity of programs, the teacher’s role in the education process, and trends in ECE. This knowledge will empower students to apply fundamental ECE theories to their practice and to form their own perspective and philosophy of early childhood education and development. Student will examine ECE ethics, methods to promote the healthy development of young children, school readiness and the current licensing practices and regulations for ECE in British Columbia.

ECE 103  Creative Arts for Young Children   
Credits: 2
The powerful self-expression of Aboriginal Art is a significant source of inspiration for this course. The great value of expressive art for the development of the creative process and the creative young child is explored.  Students learn how to create emergent indoor and outdoor art activities, how to evaluate different art media, art elements, and learning environments for children. The students will be exposed to multicultural art experiences, will learn how to use Aboriginal arts and crafts with children, and will have opportunities to develop, design and implement their own artistic creations with a balance of open-ended and structured activities.

ECE 104  Observing & Recording Young Children
Credits: 3
Observing young children and recording their behaviour and development is considered essential practice in every quality childcare setting. The course examines the ethics of child study and methods for comparing behaviour to established developmental norms.The course will focus on professional writing skills geared specifically to recording children’s behaviour, integrating data from portfolios into forms and reports, interpreting and analyzing child developmental levels, producing summaries, interpretations, making recommendations and developing program strategies.

ECE 105   Practicum Preparation Seminar I
Credits: 1
During this two-day seminar students will write their current resume and a cover letter and practice their interview skills. The students will review the expectations for the practicum, the goals and tasks of Block Practicum I, the practicum evaluation procedures, the ECE Profession Code of Ethics and confidentiality issues. The instructor will share with the students a variety of ECE activity ideas to engage young children. The students will prepare their own teaching props, visual aids and materials to use during their practicum.

ECE 106  ECE Observation Practicum
Credits: 1
During this placement in a daycare setting, students will develop some knowledge of the childcare field through direct observations. They will familiarize themselves with an ECE centre and some ECE practices.  Students will also practice and refine their skills in observing the behaviour and development of preschool children. In this first practicum, the student will learn first-hand about scheduling, daily routines and will observe activities and conversations. 

ECE 107   ECE Block Practicum I    
Credits: 3
The students will be assigned an early childhood education setting – a preschool or a daycare – where they will have a chance to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. They will be able to interact with young children in a natural environment, learn from the sponsor teacher and the rest of the ECE teachers in the centre. The students will have a chance to observe young children’s learning process, find out more about children’s individual learning styles.
Prerequisite:  ECE 113 ECE 101, ECE 105
Criminal Record Check

ECE 110   Creative Movement & Music    
Credits: 2
Aboriginal musical and dance traditions are an excellent way for young children to develop perception and thinking skills as well as creative self-expression. This course empowers students to incorporate music and movement, as natural elements, into the early childhood curriculum, into physical activities, active role-play and dramatic play by developing and implementing music and movement activities. The students will learn how to encourage children’s appreciation for the aesthetic value of making many kinds of music, including songs.

ECE 111   Guiding and Caring for Young Children    
Credits: 3
Throughout this course students will learn and practice the developmentally appropriate principles and techniques of the guidance approach to the discipline of young children. Students will learn ways of dealing with mistaken behaviour and promoting self-discipline in young children. The use of positive guidance language is practiced. The students will learn to create the environment that reduces mistaken behaviour. The course empowers students to guide young children, acquaint parents with the concept of mistaken behaviour, and the influence of the environment on child behaviour.

ECE 112   Human Growth & Development II    
Credits: 4
This course focuses on the interrelationship of the physical, affective and cognitive domains of development and learning during early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence (stressing preschool age development).  Students expand their personal perspective on early childhood development. The highlight of the course is putting acquired theoretical and practical knowledge of child development and learning into practice while working on a developmental  profile of a child.

ECE 113  Health, Safety and Nutrition   
Credits: 3
This course focuses on the aspects of health, safety and nutrition related to early childhood centres. Issues include abuse and neglect, hygiene, emergency procedures and the recognition and management of childhood illness and allergies. Aboriginal traditional health practices are discussed.  Dental care and its contribution to overall health are stressed. The importance and the ways of creating and maintaining safe environment in a childcare setting are discussed. Nutrition and its contribution to health are taken into account in meal planning. Students are given an overview of ECE administration, polices and procedures as they relate to health and safety issues. 

ECE 114  Individual Project
Credits:  2
The students will be assigned an early childhood education setting - a preschool or a daycare - where they will have a chance to observe a child and work on the developmental profile of that child in order to accomplish their assignments #2 and #3 for ECE 112 Human Growth & Development course.

