LA 531 Writing and the Writing Process

Content: Increasing teachers' understanding of the writing process, primarily by working on their own prose writing. Students write, read their work to peers, and receive feedback. This personal experience provides opportunities to reflect on common writing problems and issues teachers across disciplines encounter in their classrooms. Topics include recent research and theory in composing as well as practical teaching techniques that can be integrated to enhance learners' experiences. Required introductory course in the Middle-Level/High School Program.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to the Middle Level/High School Program.
Credits: 1-2 semester hours.

ED 550 Social, Historical, and Ethical Perspectives on Education

Content: Critical and comprehensive review of education and schooling in American society. Considers education in its larger socioeconomic, political, ideological, and cultural contexts and examines race, class, gender, and culture in the formal educational system. Analyzes issues of goals, funding, governance, curricula, policy, staffing, and reforms both in historical and contemporary forms. Participants study education both as a microcosm of society, reflecting the larger struggles in the country, and as a quasi-autonomous entity.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to a preservice teacher education program.
Credits: 2 semester hours.

ED 552 Adolescent Development: Understanding Your Learners

Content: Discussion, critique, and application of current research on adolescent development, understood from psychosocial, culturally responsive, and justice-oriented perspectives. Explores theories of cognitive, relational, sexual, moral, and spiritual development with an emphasis on the middle- and high-school student's construction of identity as it is shaped by culture, ethnicity, gender, linguistic heritage, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Examines strategies for promoting resilience and engaging students in learning experiences that are responsive to development levels and cultural contexts. Also investigates insights from neuropsychology and the impact on adolescent well-being as a result of risk-taking behaviors, societal (mis)interpretations of youth, and the ubiquity of digital media.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program or consent of instructor.
Credits: 2 semester hours.

ESOL 535A English Language Learners: Theory

Content: This course is designed to prepare pre-K-12 preservice teachers for meeting the linguistic and academic needs of English Language Learners by providing an overview of language acquisitions theory and program components. Teachers will also identify resources (personnel and materials) to effectively serve linguistically diverse populations.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Enrollment in a preservice teacher education program.
Credits: 1 semester hour.

ED 551 Literacy, Culture, and Learning

Content: Understanding of the central importance of language and the social construction of knowledge. Examines issues of diverse perspectives; the changing definitions of literacy, including numeracy, scientific literacy, and visual literacy; an integrated process-oriented approach to reading and writing in the subject field; and basic information about standardized testing and classroom-based assessment. Introduction to literacy issues for students whose first language is not English. Stresses qualitative methods for understanding the learning environment and the meaning-making systems of students. At their internship sites, participants conduct interviews and apply ethnographic methods and observation systems as they work to assess and document the meaning-making strategies of a selected middle or high school student and advocate for, support, and improve that student's literacy skills. Incorporates a range of technological resources from the school and community into experiences that support literacy learning.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

ED 553 Middle-Level/High School Field Experience Seminar I

Content: Teacher candidates take part in a professional seminar that supports their fall student teaching as well as the observation experience and portfolio at their "other level" placement site. Topics include teacher identity, professionalism, reflective practice, renewal of and support for teachers, observation protocols, and the creation of democratic learning communities. Teacher candidates gain practice in teaching through a concurrent internship placement in a middle school or high school and a practicum at the "other level."
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 1 semester hour.

ED 540 Middle-Level/High School Field Experience I

Content: Part-time student teaching experience in a middle-school or high-school classroom under the supervision of a mentor holding the same content area endorsement as the teacher candidate. Candidates teach their first work sample in this classroom. In addition, they spend a series of full-time days in the classroom of a teacher in another building at their second level of authorization.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: ED 553.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School preservice program.
Credits: 2 semester hours.

ART 579 Teaching Art to Adolescents

Content: Teaching and learning art in middle-level and high school classrooms. Emphasizes the wide range of instructional issues and concerns encountered in the art classroom. Links disciplinary knowledge related to state standards of art history, criticism, and aesthetics to the production of a variety of media. Includes planning, organization, and assessment practices using the tenets of backward design, aimed at supporting the successful learning of all students. Emphasizes differentiated instruction to enhance meaningful experience of students with varied interests, developmental levels, and cultural backgrounds. Materials draw upon research from the history and philosophy of the visual arts, with attention to "human constructivist" views and adolescent development. Included in the class are visits to the classrooms of art teachers to investigate first hand the range of teaching and technological resources used to support student learning in this field. Participants write the teaching plan for their first required inquiry/work sample, with the effort to include reflection on research previously conducted on concepts that are central to the work sample unit.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice program or consent of instructor.
Credits: 4 semester hours.

