Enhancing Teacher Education Preparation during the First Two Years of College within the University
System of Georgia

By Donna Daugherty and Brent Griffin, Georgia Highlands College, Rome, GA

The thirty-five members of the University System of Georgia (USG) recently implemented curriculum changes designed to enhance the preparation of early childhood education (ECE) majors during the first two years of college. The revised curriculum was developed collaboratively by state-wide academic advisory committees in science, mathematics, and teacher education, with faculty representation from all system institutions. The revision process resulted in the creation of six sophomore-level courses designed specifically for ECE majors. The courses, which include nine hours of education, six hours of science, and three hours of mathematics, are now graduation requirements for all ECE majors within the USG. As part of the course development process, faculty aligned the student learning outcomes of the new courses with content knowledge required for ECE majors within the framework of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), a revised K-12 curriculum currently being implemented by the Georgia Department of Education.

The three education classes standardize basic ECE teacher preparation system-wide. Focusing on contemporary issues in education, the courses offer ECE majors the opportunity to explore the teaching and learning process and to acquire the fundamental knowledge of different cultures necessary to teach students from diverse backgrounds. The courses incorporate active learning and early field experience opportunities. In fact, during the curriculum revision process, USG faculty emphasized the importance of introducing future teachers to a structured K-5 classroom setting as early as possible in their educational experience.

The mathematics course is the first in a sequence of four courses aligned with mathematics content in the GPS and required in the undergraduate ECE degree. The first course focuses on numbers and operations and serves as a gateway to the remaining three courses. Those courses, taught at the junior and senior level, cover topics from geometry, statistics, and algebra. As a whole the four-course sequence exposes future teachers to the mathematical concepts necessary for successfully teaching mathematics in the K-5 classroom.

The two science courses are inquiry based, incorporating hands-on learning activities aligned with science content in the GPS. The courses are interdisciplinary, integrating topics from earth science, physical science, and life science. The courses are designed to offer future teachers the opportunity to develop a conceptual understanding of science through interactive learning. Students enrolled in the courses analyze the applicable GPS science standards, learn how to assess and evaluate the standards, and develop learning activities and strategies, aligned with the standards, for use in the K-5 classroom.

Georgia Highlands College, in conjunction with the USG, launched the revised ECE curriculum in the 2007-08 academic year. A team of Georgia Highlands College faculty attended the 2008 National NACCTEP conference to network with colleagues and to learn effective approaches for smoothly implementing the six newly developed courses. Assessment of the new curriculum is ongoing. Hopefully the redesigned curriculum will produce future educators who are better prepared to complete their upper level coursework and to assume their teaching responsibilities in the K-5 classroom.