Course Descriptions
- Framing Experience
- Understanding the Social Context for Urban Schools: The Community
- Application of Theories of Learning to Classroom Practice
- Teaching Special Populations
- Guided Observation/Pedagogy A
- Guided Observation Pedagogy A: Teaching Mathematics and Science
- Guided Observation Pedagogy A: The Integration of English and Social Studies for Secondary Educators
- Instruction for Limited English Proficient Students
- Guided Practice
- Guided Observation/Pedagogy B
- Guided Observation Pedagogy B: English Language Arts and Social Studies for Elementary Teachers
- Guided Observation Pedagogy B: Teaching Secondary English and Language Arts
- Guided Observation Pedagogy B: Teaching Secondary Mathematics
- Guided Observation Pedagogy B: Teaching Secondary Science
- Guided Observation Pedagogy B: Teaching Secondary Social Studies
- Integrating Visual and Performance Arts in Elementary Subjects
- Understanding the Social Context for Urban Schools: The Schools
- Content to Pedagogy: Physical Education for Elementary Students
This two-part course prepares students to critically examine the social context for schools and academic learning at multiple levels. Students will examine the policies, practices, and procedures that influence teaching, learning, and the curriculum. Students will critically examine the interaction and relationship among constituents, prevailing ideology, and core societal values that influence the process, conditions and social context of schooling for particular populations of students.
Students will complete assigned readings, draft reflective essays and participate in group discussions.
The course provides readings and learning experiences to prepare students to apply learning theories in designing classroom learning experiences, developing a classroom learning community, and assessing progress towards the expected student learning outcomes.
Students will complete video taped observations and written commentaries in addition to a group project and participating in group discussions.
Human difference refers to characteristics and conditions that identify, distinguish, and differentiate individuals based on social and political perspectives and values, as well as naturally occurring physical and intellectual challenges and abilities. Perceptions and reactions to human differences influence interactions and relationships among groups and individuals. This is particularly true in contexts such as schools and classrooms. Policies and practices related to teaching special populations have the potential to influence the quality of services and education received by individuals and groups considered outside the “norm”.
Students will explore special populations through fieldwork, journal and research assignments, guided observations, video observations and narrations.
Students focused on Elementary Education will take this course. Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in either Mathematics or Science will take this course.
In this course students will develop an understanding of applying learning theories, general instructional strategies, balanced assessment practices, and a systematic approach to the analysis and design of curricula as they relate to mathematics and science.
Students will complete assigned readings and videos and participate in group discussions and field-work experiences. In addition, students will complete the teacher performance assessment, which measures how well you plan, instruct, assess and reflect on student learning and academic language development in mathematics and science.
Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in either English or Social Studies will take this course.
This course prepares students to facilitate, mediate and intervene in the development of adolescent literacy within social studies content and instruction. The integration of English/language arts with social studies is intended to prepare students to engage learners in the active inquiry of major and recurrent themes, concepts, values, problems, and issues of the social sciences from multiple and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students will develop the content and pedagogical tools of “historical thinking” by framing and inquiry into the events and accounts of history.
Students will participate in group discussions and book clubs regarding the required reading, while completing a research project, fieldwork and writing lesson plans.
The course prepares students to structure learning opportunities for diverse student populations by exploring a variety of theories, issues, procedures, methods and approaches for use in bilingual, English as a second language, and other learning environments. It provides an overview of the historic and current trends and social issues affecting the education of language minority students. It also provides practical experience in the implementation of instructional strategies addressing the needs of a diverse student population.
Students will complete assigned readings and exams; participate in collaborative class projects, lesson plan development, and case studies and complete exams.
EDUC 568
Students enrolled in the Multiple Subject or Single Subject Credential program will take this course.
The course provides students with opportunities to translate theory into classroom application. Participants will apply learning theories, content knowledge, and the pedagogical repertoire of skills acquired both in previous courses and threaded throughout the program, as the basis for decision-making to affect student learning. Participants will analyze how and why students learn in differing situations by reflecting on practices, using critical thinking, and problem solving processes.
