300

This is a specialized methods course for secondary English education majors. Topics include teaching methods and processes, evaluation procedures and curriculum development specific to secondary schools. Involves students in teaching simulations. For secondary education majors only.

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with knowledge of classroom assessment techniques needed to allow for continuous improvement for students and self. The course includes knowledge related to the creation of traditional and alternative testing techniques, the review of student assessment data, the assessment of teaching impact for reflecting on personal teaching experiences and the communication of student progress to stakeholders.

This course investigates theories and strategies enabling teachers to manage student behavior and solve classroom problems. Provides intervention and management techniques for teachers and teacher candidates using principles of applied behavior analysis. Examines frameworks for creating a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction and effective communication among members of the learning community. Areas of emphasis include structuring the classroom for success, planning for instruction, managing materials and equipment, and assessing and managing student and group behavior. The course emphasizes acquiring performance assessment techniques and strategies that measure higher-order thinking skills and identifies strategies, materials and technologies that expand students' thinking abilities.

This course is designed for the teacher candidate to understand the principles of scientifically based reading research as the foundation of comprehensive instruction that synchronizes and scaffolds each of the major components of the reading process toward student mastery. Teacher candidates will gain substantive knowledge of language structure and function and cognition for each of the five major components of the reading process, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and integration of major reading components. Students develop and analyze instructional strategies that promote understanding across all academic disciplines. At the completion of this course, teacher candidates will have a greater understanding of the reading process and will be able to apply this knowledge to maximize instructional effectiveness for students from varying academic backgrounds and diverse cultures. This course requires students to brainstorm, research, present information and engage in draft writing, revise writing and peer editing.

This is a specialized methods course for secondary social studies education majors. Topics include teaching methods and processes, evaluation procedures and curriculum development specific to secondary schools. Involves students in teaching simulations. For secondary education majors only.

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to conduct careful and systematic field-based observations tied to coursework and to engage in seminar discussions regarding those experiences. During Practicum I, candidates will complete eight essential research-based tasks required of those doing observations and fieldwork in school and classroom settings. Candidates will: 1) observe, 2) notice, 3) notate, 4) predict, 5) generate, 6) analyze, 7) critique and 8) reflect. Employing the use of these eight tasks to guide classroom observation efforts promotes the critical analysis of classroom life and facilitates the development of a realistic perspective of the realities of teaching. This is a pass/fail course.

This is a specialized methods course for secondary biology education majors. Topics include teaching methods and processes, evaluation procedures and curriculum development specific to secondary schools. Involves students in teaching simulations.

This is a specialized methods course for secondary mathematics education majors. Topics include teaching methods and processes, evaluation procedures and curriculum development specific to secondary schools. Involves students in teaching simulations. For secondary education majors only.

For elementary education and secondary English education majors. This course provides a framework for synthesizing the Florida Teacher Standards for ESOL Endorsement and the 11 ESOL competencies in order to prepare pre-professional teachers with effective linguistic and cultural classroom-based practices. The focus of this course is on ESOL methods for comprehensible instruction, ESOL materials and curriculum, and ESOL assessment procedures for English language learners (ELLs). The final exam serves as a comprehensive overview of the ESOL components infused in the education program. An ESOL field experience is required for all students (EDU 319).

This course places teachers in a position to understand the critical role they play in creating a climate of continuous, systemic improvement in schools through the establishment of professional learning communities and the concurrent development of teacher leadership. Participants gain an understanding of how the relationships among the development of learning communities, teacher leadership, school effectiveness and site-based accountability can positively improve schools. Knowledge gained in the university classroom will be applied in site-based activities, including participant-observer studies, shadow studies, action research, problem-based learning activities, case studies and quantitative and qualitative research studies. This course requires students to brainstorm, free-write, research, rewrite, present information and peer-edit. A significant aspect of this course is teaching students about writing for different audiences.

An examination of the language arts, the cognitive and literacy development of children, methods of instruction in the communication processes, the needs of the diverse learner, and the integration of language arts across the curriculum. A focus is the use of children's literature in teaching by examining genres, student responses and a balanced literacy program.

A comprehensive survey of the basic methods of teaching reading in the elementary school. Examines the methods, materials and basic skills of teaching reading, with a focus on skill development in the intermediate classroom. Field hours required.

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to conduct investigations of ethics and learner diversity, including linguistic diversity with an emphasis on developing anti-bias strategies, curriculum and learning environments, as well as corresponding interaction between teacher and learner. The course provides research-based coverage of diversity and ethics issues while emphasizing contemporary topics such as creating a climate of openness, inquiry and support by practicing classroom strategies of acceptance, tolerance, resolution and mediation. Candidates will become proficient in the areas of diversity and ethics as specified in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices Competencies. Thus they will acquire knowledge of how to implement scientifically-based research instructional practices to ensure positive impact on student learning in the classroom.

