Education

This beginning level education course offers students philosophical, historical, and current views of teaching and education and encourages students to think more deeply about what teaching is, what teachers do, and whether teaching is an appropriate career choice for them. Through readings, class discussions, educational research, and field work in a K-12 classroom, students will reflect upon and articulate their own beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and schooling.

This course explores different cultural and identity issues (such as socioeconomic status, gender, language, religion, sexual orientation, race ethnicity, age, and exceptionalities), and examines their influence on the teaching in today's classrooms. Participants will examine and develop culturally appropriate and responsive teaching techniques and skills to differentiate instruction and support the academic and social achievement of students from multiple identity groups. Participants will also become aware of their own social identities and how those identities inform their personal values, beliefs, and norms.

This course is designed to help the Elementary Education Teacher better understand and utilize brain research focusing on the relationship between movement and student's academic performance. Course content will emphasize the importance of health, dance and physical education and provide techniques to incorporate them within the elementary classroom.

This course is part one of two courses in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Through both college classroom and field-based experiences, teacher candidates will begin looking at and practicing planning quality instruction by: a) setting strong, challenging, but achievable objectives based on Common Core standards and other state standards b) choosing, developing, and using teaching activities that are engaging, relevant, and designed to help the student successfully meet the intended objective; c) using assessment for learning that guides instruction for all students, and d) exploring the ideas of curriculum and instructional design, as well as research based best practice. At the end of this course, students will apply for admission to the teacher preparation program which is required for most 300-level education coursework.

This course addresses two primary goals: 1) to examine and develop the skills regarding instruction, assessment, and adaptations necessary to teach diverse learners. 2) to learn what important issues are most relevant to instruction of diverse learners and how best to acquire proficiency in those areas. To this end, the course focuses on topics such as recent law and policy changes, cultural issues relevant to immigration, the process of acquiring a second language and the impact of that process on students' academic and social well-being, definitions of second-language acquisition, language difference and disability, and accommodations and modifications for students with special education needs or those in the process of second-language acquisition. Additionally, the course will explore strategies to improve achievement of diverse learners in specific content areas.

This course is a study of the specific skills and techniques utilized by middle grades and secondary teachers of English.

This course is a study of the specific skills and techniques utilized by both junior high and senior high school teachers of mathematics.

This course is a study of the specific skills and techniques utilized by middle grades and secondary teachers of science.

This course explores the specific skills and techniques utilized by middle grades and secondary teachers of social studies.

This course explores various theories and practices designed to teach social science to diverse learners in the elementary classroom in general and specifically through disciplinary literacy. Students will learn to create engaging instruction, encompassing the five strands of social science, by utilizing practices and resources such as case studies and primary sources while implementing Common Core standards. Special focus will be placed on using technology to enhance learning in the social sciences.

A study of current theory, research, and best practices in the learning and teaching of science for all elementary school children, with a focus on student-centered inquiry and science and engineering practices. The course includes unit and lesson planning, assessment, task selection, design, and evaluation.

This course is a study of the specific theories, practices, and resources utilized by middle grade teachers to create effective and engaging learning environments for the study of mathematics. A particular focus will be on the IL Learning Standards (Common Core State Standards), the eight Mathematical Practices, use of literacy and academic language, and meeting the mathematical needs of diverse adolescent learners. Candidates will learn about the ideal middle school, to write (integrated) lesson and unit plans, to analyze student work, to provide effective feedback, and to use technology to enhance learning.

This course will provide students with the opportunity to read, discuss and analyze past and present children's literature.  Participants will focus on using children's literature that represents a wide range or genres and diverse cultures to develop and implement instructional activities aligned with the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards in the areas of language arts, social studies, science, and math.  Registration:  Junior Education majors.

This course will explore research, theory, and best practices related to effective classroom management. Topics will include establishing an environment for learning, organizing and managing instruction, coping with the challenges, and developing relationships with students, staff, and parents. This course includes an off-campus field experience in a classroom for 36-50 clock hours.

This course is an advanced course in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment focusing most specifically on curriculum and the application of assessment. In the context of their field placement, students will complete a full cycle of assessment, including formative assessment, summative assessment and feedback. Students will devise a variety of assessments in their teaching area.

