Catalog 73 - National University

Course Descriptions374ECE 420: Nature, Numbers and Technology(Prerequisite: ECE 330)Focus on identification, design and delivery ofdevelopmentally age appropriate experiences thatencourage active math, science and technologyinquiry. Inquiry related to emerging notions ofmathematical and scientific processes is basis foractivities along with the inclusion of technology as astrategy.ECE 430: Play as Pedagogy(Prerequisite: ECE 330)Focus on play as the primary learning modality foryoung children. Theoretical basis for play as ameans of teaching, role in learning and as a meansof assessment emphasized.ECE 435: Music, Movement, Drama, DanceFocus on enriching and enhancing young children’slearning through the creative arts. Emphasis on integratingcreative experiences within core subjects tocreate developmentally appropriate experiences.ECE 440: Observing, Assessing & Planning(Prerequisites: ECE 330 and ECE 415)Focus on acquiring and enhancing skills in the selection,administration, scoring, interpretation, reportingof screening assessment instruments. Emphasison designing and implementing curricula based onassessment results.ECE 445: Strategies: Guiding Behaviors(Prerequisites: ECE 330, ECE 415, and ECE 430)Focus on observation, identification, description,and assessment of challenging behaviors. Designingand implementing effective teaching and learningstrategies to successfully guide these behaviors withina social and cultural context.ECE 446: Literature and Young ChildrenA survey of literature for young children inpreschool through first grade. Emphasis on effectiveread aloud and story telling strategies for the developinglanguage and listening skills, for developingconcepts of print and vocabulary and for fostering alove of reading and early literacy skills.ECE 450: Academic Seminar/Field Experience(Prerequisite: Student must have successfully completedall core courses with an average grade of “C” (2.0) or betterin the core and have approval from his/her facultymentor.)Participation in a collaborative field/academic experienceto reflect and actively practice material coveredin core classes. Field experience must be inapproved setting and arranged by student. Gradingis S or U only.ECE 460: Program AdministrationFocus on administration of early childhood programs.Emphasis on working with boards, staff, parentsand volunteers. Highlights include hiring,assessing, and supervising staff and volunteers.Attention to designing staff and volunteer professionaldevelopment programs.ECE 461: Leadership and SupervisionEmphasis on theories, principles and practical methodsof leadership and supervision applicable to earlychildhood settings. Demonstrations of instructional,operational and organizational leadership. Focus oncomponents of human resources related to staffrecruitment, development and evaluation.ECE 462: Financial Management & ResourcesFocus on financial policies and management ofresources in early education settings. Emphasis onaccounting fundamentals of preparing, recordingand monitoring funds.ECE 464: The Law: Issues and Practices(Prerequisite: HED 220)Focus on local, state and federal statutes and regulationsin early education settings. Emphasis on ethicalcodes of conduct, including analysis of legal andethical dilemmas and practice.ECE 465: Crisis, Trauma, and AbuseEmphasis on definition, factors, theories, and characteristicsassociated with abuse and family violence.Topics include examination and analysis of crisis,trauma and disaster preparedness, communityresponse, legal rights, prevention and interventionstrategies.ECE 466: Planning Physical EnvironmentsGuidelines on planning, designing and organizingphysical learning environments for young children.Understanding, comparing, integrating theoreticalframeworks on indoor and outdoor environments.ECE 490: Guided Study(1.5-4.5 quarter units)An individual study course under the direction of aspecified instructor. Requires prior approval of ECElead faculty.ECE 650: The Early Childhood TeacherExamines the critical role of the early childhoodteacher. Opportunities to reflect upon beliefs, analyzecurrent role, recognize strengths and develop aplan to move forward that strengthens and supportstheir professional growth. AddressesNCATE/NAEYC Advanced Standard 5: Growing asa professional.ECE 651: Transitions in Early ChildhoodFocus on transitions during early childhood.Particular attention paid to the transition to kindergarten.Multiple perspectives considered. AddressesNCATE/NAEYC Advanced Standard 1: PromotingChild