55 - Elementary Education

Student interns will complete their field practice in their assigned partnership elementary or middle school. Guidelines for the field experience are found in the College of Education Initial Certification for Field Experiences Handbook. Interns meet with the Director of the M.A. program and their cooperating teacher to discuss and evaluate their work in the schools based on the INTASC and Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The Director and the cooperating teacher will conduct performance assessments of the intern, with emphasis on classroom management, addressing diverse learners and ELL needs including high proficiency students during this experience.

This course is designed to give candidates a broad overview of classroom management, including theories and applications for creating classroom environments that are conducive to learning in order to provide equitable learning outcomes for all students. Candidates will explore various aspects of classroom management including classroom structure and routines, working with individual differences of students, and strategies for effective student engagement. Candidates will complete a minimum of 50 hours of field experience in an elementary or middle school where they will have experience with managing a classroom. The cooperating teacher and University supervisor conduct performance assessments of the candidate during this experience.

This course is designed to give candidates a broad overview of the needs of English language learners (ELL) through the investigation of modes of instruction, curricula, and forms of assessment. Multicultural issues and theories and practices to differentiate instruction to respond to K-9 English language learners' needs are discussed and practiced. Candidates will complete a minimum of 50 hours of field experience in an elementary or middle school. The cooperating teacher and University supervisor conduct performance assessments of the pre-service teacher during this experience based on INTASC and Illinois Professional Teachers Standards, as well as the ACEI standards.

This course is designed to help pre-service or practicing teachers learn practical, effective ways to integrate technology resources and technology-based instructional methods into everyday classroom practices and ensure that students meet ISTE and ISBE standards for technology. The course explores theories of learning and how computer technology can be used to address the diverse learning styles present in today’s classroom.

This course investigates the knowledge necessary to become an effective teacher in elementary or middle school classrooms. It focuses on the importance of having a developmental perspective on planning, learning, and learning problems. This includes understanding the behaviorist and cognitive perspectives of learning, having a knowledge of group dynamics, and developing a positive approach to classroom management including all of the essential components of effective planning, teaching, and assessment. Content covers theories of learning, motivation, personality, growth, development, and intelligence, including the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning. Assessment and basic descriptive statistics are addressed as well as IDEA and the special education referral process. An emphasis on professional dialogue and collaboration encourages candidates to actively apply theoretical information to a variety of learning situations. This course also covers the role of the middle school teacher in the assessment, coordination, and referral of students to health and social services. The candidate will explore the challenges of learner diversity and learn how to meet the needs of exceptional and at-risk learners, including English language learners. Discussion of teaching strategies, child development, and the application of theoretical knowledge to classroom teaching will be emphasized, practiced, and evaluated. This course satisfies the Illinois requirement for Survey of Exceptional Child (105ILCS5/21-2a).

This course investigates the knowledge necessary to become an effective teacher in elementary or middle school classrooms. It focuses on the importance of having a developmental perspective on planning, learning, diversity, and learning problems. This includes understanding the knowledge of group dynamics and developing a positive approach to classroom management including all of the essential components of effective planning, teaching, and assessment. An emphasis on professional dialogue and collaboration encourages candidates to actively apply theoretical information to a variety of learning situations. The candidate will explore the challenges of learner diversity and learn how to meet the needs of exceptional and at-risk learners, including English language learners. Discussion of effective teaching strategies in elementary classroom teachng will be emphasized, practiced, and evaluated.

This course presents for investigation and discussion theorists, developmental theories, theories of learning, motivation, personality growth, development, and intelligence - including the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning. Assessment and basic descriptive statistics are addressed as well as IDEA and the special education referral process. An emphasis on professional dialogue and collaboration encourages candidates to actively apply theoretical information to a variety of learning situations. The candidate will explore the challenges of learner diversity and learn how to meet the needs of exceptional and at-risk learners, including English language learners. Discussion of teaching strategies, child development, and the application of theoretical knowledge to classroom teaching will be emphasized, practiced, and evaluated.  This course satisfies the Illinois requirement for Survey of Exceptional Child (105ILCS5/21-2a).

This course is designed to prepare educators with an enhanced understanding of the characteristics and developmental issues of the middle school students. The course will emphasize methods and strategies middle school teachers must use to meet the emotional, social, and academic needs of young adolescent learners. Curricular design, instructional models, and assessment strategies will be expanded upon and applied, with an emphasis on content area reading. This will enable the candidate to be successful with the knowledge and skills needed for the multifaceted role of a middle level teacher.

This course introduces the candidate to the teaching and learning processes associated with scientifically based research reading practices in P-3 elementary classrooms and will emphasize the scientific foundations of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension strategies. Developmental stages of learning to read and write; interactive teaching strategies; and instructional materials, methods, and assessments will be presented and practiced. Emphasis will be placed on development of the knowledge base needed to assist beginning teachers in making insightful, data-driven decisions regarding their objectives and practices. Updated information on current trends, literature, technology, research, Illinois State Standards, and common core standards will be emphasized. Classroom literacy interventions including progress monitoring in accordance with Response to Intervention (RTI) mandate will be practiced for students at risk of reading failure. Methods of differentiating instruction and assessment to meet the needs of all students including ELL, struggling learners, and already proficient learners are included. Current multi-cultural children’s literature will be used in simulated classroom teaching experiences. Field based experiences will provide opportunities for students to connect teaching theory with classroom practice. Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to successfully plan and implement strategies taught in this course.

