Course Description
This course identifies the challenges of leadership in early care and education. Emphasis is placed on comparing leadership styles. Ethical principles as they relate to children, families, teachers, and the community will be reviewed. Students will be given tools to enhance their leadership skills and their ability to think creatively, analyze critically, and manage knowledge effectively as it relates to current trends and issues.
Prerequisites
- ECE 101: Introduction to Early Childhood
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Define leadership, describe the difference between leadership and management, and reflect on their own leadership experiences.
- Discuss the impact of culture on leadership.
- Identify major historical views on leadership and describe how they have impacted current early care and education programs. (NAEYC standards 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d)
- Describe appropriate ethical relationships with children, families, colleagues, community, and society. (NAEYC standard 6b)
- Recognize and assess one's personal leadership style.
- Develop a personal professional leadership career plan for the field of early care and education. (NAEYC standards 6a, 6d)
- Report on a current issue affecting early care and education. (NAEYC standards 6d, 6e)
- Examine what it means to become a professional in the field of early childhood. (NAEYC standards 6a,6c)
- Describe the strategic planning process and apply it to the work environment.
- Discuss and apply strategies for communication, consensus building, and conflict resolution.
General Education Outcomes (GEOs)
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
Assignment(s) | Weight |
Reflection Papers | 5% |
Leadership Style Assessment | 5% |
Personal Professional Leadership Career Plan (outline Week 3, final product Week 8) | 10% |
Ethical Situations | 20% |
Current Issue in Early Care and Education | 10% |
Advocacy Project | 10% |
Discussion Boards (all weeks) | 40% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore
- Sullivan, D.R. (2009). Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Redleaf Press. ISBN-10: 1605540188 or ISBN-13: 9781605540184
- Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. (2012). Ethics and the early childhood educator: Using the NAEYC code. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC. ISBN-10: 1928896839 or ISBN-13: 9781928896838
Note: This textbook is also required for ECE 250.
Special Computer Requirements
- Students will need basic computer skills. They should be able to successful navigate the web and use clip art and graphs.
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Bloom's | Readings and Exercises | Assignment(s) |
1 | 1 | Knowledge Comprehension | Course Overview; Leadership and Management
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2 | 1,4 | Knowledge Comprehension Analysis | Types of Leadership Styles; Yes, you are a leader!; Overview of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
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3 | 2-5 | Analysis Synthesis | Effective Leadership in a Cutural Context & Developing Leadership Plans
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4 | 9 | Knowledge Comprehension | Strategic Planning & SWOT Analysis
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5 | 7 | Analysis Synthesis | Current Issues & Advocacy
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6 | 10 | Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation | Building Relationships through Communication
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7 | 8 | Knowledge | Leader as Mentor
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8 | 1-10 | Application | The Future of Leadership
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.