This student teaching course focuses on how teachers use their understanding of the community, the school, the students and subject matter to decide on learning goals, to design or select appropriate activities and instructional materials, to sequence instruction in ways that will help students to meet short- and long-term goals, and to design or select informative evaluation strategies.

This student teaching course addresses issues of fairness and rapport, of helping students to believe that they can learn and can meet challenges and the issues of establishing and maintaining constructive standards for behavior in the classroom. It enables candidates to consider all environmental factors that impact student learning, ranging from the physical setting to the subgroups and learning needs of individual students.

This student teaching course focuses on the act of teaching and its overall goal: helping students to learn. Candidates are expected to make learning goals and instructional procedures clear to students, encourage students to extend their thinking, monitor students' understanding of content through various forms of assessments, design and implement effective instruction, and use time effectively.

In this student teaching course, candidates are assessed on their abilities to reflect on and analyze the extent to which learning goals were met, their demonstration of a sense of efficacy, their professional relationships with colleagues, their communication with parents, and their ability to develop plans for self-improvement. Participation in weekly seminars augments these skills. This student teaching course serves as the Senior Capstone for education majors seeking licensure.

This foundational course focuses on learning mathematics in the elementary classroom. Content explored in this class includes algebraic thinking, numeration, theory of whole numbers, integers, rational numbers, and real numbers. It also includes operations of arithmetic, elementary number theory, proportional reasoning, elementary data analysis, and basic concepts of geometry. This course is a prerequisite for ED 444 Math Methods of Elementary Teachers. This course in part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

This course will focus on instruction with the acknowledgement of how instruction is influenced by both the curriculum (and thus the global world in which we live) and continuous and on-going assessment. Grounded in research and theory, teacher candidates will begin practicing the process of planning quality instruction. Particular focus will be on integrating curriculum, specifically the areas of fine arts, PE, and Health with core content areas. This course is a prerequisite for ED 447 Disciplinary Literacy Methods for Elementary Teachers, ED 444 Math Literacy and Methods for Elementary Teachers, and ED 446 Disciplinary Literacy and Secondary Methods. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

This course is the study of specific theories, practices, and resources used by successful teachers to create engaging learning environments for the study of mathematics. Candidates will learn to write effective lesson and unit plans, analyze student work, provide meaningful feedback and use technology to enhance learning. Prerequisites: ED 442 Math for Elementary School Teachers and ED 443 Integrated Curriculum and Instruction. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

In this course, students will explore research, theory, and best practices related to effective classroom management and assessments. Topics will include establishing an environment for learning, organizing and managing instruction, developing assessments and using results to design effective instruction for all students, coping with daily challenges, and developing relationships with students, staff, and parents. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

In this course, teachers will acquire the pedagogical skills necessary for teaching a wide range of literacy methods in English language arts, math, social studies, and science curriculum at the middle grades and secondary level. Teachers will be taught effective, research-based instruction generally and within each content area. Specific topics will include the creation of cohesive lessons based on state standards, the development of appropriate assessments for learning, and learning design. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

In this course, teachers will explore and analyze research-based practices for teaching social studies, science, and English Language Arts, as well as ways to engage students in disciplinary literacy for each content area. Teachers will acquire the pedagogical skills necessary for teaching a wide range of literacy methods in the content areas, as well as assessment and instruction of foundational reading skills, strategies to develop reading and comprehension of narrative and informational text to build discipline-specific knowledge, methods of differentiating instruction for all learners, and selection of appropriate instructional materials. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

This 8-week instruction includes both a full-time teaching presence in a relevant K-12 classroom. Course material which will focus on the Teaching Code of Ethics and the creation and analysis of effective assessments. This course is part of the post-baccalaureate online licensure program.

This course will examine and analyze the fundamental concepts of linguistics and connect this information to routine work in the ESL classroom. Students will study linguistics including phonology, orthography, morphology, and syntax, as well as the implications of all of these topics for teaching all students, including ESL learners. Over the course of the semester, students will be provided with readings, videos, and podcasts that complement the information in the textbook, and assists students in developing a solid understanding of the intricacies of studying and teaching language. Through engagement in online whole-class discussions, group, and individual assignments, students will be able to use their understanding of essential linguistic principles to inform instruction and assessment at all levels. This course will include a 15-hour ESL Practicum.