ECE 115  Practicum Preparation Seminar II
Credits: 1
Students’ and teachers’ expectations for the practicum will be discussed together with the goals and tasks for Block Practicum II and the practicum evaluation procedures. The ECE Profession Code of Ethics and confidentiality issues will be reviewed. The students will prepare their own teaching props, visual aids and materials to use during their practicum. The students will practice and prepare for a job interview.  The students will discuss and develop their own time management techniques.

ECE 116  ECE Block Practicum II
Credits: 3
The students will be assigned an early childhood education setting – a preschool or a daycare – where they will have a chance to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. Students will observe teacher and child interactions and participate in creating stimulating learning environments for the children. During the second practicum, students will start planning, implementing and evaluating small group and individual activities. They will work on developing confidence for implementing full group activities such as learning circles.
Prerequisite:  ECE 111, ECE 112, ECE 115
Criminal Record Check

ECE 120  Program Planning
Credits: 3
The focus of this course is the Play-Based Developmental-Interaction approach to ECE curriculum. This course will enable students to understand and practice the process of ECE curriculum development, implementation and evaluation. The course discusses developmental goals, developmental outcomes and performance objectives as the basis for ECE curriculum planning. Developmentally-appropriate ECE practices are applied to activity planning and stimulating play and learning environments and learning centres are developed.  Multiculturalism and traditional Aboriginal culture are seen as an empowering force in creating a curriculum for the whole child.   

ECE 121  Interpersonal Communications
Credits: 3
This course builds an understanding of the communication process, including Aboriginal communication practices, for positive interpersonal communication between children, teachers and parents. Students practice and build an arsenal of communication techniques and choose effective skills or techniques for given situations. The course discusses the influences of gender and culture on interpersonal communication and how to create a positive communication climate based on respect and inclusion.

ECE 122  Socials, Science, Math and Technology
Credits: 2
Students will explore the elements of math, socials, science, and technology in an ECE curriculum in order to acquire the knowledge and skills for planning these curriculum activities. It is essential for early childhood educators to plan activities and environments that promote this learning. In practice these activities are integrated throughout a well developed ECE curriculum. During this course students will develop implement and evaluate learning activities of math, science and social studies skills, including First Nations Studies.
 
ECE 123  Language & Literature
Credits: 2
During this course the students will reviews the ways children acquire language and become familiar with the importance of sensory perception in the acquisition of language. Aboriginal oral tradition is a significant component of this course. Students evaluate children’s literature, develop materials and resources for teaching language and literacy and discuss the importance of the early pre-verbal years for success in language acquisition. Students will learn how to develop activities that promote language learning develop skills in story book reading, storytelling, and presenting puppet shows. 

ECE 125  Practicum Preparation Seminar III
Credits: 1
The instructor will organize the ECE activity brainstorming and sharing among the students. The students will prepare their own teaching props, visual aids and materials to use during their practicum. The students will produce a current and effective resume and write an informative cover letter to facilitate their employment search. They will also practice and prepare for a job interviews. The students will discuss and develop their own time management techniques.

ECE 126  Block Practicum III
Credits: 3
During this practicum the students are expected to work as staff team members to help create a stimulating learning environment for young children. They will develop and coordinate the implementation of developmentally appropriate ECE curriculum in the practicum centre, based on the children’s learning needs and interests. The students will start planning, implementing and evaluating small group and individual activities in all the areas of ECE curriculum. They will also start implementing full group activities and will develop three weekly activity planners. 
Prerequisite:  ECE 125, ECE 127, ECE 128

ECE 127  Family and Community Relations
Credits: 3
This course focuses on the parent and teacher partnership in early childhood education settings and the importance of parent education and parent involvement in the centre. The students will learn how to make reports to parents. They will understand the diversity of families and the needs of families with atypical or mainstream children. Students will develop their knowledge of the community, how to access community services as well as how to positively contribute to their community.  The main goal of this course is to enable students to help parents to be the best parents they can be.

ECE 128  ECE Advocacy
Credits: 3
This course develops the student’s understanding of Early Childhood Education as a profession and the duty of an ECE teacher to advocate for the well-being, adequate care and quality education of young children. The course encourages family support, feedback, education and networking with others. The current work by local, provincial and federal childcare advocacy groups to improve quality childcare will be supported.  The students will realize the urgent need to make ECE stronger, better understood and more respected by government and the community.