Early Childhood Education Certificate in STEAM
The Early Childhood Education Certificate in STEAM provides educators with best practices on tools and techniques to incorporate STEAM into their ECE curriculum. It expands upon science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by including arts and design, better positioning graduates to compete in an increasingly in-demand job market while empowering them to create an engaging, well-rounded curriculum for their students.
This STEAM certificate program entails four courses. All classes are held at the Children’s Center at Caltech in Pasadena, California.
Please note: this program is only available through an organizational partnership with Pacific Oaks College. Please contact Heather Fallon, Associate Vice President of Admissions, at [email protected] or 626.529.8229 to discuss developing a partnership in more detail.
Locations
Early Childhood Education Certificate in STEAM Course List
Integration of Science and Technology
This early childhood education course will focus on instruction and integration of emergent and developing STEAM principles. Students will research, plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate practices integrating strategies and skills to develop integrated Science and Technology experiences for children Candidates will explore activities magnetism, cause and effect, shadows/light, motion, patterns, measuring speed and distance, color and light and nature.
Thinking, Reasoning, and Discovering Mathematics
This ECE course will focus on designing, implementing and evaluating appropriate activities and environments for children with a focus on Mathematics, thinking and reasoning blocks, math, woodworking, and engineering with art concepts integrated with emphasis on current research in early childhood education. Participants will broaden their own creativity and imagination through exploring learning activities that can be applied to actual early childhood settings. Students will design age-appropriate classroom and outdoor learning environments that meet state regulations.
Integration of Engineering and Simple Robotics
This STEAM course is an exploration of recent learning of Science, Technology and simple robotics. Students will examine developmentally appropriate practices with robotics and the construction of simple robotics with robotic manipulatives, Legos, TECHNIC I, Unit blocks, Lincoln Logs and simple pulleys to provide learning in an engaging and interdisciplinary exploration and personal connections as a powerful learning tool for young children. Candidates will engage in in-depth design instruction in Early Childhood settings in biology, ecology, nature study and environmental science with a focus on Developmentally Appropriate learning environments centered on the use of robotics as manipulatives.
Integration of Teaching and Learning STEAM Lessons
Candidates will complete 4 hours of field-based experiences at an approved setting. Candidates will identify developmentally appropriate Science, math, Engineering and Art for pre K-3 curriculum. Candidates will develop lesson plans using state standards and Common Core Standards with developmentally appropriate practices, effective assessment, record keeping strategies to inform families on children’s progress.
Admission Requirements
- Completed Application for Admission
- Résumé
- Proof of High School Completion
- Acceptable proof of High School Completion may include any of the following:
- Copy of High School Diploma showing date of graduation
- Official High School Transcript
- Official GED Transcript
- Official Transcript from a Regionally-Accredited institution showing name of High School and date of High School graduation