This course will give students of all levels an understanding of the main linguistic theories; first and second acquisition; cognitive, affective, and cultural factors in teaching ESL learners. This course will discuss how theoretical foundations of second language acquisition can be applied to their work in the ESL classroom. Major discussion topics in this course include language acquisition theories, language policy, models of ESL education, as well as information regarding the teaching of academic language to native English speakers and English language learners. This course will include a 10-hour ESL Practicum.

This course will focus on the assessment of ESL learners with an emphasis on alternative assessments. The course will examine key concepts and issues of assessment, principles of language assessment including reliability, validity, authenticity, etc.; different purposes of assessment such as English learner identification, placement, diagnostic, and reclassification; different types of assessment (standards-based assessment, classroom-based assessment, standardized testing including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced standardized testing, alternative assessment such as dynamic assessment); steps in designing classroom-based or standardized language assessments; assessment of oral language (listening, speaking) and literacy (reading, writing), and language of content areas; use of technology in assessment; assessment of special populations such as young dual language learners and children with learning disabilities, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of assessment results. This course will include a 30-hour ESL Practicum.

This course will provide methodologies and techniques for teaching ESL learners, evaluation of ESL materials for various levels and instructional goals. This course will discuss second language methodology theoretical bases, approaches, strategies, materials, and techniques needed for effective teaching in ESL classrooms. Students will explore different pedagogical issues that relate to various ESL teaching strategies. They will have the opportunity to understand how language learning impacts content area learning and vice versa. Students will also have opportunities to reflect on teaching practices and how they impact ESL learners. Accordingly, students will learn to develop lessons and materials to put ESL theory and methods into practice, tailored to meet the needs of individual English language learners. This course will include a 30-hour ESL Practicum.

This course prepares ESL teacher candidates to engage in culturally and linguistically responsive research-based practices to support diverse learners in PreK-12 classrooms. This course examines the relationships between language, culture, and cultural awareness in the learning and teaching of ESL. This course also explores many ways in which school teachers may build the capacities for cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom. Emphasizes readiness for mutually accommodative professional practices with culturally and linguistically diverse learners and families. This course includes a 15-hour ESL Practicum

This course will lay the foundation in each of the five pillars of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) so that teachers understand the theory, research, and practices needed to empower themselves as teachers of reading. Attention will be paid to foundational literacy development as it pertains to the needs of diverse learners. This course includes an 8-10-hour Reading Practicum.

In this course, students will acquire the necessary skills for helping students successfully navigate through texts with strategies that apply to many content areas. Specifically, students will learn about, develop, and apply teaching methods for reading, writing, speaking, and listening that are relevant to multiple content areas, including academic vocabulary common to various content areas. This course includes an 8-10-hour Reading Practicum.

This course will introduce teachers to the various types and causes of reading difficulty. Teachers will learn how to administer and interpret literacy assessments and use other diagnostic techniques with diverse populations. The information teachers obtain will assist in their identification of students' areas of reading difficulty and guide their instructional recommendations. This course includes an 8-10-hour Reading Practicum.

This course builds on knowledge gained in ED 472 as students learn to use diagnostic information as a basis for planning remedial instruction in reading. Prospective and licensed teachers will be introduced to various practices, procedures and materials which are useful for remediation of reading problems. This course includes an 8-10-hour Reading Practicum.

This course focuses on writing as a method of communication and a resource for learning in K-12 classrooms.  Through readings, activities, and assignments, the course will develop teachers’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions about writing processes, writing genres, the reading-writing connection, and students’ writing development in the content areas.  This course will also focus on the relationships between research, theory, and practice in teaching writing for all students.

This course will examine the scope and nature of literature written specifically for children and adolescents. It will examine a variety of genres as well as include literature representing a range of diversities including ethnicities, culture, ability, gender, and sexual orientation. Emphasis will be on the identification, selection, and evaluation of high-quality literature as appropriate for children's developmental level and interest.