LA 579 Teaching Language Arts to Adolescents

Content: Teaching and learning English language arts in middle-level and high school classrooms. Develops participants' pedagogical content knowledge by focusing on a student-centered view of teaching literature and composition to adolescents. Participants read about, discuss, and experience the importance of writing to learning and discovery, the student-teacher conference, writing process in theory and practice, the evaluation of writing, the place of writing in literature classes, and the powerful current that can be transmitted among teenage writers. Drawing on reader-response theory, participants learn how they can encourage students to respond to texts and lead them from those first responses into analysis of both the text itself and their reading of it. Based on the tenets of backward design, the course looks at planning, organization, and assessment--articulating objectives and linking them to standards, teaching, and assessment. Introduces differentiation of instruction in support of meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental levels, and cultural contexts. Participants write the teaching plan for their first required Inquiry Work Sample.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program or consent of instructor.
Credits: 4 semester hours.

MATH 579 Teaching Mathematics to Adolescents

Content: Teaching and learning mathematics in middle-level and high school classrooms. Emphasizes meaningful development of mathematical concepts, from pre-algebra through calculus, for the purposes of teaching. Focuses on the importance of cultivating student voice and building from students' prior knowledge through open-ended problem solving and inquiry-based experiences. Supports a view of mathematics as the science of patterns, a way of thinking that all students must embrace in order to fully access democracy in the 21st century. Interns learn about national standards for school mathematics in grades 6-12 as well as the range of research informing best practices in math education. Particular attention is given to issues of equity, differentiation, culturally relevant pedagogy, assessment, and backward design. Incorporates the use of technology (especially TI-graphing calculators and dynamic geometry software) as tools for deepening mathematical understanding.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice Program or consent of instructor.
Credits: 4 semester hours.

SCI 579 Teaching Science to Adolescents

Content: Teaching and learning science in middle-level and high school classrooms. Emphasizes the design of investigations, safety, and the role of using a wide variety of science activities in science teaching. Includes planning, organization, and assessment of science teaching and learning, using the tenets of backward design. Pays attention to differentiation of instruction for student needs, articulation of objectives, and their link to teaching, standards, and assessment. Introduces participants to the importance of science as the work of a particular cultural community with shared values and linguistic norms, while examining literature about the challenge students may face in making a "cultural border crossing" into science. Special attention is given to diversity and social justice issues. Materials draw upon research from the history and philosophy of science as well as research about the psychology of learning science, with particular attention to the "human constructivist" views and adolescent development. Students plan their first required inquiry/work sample, being careful to include in the plan reflection on research previously conducted on the learning of concepts that are central to the work sample unit.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice program or consent of instructor.
Credits: 4 semester hours.

SS 579 Teaching Social Studies to Adolescents

Content: Developing a conceptual framework for teaching social studies in a democratic society through a social justice framework. Focuses on different ways of organizing instruction and assessing learning in middle- and high-school content areas. Students examine historical and contemporary issues in teaching social studies, including philosophy, content, and method. Includes planning, organization, and assessment in subject areas. Pays attention to national and state standards and differentiation of instruction, linking them to teaching and assessment. Engages teaching candidates in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental levels, and cultural contexts. Candidates learn to assess, document, and advocate for the successful learning of all students and school stakeholders. Candidates write the teaching plan for their first required inquiry/work sample.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice Program.
Credits: 4 semester hours.

ED 560 Classroom Management: Co-Building a Learning Community

Content: Places classroom management in a socio-political and justice-oriented context by focusing on understanding students' personal, social, and academic needs, creating optimal teacher-student and peer relationships, and co-creating norms and procedures that support democratic learning communities. Critiques coercive methods aimed at achieving obedience and explores schoolwide and classroom-specific practices that draw on student diversity as a resource rather than impediment. Examines culturally responsive and inclusive teaching methods that prevent discipline problems, promote flow, sustain collaborations with parents and other educators, and enhance agency and transparency while maintaining accountability.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice program.
Credits: 2 semester hours.

ESOL 535B English Language Learners: Theory in Practice

Content: This course is designed to prepare p-K-12 preservice teachers for meeting the linguistic and academic needs of English Language Learners by providing an overview of language acquisitions theory and program components. Teachers will also identify resources (personnel and materials) to effectively serve linguistically diverse populations.
Prerequisites: ESOL 535A.
Credits: 1 semester hour.

ED 554 Middle-Level/High School Field Experience Seminar II

Content: Students take part in a professional seminar supporting their spring student teaching internship. Topics include renewal of and support for teachers, teacher identity, supervision, and reflection on and self-evaluation of teaching practice. Examination of a professional identity continues, including job search strategies and support. Participants gain practice in teaching through a concurrent internship placement in a middle school or high school.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Current enrollment in Middle-Level/High School preservice program internship.
Credits: 2 semester hours.

