EDST - Educational Studies (EDST)

This course is an introduction to the many facets of education. The course will explore the profession of education, the structure and organization of schools, the legal and historical aspects of education, educational theory and philosophy, and schools for the next century. Candidates will understand how to establish healthy, positive relationships with children, parents, colleagues and community members. They will reflect on attitudes, aptitudes, skills and dispositions of successful teachers.

The components of the learning process and the contributions of psychology to education. Student characteristics, the process of human growth and the role of intelligence in the context of family and schooling. Environmental factors, social class, and cultural and racial differences on the development and measurement of teaching. Leading learning theories and their applications to teaching. Personal and social factors impacting on motivation and learning. Theories of the cognitive process. Methods for effective instruction, measurement and evaluation. Presenting classroom materials in a healthy school environment that accommodates individual, linguistic and cultural differences.

A study of the public education system (K-12) in America, the goals of education and the institutions that have evolved to meet those goals. The political, social, economic and intellectual developments that historically influence educational theory and practice. Recent educational changes resulting from contemporary reform efforts.

Life in the Classroom is designed to assist pre-service teachers in developing the skills, competencies and attitudes needed for teaching and managing a classroom of diverse learners. Candidates will examine learners and their diverse needs and gain knowledge of how to address these needs in an inclusive classroom. Candidates will examine the nature of teaching, overview of the elementary curriculum, strategies for working with diverse learners, planning for effective instruction, and instructional theory into practice. They will be introduced to various materials for use with children with disabilities, such as, assistive technology and functional academic guides.

Readings and discussions focus on models of teaching and enriching student learning. Practice in improving communication skills and lesson delivery through microteaching and structured exercises. Meeting student needs with appropriate strategies is an essential part of this course.

Focuses on the teaching and acquisition of literacy in the early elementary years; develops knowledge of specific literacy skills such as phonics, sight words, oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling and composition; presents techniques for teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking; develops knowledge of special corrective techniques; stresses an integrated skills approach, emphasizes motivation, the development of positive attitudes towards the language arts, and a love of literature. Field experience involvement.

This course is designed for those who will be elementary teachers of mathematics. It is designed to help pre-service teachers facilitate children learning mathematical concepts and skills, as well as important problem solving techniques. In the process it will challenge thinking and further stimulate interest in mathematics. It will increase knowledge of the NCTM Standards. The National Council of Teachers of Math Standards have identified communication as an important part of mathematics learning and this class is designed to encourage and facilitate communication. Field experience involvement.

Elementary Science content areas, process skills, teaching styles, strategies and techniques are explored through class lectures, discussions, assigned readings, lesson planning and teaching, cooperative group work, research, projects, experiments, demonstrations, use of technology and presentations. The process of learning by doing science with a constructivist emphasis is demonstrated and practiced in class as well as the integration of science with other subject areas. Field experience involvement.

Teaching Math in the Early Years: PK – 2 is the first in a two-course sequence in teaching math. The course focuses on early mathematical content, concepts, and strategies that are relevant to young children in grades Pre-K to 2. The course is designed to provide teacher candidates with effective strategies to recognize and promote mathematical development and learning in all young children. Through hands-on activities and problem-solving experiences, candidates will explore what mathematics looks like in the early grades and learn specific ways to facilitate young children’s mathematical development. An underlying goal of the course is to learn to teach mathematics in ways that are responsible to the goals of the curriculum, creative, and engaging while being responsive to children’s culture and identities

Ideological, philosophical, psychological and sociological influences on curriculum. Examination of major philosophies that affect education and curriculum development. Curriculum design and the factors that impact on its effectiveness and evaluation. How goals and objectives reflect educational purpose and the curriculum. Alternative models in curriculum design and implementation. Specific curriculum design issues in various content areas of secondary education.

Preparing productive and responsible citizens requires education directed at that goal. Such education imparts knowledge about our history, and our political and economic systems. It develops the skills, attitudes, and values that support motivated citizen movement. It shows candidates that accurately informed and directly involved citizens are important to our national well being. Develops strategies for teaching the social studies. Field experience involvement.

Focuses on the teaching and acquisition of literacy in the upper elementary years; stresses techniques for improving vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills; develops knowledge of process writing and methods of assessing language arts performance; investigates the application of reading and writing to content area learning; develops knowledge of children¿s literature; underscores the importance of modeling, motivation and positive attitudes. Field experience involvement.

This is the third course in a nine-credit sequence about literacy development in elementary education. Candidates will be introduced to the value and instructional strategies of multisensory approaches to foster and deepen learning in literacy. When given the opportunity to engage multiple forms of knowing through auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile systems, students experience a wholistic connection to the content. This approach emphasizes explicit, direct teaching and opportunities with rich practice.