Students will be paired with mentor teachers and are required to complete 20 weeks of in-class guided practice.
Students focused on Elementary Education will take this course.
This course prepares students to facilitate, mediate and intervene in the development of literacy and language integrated within social studies content and instruction. The integration of literacy and language with social studies is intended to prepare participants to engage learners in the active inquiry of major and recurrent themes, concepts, values, problems, and issues of the social sciences from multiple and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students will develop the content and pedagogical tools of “historical thinking” by framing and inquiry into the events and accounts of history.
Students will complete assigned readings; participate in group discussions, and complete lesson plans, a research project, fieldwork and a literacy profile.
Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in Language Arts will take this course.
This course prepares students to research, design and implement engaging and challenging standards-based learning experiences in the study of language arts. This course helps candidates identify and capitalize on students’ innate tendency to question, develop their ability to reason critically, and provide students the tools and practice necessary to communicate through explicit, context-independent language.
Students will complete assigned readings, peer and self-reflections, and a unit resource collection, while participating in group discussions and in-class observations.
Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics will take this course.
In this course students will develop an understanding of applying learning theories, general instructional strategies, balanced assessment practices, and a systematic approach to the analysis and design of curricula as they relate to mathematics.
Students will complete assigned readings and videos and participate in group discussions and fieldwork experiences. In addition, students will complete the teacher performance assessment, which measures how well you plan, instruct, assess and reflect on student learning and academic language development in mathematics.
Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in Science will take this course.
In this course students will develop an understanding of applying learning theories, general instructional strategies, balanced assessment practices, and a systematic approach to the analysis and design of curricula as they relate to science.
Students will complete assigned readings and case studies and participate in group discussions. In addition, students will complete the teacher performance assessment, which measures how well you plan, instruct, assess and reflect on student learning and academic language development in science.
Students focused on Secondary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies will take this course.
This course is designed to reinforce the teaching and learning of national and state social studies standards with an emphasis on multiple perspectives to inform and influence comprehension of content responsive to both the diverse needs and interests of students. The course reinforces the relationships between content and pedagogy in order to develop students to be analytic and critical thinkers and researches of history.
The course requires students to complete required readings and research projects, participate in group discussions, and design a course of study.
The course addresses the direct applications of Visual and Performing Arts standards and their integration into core classroom instruction. The course is designed to introduce elementary teachers to the application of visual and performing arts content across the areas of mathematics, science, language/literature, and history/social sciences, including current events and human rights. Students will explore visual and performing artists, their work, and the historical/cultural context that more fully informs the role of the arts in our society.
The course requires students to complete video interviews and briefings, lesson plans, an analysis of state standards, and participate on class discussion boards.
This is the second half of a two part course that prepares students to critically examine the social context for schools and academic learning at multiple levels. Students will examine the policies, practices, and procedures that influence teaching, learning, and the curriculum and will critically examine the interaction and relationship among constituents, prevailing ideology, and core societal values that influence the process, conditions and social context of schooling for particular populations of students.
The course will introduce students to the use of physical education and movement to enhance learning. In particular, the course looks at ways of integrating a variety of motor skills and abilities in students; student recognition of the importance of a healthy lifestyle; student knowledge of human movement; and student self-confidence and self-worth in relation to physical movement and learning.
The course requires students to complete on-site observations and briefings, lesson plans, quizzes, an analysis of state standards, and participate on class discussion boards.



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The course expects students to reflect in a deep way about themselves and the lens they bring into a school; and asks them to set that lens aside to better understand what they observe from the perspective of learners and their community. The course, while structured, in unmediated by a live instructor. No readings are required. The intent is for students to gather data that is “unfiltered” by “experts.”
Students will make observations, explorer topics on-line, draft reflective essays that they share in small groups, and develop observations about common themes in those essays. As schools exist inside communities, the focus the Framing Experience is to understand perceptions about relationships among and between students, teachers, administrators, families, and other community members.
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