This course examines the theories and practices appropriate for research-based reading and language arts instruction and assessment at the intermediate and middle school levels (4-9) and is based in large part on the findings of the National Reading Panel. The emphasis is on learning and applying scientifically-based reading theories as a foundation for sound instruction and assessment decisions that will result in all students achieving proficiency with both reading and writing. Phonemic awareness and phonics will be reviewed and practiced. This course emphasizes strategies for developing fluency, expanding vocabulary, and comprehension such that students in the middle and upper grades can effectively construct meaning across genres and content areas. Effective reading and writing instructional strategies based on data driven assessments, including those that address the specific needs of second language learners, high proficiency, and struggling readers (including Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies) are modeled and practiced. Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to successfully plan and implement strategies taught in this course.

This course is designed for classroom teachers to develop multi-layered conceptual and technical skills in classroom assessment in order to fairly evaluate student learning to promote the highest level of achievement. Candidates will be trained to respond to the mandated implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) procedures to provide high quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress in order to make decisions about changes in instruction, and applying child response data to important educational decisions. Teachers, therefore, need an understanding of assessment as education moves into evidence-based instructional methods that will benefit many children who are challenged by academic content. The focus of this course, accordingly, will be on assessment and analysis of data for instructional programming, and the accompanying implications for appropriate teaching adjustments and interventions for learning. Understandings and skills include: developing and using a variety of classroom assessments (formative and summative), standardized educational testing including Illinois state tests, basic psychometric statistics; applying interventions and progress monitoring; grading; communicating assessment information; testing ethics; locating and evaluating assessment measures; in depth analysis of accompanying publishers’ tests; and assessments used for educational policy decisions. Candidates will demonstrate evidence of their understandings and skills by designing, implementing, and evaluating informal and formal assessments and intervention strategies before, during, and after learning.

This course prepares the candidate to design and implement age appropriate inquiry lessons to teach the fundamental concepts in life, physical, earth, and space science as well as physical development and health. NSES and Illinois State Standards are used, along with those of ACEI, to design a program that builds upon the student’s relevant background knowledge, awareness of current achievement issues, and knowledge of the disparate needs of all learner including English language learners, struggling learners, and already proficient learners. Methods of differentiating instruction, using technology, and developing assessment strategies to meet the individual needs of students are embedded throughout the course. Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to successfully plan and implement strategies taught in this course.

This course is intended for those candidates who need extended field experiences with the ongoing supervision by University personnel. Length of field experiences will be determined by the Department and is subject to Department Chair approval. Completion of this experience does not guarantee eligibility for student teaching.

This course focuses on the development of math methods and research-based instructional strategies for elementary and middle school students incorporating the NCTM, Illinois State Standards, and common core standards. The course emphasizes the teaching of numbers and operations, probability, data analysis, algebra, geometry, and measurement as well as mathematical concepts and problem solving. Methods of differentiating instruction and assessment to meet the needs of all students including ELL, struggling learners, and already proficient learners are included. The candidate will learn how to create or use math manipulatives, literature books, and technology to teach these concepts. Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to successfully plan and implement strategies taught in this course. Field based experiences will provide opportunities for students to connect teaching theory with classroom practice.

This course focuses on research-based instructional strategies, technology, resources, national (NCSS) curriculum standards, Illinois State Standards, and common core standards. The emphasis of this course is on understanding and using the interrelationships among history, geography, economics, politics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and archeology to develop in students an appreciation and responsibility toward citizenship, multiculturalism, and a democratic society. In addition, this course includes planning and organizing for instruction, material selection, and evaluation in social studies and multicultural education. Methods of differentiating instruction and assessment to meet the individual needs of all students including ELL, highly proficient, and special needs students will be modeled and practiced. Middle school curriculum will be a primary focus including reading in the content area which is emphasized in the common core standards. Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to successfully plan and implement strategies taught in this course.

This course is to introduce the candidate to the teaching and learning processes associated with scientific research based comprehensive literacy instruction in PK-9 classrooms and will emphasize these scientific foundations of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, text comprehension and fluency. Developmental stages of learning to read and write, interactive teaching strategies, and instructional materials, methods and assessments will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the development of a knowledge base needed to assist beginning teachers in making insightful decisions regarding their objectives and practices. Updated information on current trends, research, and state standards will be emphasized. Tier II and Tier III classroom literacy interventions in accordance with Response to Intervention mandates and progress monitoring practice will be highlighted. The needs of all children including those with special needs based on exceptionalities or on diversity of language or culture will be embedded in all course experiences. Current multi-cultural children’s literature will be used in simulated classroom teaching experiences. Field experiences, supervised by a University supervisor will provide opportunities for students to connect teaching theory with classroom practice during their affiliated field experience course.

This course focuses on the problems specific to the first year teacher. This includes planning, creating a positive classroom environment for learning, classroom management, working with other professionals, and creating a positive relationship with students, administrators, parents, and the community.

This course is designed for candidates planning to be licensed elementary teachers in Illinois. This course provides intensive daily experience over an entire semester in an elementary or middle school setting. Progress in developing teaching skills is carefully observed and supervised (via a minimum of eight observations) by an experienced and approved cooperating classroom teacher and the University supervisor. Evaluation is based on a variety of performance assessments. Both formative and summative feedback will be provided including the areas of content knowledge, planning, instructional delivery, assessment, data-driven interventions, classroom management, and professionalism. The experience and related seminars focus on communication and collaboration, developing a quality learning environment, developing effective research-based instruction and assessments, and professional reflection development. Seminars may include superintendents, principals, and teachers from the schools as instructors and speakers. In a major culminating project, candidates will design, implement, and evaluate a unit of instruction with particular emphasis on assuring successful learning by all students (including ELL, already proficient, and struggling learners. Attendance at student teaching seminars is required. Evidence of successful completion of the appropriate State of Illinois test in the content area must be received in the College of Education at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the student teaching semester in order to be allowed to student teach.