Southern Oregon University Distance Education
 Infant child holding father's handEarly Childhood Development

Bachelor's degree

 

An Online Degree Completion Program for the Early Childhood Professional 

 

Fall 2011

Important web links
Transfer Students

Current Students

Services and Support


Still Have Questions?
Hello,  

With the temperature in the 90's here in Ashland, it's hard to believe that fall term will be beginning soon - but Sept 26th is just around the corner.

Many of you have already registered for your fall classes, which is great because some of the classes are filling up. To make room for the growing numbers of ECD majors, we are expanding the classes to allow more students to register. But, if there's a class that you need that shows as closed, remember, you can always email the instructor and ask for their permission to add the class. They can email KC or me and we'll provide an override so you can register.

Are you planning to apply for admissions for fall term? Sooner is better than later. Allow yourself plenty of time to complete the process. You will need to request transcripts from past schools and write your essay. If you're not already working with KC Sam, Transfer Specialist, please contact her soon. She'll be able to help you with the process. If you feel pressed for time, you can begin classes as a non-admitted student, then apply for admissions later for winter term.

Program News

Important Dates and Information

 

Registration for fall term is up and going!!

Fall term begins: Monday, September 26 

Winter term registration begins: November 7

Fall term finals week: December 5-9

 

Fall 2011 Early Childhood Classes

We have some great early childhood classes during fall term that might be of interest to you. All classes are delivered online through Moodle.

  

ED 309 PracticumPreschooler hammering pegs into zucchini

 

ED 365 Children at Risk
 

ED 399 Orientation to ECD
 

ED 407 Whole Child Development
 

ED 407 IFSP Development & Implementation

  

ED 407 Nutrition/Health for the Young Child
 

ED 427 Child Abuse & Neglect
 

ED 480 Foundations in Early Childhood Development

 

ED 484 Curriculum Design Early Childhood

 

ED 493 Observation/Evaluation of Teaching

 

Course descriptions  

New Fall ECD Course
 

ED 407 S
afety/Nutrition/Health for the Young Child
Instructor: Amy Preskenis

Examine the physical and health issues of children from birth to age eight. Explore the multitude of decisions that families make regarding their child's health and well-being. Study the importance of prevention with regards to a child's health and safety. Heighten awareness of early signs, both visible and invisible, in children that may indicate a need for health interventions. Discuss the appropriate nutrition for children as well as the influences that school, home and society have on children's dietary habits.

 

Face-to-Face Workshops will return Fall term
 
Beyond the Basics: Creating Classrooms with Joyous, Excited Learners - Deborah Murphy

 

ED 399 CRN 2860
Saturday, October 22, 2011
8:30 am - 4:30 pm with working lunch
Higher Education Center - Room 209
Riverside Ave, Medford, OR

 

Using hands-on materials, this workshop will offer tools that help kindergarten and primary grade children learn in ways that develop skills in a creative and supportive environment. Simultaneously this seminar will address the demands of meeting standards.
  

 

Master of Education for non-licensed teachers & educators
 
Ready to begin thinking about earning your Master's degree? You might want to consider earning a Master of Education through SOU. Recently, a Professional track has been developed to meet the professional development needs of educators outside of the K-12 public school system. This track will be attractive to early childhood professionals, health educators, organizational facilitators, community college teachers, and others that work within educational settings.
The core classes in this track are offered in a hybrid model, online with a one Saturday per month meeting in Medford. The remainder of the credits can be taken online. For more information visit sou.edu/education/med
Meet our New Instructor
Amy Preskenis - ECD instructor
Amy Preskenis

 

Hi, I am Amy Preskenis and I am so pleased to be teaching at SOU this fall.  I made my first foray into the college classroom last winter when I taught the Health Methods class for the Elementary Education degree. Teaching future teachers was a thrill!! To witness their enthusiasm for the subject and their love of working with children only made my passion for teaching burn brighter. 

