Teacher Education: Biology

EDUC 101 Foundations in Education I: A Historical and Philosophical Perspective 3.0 Credits

In this course students are introduced to pedagogical and philosophical concepts, theories, methods and procedures in the historical context of education in America. Students develop an understanding of how schools work and of the teaching/learning dynamic through required mentoring activities.

EDUC 102 Foundations in Education II: Contemporary Issues 3.0 Credits

In this course students continue their exploration into the pedagogical and philosophical concepts, theories, methods and procedures in the context of contemporary education in America. Students develop an understanding of how schools work and of the teaching/learning dynamic through required mentoring activities.

EDUC 105 Freshman Pedagogy Seminar 1.0 Credit

Education majors only. Addresses observation skills focusing on classroom dynamics, i.e., what is teaching/learning, changing roles of teachers, learning styles, study skills, mentoring, journal writing/analysis, and the use of portfolios.

EDUC 112 Integrative Instruction: Focus on World Geography 3.0 Credits

Through the study of geography, encourages students to find a meaningful framework for understanding the system of human culture as it exists over the surface of Earth. Explores the use of technology in education.

EDUC 113 Organizational Structure of Secondary Schools 3.0 Credits

Students will explore the organizational structure of high school programs and acquire competence in designing learner-oriented communities of practice in the classroom to foster student achievement and overall well-being.

EDUC 115 Reasoning about Numbers and Quantity (4-8) 3.0 Credits

Students will investigate number and quantity concepts, state and national teaching standards and appropriate pedagogical approaches to teaching such topics as; quantities, place value, whlel number, fractions and additive reasoning.

EDUC 120 Child Development I: Typical Development 3.0 Credits

This course addresses the multifaceted complexities of child development, through discussion of classic and emerging theories. Students will recognize and apply developmental domains of theory and research in the field of child development.

EDUC 121 Child Development II: Atypical Development 3.0 Credits

Students will apply knowledge of typical growth and development in childhood to those children whose development is atypical. Key topics include newborn screening, patterns in development and cognitive testing. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 123 Adolescent Development 3.0 Credits

This course addresses the complexities of adolescent development, through discussion of theories. It uses research-based, real-world, and cross-cultural examples. It aims to foster the student’s ability to recognize and apply connections among developmental domains, theory, and research with the field of human development. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 201 Instructional Issues 3.0 Credits

This course explores and offers in-depth analysis of relevant theories relating to contemporary application of instructional issues, systems and design. The purpose is to provide theoretical, experimental and critical perspectives on instructional issues and design as it is applied in a number of educational venues.

EDUC 203 Design of Instructional Materials 3.0 Credits

This course provides an examination of instructional materials and their use in instructional programs for topics of their choosing. Discussion of current media and instructional equipment for effectiveness, specification and purchasing is included.

EDUC 205 Sophomore Pedagogy Seminar 1.0 Credit

Education majors only. Builds on the freshman seminar and incorporates service learning as an instructional strategy.

EDUC 210 Early Language Development 3.0 Credits

Provides preservice teachers an overview of language development in the early years of a child’s life from birth to age five, in the home and school settings. Topics include; phonological awareness, acquisition of phonetic knowledge, semantic understanding and syntactic use. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 216 Diversity and Today's Teacher 3.0 Credits

This course explores major issues related to the increasing diversity of students in elementary and secondary classrooms in the United States. The multifaceted challenges of teaching heterogeneous student populations.

EDUC 223 Teaching the Middle School Child 3.0 Credits

This course will explore the middle school environment, developmentally appropriate middle school programs, strategies for supporting students through the transition to middle school, and the impact of peer pressure on the middle school child. The course requires the candidate to apply theories learned in EDUC 123: Adolescent Development to the classroom setting.

EDUC 236 Early Literacy I 3.0 Credits

This course examines research-validated literacy instruction and literacy interventions. Topics will include phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and the reading-writing connection. Emphasis is placed on the scio-cultural aspects of reading. Focus is also placed on literacy instruction across the curriculum.

