Early Childhood (PK-3) Field and Clinical Experiences
Total field experience and clinical practice hours: 773
Early Childhood Education candidates are required to complete a minimum of 493 field experience hours prior to the student teaching semester.
Courses / Field Experiences & Clinical PracticeECED 1060
Orientation to Early Childhood Education / 5 hrs. – Candidates observe 1 hour each in five different ECE settings, Pre-K, K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades (NSU Head Start, NSU Child Development Center, NSU Elem. Lab. School, and the NSU Professional Development School). Candidates explore teacher roles and responsibilities and learn to describe observations using descriptive data. Candidates reflect on their observations using NAEYC’s Guidelines for Decisions about Developmentally Appropriate Practice.
EDUC 2020
Foundations of Multicultural Education / 10 hrs. – Candidates observe 20 hrs. in a variety of PK-3 settings and visit multiple schools. Observation reflections concern class management, culturally responsive teaching, differences in teaching strategies, and teaching philosophies; questions align with INTASC standards.
ECED 3060
Child Development and Appropriate Practices for Young children / 28 hrs. – Candidates observe and participate 2 hrs. per week in a multiage Pre-K setting, the NSU Child Development Center. Observation reflections concern positive guidance techniques and recognizing and recording aspects of Piaget’s Theory as represented in the children’s preoperational thinking. Candidates engage with small groups of children or a target child in learning centers or on project work and collect anecdotal records and work samples from a child for portfolio assessment.
EPSY 3000
Educational Psychology and Student Assessment / 20 hrs.-Candidates observe at least 10 different teachers in a public school setting (PK-12) in at least 5 different schools. Observation reflections utilize descriptive data and concern diversity, learning and cognitive processes, higher level thinking skills, and student assessment.
ECED 3070
Appropriate Practices for
Infants and Toddlers / 20 hrs. – Candidates observe and participate 2 hrs. per week in a public school infant/toddler program. Infants/Toddlers served by the program have varying abilities and come from impoverished home environments. Candidates observe the role of a significant adult in infant toddler care and education; the interdependency of all aspects of infant/toddler development; and they recall, record, and interpret principles of development when working with infants and toddlers. Candidates participate by engaging in professional behavior as described in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct with infants/toddlers as dictated by individual infant/toddler routines, schedules, and developmental characteristics. Finally, candidates write an assessment narrative on a target infant/toddler using anecdotal records and a developmental checklist.
RDG 3030
Introduction to Reading / 5 hrs. Candidates observe the teaching of reading/language arts. Information on the students in the class, and reflections of what the candidate learned are put on Passport.
RDG 3060
Teaching Reading in Elementary School / 5 hrs. Candidates interact with children during the teaching of reading/language arts. Information on the students in the class and reflections of what the candidate learned are put on Passport.
SPED 3460
Introduction to the Study of Individuals with Disabilities / There are no field experiences required for this course. However, students enrolled in SPED 3460 are required to participate in the NSU Special Olympics activities. They are also encouraged to participate in other community activities involving individuals with disabilities including but not limited to: March for Babies Walk, Autism Awareness Walk, and hospital forums. Students receive credit for participating in these activities.
EDUC 3140
Principles of Teaching / 30 hrs. Level 1 & 2 field experiences. Level 1 activities (no more than 10 hrs.) involve observation in elem., middle, and secondary classrooms and writing reflections concerning management, student-teacher interactions, use of instructional strategies, levels of questioning, and diversity. Candidates interview teachers concerning planning and goal setting, use of state standards and benchmarks, diversity, and classroom management. Level II activities include interacting with students one-on-one or in small groups and using descriptive data to reflect. Hours are logged in Passport.
RDG 4060
Diagnosis and Correction of Literacy Difficulties in the Elementary School / 5 hrs. Candidates diagnose the literacy difficulties of one low-achieving reader, plan a program of correction, and implement as much of the plan as possible during the field experience. Information about the student and reflections of what the candidate learned are put on Passport.
ECED 3080
Program Design and Classroom Management for Young Children / 75 hrs. Candidates observe and participate 5 hrs. per week in a Pre-K and K setting and work with the families and communities served by the schools in which they are working.
ECED 3090
Environments for Young Children / 75 hrs. Candidates observe and participate 5 hours per week in a Pre-K/K setting. Candidates evaluate an Early Childhood classroom using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale—Revised and write a reflection.
ECED 3110
Early Childhood Methods / 75 hrs. Candidates observe and participate 5 hrs. per week in a Pre-K/K setting to design, implement, assess, document, and reflect on a minimum of 12 developmentally appropriate lesson plans. Candidates implement the Project Approach and the Reggio Emilia approach, conduct a case study, complete a project planning journal, construct a documentation panel, and construct a field-based portfolio that contains the case study, lesson plans, documentation.
HP 3170
Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers / 10 hrs. Level 1 and 2. Observe and teach physical education lessons in a K-6 PE classroom at the NSU Elementary Lab School.
EDUC 4230
Content and Techniques of Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School / 30 hrs of Level 2 and 3 observations. Candidates design and teach mathematics lessons in an assigned lower elementary classroom (grades 1-3). They also assist the cooperating teachers with teaching lessons, monitoring students and providing individual assistance.
EDUC 4330
Content and Techniques of Teaching Science in the elementary School / 30 hrs. of Level 2, and 3 observations. Candidates design and teach 4 science lessons in the 1-5 classroom. They also assist the cooperating teachers with teaching lessons, monitoring students, and giving individual assistance.
EDUC 4430
Content and Techniques of Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School / 30 hrs. of Level 2, and 3 observations. Candidates design and teach 4 social studies lessons in the 1-5 classroom. They also assist the cooperating teachers with teaching lessons, monitoring students, and giving individual assistance.
EDUC 4080
Literature and Language in the Elementary School / 30 hrs. of Level 1, 2, and 3 observations. Candidates design and teach 3 reading comprehension lessons in the 1-5 classroom. They also assist the cooperating teachers with teaching lessons, monitoring students, and giving individual assistance.
HED 3160
Health Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers / 10 hrs. Candidates observe and teach health lessons in Pre-K-6 classrooms.
EDUC 4950
Student Teaching in Early Childhood / Elementary / 280 hrs. Level 1, 2, and 3. Candidates observe 100 hours and teach 180 in three placements: Infant/Toddler, Kindergarten, and Elementary.