400

This advanced course continues to support teacher candidates field-based learning. Candidates continue to work with the Adaptive Cycles of Teaching (ACT) curriculum to deepen and expand their teaching expertise in classroom settings. Candidates actively engage in two full days per week in a field-based settings linked to their student teaching placement. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 400. Co-requisite(s): None. 5or 6 quarter hours

This course critically examines the social, cultural, political, and economic forces, and the philosophies of education that have influenced policy, laws, school structure, and practices throughout the history of American education. Issues addressed include (dis)ability, race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic class, identity, and immigration. Candidates lay the foundation for the development of a personal philosophy of education and reflectively examine issues of education from social justice perspectives. This is an advanced standing course that may count toward both, baccalaureate and master's degree. Pre-requisite(s): None. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 quarter hours

This course integrates educational theory, practice-based theory and understanding with field-based experience. This continues to expand the candidates’ professional expertise through the Adaptive Cycles of Teaching (ACT) experiential curriculum to help teacher candidates plan, implement, reflect and analyze core teaching practices. Teacher candidates will also continue to refine their professional practices and deepen their understanding of classroom contexts and their importance to planning, instruction, assessment and reflection. The candidates actively engage in two full days per week in a field-based setting linked to their student teaching placement. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 299, EDU 350, EDU 477 and EDU 480. Co-requisite(s): None. 5 quarter hours

This is the field–based experience course in the professional sequence of the Educator Preparation program. This course will expand the teacher candidates’ work through our innovative virtual coaching model. Under the guidance of a qualified Mentor Teacher and a University Field Coach, teacher candidates will complete their practicum field experience, averaging 2 days a week at their placement site. Teacher candidates will establish relationships with students, familiarize themselves with the classroom structures & routines, and will gradually assume instructional responsibilities in the field. This increase in responsibilities will continue to build, setting the teacher candidate up for success in Student Teaching. This course is taken simultaneously with a partner seminar course. To successfully begin Student Teaching, both the instructional course and field experience must be completed. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 299, EDU 350, ECE 324, ECE 334, EDU 477, and EDU 480. Co-requisite(s): EDU 420B. 0 quarter hours

This course integrates educational theory, practice-based theory and understanding with field-based experience. This continues to expand the candidates’ professional expertise through experiential curriculum to help teacher candidates plan, implement, reflect and analyze core culturally relevant teaching practices. Teacher candidates will also continue to refine their professional practices and deepen their understanding of classroom contexts and their importance to planning, instruction, assessment and reflection. This course is taken simultaneously with a partner field experience course. To successfully begin Student Teaching, both the instructional course and field experience must be completed. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 299, EDU 350, ECE 324, ECE 334, EDU 477, and EDU 480. Co-requisite(s): EDU 420A. 5 quarter hours

Students will demonstrate competency in creating, designing, assessing, and advocating for program policies and procedures using current research, theory and knowledge, and create child and program goals in collaboration with families and other team members. Students will develop, and implement plans and procedures that support healthy and safe early childhood program practices; applying key legal, ethical, regulatory guidelines; demonstrate professionalism and leadership; and participate in collaborative systems and proactive, visionary leadership. This course covers the following Gateways to Opportunities ECE Credential Competencies: HSW7, HSW8, FCR7, PPD7, PPD9, PPD10, CPD10.

In this course, students will become familiar with theoretically sound, research-based instructional strategies for the fundamentals of balanced literacy instruction -- with a general focus on reading and writing in the areas of: phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, fluency, and comprehension of narrative and informational text. Teacher candidates will also learn about different literacy assessments and will practice administering, scoring, and analyzing assessments with their students. Student candidates will plan instruction, teach and videotape lessons in their placement classrooms, and have multiple opportunities to reflect on their teaching and its impact on their students. Field work is required for this course: If taking this course alongside another methods course and practicum, students should plan to spend two full days in an appropriate classroom setting. If taking this course independent of another methods course and practicum, students should plan to spend about 30 hours in the field for this class. Students taking this course online can expect at least two synchronous sessions. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 299, EDU 350, SPE 401, and ECE 334. Co-requisite(s): None. 5 quarter hours

This course provides students opportunities to develop foundational competencies in literacy content, differentiated instructional strategies, and assessing students’ needs. Special consideration will be given to addressing the individual needs of a diverse population by differentiating instruction, e.g. attending to student differences, integrating assessment and instruction, collaborating with students for learning, and implementing flexible, purposeful grouping strategies for young children (K-2). Language acquisition is also reviewed.Note: this course is only open to students in the ECE Competency-Based program.