This course is designed to provide elementary education teacher candidates with the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary for diagnosis and correction of mild to moderate reading difficulties with an emphasis on reading instruction guided by assessment. The physical, physiological, cognitive, language, emotional and socio-cultural correlates of reading disabilities are examined to help candidates understand the nature and causes of reading problems in grades K-6. Candidates will gain facility in the selection and use of formal and informal instruments for the early detection and correction of reading difficulties. The diagnostic-prescriptive model will be applied to help candidates acquire expertise in the analysis of children's reading diagnostic data and the implementation of developmentally appropriate instructional methods that address the needs of diverse student populations. Candidates will become proficient in planning and implementing reading instruction as specified in the Florida Reading Endorsement Competencies. Thus they will acquire knowledge of how to implement scientifically based reading research instructional practices in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension to ensure positive impact on student learning in the elementary classroom. Field hours required (Practicum II).

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to participate in more than 45 hours of ESOL field experience. Candidates will plan and implement ESOL-relevant instruction in one-to-one, small-group and large-group settings. This course introduces the Florida Teacher Standards for ESOL Endorsement in the following five content areas: methods of teaching ESOL, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communication and understanding, applied linguistics, and testing and evaluation of ESOL.

Emphasis on developmentally appropriate objectives, materials, activities and methods of teaching the primary grades. Various historical, philosophical and sociological perspectives in early childhood education are investigated, analyzed and evaluated. The course includes 20 hours of field experience.

Involves observation/participation in early childhood education settings and an examination of instructional materials, procedures and evaluation of nursery, kindergarten and primary curricula and instructional strategies.

The course examines the ways in which early childhood programs are a part of the family support system. It focuses on the development of an understanding of traditional and nontraditional families, structural and lifestyle variations, parenting in diverse cultures and the needs of high-risk families. Implications from these understandings will guide development of a parent involvement plan that includes effective ways to communicate with parents, conference with parents, hold parent meetings and conduct home visits.

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with knowledge of classroom assessment techniques needed to allow for continuous improvement for students and self.  The course specifically includes knowledge related to the creation of traditional and alternative testing techniques, the review of student assessment data, the assessment of teaching impact for reflecting on personal teaching experiences and the communication of student progress to stakeholders. For secondary education majors only.

Involves study and practice in elementary physical education methods. Examines and evaluates subject matter, methods and source materials for health programs. Field hours required.

This course investigates theories and strategies enabling secondary teachers to manage student behavior and solve classroom problems.  Provides intervention and management techniques for teachers and teacher candidates using principles of applied behavior analysis at the secondary level.  Examines frameworks for creating a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction and effective communication among members of the learning community in the 6-12 classroom.  Areas of emphasis include structuring the classroom for success, planning for instruction, managing materials and equipment, and assessing and managing secondary student and group behavior.  The course emphasizes acquiring performance assessment techniques and strategies that measure higher order thinking skills in the 6-12 classroom and students’ thinking abilities.  This course requires students to brainstorm, free-write, research, draft writing, revise writing, present information, and peer-edit. For secondary education majors only.

The Methods of Secondary Instruction course discusses how to teach effectively in today’s secondary schools.  This course develops an understanding of various learning modes, learning styles, multiple intelligence, questioning techniques, and other instructional strategies to engage students and be effective in today’s secondary school classroom.  This course demonstrates how to use effective lesson plan design as well as various assessment techniques.  The course is designed to provide teacher education candidates with an opportunity to study, reflect, question, become knowledgeable about, and develop skills in instructional methods while applying and practicing these methods in a collaborative and constructive setting.  Major topics include characteristics of effective and intentional teaching; student diversity, social justice and how understanding students influences learning; planning for instruction; creating effective lessons using a variety of approaches & technologies; classroom management; assessment of student learning; and professional development. For secondary education majors only.

Required for all secondary majors, this survey course introduces the Florida Teacher Standards for ESOL Endorsement in the following five content areas: methods of teaching ESOL, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communication and understanding, applied linguistics, and testing and evaluation of ESOL. Has a field component.

This course provides an in-depth coverage of the various curricular models and developmentally appropriate teaching methods common at the elementary level in physical education. Students will be placed at a school to observe and teach physical education under the supervision of a licensed physical education teacher. Field study required.

This course is a clinical tutorial-based course that will provide students with additional, individualized and alternative curricula knowledge, skills and experiences to further develop the performance of teacher education candidates within the department of education.