rasmussen.edu | 888-5-RASMUSSEN COURSE DESCRIPTIONS EEC3000 Early Childhood Education: Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years 40 hours, 4 credits This course examines the impact of mental health issues on a child’s well-being. Students will focus on attachment theory, brain development, and the importance of executive function on lifelong learning. This course will challenge students to explore the effects of economics, family structure, and the environment on a child’s emotional and social development. Students will also be able to evaluate social support systems. Prerequisite: EEC1700 Foundations of Child Development EEC3005 Communications and Connections for Early Childhood Professionals 40 hours, 4 credits This course examines best practices in formal and informal communication with children, families, and professionals. Students will explore how to build community in diverse settings and for various stakeholders. In this course, students will develop their leadership vision and apply this vision to build healthy, empowering connections with constituents. Students will also analyze effective and ineffective methods of communication within a developmentally and culturally appropriate context. Prerequisite: None EEC3007 Organizational Management in Early Childhood Education 40 hours, 4 credits This course provides an overview of the operational management of high-quality early childhood programs. The course includes practical application related to policies, procedures, roles, and responsibilities in the context of best practices for children and families. The characteristics of high-quality early childhood professionals will be assessed. Students will examine external factors affecting the operation of programs, including political and societal trends. Prerequisite: EEC3005 Communications and Connections for Early Childhood Professionals EEC3011 Empowering Contemporary Families 40 hours, 4 credits This course explores various types and structures of families. Students will review the historical transformations of families and discuss contemporary families and communities. Students will also examine the major social issues contemporary families face. This course emphasizes resiliency in strengthening families through effective programming practices. Prerequisite: None EEC3015 Observation and Assessment for Effective Curriculum Planning 40 hours, 4 credits This course provides a framework for using best practices in observation and assessment in the early childhood classroom. Emphasis will be given to the necessity of high-quality observation and assessment techniques for effective teaching. Students will examine assessment tools as well as learn about documenting children’s learning. Prerequisite: EEC1202 Curriculum and Instruction EEC3020 Positive Behavior Guidance for Young Children 40 hours, 4 credits This course is an advanced approach to positive behavior guidance in which students will examine environmental and interpersonal strategies that foster prosocial and equitable practices in early childhood education settings. This course also emphasizes how using positive interactions and relationships will support the development of executive function skills for children birth to age 8. Prerequisite: None EEC3026 Technology and Developmentally Appropriate Practices 40 hours, 4 credits This course will explore technology as a part of the world in which children, families, and early childhood professionals live. Students will learn the fundamentals of developmentally appropriate practice as it relates to the use of technology in the classroom, precautions that need to be taken, and the emersion of technology in everyday living. Students will study the function of technology in the early childhood program’s procedures and policies, employ technology to assess and enhance children’s growth and development, and critique technology to ensure its use is developmentally appropriate for each age and stage of child development. Prerequisite: None EEC3171 Beyond the Basics of Health, Safety, and Nutrition 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of child health, nutrition, and safety practices that support children’s abilities to learn and places focus on the impact on the continuum of child development. Topics include capitalizing on learning windows of opportunity, risks and protective factors of maltreatment of children, and healthy and safe practices. This course will prepare students to recognize development as a continuum and to create and implement healthy and safe practices with children. Prerequisite: None EEC3220 Child Development Ages Birth–3 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of children ages birth–3. It places focus on the in-depth study of the learning domains including the cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical domains. Topics include how child development theories apply, the influences environmental factors, interactions, and relationships have on the development of children, and learning across domains. This course will prepare students to identify the unique ways in which in children learn from ages birth–3. Prerequisite: None EEC3225 Child Development Ages 3–5 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of children ages 3–5. It places focus on the student’s previous knowledge of the growth and development patterns of children age birth–3 to build upon and explore the continuum across the cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical domains in children age 3–5. Topics include how early child development theories apply; the influences environmental factors, interactions, and relationships have on the development of children; and learning across domains. This course will prepare students to identify the unique ways in which in children ages 3–5 learn. Prerequisite: EEC3220 Child Development – Ages Birth–3 years. 