Early Childhood Edcuation

superslimme

Hoping to go to DIT next year to do early childhood education, so just a few questions. what are the class sizes like? Is it classroom based for the year with block placements or do you do your placements throughout the acedemic year?
thanks

ShamrockGirl

Hey I'm in 2nd Year of ECE. Absolutely love it, it's such a broad course to be honest.

Yes, the course places a huge significance on work placement. In first year you will complete 1 day a week for the year with 3 block weeks(Monday-Friday) in Oct, January and March. You can be placed in many different child orientated setting, in 2nd and 3rd year you get the chance to choose the type of placement you would like.

There are two classes each year each with about 20/21 students. Therefore it is really easy to make friends and a wide variety of group work is completed throughtout the year so hence a great opportunity to talk to other in the class.

The different lectures/classes are all quite linked and the topics are really interesting. Likewise the lecturers don't appear superior to the students, they are always there to help, sometimes even changing classes to suit the students if they have free times or if a class is cancelled. They are really friendly and down to earth people in general.

The majority of the year is continuous assessment and completing assignment, then exams for summer (we had 4 this year, so its not too many).

Hopefully you are more aware now but if you have absolutely any other questions about the course or DIT in general, just PM me!!

superslimme

thanks shamrock girl
God the class sizes are really qutie small, I'm surprised. I'm doing level 6 at the moment and while it's grand I really feel that the pace is slow and each lectuerer is telling us something completely different from the previous one.We have to do a work placement for the year some of the girls still haven't got one (don't know how they do their assignments) and tutor saying ah sure its ok, do your observations on kids you know, then child development teacher is going mad saying they need to get placements. Also a lot of classes are cancelled and I personally find this so frustrating. Are the class days usually 9-5 mon-fri? Just I have a family so need to be uber prepared for next year:D

ShamrockGirl

Yes I can imagine it is quite hard to learn when the modules don't link. Placement in my opinion plays a vital part in seeing the theory you learn in college in action and lecturers do try to create mini tasks to observe in placement just to become more professional.

Emm. no not 9-5 mon-fri. The time table last year and this year for first years is:
Mon 11-1 - Child Dev and Psychology
2-4 - Profesional Practice.

Tue PLACEMENT DAY (WED for other group)

Wed (tutorials some weeks in the morning)
2-4 - Art

Thurs 9-11 - Child Health
11- 1 - Drama
2-4 - Early Ed (Music and Movement in semester 2 for 1 hour)

Fri 9-11 - Sociology and Social Theory
11.30-1 - Research Methods

So it's pretty ok in my opinion.