EDUC 240 Proportional Reasoning in Middle School 3.0 Credits

This course provides middle grade teachers with key mathematical ideas of proportional reasoning. Topics explored in this course include: measurement, quantities, relative thinking, unitizing, sharing and comparing, reasoning up and down, and rational number interpretations.

EDUC 256 Teaching Writing Grades 4-8 3.0 Credits

This course prepares the candidate to teach and assess writing effectively in grades 4-8. Formative and summative assessments in multi-genre writing will be learned and applied, including the use of Writing Folders and Portfolios.

EDUC 257 Content Area Reading (Grades 4-8) 3.0 Credits

This course prepares the pre-service teacher to teach and assess adolescents who are learning to read across multiple subject areas in grades 4-8. Students will explore textbooks, trade books, electronic texts and internet resources. Additional field experience hours are required for this course.

EDUC 258 Reading in the Content Areas 3.0 Credits

This introductory course is designed to help all (7-12) teacher candidates improve their students’ reading, writing, research and discussion skills in school and for lifetime learning. The course will focus on important formats and strategies for learning to read and write well and to learn in any subject.

EDUC 265 Instructing English Language Learners 3.0 Credits

This course explores principles and theory of second language and literacy acquisition, billingualism, academic language competence and linguistics, and instructional approaches based on these principles. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 284 Teaching Life Science in the Middle School 3.0 Credits

Course designed to provide the developing middle grades teacher with skills to introduce life science content topics to middle school children, assess children’s content knowledge, and develop a variety of hands-on strategies, effective pedagogy, and activities, mini-labs, and conceptual problems that can be implemented in middle grade classrooms.

EDUC 285 Teaching Physical Science in the Middle School 3.0 Credits

This course provides the developing candidate with an introduction to how content topics inclduing physical and chemical changes and properties of matter, motion and forces, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism are taught and assessed in the middle school. Candidates learn how to implement activities such as mini-labs and conceptual problems in the middle school setting.

EDUC 286 Teaching Earth & Space Science for Middle School 3.0 Credits

This course is designed to provide an introduction to how content topics of earth, plate tectonics, earthquakes, earth’s atmosphere/weather and climate are taught and assessed in the middle school. Students will learn how to design age appropriate activities for the middle school setting.

EDUC 292 Science Methods for Middle School 3.0 Credits

This course examines planning science instruction to include inquiry and integrated concepts, developing authentic assessments, involving a variety of tools, creating and maintaining a safe laboratory and a learning environment that meets the needs of diverse learners in science education. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 301 Introduction to Personalized Systems of Instruction 3.0 Credits

The student should be coaching or tutoring while taking this course. Covers the theory and practice of the Personalized System of Instruction and the Heuristic Diagnostic Learning approach. Includes emphasis on empowering students in teaching and learning by studying coaching strategies, instructional strategies, learning styles, student-coach interactions, current research, and applying PSI. Requires three hours per week of service comprised of one-to-one academic coaching. Students keep a weekly log of their coaching activities and a reflective journal about the academic coaching experience.

EDUC 302 Advanced Seminar In Personalized Systems of Instruction 3.0 Credits

An advanced seminar for students with coaching experience. Covers content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and curricular knowledge issues; management of students and problems encountered in coaching; instructional planning design; and issues such as individual differences in learning and motivation. Students maintain a weekly journal of their teaching experience and engage in a critical analysis of their teaching/coaching experiences.

EDUC 305 Junior Pedagogy Seminar 1.0 Credit

Education majors only. Continues further exploration of relationships among service learning, content knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, learner characteristics utilizing generic influences, special needs students, and motivation techniques.

EDUC 306 Assessment of Young Children I 3.0 Credits

Students will gain an understanding of the role of the assessment process in early education. Students will explore evaluation procedures and classroom-based data collection strategies for young children in inclusive education settings. Course covers 3 major functions of assessment: program planning, program monitoring and program evaluation.

