The following courses are offered through the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture:

Education Curriculum & Instruction (EDCI)

• EDCI 364- Creativity and the Young Child.  Credit 3.  Creative expression in young children with a focus on artistic and musical expression, creative movement and creative dramatics; creativity as related to development of the right hemisphere of the brain. Prerequisites: EPSY 320; concurrent enrollment in EDCI 453.
• EDCI 365- Using Technology in Elementary Classrooms.  Credit 3.  Overview of technology as it relates to the design of instruction and practices that support effective teaching and learning; how learning theories are reflected in and supported by technology; current and emerging applications in technology delivered and supported learning environments. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.
• EDCI 453- Early Childhod Educations. Credit 3.  Early childhood approaches and instructional materials appropriate for early childhood school programs, kindergarten and primary grades. Prerequisites: EPSY 320; concurrent enrollment in EDCI 364.
• EDCI 454- Curriculum for Young Children.  Credit 3.  Curriculum models used in educational environments designed for young children; assessment application. State-adopted curriculum materials, their use and expansion; curriculum organization and essential elements for young children. Prerequisites: EDCI 364 and 453; admission to teacher education.
• EDCI 455- Home-School Involvement in Early Childhood Education.  Credit 3. The family unit, home-school relationships and strategies for building cooperative activities with parents in the education of their children; experience with the development of parent involvement materials. Prerequisites: EDCI 364 and 453; admission to teacher education.
• EDCI 489- Special Topics.  Credit 3.  Study of selected topics in an identified area of curriculum and instruction. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.

Interdisciplinary Studies (INST)

• INST 322- Foundations of Education in a Multicultural Society - Credit 3.  Historical, philosophical and cultural foundations of education emphasizing education for a multicultural society.
• INST 462- Language Acquisition and Development.  Credit 3.    Role of the child, the community and the school through stages of language development; relationship of linguistic, cultural and conceptual processes to second language learning.
• INST 463- Second Language Methodology: ESL/Bilingual.  Credit 3.  Techniques and methods of intensive English instruction for limited-English-speaking proficient students; use of instructional materials and language assessment instruments.

Integrated Mathematics and Science (MASC)

• MASC 351- Problem Solving in Mathematics.  Credit 3. Problem solving strategies in math and science; evaluate conjectures and arguments; writing and collaborating on problem solutions; posing problems and conjectures; constructing knowledge from data; developing relationships from empirical evidence; connecting mathematics concepts; readings, discussions, and analyses will model and illustrate mathematics prolems solving and proofs.
  
• MASC 371- Inquiries in Life and Earth Sciences.  Credit 3.  Integration and connections among topics in the life and earth sciences – diversity, natural selection, ecosystem development, earth’s features, and weather systems; inquiry emphasizing experimental design, data analysis and collection; use of models in the life and earth sciences. Prerequisites: BIOL 111 or BIOL 113 and 123, CHEM 106 and 116, GEOL 101 or GEOG 203, ASTR 101 and 102, and PHYS 205; junior or senior classification; admission to teacher certification.
• MASC 450- Integrated Mathematic.  Credit 3. Integration and connections among topics and ideas in mathematics and other disciplines; connections between algebra and geometry and statistics and probability; focus for integration with authentic problems requiring various branches of mathematics.
• MASC 475- Iquiries in Physical Science.  Credit 3.  Integration and connections among topics in physical sciences – matter, energy, force, motion, scientific cycles; focuses on inquiry emphasizing experimental design, data analysis and collection, and use of models in the physical sciences. Prerequisites: BIOL 111, BIOL 113 and 123, CHEM 106 and 116, GEOL 101 or GEOG 203, ASTR 101 and 102, and PHYS 205; junior or senior classification; admission to teacher certification.

Middle Grades Education Field Based (MEFB)

• MEFB 351- Introduction to Middle Grades: Adolescent Development, Philosophy and Organization.  Credit 3. Study of young adolescents in domains of physical, social, emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, moral growth and development; organizational structure of middle schools supporting development of young adolescents through teaming and interdisciplinary work; investigates roles and responsibilities of middle level teachers.
• MEFB 352-Planning and Development for Middle Grades Curriculum .  Credit 3. Implementing instructional strategies appropriate to development of middle grades students; planning of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary curricula; student centered strategies related to inquiry and problem based learning.
• MEFB 450- Social Studies Methods in the Middle Grades.  Credit 3. Trends and issues related to middle grades curriculum development and instruction in social studies and humanities; integration of content, planning, teaching-learning experiences; evaluation of teaching and learning in social studies. Prerequisites: MEFB 352; MIDG 352; admission to teacher education; senior classification
• MEFB 470- Science Methods in Middle Grades.  Credit 3. Problems-based-learning course integrating science content, scientific inquiry skills and field-based instruction; technology-mediated teaching, learning, and assessment. 
• MEFB 497- Residency in Middle Grades Education.  Credit 6.  Observation and participation in an accredited public school middle grades classroom; techniques of teaching student's teaching fields; appropriate instructional strategies for assigned student population.
  