Development and Learning, Standard 2:Building Family and Community relationships,Standard 4: Teaching and learning and Standard 5:Growing as a professionalECE 652: Cognition and the Young ChildDeepen understanding of the capabilities of youngchildren thinking skills. Focus is on current research.Opportunities to examine learning research in lightof current educational reform efforts and developpractical application. Addresses NCATE/NAEYCAdvanced Standard 1: Promoting child developmentand learning and Standard 5: Growing as a professional.ECE 653: Best ECE Teaching PracticesFocus on research based teaching strategies foryoung children. Examine opportunities for integratingcurriculum across content areas. Close attentionpaid to balancing standards and DevelopmentallyAppropriate Practice (DAP). AddressesNCATE/NAEYC Advanced Program Standard 4,Sub-standards 4b, 4c and 4d.ECO – EconomicsECO 203: Principles of MicroeconomicsIn this course, students will study the price system,market structures, and consumer theory. Topics coveredinclude supply and demand, price controls,public policy, the theory of the firm, cost and revenueconcepts, forms of competition, elasticity, andefficient resource allocation, among others.ECO 204: Principles of MacroeconomicsThis course provides an examination of aggregateeconomic activity. It includes a study of aggregatesupply and demand, the monetary and banking systems,aggregate economic accounting, inflation,unemployment, the business cycle, macroeconomicpolicy, and economic progress and stability, amongother things.ECO 401: Market Process Economics IThis course provides a basic understanding of marketprocess economics. Students will learn about thenature and importance of economics, capitalism,wealth and its role in human life, natural resourcesand the environment, the division of labor and production,the dependence of the division of labor oncapitalism, the price system and economic coordination,price controls, socialism, the institutions of privateproperty, economic inequality, economic competition,and monopoly and the freedom of competition.ECO 402: Market Process Economics IIThis course is a continuation of ECO 401 and isdesigned to provide students further understandingof market process economics. Students will learnabout the concept of productive activity, the productiverole of businessmen and capitalists, money andspending, productionism and unemployment, theproductivity theory of wages, alternative approachesto aggregate economic accounting, the role of savingin spending, Keynesian economics, and inflation.ECO 415: Labor Economics(Prerequisites: ECO 203 and ECO 204)Students will engage in a detailed study of the labormarket. Students will learn about the relation of thelabor market to other markets. Students will studythe demand for and supply of labor, the causes ofunemployment, labor market discrimination, whatinfluences the productivity of labor, the effects oflabor unions, and the determinants of wages, amongother topics.ECO 420: International Economics(Prerequisites: ECO 203 and ECO 204)Students will apply what they have learned in previouseconomics courses to analyze the global economicenvironment. They will learn and apply thelaw of comparative advantage to understand howall people can gain from international trade. Tradeagreements, such as GATT and NAFTA, will be discussedand analyzed. Students will learn about thecurrency markets and the different types of monetarysystems.ECO 430: Economics and PhilosophyStudents will learn about the relationship betweenphilosophy and economics. They will study thephilosophic foundations of market process economics,as well as other economic ideas. They will learnabout the link between ethics and economics, as wellas about the important role businesses play in theeconomy. Students will study topics such as whybusinessmen should be honest, the nature ofantitrust laws, the virtue of integrity, the nature ofgovernment and rights, among others.ECO 447: Money and Banking(Prerequisites: ECO 203 and ECO 204)Students will study the U.S. monetary and financialsystems. They will learn about the important rolethese systems play in facilitating the production ofwealth in the economy. This class covers the principlesof money; the Federal Reserve System; thedeterminants of interest rates, bond prices, and stockprices; the different types of financial institutions;monetary theory; and monetary policy.ECO 490: Guided StudyThis is individual study under direction of theinstructor. It requires prior approval of appropriateacademic department.