EDUC 307 Assessment of Young Children II 4.0 Credits

This course will provide candidates with an in-depth view of formal and informal evaluation procedures for young children and their families. Such procedures will be explored in the context of the function of assessment; screening, diagnosis/eligibility, program planning, and program evaluation.

EDUC 308 Creating a Positive Classroom Climate 3.0 Credits

This course focuses on the practical aspects of classroom management, school safety and other critical social issues that relate to providing a positive and productive learning environment, particularly in under-served classroom settings. Specific focus in this course will be dedicated “knowing the learner”, identifying individual student needs, building rapport and constructing a “democratic classroom”. Additional emphasis will be placed on teacher leadership and how each pre-service candidate will develop his/her own approach to leading and managing a PK-12 classroom.

EDUC 310 Computer Applications in Teaching 3.0 Credits

Studies the unique characteristics of the microcomputer as an instructional tool in elementary and secondary school instruction. Provides students with an understanding of the instructional versatility and limitations of microcomputing through hands-on experience with applications in their subject-matter fields. Addresses issues concerning techniques for integrating computing into instruction.

EDUC 311 Computer Applications in Curriculum Development 3.0 Credits

This course presents major instructional design concepts that students will use in developing their own curricular materials. It describes various kinds of teacher-developed instructional tools in relation to appropriate instructional task or learning environment.

EDUC 312 Educational Policy, Law & Advocacy 3.0 Credits

This course introduces students to the complexities of the law and policy that shape public schooling in the U.S. Emphasis is placed on how education law and policy impact and are impacted by teachers’ evolving roles, relationships, and practices. Additionally, the course provides students with foundational information and tools they will need in order to advocate, as teachers, for students and for themselves.

EDUC 314 Science Teaching Methods 3.0 Credits

This course bridges theory and practice, providing hands-on experience in the application of constructivist learning theory to designing and delivering effective classroom experiences in the area of science.

EDUC 315 Secondary Science Teaching Methods 3.0 Credits

Methods for teaching middle and secondary school science are explored including strategies and technologies to support student learning as defined by the state and national science standards. Inquiry-based model of learning and assessment emphasized. Theory and practice bridged to provide hands-on experiences in application of constructivist learning theory and effective classroom experiences.

EDUC 316 Teaching in Urban Contexts 3.0 Credits

This course enables students to understand the complex conditions that have led to issues that impact urban education. The course will explore recent reform efforts focused on changing the organizational structure and curriculum. Specific emphasis will be placed on the teacher’s disposition towards the learner, the impact of racism and knowledge and skills related to teaching in urban settings. This course will introduce historical references for the current condition of urban schools as well as the aspects of teaching that lead to a classroom of respect and rapport for the urban learner and his/her family.

EDUC 317 Math Methods and Content: Early Childhood 3.0 Credits

Students will know and effectively deliver standards-based academic math content, based on age appropriate understanding, and individual and groups needs including a respect for the unique needs of all types of learners. This course requires additional field experience hours.

EDUC 318 Math Methods & Content 3.0 Credits

Course emphasizes diagnostic instruction in mathematics by allowing students to complete problems that their students will be expected to work, noting the error and correction process, as well as gaining an awareness of student difficulties in mathematics.

EDUC 319 Teaching Secondary Mathematics 3.0 Credits

This course emphasizes the major issues in learning and teaching mathematics in the secondary school. Topics will include instructional practices, learning theories, philosophies of assessment, and curriculum in the secondary school. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the appropriate use of technology.

EDUC 320 [WI] Professional Studies in Instruction 6.0 Credits

This course offers field placement with practitioners in classroom environments appropriate to the student's certification area to provide instruction and experience in methodology, classroom management, and the opportunity to apply results of current research on effective teaching. This is a writing intensive course.

EDUC 321 Non-Field Experience Professional Studies in Instruction 3.0 Credits

Study of learning and developmental theories, developmental reading and reading in the content areas, student motivation, and the interrelationships among diverse populations within the school setting, and identification of instructional resources.