Theory and practice of educational testing, and the development and use of tests and other forms of assessment. Analysis and interpretation of test results. Practice in major construction and application in candidates¿ major areas of specialization. Emphasis on alternative and authentic forms of assessment. Candidates examine the assets and limitations of various assessment instruments and strategies as well as develop a variety of assessment tools in their subject fields.

Implications of race, ethnic background, religion, language and gender on schooling of children. Community organizations that impact on the school. Analysis of various cultures that influence American education. Special attention to recognition and integration of multicultural education.

A comprehensive study of elementary/secondary methods of teaching music. Development of philosophy, various teaching techniques, and strategies are explored and discussed as well as the writing and implementation of lesson plans.

Development of age-appropriate lesson plans and curriculum units for K-12 art instruction. Emphasis on teaching art techniques and processes in the classroom in addition to methods for teaching art history, aesthetics and art criticism to youth.

English Language Arts provides an in-depth study of the best practices in teaching language, media, literature, speaking, and writing for candidates working with students at the middle and high school levels. Candidates will apply the content and skills from this course in their concurrent field experience.

Contemporary standards for secondary math curriculum and assessment; the mathematics essential for teaching secondary mathematics; the roles of secondary school math teachers; and the social and learning environments that affect the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Provides instruction on teaching styles, strategies, and techniques for use in middle and high schools science classes; multiple opportunities to explore teaching methods, all in support of science content knowledge and application, such as the use of discussion, demonstration, scientific method and experimentation, presentations, unit development, implementing labs, lab safety, grouping, lesson planning, assessment, and technology.

Social Education: A Social Studies Methods and Strategies Course for the Secondary Classroom - How the goals for social studies education are met in the secondary school. Competing rationales for the social studies field. Proposals for curriculum change compared to the dominant patterns of classroom instruction. Candidates examine, design and use materials available for teaching the essential skills and content knowledge in social studies, and participate in at least one professional activity. Also studied are: the influence of the bureaucratic, hierarchical nature of schooling on social education; existing and proposed alternatives; the making of teaching decisions and the influences that shape them; and identifying individual differences.

Presents candidates with a current picture of modern language teaching and its place in our society. Candidates learn a variety of approaches to communicative language instruction, create lessons using these methods, and practice presenting their lessons as they learn to become reflective practitioners of their craft. Candidates are responsible for readings in the texts, professional journals and other materials.

Learn how to integrate "best practice" and technology standards with a technology-based curriculum. A broad range of computer-supported learning tools, projects, and emerging technologies explored, created, and evaluated through an interactive approach.

This course is designed for freshmen to enable them to understand the emotional, physical, cognitive, social and moral development of the child prior to working with children in schools. The course offers instruction on development from birth through adolescence with a special focus on the early childhood developmental stages and developmentally appropriate practice. Understanding how children grow and develop enables candidates to make appropriate decisions in their work with children relating to subject matter, methods, curriculum goals, and materials. In addition to field visits to Pre-K settings, candidates will complete projects that connect child development knowledge to curriculum.

The seminar is organized to support senior candidates engaged in their culminating field experience and to deepen beginning teachers' understanding of three main topics: the classroom and the school, student development and learning, and curriculum. Selected topics will include current curriculum, analysis of teaching effectiveness, human relations in the school, classroom management and discipline, teaching strategies, learning across the curriculum, evaluation, employment and professional growth.

This course coincides with the start of the yearlong clinical internship. Students are expected to bring their prior academic work and pre-clinical experience to a ‘real world’ environment. A single planned lesson, in a content-specific methods course, is now replaced with expectations for critical, on-going instructional planning, engagement, and assessment. The knowledge, skills, and dispositions to support all learners, but particularly students with disabilities, English learners, and marginalized students, is essential to the internship. Within this course, an emphasis on the development of respectful learning environments, and their component parts, form the foundation for study. Examples of these components include behavior principles, culturally responsive teaching, and CEC high leverage practices. Through a deep analysis of their learners, students will develop the practice of consistently planning from that perspective, thus proactively engaging the strategies and resources to create inclusive learning environments.

A 15-week placement in an approved school setting (under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and College of Education personnel) that enables candidates to develop and refine their competencies as teachers. Complementing this full-time practical experience is a weekly seminar that relates theoretical principles and content to practice through case studies, class discussion, and the development of lesson plans, modules and curriculum units. Requires full-time student teaching for a full semester. Prerequisites: EDST 1501, 3510, 1301, 2003, 3700, 3301, 2501 and appropriate methods course or program recommendation.