B.Sc ECE Year 1 Module Listings

Overview

This module focuses on creativity and the visual arts. It examines and evaluates different constructs of creativity and their implications for early childhood education. It explores creative ‘flow’ and surroundings from a visual arts education perspective. It examines the visual arts modes and develops students’ subject connoisseurship, understanding and related skills through active engagement in creating, looking, and responding. It examines the value of ‘creative play’ and ‘being creative’ in light of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. It also investigates the junior visual arts primary curricula in light of the younger child’s aesthetic and creative development through participation, repertoire, critical and contextual understandings

Overview

Play is a key tool for learning and children’s way of mediating their understanding of the world. Dispositions such as persistence, resilience, and concentration are fundamental characteristics that help children develop. This module will introduce students to theory and research as foundations of practice. The main focus is play: the purpose of play, different types of play, how to support play, plan for play, get involved in play, and how we can create meaningful learning and life experiences for children through play.

Overview

This course is based on a broad philosophy of health that encompasses all aspects of a child’s well-being, with a particular focus on physical health and movement through activity and play. It is concerned with developing students’ knowledge and understanding, skills, values and attitudes that are central to a quality programme for children in the early years. Student early childhood educators will be encouraged to focus on the role they play as they promote the physical, social and emotional growth and development of children in the early years. This module aims to develop an understanding of the value of self and others and the development of positive interpersonal relationships

Through practical elements the students will recognise the central role and responsibilities of the early childhood practitioner when developing movement through activity and play in a safe environment. This module generates confidence in Managing and organising children and relevant equipment in movement and play activities, and provides opportunities to understand how to refine skills and to enhance hand-eye co-ordination by finding out what different body parts do and what sounds they make (e.g. stretching, balancing, listening to their breathing, throwing and catching items, kicking a ball, using a climbing frame).

Overview

This introductory inclusion module familiarise students with a democratic approach to inclusive early childhood education, which considers the meaningful involvement and inclusion of children with different strengths, abilities and difficulties. While students will be introduced to the wide spectrum of different factors influencing children’s inclusion in ECE, especially as set out in the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines published by the Department for Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA, 2016) the module will especially focus on children with special educational needs. For children with special needs as for all children, early childhood should be a time of tremendous opportunity for development and learning. The nature of provision at this life stage will critically impact on the child’s lifelong development. Quality provision for young children with special needs implies that any additional supports and interventions required are employed in an interrelated manner on the basis of the child’s holistic development. To that end, this foundational module seeks primarily to develop in students, awareness and understanding of the various challenges to development and learning experienced by children and the implications arising from these for practitioners in the field of early childhood care and education. It seeks to enable students to develop perspectives, knowledge and initial skills appropriate to their role as members of a multi-disciplinary team working as a flexible, inclusive whole to support the development and learning of young children, especially those with special needs. A collaborative, partnership approach to working with parents will be emphasised with students who will also be expected to engage with professional values and attitudes surrounding inclusion. This will enable students to begin to consider a democratic, whole setting approach to inclusion.

Overview

This module will provide a foundation for students to understand the basic methods and perspectives provided by psychological thinking, and how these may be applied to early education and development from birth to 6 years. It will draw largely on developmental psychology in delineating various psychological schools of thought and how they describe the learning and development of young children in a holistic sense (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, moral, linguistic etc.). Students will be encouraged to begin a process of developing critical, analytical approaches to their work. Such approaches are applicable to the study of psychology, but are also transferable to other disciplines and subjects within the B.Sc.

Overview

Language is the most powerful tool in the development of any human being. It is undeniably the greatest asset we possess. A good grasp of language is synonymous with a sound ability to think. In other words, language and thought are inseparable. Vygotsky (1986) asserts that language development aids cognitive development. A child who is adept linguistically is thus advantaged in starting off his/her school life.

This module will focus on developing an understanding of how language shapes thinking and how practice in settings can be adjusted to facilitate this. It will also explore the communication theme in depth so that early years practitioners can confidently implement a language-rich curriculum in their early childhood setting for children from birth to 6 years.

Overview

This module will provide a foundation for students to understand the basic methods and perspectives provided by psychological thinking, and how these may be applied to early education and development from birth to 6 years. It will draw largely on developmental psychology in delineating various psychological schools of thought and how they describe the learning and development of young children in a holistic sense (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, moral, linguistic etc). Students will be encouraged to begin a process of developing critical, analytical approaches to their work. Such approaches are applicable to the study of psychology, but are also transferable to other disciplines and subjects within the B.Sc.

Overview

This module is concerned with developing students’ knowledge, values and skills that are core to cultivating a nurturing pedagogy. An emphasis on real world application of practice and policy will be central to this module and students will be encouraged to apply theory to practice including practical skills, risk assessment and hygiene standards, for the care of a baby and young child. This pedagogy highlights the importance of initial and continuing professional development for those working in an early years setting. To foreground the pedagogical importance of interactions between a practitioner and a baby / young child during care routines such as feeding, changing, etc. his module aims to equip students with depth knowledge of how to ensure children in the early years receive appropriate hygiene and health standards in early years’ provision, while highlighting the fundamental importance of quality interactions in supporting children’s well-being.

Overview

This rationale for this Field Placement module is to enable students to prepare for, engage with and reflect on an Early Childhood Education placement. It hopes to enable students to contribute to the holistic development of young children by supporting and nurturing them using an open, playful attitude while also developing the students’ own skills and aptitudes as early years’ reflective and knowledgeable practitioners.

Students will have an opportunity to identify personal and professional goals and apply theory to practice. They will also develop their ability to provide a range of learning experiences that respond to children’s interests and that support holistic development.

Students will choose one module from the following options*:

• Nutrition and Healthy Eating
• Financial Management in Education
• Early Childhood Education through the Medium of Irish
• Leadership: Theory and Practice
• Creative Technologies in an Early Education Setting
• Effective Communication and Partnerships
• Holistic Education for Early Childhood Settings
• A Rights Based Approach to Early Childhood
• Relational Reflexivity in Early Childhood Education

Please see here for further information on each of these optional electives.

*Please note that all options may not be available each year