EDUC 322 Evaluation of Instruction 3.0 Credits

Permits students to acquire competence in new evaluation techniques, including portfolios, journals, performance assessments, individual and collaborative projects, and presentations. Covers qualitative and quantitative assessment used in measuring student achievement. Teaches techniques for grading and reporting pupils' classroom performance in cognitive, affective, and (where appropriate) motor tasks. The course is directed toward instruction in elementary and high school settings.

EDUC 323 [WI] Diagnostic Teaching 4.0 Credits

Requires students to integrate and apply theories of learning, curriculum, and pedagogy to instruction and heuristic diagnostic teaching. Focuses on the individual learner. Covers processes involved in learning mathematics and science in particular, and studies their applications in relation to individual differences among learners. Emphasizes developing strategies that prevent learning problems. This is a writing intensive course.

EDUC 324 Current Research in Curriculum & Instruction 3.0 Credits

Examines the theories and assumptions underlying various approaches to instruction for elementary and high school teaching. Included are areas such as a) knowledge acquisition and critical reasoning in mathematics and science, b) teaching general and specific skills as related to content material, c) study skills and abilities to learn, and d) the roles of memory and metacognition in learning. Explores these processes of human cognition and learning with particular attention to how conditions that foster them might be built into materials, pedagogy, and learning environments.

EDUC 325 Multimedia in Instructional Design 3.0 Credits

Imparts skills in selecting, using, and evaluating a range of instructional media, including interactive multimedia formats, in relation to educational goals and learner characteristics. Emphasizes presentation skills when using a variety of media to deliver instruction. Students design and write a software prototype as a group design project.

EDUC 326 [WI] Language Arts Processes 3.0 Credits

Studies the nature of language, including phonetic, semantic, and syntactic aspects of language development, and theories of language development. Applies contemporary research to processes and problems in teaching oral and written communication. Assumes that listening, speaking, writing, and reading in the content area are integrated processes and should be taught as such. This is a writing intensive course.

EDUC 327 Learning Disabilities 3.0 Credits

Course will address issues such as definition of learning disability, various types of learning disabilities and the general approaches to the assessment and treatment of learning disabilities.

EDUC 328 Language Arts Processes 4-8 3.0 Credits

This course develops knowledge and competencies for teaching adolescent literacy in grades 4-8. Students will use supportive contexts, diverse texts, ongoing assessments, and technology to engage learners in developing self-directed, life-long literacy skills across all disciplines.

EDUC 335 Engaging the Learner 3.0 Credits

This course provides multiple approaches to the critical linked processes of assessment, curriculum development, and inclusive instruction of all young children. Topics of study include: planning and preparation, using appropriate materials, scope and sequence and strategies for student-centered assessments.

EDUC 336 Early Literacy II 3.0 Credits

This course focuses on teaching strategies that are effective in developing students’ writing abilities within a literacy rich environment. The interrelationship between reading and writing will be emphasized. Additional field experience hours are required for this course.

EDUC 337 Learning Disabilities II 3.0 Credits

The focus of this course is to teach teachers how to manage instruction for students with special needs in the inclusive classroom. Inclusion of students with special needs is now the norm. The course will address curricular and instructional modifications and the use of technology in addressing learning needs. Legal issues pertaining to special education law will be a critical component.

EDUC 338 Expressive Arts for PK-4 3.0 Credits

The focus of this course is to teach educators to develop and incorporate relevant curriculum for the expressive arts (dance, music, theatre and visual arts) into the PK-4 classroom(s). Students will explore instructional strategies, modern technologies, stages of artistic development and multicultural art forms.

EDUC 355 Social Studies Teaching Methods 3.0 Credits

This course focuses on the effective, responsbile and ethical teaching of social studies in the elementary classroom. Topics include; perspectives of social studies, curriculum standards, unit development, assessment design, integrated curriculum and technology, and teacher decision-making.

