Elementary Education, MAT

This course will provide teacher candidates with an understanding of the sometimes confusing and complicated Educational System as mandated by law. Students will focus on four major themes as outlines in the text. The four themes are: schools and students, teachers, foundations and the future, and the teaching profession.

After admission to the professional internship , candidates receive student teaching placements. Candidates work with their cooperating teachers during the first week of school. Five days of clinical experience required.

This course explores methods and materials used in the teaching of the reading, language arts, and literacy at the elementary level. Emphasis is placed on oral language development, early and emergent language development, critical listening skills, using literature across the curriculum, and the writing process, which includes grammar, spelling, handwriting, and word processing. The course is designed to acquaint candidates with a variety of reading programs, theories, and approaches used in contemporary elementary school classrooms. Attention is given to strategies that aide in fluency, phonics, phonemic awareness, contextual and structural analysis. Attention is given to comprehension fostering strategies. Specific strategies for Content Area Reading are examined as well as strategies to be used with ESL students and Special needs students. The integration of technology, diversity in the classroom, critical thinking skills, and assessment and evaluation are also examined.

Emphasis is on the identification and remediation of reading problems at the elementary school level. Prevention of reading problems through early intervention is addressed. Informal assessment and teaching strategies are stressed. Field experiences required. Prerequisite: EDUC 515 or concurrent enrollment.

The content of this course focuses on using art, music, and movement to enhance student learning in the elementary classroom core curriculum. The course includes the study of tools, techniques, and technology of art, music, and movement. It provides candidates an understanding of the educational, communicative, and aesthetic values of dance, music, and visual arts and the role fine arts plays in reflecting history and culture. Field experiences required.

Examines the process of identifying children whose intellectual, physical, or emotional development deviates from normalcy in order to create strategies to accommodate them. (Field experience required.)

Provides an introduction to the history, politics, issues, and approaches to educating a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. (Field experience required.)

For candidates completing the elementary program. Fifteen weeks of student teaching are required.

This course will investigate the structures of a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, positive social interaction, active engagement, and academic risk-taking. A three tiered level of positive behavior suupports (PBS) will be explored as a framework for creating plans to accomplish a productive learning environment. Students will research primary sources in the field of education which will be used to inform their opinions and support their statements. (Field experience required.)

This course is designed to explore classroom evaluation of student growth as an integral part of instruction. Candidates explore the purpose of evaluation as it relates to planning instruction. Professional, social, ethical, and philosophical considerations related to teaching/learning are also explored.

This course explores methods and techniques used in the teaching of Science and Social Studies at the elementary level. Emphasis is placed on the Science and Social Studies goals, writing objectives, lesson plans, assessment procedures, and the integration of other curricular areas. Literacy skills are examined as they apply to the goals of Social Studies and planning. Cultural diversity, differentiated instruction, integration of technology, and reflective teaching practices are also examined. This course is to provide the student with current strategies and methodologies for the teaching Science and Social Studies in conjunction with the Illinois Learning Standards and the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.

This course will provide a current and comprehensive overview of research and theory related to human learning. The course will emphasize major concepts of learning theory but will also cover relevant motivational and developmental theories. The course will underscore the relationship between theory, research, and practice. The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with the general concepts of learning theory, to review and understand theories of learning, to provide students the opportunity to engage in critical analysis of theories through class discussion and assignments, and to give students opportunities to consider and apply theories of learning when designing and interpreting instructional practice.

This course is a general methods course to prepare candidates for teaching at the elementary level. It is conducted with a major emphasis on actual clinical experiences focusing on the role of the elementary school teacher within the community, school, and classroom. Methods and techniques of classroom management, lesson planning, student assessment, and reporting are also considered, as candidates work with clinical instructors. As part of this clinical experience, students will complete a practice edTPA. Professional ethics and dispositions are also covered.

The seminar addresses professional topics within the field of education. In addition, the seminar provides an opportunity for teacher candidates to focus on the required performance assessment. The performance assessment, aligned with state standards, is an authentic assessment tool that shows how teacher candidates develop and evaluate student learning. The centerpiece is a portfolio that describes and documents authentic practices from the candidate

Designed to provide prospective teachers with experience in formulating individualized performance objectives, key teaching and therapy skills, and programming for specific problems in organization and administration of students with disabilities. Provides a brief review of the legislative and history of adapted physical education.

This course examines effective strategies for teaching math in the number and operation strand to elementary and middle school students. It emphasizes placing students in a role where they actively seek to make sense of mathematics and where they are extending their capacity to think, reason, and problem solve mathematically. Teaching mathematics effectively requires the development of a knowledge base and a variety of skill sets. This includes: (1) an understanding of learning progressions in the elementary math curriculum, as well as aspects of children

This course examines effective strategies for teaching math in the algebraic thinking, geometry, measurement, and data strand to elementary and middle school students. It emphasizes placing students in a role where they actively seek to make sense of mathematics and where they are extending their capacity to think, reason, and problem solve mathematically. Teaching mathematics effectively requires the development of a knowledge base and a variety of skill sets. This includes: (1) an understanding of how academic language in mathematics must be both fostered and scaffolded; (2) the capacity to merge understandings of student backgrounds and characteristics, knowledge of content and pedagogy, and assessment techniques to construct an age-appropriate and well-sequenced instructional plan; (3) the ability to analyze student error patterns to identify student needs and construct targeted interventions; (4) the knowledge to effectively use and sequence the use of multiple representations to make mathematical content accessible to all learners; and (5) the capacity to