Major in Elementary Education with Dual Certification in Early Childhood Education (PreK-6)
Through the collaboration of the Elementary Education and the Early Childhood Education Departments, interested students can pursue a dual certification program leading to PreK-6 certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Interested students should contact the Elementary Education Department.
The Elementary Education/Early Childhood Dual Certification program fulfills requirements for Maryland State Certification in Teaching. The program is divided into a Pre-Professional program and Professional Internships for a total of 134 units.
Students completing the Early Childhood Education track of the Elementary Education major are required to complete 134 units and will be eligible for dual certification in Early Childhood (Grades PK-3) and Elementary (Grades 1-5). All courses must be completed with a minimum C (2.0) grade equivalent, except for ELED 320, which requires a minimum B (3.0) grade equivalent. The Pass (PS) grading option may not be used for any of the following required courses.
Minimum requirements for admission into teacher education programs, maintaining candidate status and formal entry into the capstone internship are outlined on the Standards for Teacher Education page in the Undergraduate Catalog.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Professional Required Courses | ||
| Core Curriculum Courses | ||
| TSEM 102 | TOWSON SEMINAR (Core 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | WRITING FOR A LIBERAL EDUCATION (Core 2) | 3 |
| MATH 205 | MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS AND STRUCTURES II (Core 3) | 4 |
| Core 4 Creativity and Creative Development course | 3 | |
| Core 5 Arts and Humanities course (must be a different discipline from Core 4) | 3 | |
| PSYC 101 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY (Core 6) | 3 |
| BIOL 120 & 120L | PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY [LECTURE] and PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY [LAB] (Core 7) | 4 |
| PHSC 101 | PHYSICAL SCIENCE I (Core 8) | 4 |
| ELED 320 | WRITING FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS (Core 9) 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 202 | HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES: AMERICA'S URBAN SCHOOLS (Core 10) | 3 |
| HIST 145 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE CIVIL WAR ( Core 11) | 3 |
| or HIST 146 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE CIVIL WAR | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY (Core 12) | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (Core 12) | ||
| WORLD HISTORY BEFORE 1300 (Core 12) | ||
| WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1300 (Core 12) | ||
| EDUC 203 | TEACHING AND LEARNING IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY (Core 13) | 3 |
| SCED 304 | EDUCATION, ETHICS AND CHANGE (Core 14) | 3 |
| Additional Required Courses | ||
| ECED 103 | INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
| ECED 201 | EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION | 3 |
| ECED 315 | INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION | 3 |
| ELED 322 | FOUNDATIONS OF READING AND OTHER LANGUAGE ARTS | 3 |
| ISTC 301 | INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| MATH 204 | MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS AND STRUCTURES I | 4 |
| MATH 251 | ELEMENTS OF GEOMETRY | 4 |
| SPED 301 | INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION | 3 |
| Level I Professional Program | ||
| BIOL 303 | LIFE SCIENCES | 3 |
| or BIOL 382 | ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SERVICE LEARNING IN THE TROPICS | |
| ECED 461 | TEACHING THE INTEGRATED ARTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD | 3 |
| ELED 323 | PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF INSTRUCTION IN READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS | 3 |
| ELED 363 | LANGUAGE AND LITERACY INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| PHSC 303 | EARTH SPACE SCIENCE | 3 |
| Level II Professional Program | ||
| ECED 341 | PRE-PRIMARY CURRICULUM | 3 |
| ECED 343 | PRE-PRIMARY PRACTICUM | 3 |
| ECED 360 | EARLY LITERACY: BEST PRACTICES AND MATERIALS | 3 |
| EDUC 417 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 3 |
| ELED 357 | LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE LEARNERS IN THE CLASSROOM | 3 |
| MATH 323 | TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 3 |
| Level III Professional Program | ||
| ELED 311 | CHILDREN AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| ELED 312 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL INTERNSHIP I | 3 |
| ELED 365 | TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 3 |
| ELED 429 | PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF ASSESSMENT IN READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS | 3 |
| SPED 401 | CURRICULUM/METHODS OF INCLUSION | 3 |
| Level IV Professional Program | ||
| ECED 352 | INTERNSHIP III: PREPRIMARY | 6 |
| ELED 468 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL INTERNSHIP II | 6 |
| ELED 469 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL INTERNSHIP SEMINAR | 3 |
| Total Units | 134 | |
| 1 | Minimum grade equivalent of B (3.0) is required. |
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Based on course availability and student needs and preferences, the selected sequences will probably vary from those presented below. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| Preprofessional Program begins | ECED 103 | 3 | |
| BIOL 120 & 120L (Core 7) | 4 | EDUC 202 (Core 10) | 3 |