 

Before taking on the "big kids" at SOU, I taught at both the middle and elementary levels.  Whether I was launching teenagers out of a human slingshot to teach the laws of physics or leading my fourth graders on a wagon train to Oregon, I always found the classroom a dynamic and creative place in which to learn. Since the birth of my daughter a few years ago, I have expanded my teaching repetoire to include substituting and being a writing coach for elementary teachers.  No matter the setting or level of students I teach, I work to integrate curriculum, find authentic assessments and create positive classroom environments.

    

The combination of coming from a family with heart disease, raising a child and all the decisions that entails, and looking at the children that walk into our classrooms has raised my awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I am excited about teaching the Health, Safety and Nutrition class online this fall as these topics seem not only timely and pertinent but a child's health also has a huge impact on the overall quality of their learning.

Highlight - Younghee's visit to Bing Institute at Stanford University
Water Play at Bing
Water Play Station at Bing Institute

"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child's soul." Friedrich Froebel

 

Visiting the Bing Nursery School and Summer Institute

 

As part of preparation for the ED407/507 Mind in the Making class, I attended an inspiring weeklong Bing Institute at Stanford University in July. It was an incredible relearning experience for me as an early childhood educator, especially regarding their use of basic materials curriculum and how they facilitate such an authentic learning for young children. The Bing Nursery school is a laboratory school for research and teaching at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. The school 's curriculum approach, serving two to five years olds, is authentic and rich in nature, child-centered, and play-based, focusing on children's developing minds.  read more....
 

Technology News You Can Use

Moodle News!!!

As of summer, all of our classes were delivered in Moodle and there was no more Blackboard - adios!!  There is now a Moodle icon in MySOU, and the single sign-in feature is now up & running, so when you click the icon, it will automatically open your Moodle account.  Moodle icon

Right now, we're focused on the exciting pieces of Moodle that we've acquired because of our contract with Moodle Rooms-- they will include ePortolfios, access from mobile devices, a social networking plug-in, real-time synchronization with SISWeb, single sign-on through portal, integration with Turnitin and Google apps, a user-friendly interface, and a platform that enables SOU to quickly respond to user needs. We will keep you posted as these options become available.

Just a reminder that your SOU email account will be used in your Moodle classes (in other words, you cannot use your yahoo or hotmail address) so be sure you are checking your GMail account in MySOU. 

 

Your SOU Student Email

 

Student email accounts are now in Google Apps for EDU. This new system, powered by Google, will provide Gmail to our school, as well as a suite of other Google products that will enable us to better communicate, share, and collaborate. You will see the Gmail logo on the top, right of your MySOU portal page. Important: Your address will remain [email protected]

Attention Newly Admitted Students!

 

It is important that all newly admitted students schedule a phone advising appointment through the ASP (Academic Support Programs). They can be reached at 541-552-6213. They will provide you with an official review of your general education courses and walk you through the registration process. They also has appointment times on Saturday for those that would prefer a weekend meeting. Be sure to request a phone appointment, you do not have to come to campus. You are welcome to attend a Raider Registration information session, but they are not required.  

 

We will be mailing the Orientation letter a few weeks before the term begins to registered students. If we happen to miss you, it is attached here for your convenience.

Textbooks
Don't Forget Textbooks!
Once you have registered, order your textbooks early to ensure you have everything you need for the first day of classes. The staff at the SOU Bookstore will be happy to assist you with your order. Online students pay shipping charges but the $5 processing fee is waived.

New Bookstore Website!

The SOU Bookstore is your campus resource for all your educational books and supplies, and we have just launched a new website with great features to help keep your textbook costs down!

 
Visit bookstore.sou.edu to pre-order your Fall textbooks now and see the great new features that can help save you money including:
  • New, Used, e-book and rentals all in one convenient placeBookstore clip art
  • Textbook price compare with Amazon and Textbooks.com
  • Textbook previews 
  • Textbook rentals
  • SOU Marketplace where you can buy and sell textbooks to other SOU students
  • Sell-back alerts - sign up and be notified of textbooks we will be buying
  • Graduation items, SOU Clothing and Souvenirs, School Supplies, Computers and more!
 All profit generated by the Bookstore goes back to SOU. Support your campus and buy from your local Bookstore.
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