Reading (RDNG)

• RDNG 351-  Reading in the Elemenatry School.  Credit 3.    Recent trends, issues, materials and procedures considered essential for effective teaching of reading, such as comprehension, word analysis, study skills, motivation, grouping, etc. Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in RDNG 361; junior classification or approval of department head.
• RDNG 361- Assessment in Reading Instruction.  Credit 3.   Evaluation and use of commonly used achievement tests, development of criterion referenced tests and interpretation and construction of informal measures for assessing reading skills. Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in RDNG 351; junior classification or approval of department head.
• RDNG 371- Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Literature for Middle Grades .  Credit 3. Focuses on mulitcultural and interdisciplinary literature appropriate for middle grades students; implements and evaluates effective multicultural, interdisciplinary instruction through selection, use and development of literature in middle grades classroom.
• RDNG 372- Reading and Writing across the Middle Grades Curriculum .  Credit 3. Acquaints middle-grade educators to reading and writing instruction in content area education; focuses on development of grade-appropriate reading/writing competencies and educational techniques appropriate to student development in various subjects.
• RDNG 460- Language and Reading.  Credit 3.  Relationship between language and reading, dialect and reading, and linguistics.
• RDNG 461- Teaching Reading through Children's Literature.  Credit 3.    Use of past and contemporary literature for the motivation of wide leisure reading in the elementary grades. Prerequisites: RDNG 351 and 361. Should be taken concurrently with RDNG 460.
• RDNG 467- Reading and the Language Arts.  Credit 3.  Recent trends, issues and research on the impact of listening, oral language, process writing, grammar, spelling and handwriting on the development of reading strategies and communicative competence. Application of research in field settings. Prerequisites: RDNG 351 and 361; admission to teacher education. Must be taken concurrently with TEFB 410, 412 and 413.
• RDNG 470- Reading/Language Arts Methods in Middle Grades Education.  Credit 3. Investigate current trends and issues in teaching listening, oral language, process writing, spelling, grammar and handwriting; explores relationships among the development of various language arts and the development of reading strategies and communicational competencies of middle school learners; application of best instructional practices informed by research.
• RDNG 472- Teaching Writing in Elementary and Middle Grades Classrooms.  Credit 3.  Focuses on effective methods of writing instruction and assessment for the middle grades; reviews and reinforces sound writing practices; exposes students to theory and research in the area of writing instruction. Prerequisite: Junior classification.
• RDNG 490- Assessment in Reading Instruction in Middle Grades.  Credit 3. Evaluation of middle grades students reading performance; selection, understanding, and implementation of formal and informal evaluation procedures in classroom reading assessment, diagnosis, and instruction.

 

Teacher Education Field Based (TEFB)

• TEFB 273- Introduction to Culture, Community, Society and Schools.  Credit 3.  Analyzes school culture considering the perspectives of language; gender, race socio-economics, ethnicity, academic diversity, and educational equity; weekly field observations and participation in community-based settings; designed to analyze the learning environment, methodology, and the human experiences of teachers and learners.
• TEFB 322- Teaching and Schooling in Modern Society.  Credit 3.  Development, structure, management and finance of secondary schools; historical, philosophical, ethical and moral dimensions of teaching; role of school in a democratic society; teaching as a profession. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.
• TEFB 324- Teaching Skills II.  Credit 3.  Study and development of teaching skills necessary for applying instructional strategies; teaching general strategies, assessing student learning, and analyzing and synthesizing multiple source data; emphasis given to adolescent development and cultures and to teacher and child cultures. Prerequisites: Successful completion or concurrent enrollment in TEFB 322; junior or senior classification.
• TEFB 410- Social Studies and the Humanities in the Elementary School.  Credit 3.  Recent trends, issues and procedures related to curriculum development and instruction in the social studies and humanities; integration of content, planning, design of appropriate teaching/learning experiences and evaluation; preparation of prototype materials. Prerequisites: TEFB 271; admission to teacher education; concurrent enrollment in RDNG 467, TEFB 412 and 413 required.
• TEFB 412- Mathematics in the Elementary School.  Credit 3.   Introduction to understanding of modern mathematics; integration of content, history and application of discovering techniques using problem solving approach; developing an understanding of four fundamental procedures—structure, measurement, sets, fractions—and communication of important mathematical concepts to elementary children. Prerequisites: TEFB 271; MATH 365 and 366; admission to teacher education; concurrent enrollment in RDNG 467, TEFB 410 and 413 required.
• TEFB 413- Science in the Elementary School.  Credit 3.  Designed to help elementary teachers understand basic concepts of science and scientific methods; content relates to natural phenomena involving physical, chemical and biological processes; elementary students appreciation and interest in science. Prerequisites: TEFB 271; admission to teacher education; concurrent enrollment in RDNG 467, TEFB 410 and 412 required.
• TEFB 426- Supervised Student Teaching.  Credit 6.  Observation and participation in an accredited public school classroom; techniques of teaching student’s teaching fields and appropriate instructional strategies for assigned student population. For students pursuing the baccalaureate option of the interdisciplinary studies program. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Admission to teacher education program and to student teaching.
• TEFB 471-  Dynamics and Management in Multicultural/Inclusionary Learning Environments.  Credit 3.  Field-based course focusing on communication, methodology and management perspectives that lead to democratic classrooms; organizational structures that focus on transformative, inclusionary learning; interventions for students with disabilities; analysis of systemic conditions placing children from diverse backgrounds and representing diverse abilities in positions of “risk” for incomplete success in school. Prerequisites: Senior classification; admission to teacher education; concurrent enrollment in TEFB 410, 412, 413 and RDNG 467.