| HIST 145 or 146 (Core 11) | 3 | MATH 205 (Core 3) | 4 |
| MATH 204 | 4 | PSYC 101 (Core 6) | 3 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Select one of the following (Core 12): | 3 |
| Core 5 | 3 | ||
| Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 | ||
| 17 | 19 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| ECED 201 | 3 | ECED 315 | 3 |
| EDUC 203 (Core 13) | 3 | ELED 320 (Core 9) | 3 |
| MATH 251 | 4 | ELED 322 | 3 |
| SPED 301 | 3 | ISTC 301 | 3 |
| Core 4 (ART, DANC, THEA or COSC) | 3 | PHSC 101 (Core 8) | 4 |
| SCED 304 (Core 14) | 3 | ||
| 16 | 19 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| Level I Professional Program | Level II Professional Program | ||
| BIOL 303 or 382 | 3 | ECED 341 | 3 |
| ECED 461 | 3 | ECED 343 | 3 |
| ELED 323 | 3 | ECED 360 | 3 |
| ELED 363 | 3 | EDUC 417 | 3 |
| PHSC 303 | 3 | ELED 357 | 3 |
| MATH 323 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| Level III Professional Program | Level IV Professional Program | ||
| ELED 311 | 3 | ECED 352 | 6 |
| ELED 312 | 3 | ELED 468 | 6 |
| ELED 365 | 3 | ELED 469 | 3 |
| ELED 429 | 3 | ||
| SPED 401 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 134 | |||
ACEI Standard 1. Development, Learning, and Motivation
1.0 Development, Learning, and Motivation--Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to development of children and young adolescents to construct learning opportunities that support individual students development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation.
ACEI Standard 2. Curriculum Standards
2.1 Reading, Writing, and Oral Language Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English language arts and they know, understand, and use concepts from reading, language and child development, to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills and to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials, and ideas;
2.2 Science Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space sciences. Candidates can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science, to build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey the nature of science;
2.3 Mathematics Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts and procedures that define number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability. In doing so they consistently engage problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation;
2.4 Social studies Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts and modes of inquiry from the social studies the integrated study of history, geography, the social sciences, and other related areas to promote elementary students abilities to make informed decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse democratic society and interdependent world;
2.5 The arts Candidates know, understand, and use as appropriate to their own understanding and skills the content, functions, and achievements of the performing arts (dance, music, theater) and the visual arts as primary media for communication, inquiry, and engagement among elementary students;
2.6 Health education Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts in the subject matter of health education to create opportunities for student development and practice of skills that contribute to good health;
2.7 Physical education Candidates know, understand, and use as appropriate to their own understanding and skills human movement and physical activity as central elements to foster active, healthy life styles and enhanced quality of life for elementary students.
ACEI Standard 3. Instruction Standards
3.1 Integrating and applying knowledge for instruction Candidates plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, connections across the curriculum, curricular goals, and community;
3.2 Adaptation to diverse students Candidates understand how elementary students differ in their development and approaches to learning, and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse students;
3.3 Development of critical thinking and problem solving Candidates understand and use a variety of teaching strategies that encourage elementary students development of critical thinking and problem solving;
3.4 Active engagement in learning Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior among students at the K-6 level to foster active engagement in learning, self-motivation, and positive social interaction and to create supportive learning environments;
3.5 Communication to foster collaboration Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the elementary classroom.
ACEI Standard 4. Assessment Standards
4.0 Assessment for instruction Candidates know, understand, and use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate and strengthen instruction that will promote continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each elementary student.
ACEI Standard 5. Professional Standards
5.1 Professional growth, reflection, and evaluation Candidates are aware of and reflect on their practice in light of research on teaching, professional ethics, and resources available for professional learning; they continually evaluate the effects of their professional decisions and actions on students, families and other professionals in the learning community and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
5.2 Collaboration with families, colleagues, and community agencies Candidates know the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive collaborative relationship with families, school colleagues, and agencies in the larger community to promote the intellectual, social, emotional, physical growth and well-being of children.