Undergraduate Program in  Childhood Education with a Bilingual Extension   

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Room 3302 James
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
Telephone: (718) 951- 5028

Prof. Alma Rubal-Lopez, Program Coordinator

Program Description

The program in Childhood Education with a Bilingual (Spanish/English) Education Extension is housed within the Childhood Program in the School of Education. This program shares common goals and philosophy with the Childhood Program.  It is, therefore, designed to educate teachers committed to pedagogic theory and practice, who are self-reflective, who are knowledgeable and skilled with respect to instructional methodologies, and who can respond to the complex educational needs of diverse student populations, including English language learners and students with special needs. One additional and very important focus of The Childhood Program with an Extension in Bilingual Education is the preparation of teachers who can teach in bilingual (Spanish/English) classrooms.  The program provides greater knowledge of the theories, strategies and methodologies  regarding the teaching bilingually to English language learners in bilingual classrooms.  Participants will be prepared to address the developmental needs of bilingual English language learners as well as instructional needs in both language and core content areas.

Pedagogical Core
The Childhood Education Program and the Childhood Bilingual Extension Program, with share most course in the pedagogical core.  The three courses unique to the Bilingual Extension Program are Education 40.2, 75.2 and 76.2. These courses address literacy, and student teaching focusing specifically on bilingual students and, therefore, enhancing the subject matter covered in the bilingual content courses found in the content core which are offered through the Department of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies. The courses in the Childhood Education Program with a Bilingual Extension like those found in the Childhood Education Program integrate the study of the following: the history and philosophy of education and schooling, human development within specific cultural, social and economic contexts, the culture of schools and classroom; interpersonal relations; autobiographical inquiry and aesthetics; language acquisition and literacy; integrating technology, curriculum, instructional planning and assessment into the classroom; and research-validated pedagogical methods across the disciplines.

General Core
The course of study leading to an Initial Certificate in Childhood Education with a Bilingual Extension includes the same rigorous general core required of all students at Brooklyn College.  This general core at Brooklyn College exceeds the requirements mandated by the regulations and include study in  Art History, Music, Computer Science, History, Sociology and Political Science, Philosophy, Classics, Geology, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Literature, Non-western cultures with additional requirements in English Writing, Modern Languages and Speech. 

Content Core and Bilingual Extension Courses
The Program in Childhood Education with a Bilingual Extension has collaborated with colleagues in the liberal arts and sciences, specifically, in the Department of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies to provide a content core of 31 credits.  The content core is consistent with the faculty’s philosophy and the new Regents regulations.  These courses are aligned with the New York State Learning Standards that focus on language arts, history, economics, geography, civics, arts, and literature.  

Link to Graduate Program in Childhood Education

The School of Education
Brooklyn College/CUNY
2900 Bedford Avenue / Rm. 2111 James / Brooklyn, NY 11210

Updated March 2008 / Brooklyn College School of Education
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