ELED - Elementary Education

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 diverse learners with a focus on applications of instructional practices for struggling learners, special needs students, English language learners (ELL), and high proficiency the investigation of modes of instruction, curricula, and forms of assessment. Multicultural issues and theories and practices to differentiate instruction to respond to diverse learners' needs are discussed and practiced. Candidates will complete a 3-week field experience in an elementary 1-6 classroom.

This course is an integrated approach to introducing teacher candidates to foundational concepts in planning and delivery of instruction, stages of human growth and learning with focus on the late childhood to early adolescent years. The course is focused on a perspective on planning, learning, and problem solving appropriate for the developmental level of the child; understanding behavioral and cognitive theories of learning; developing a knowledge of group dynamics and understanding instructionally focused approaches to classroom management including essential components of effective planning, teaching, and assessment; review, analysis, and synthesis of theories of motivation, growth and development, intelligence, and the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning; Emphasis on professional dialogue and collaboration that encourage candidates to actively apply theoretical information to a variety of learning situations; Discussion of teaching strategies, child development and the application of theoretical knowledge in instruction will be emphasized, practiced, and assessed.

This course addresses theory- and research-based practices for developing disciplinary literacy and implementing effective reading and language arts instruction across the content areas.  Of particular emphasis is the role of reading, writing, listening, speaking and visual representation in student learning across the curriculum.  Effective practices for teaching and supporting student writing, reading comprehension, and verbal and visual expression and interpretation will be explored with a wide range of informational texts and media.

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 and is based on the findings of the National Reading Panel. Common Core 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 across all the disciplines is emphasized. 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 are modeled and practiced.  Effective reading and writing instructional strategies are 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.

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. The focus of this course 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, basic psychometric statistics; progress monitoring; grading; communicating assessment information; testing ethics; locating and evaluating assessment measures;  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 sciences 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 candidate's relevant background knowledge, awareness of current achievement issues and knowledge of the disparate needs of all learners 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. It is recommended that this course be taken concurrently with a field experience 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 mathematics methods and research-based instructional strategies for elementary students incorporating the NCTM 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 proficient learners are included. The candidate will learn how to create, use mathematics 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 candidates 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 designed to introduce participants to the Project Wild educational program.  They will have opportunities to learn about the background format of the project, examine the philosophy and curriculum materials, and participate in:

1. Hands on activities for the classroom, schoolyard, and community
2. Discussion of values and ethical dilemmas
3. Simulation games
4. Role playing
5. Guided imagery

This course is designed to introduce participants to the Project Learning Tree educational program.  They will have opportunities to learn about the background format of the project, examine the philosophy and curriculum materials, and participate in:

1. Hands on activities for the classroom, schoolyard, and community
2. Discussion of values and ethical dilemmas
3. Simulation games
4. Role playing
5. Guided imagery

This course is designed to introduce participants to the Project Wet educational program.  They will have opportunities to learn about the background format of the project, examine the philosophy and curriculum materials, and participate in:

1. Hands on activities for the classroom, schoolyard, and community
2. Discussion of values and ethical dilemmas
3. Simulation games
4. Role playing
5. Guided imagery

This course is designed for candidates planning to be licensed elementary teachers in Illinois. This course provides intensive daily experience in an elementary setting. Progress in developing teaching skills is carefully observed and supervised by an experienced and approved mentor 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.