100 ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY ADDENDUM EEC3318 Intentional Teaching Practices 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of how to use intentional teaching and best practices to support children’s learning. It places focus on developmentally appropriate practices and how to distinguish the key components. Information will include the three key components of developmentally appropriate practice, children’s approaches to play and learning, and differentiated instruction. This course will prepare students to employ high-quality teaching practices in their programs. Prerequisite: None EEC3407 Planning with a Purpose 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of how to effectively plan activities for children by providing an integrated approach for learning. Students place focus on creating activity plans that can be used to support children’s hands-on experiences. Topics include how to write learning objectives, reviewing different curricula and methods of implementing them, how technology can be integrated into activity planning, and how to assess the quality of an activity. This course prepares students to plan activities supporting the needs of all children. Prerequisite: EEC3318 Intentional Teaching Practices EEC3546 Supporting Professional Practices in Early Childhood Education 40 hours, 4 credits This course is the study of how to support professionalism of the early childhood field and places focus on practices that an ECE professional would engage in to increase their ability to provide high-quality services. Topics include advocacy, coaching and mentoring, reflective practices, and how to model professionalism both within the ECE program and in the community. This course prepares students to locate and use resources to reach their professional goals as well as to be an advocate for high-quality early childhood education. Prerequisite: None EEC4000 Early Childhood Education: Environments and Play Theory 40 hours, 4 credits This course will explore how play and the environment promote learning and development in young children. Strategies to enhance indoor and outdoor learning environments will be emphasized. Students will reflect on their practices as they evaluate a wide variety of learning environments and curriculum models. Using knowledge of child development, students will design learning environments that are respectful, supportive, and challenging. Prerequisite: None EEC4005 Advanced Principles and Perspectives of Child Development 40 hours, 4 credits This course is an advanced study in the theory and principles of child development. An evaluation of current educational practices as developmentally appropriate will challenge students to examine their own perspectives on how children learn. Focus will be on the primary years of development through in-depth exploration of gender roles, socialization, and cultural perspectives. Prerequisite: None EEC4010 Early Childhood Language and Literacy Learning 40 hours, 4 credits This course emphasizes best practices for promoting language and literacy development for children birth to age 8. Opportunities to apply knowledge of typical and dual language learning to create curriculum responsive to developmental needs will be addressed. Integrating assessment, early learning standards, and developmentally appropriate practices to support optimum child outcomes in language and literacy learning will be stressed. Prerequisite: None EEC4015 Early Childhood Education: Diversity and Social Justice 40 hours, 4 credits This course is an examination of diversity and social justice issues as related to high quality early childhood education for children ages birth to 8. It explores diversity, race, equity, and anti- bias perspectives both in society and working with young children and families. It explores the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility as part of an anti-bias learning experience for young children. Prerequisite: None EEC4022 Ethics and Leadership in Early Childhood Education 40 hours, 4 credits This course examines the principles of ethics and leadership in early childhood education through self-reflection and practice in defending these principles. This course includes the practical application of advocacy for young children and their families. Students will develop leadership skills across various areas including parent communication, care and education, policy, and advocacy. Students will also learn strategies to train and mentor future leaders in the field of early childhood education and will explore the impact of professionalism on children, families, and the community. Prerequisite: EEC3007 Organizational Management in Early Childhood Education EEC4030 Supporting Exceptional Children and Families 40 hours, 4 credits This course is an advanced approach to supporting children with exceptional needs. Emphasis will be given to cultural influences and resources for supporting families. Students will explore the history and contemporary issues of special education legislation as it pertains to the inclusive classroom. Prerequisite: None EEC4485 Early Childhood Education Advocacy, Research and Policy 40 hours, 6 credits This course explores trends in the early childhood education field. Students will examine current research and national and local and legislative policies. Students will also develop skills in critiquing and analyzing research findings effects on early childhood care and education. Students will gain knowledge of current legislative policies and determine their effect on young children, families, and early childhood education. Prerequisite: Must be taken in the student’s last or second-to-last term