This course introduces key issues in the development of strategic reading and writing of both narrative and informational texts. Students will become familiar with theoretically sound, research-based instructional strategies for the teaching of advanced and content-area reading and writing. Students will learn literacy assessments appropriate for fluent readers and how to use assessment plus an understanding of intermediate grade learners to plan and implement appropriate literacy instruction. Field work is required for this course: If taking this course alongside another methods course and practicum, plan to spend two full days in an appropriate classroom setting. If taking this course independent of another methods course and practicum, plan to spend about 30 hours in the field for this class. It can be taken independent of or alongside EDU 400. Students taking this course online can expect at least two synchronous sessions. This is an advanced standing course that may count toward both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 300, EDU 350, SPE 300. Co-requisite(s): None. 4 quarter hours

This course provides candidates an in-depth focus on the subject matter, content standards, mathematical pedagogy, and issues related to the teaching and learning of mathematics in early childhood (Pre-K – 2) and elementary (1 – 6) grades. Candidates will gain an understanding of student learning development within various mathematical domains, along with strategies to support the specific mathematical learning needs of students. Through the Adaptive Cycles of Teaching (ACT), an experiential-based curriculum designed to help teachers learn a set of core teaching practices supported by intensive coaching, teacher candidates will craft a lesson plan that meets the specific needs of learners in their field placement, which they will implement, record, and reflect upon. Thirty (30) field hours are required in a setting where mathematics is being taught.

This course will present essential elements for effective early mathematics instruction in grades K-2. Students will develop competencies in examining and reflecting on their past and current experiences with mathematics, early mathematics content, differentiated instructional strategies, identifying students’ prior knowledge and gaps of knowledge and understanding in early mathematics and assessing students’ learning needs. Current directions in research, policy, and developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood mathematics will be explored and connected. Special consideration will be given to addressing the individual needs of a diverse population. NOTE: this course is only open to students in the ECE Competency-Based program.

Encourages the active exploration of the question, "What is good science teaching?". Activities provide an open forum in which students construct their own ideas about effective science instruction so those ideas inform their developing science teaching styles. Aims to increase student comfort, confidence, and competence in using effective science teaching methods by relating the nature of science to the way kids develop an understanding of the science of nature, introducing practical, applicable models of best practice techniques and providing opportunities to experiment with those techniques in risk-free setting. Field work is required for this course: If taking this course alongside another methods course and practicum, plan to spend two full days in an appropriate classroom setting. If taking this course independent of another methods course and practicum, plan to spend about 30 hours in the field for this class. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 300, EDU 350, SPE 300. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 quarter hours

This course will present essential elements for effective science instruction in early childhood education environments. Students will develop competencies in science content, differentiated instructional strategies, and assessing student’s needs. Current directions in research, policy, and developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood science will be explored and connected. Special consideration will be given to addressing the individual needs of a diverse population. NOTE: this course is only open to students in the ECE Competency-Based program.

This pre-service early childhood and elementary education me course for teaching social studies is part of the NLU undergraduate teacher education curriculum. Teacher candidates examine the role of social studies in the early childhood and elementary education curriculum and engage in planning differentiated social studies units and lessons for all learners. A special emphasis is placed on the use of primary source documents to teach critical thinking through an inquiry approach. This course includes the Adaptive Cycles of Teaching assignments through which teacher candidates plan, implement, and analyze student learning in social studies lessons and receive targeted feedback to learn through their teaching. NOTE: Approximately 20 hours in an early childhood or elementary school classroom is required. This course can be taken with or independent of EDU410. The online version of this course includes at least one synchronous session. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 300 and EDU 350. Co-requisite(s): None. 2-3 quarter hours

This course will present essential elements for effective Social Sciences instruction in grades K-2nd grade. Students will develop competencies in Social Sciences content, differentiated instructional strategies, and assessing students' needs. Current directions in research, policy, and developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood Social Sciences will be explored and connected. Special consideration will be given to addressing the individual needs of a diverse population. NOTE: this course is only open to students in the ECE Competency-Based program.

This course will engage teacher candidates in exploring science and social studies teaching and learning through an inquiry-based lens. Activities provide an open forum in which students construct their own ideas about effective science and social studies instruction so those ideas inform their developing inquiry-based teaching styles. Strategies will include: using students’ natural sense of inquiry to develop scientific and historical thinking, providing a platform for teacher candidates to help develop a sense of wonder and inquiry when introducing science and social studies topics to students, using the natural world and community around students as a platform for learning, developing scaffolding techniques for a risk-free setting and using investigations and primary source documents in order to teach critical thinking through an inquiry approach. Students should expect to spend about 30 hours in the field for this class. The online course entails at least two synchronous sessions. Pre-requisite(s): EDU 299, EDU 350 and SPE 401. Co-requisite(s): None. 5 quarter hours