The degree in Birth Through Kindergarten (B-K) Teacher Education prepares students for teacher licensure and a teaching career with children from birth through five years in inclusive settings serving both typically and atypically developing young children and their families.Students successfully completing the program may seek employment in public school classrooms, private preschools and kindergartens, home-based early intervention programs, Head Start, developmental day programs, and a variety of child care centers and programs. You will gain an understanding of the foundations and theories related to child development and early childhood education, and will learn how to create learning environments that foster children's development, how to select materials and use appropriate teaching methods, how to incorporate technology into the curriculum, how to plan an anti-biased multi-cultural classroom environment, and how to involve families in their children's education.
Total Credits Required
120 Semester Hours (63-72 in Birth-Kindergarten; 42-44 in liberal studies; 6-15 in general electives)
Prerequisites
Education
Admission to the B-K program requires completion of an A.A. or A.A.S. degree or 44 hour core requirements and a cumulative 2.75 grade point average.
Delivery Method
OnLine
WebCT; Chat rooms; Discussion Boards; Email
Specific Technology Requirements
Computer
General Hardware: 512 MB RAM; 40 GB hard drive; CD-R or CD-RW drive. PC Requirements: Windows XP. Mac Requirements: OSX or higher.
Internet Access
Must be able to connect to Western's network through DSL or Cable modem.
Students can transfer 12 semester hours of community college courses into the Birth-Kindergarten degree.
Notes
All Distance Learning students should be able to perform common computer functions such as e-mailing, chat, discussion boards, browsing the Internet, zipping and unzipping files, downloading and uploading files, and keyword searching.