ED 541 Middle Level/High School Field Experience II

Content: Intensive student teaching experience in a middle school or high school classroom under the supervision of a mentor holding the same content area endorsement as the teacher candidate. Teacher candidates teach one class on a daily basis, with the support of their mentor and will teach a second work sample in this class. Candidates will also serve as the daily teacher for this single course until the end of the school year. In addition, teacher candidates will spend an increasing amount of time in the classes they will take on after spring break (these might be courses that their mentor teaches or they could be classes taught by another teacher in the same department). The goal is to have all teacher candidates at their site full-time with a two-thirds teaching load during the month of April and beyond.
Prerequisites: ED 540.
Corequisites: ED 554.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Preservice program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

ART 564 Curriculum and Inquiry: Art

Content: Further organizing and applying of appropriate curriculum and teaching approaches to engage mid-level and high school students in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental readiness, and cultural contexts. Attention to research and theory in art curriculum and pedagogy. Participants continue to develop as teacher researchers by refining habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine their professional practice. Topics include Backward Design in support of planning and assessment; review and application of curriculum materials; social and political contexts that impact curriculum; exploration of the role of inquiry in art. Continued analysis of best practice methodology. Students complete both required Inquiry Work Samples.
Prerequisites: ART 579.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

LA 564 Curriculum and Inquiry: Language Arts

Content: Organizing and applying appropriate curriculum and teaching approaches to engage middle-level and high school students in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental readiness, and cultural contexts. Attention to research in language arts curriculum and pedagogy. Participants continue to develop as teacher researchers by refining habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine their professional practice. Topics include backward design in support of planning and assessment; review and application of curriculum materials; social and political contexts that impact curriculum; exploration of the role of inquiry in language arts; and continued analysis and application of best practice methodology. Students complete two required inquiry work samples.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

MATH 564 Curriculum and Inquiry: Mathematics

Content: Organizing and applying appropriate curriculum and teaching approaches to engage middle-level and high school students in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental readiness, and cultural contexts. Attention to research and theory in mathematics curriculum and pedagogy. Participants continue to develop as teacher researchers by refining habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine their professional practice. Topics include: backward design, in support of planning and assessment; review and application of curriculum materials and resources; social and political contexts that impact curriculum; the role of inquiry in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; the value of math-science integration; and mathematical literacy for the 21st century. Students complete two inquiry work samples as part of the course.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SCI 564 Curriculum and Inquiry: Science

Content: Organizing and applying appropriate curricular and teaching approaches to engage middle level and high school students in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental readiness, and cultural contexts. Attention to research and theory in science curriculum and pedagogy. Participants continue to develop as teacher researchers by refining habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine their professional practice. Topics include: backward design, in support of planning and assessment; review and application of curriculum approaches, materials,and resources; social and political contexts that impact curriculum; exploration of the role of inquiry in science; the importance of scientific literacy; and the value of math-science integration. Students complete two required inquiry work samples.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SS 564 Curriculum and Inquiry: Social Studies

Content: Organizing and applying appropriate curriculum to engage middle level and high school students in meaningful learning experiences responsive to individual differences, interests, developmental readiness, learning styles, and cultural contexts. Attention to research and theory on social studies curriculum and pedagogy. Candidates continue to develop as teacher researchers by refining habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine their professional practice. A continued emphasis on backward design in support of planning and assessment. A variety of social studies lessons will be modeled including: leading discussions, using primary documents, role playing, visual literacy, non-linguistic organization, and document-based questions. Candidates complete two required inquiry/work samples.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

ED 573 Classroom Management Workshop

Content: Provides ongoing support for interns during their spring student teaching practica. Workshop format encourages the collaborative analyses of classroom management challenges that are typically encountered during this phase of the teacher development process. Specific research-based classroom strategies are modeled, critiqued, and applied while modes of critical inquiry introduced in ED 560 are reinforced. Approximately one-third of each session will be dedicated to soliciting, discussing, and troubleshooting interns' self-identified "issues from the field."
Prerequisites: ED 560.
Corequisites: ED 554, ED 546.
Restrictions: Students must have successfully transitioned into their full "takeover" student teaching in the spring.
Credits: 1 semester hour.

ED 543 Middle-Level/High School Field Experience III

Content: Teacher candidates continue their intensive student teaching internship in a middle school or high school classroom under the supervision of a mentor holding the same content area endorsement as the teacher candidate. Interns are at their placement sites full-time contract hours, responsible for a 2/3 teaching load through the end of the K-12 academic year, completing and/or assisting their mentor will all "end-of-school" tasks and activities.
Prerequisites: ED 541.
Corequisites: ED 573.
Restrictions: Admission to Middle-Level/High School preservice program. Demonstration of "emerging" or better rating on the Intern Teaching Profile formative assessment by mentor and supervisor, or, in the event of any rating of "unsatisfactory" on the ITP, a written plan of assistance with faculty approval.
Credits: 3 semester hours.