EDUC 356 Secondary Social Studies Methods 3.0 Credits

Students will be able to identify content and appropriate pedagogy strategies for the various National Council for the Social Studies disciplinary standards for history, geography, civics, economics and psychology. Major curriculum movements and teaching diverse learners are also explored. Classroom-based experiences are required.

EDUC 405 Senior Pedagogy Seminar 1.0 Credit

Education majors only. Focuses on the teacher as a researcher. Presents descriptions of collaborations between university faculty and faculty from K-12 schools and discusses student involvement in learning and pedagogy issues.

EDUC 409 Student Teaching Seminar I 9.0 Credits

This course is part one of a two-course requirement specifically aligned with the teacher candidate’s full-time, twenty-four week Student Teaching experience. The course is designed to develop one’s teaching knowledge and strengths through classroom practice, supervision and reflective practice. In this seminar, students will share experiences through reflective journaling, discuss best practices in instruction, learn about resources, reflect on what is being encountered in the field and begin to construct professional teaching portfolios. Through this course candidates will be evaluated according to the four domains of effective teaching and learning, which include; planning and preparation, instructional delivery, the classroom environment and professionalism.

EDUC 410 [WI] Student Teaching 9.0 Credits

A 12-week field experience that approximates full time classroom teaching and related activities; it is designed to allow the candidate to demonstrate competencies necessary for certification. This is a writing intensive course.

EDUC 411 Family and Community Partnerships 3.0 Credits

This course focuses on the process of family assessment and intervention, issues of family and professional collaboration and diversity, and methods of promoting adult communication and management strategies. It applies knowledge of socio-cultural and political contexts as they relate to the family, culture and society.

EDUC 412 [WI] Student Teaching 12.0 Credits

A 12-week field experience that approximates full-time classroom teaching and related activities; it is designed to allow the candidate to demonstrate competencies necessary for certification. This is a writing intensive course.

EDUC 414 Special Education: Field Placement Seminar 9.0 Credits

This course is designed to develop special education teaching knowledge, skills and abilities through field placement, supervision and reflective practice. Activities include; journaling, best practice workshops and reflecting on relevant case studies.

EDUC 416 Introduction to Math Teaching Methods (4-8) 3.0 Credits

This course provides an introduction to learning and teaching mathematics to students in grades 4-8. Emphasis will be on fundamental ideas of number, operation and measurement. This course requires additional field experience.

EDUC 417 Advanced Math Teaching Methods (4-8) 3.0 Credits

In this course, students will view mathematics from the perspective of a teacher; how to represent topics to learners in meaningful ways, analyze a learner’s reactions to mathematics instruction, and how to select activities that allow the learners to construct meaning, rather than memorize rules and procedures. This course requires additional field-based hours.

EDUC 428 Cultural and Historical Significance of Mathematics 3.0 Credits

This course provides mathematics content and pedagogy for the teacher preparation program. Course is part of a state approved certification program.

EDUC 432 Algebraic Reasoning 3.0 Credits

This course provides middle school teachers with mathematical ideas of algebraic reasoning. Topics include understanding of multiplicative reasoning, integer addition and rational multiplication as algebraic operations, identity and inverse properties. Emphasis will be placed on the processes of thinking, doing, explaining writing and revising.

EDUC 433 Functions in Middle School Math 3.0 Credits

This course is structured to introduce specific content knowledge using a variety of activities and conceptual problems that can be implemented in the middle school classroom. Emphasis will be placed on the process of thinking, doing, explaining, writing and revising mathematics.

EDUC 436 Distance Learning 3.0 Credits

This course is intended to address issues surrounding distance learning and pedagogy, and help teachers become more intelligent creators of, more informed participants in, and all-around better users of distance education tools.

EDUC 475 Special Studies in Teacher Education 12.0 Credits

Covers various topics of particular interest to teacher education students.

EDUC 499 Independent Study in Teacher Education 0.5-12.0 Credits

Covers various topics of particular interest to teacher education students, explored individually under guidance from instructional team member.