Elementary and Special Education Courses (ELSPED)

ELSPED 3115. Schooling and Inclusive Education in the 21st Century — 8 hrs.

This course engages teacher candidates in an overview of the social, political, and cultural aspects of education that has contributed to current public policy and law associated with the educational process. Perceptions of difference and an overview of inclusive practice in schools, technology-supported learning, building inclusive school communities, and learning environments will be discussed in today's schools. The course focuses on collaboration in learning, practice as professionals, and advocacy for social justice in educational contexts. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Fall)

ELSPED 3116. Child Development and Integrated Arts, Media, and Early Literacy — 8 hrs.

This course introduces paraprofessionals to child development by examining the social contexts of human development of elementary-age children and theoretical perspectives that inform understanding of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development as students interface with culture. Developmentally appropriate methods of teaching early literacy incorporate various approaches that use the visual and performing arts and children's literature. Paraprofessionals will learn to plan and teach developmentally appropriate lessons integrating the arts, literacy, and diverse media while completing their Level II Benchmark. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Fall)

ELSPED 3117. Inclusive Classroom Environments and Learning Assessment — 8 hrs.

Teacher candidates will experience two parallel modules. One module will focus on assessment in regular and special education environments, and the second will focus on building inclusive environments for all children that include a practicum experience. Teacher candidates will study classroom assessment in theory and practice, including the development and appropriate use of formative and summative assessments, assessment quality, grading/communication, standardized testing, and emphasizing the use of data to enhance teaching and learning. Collection and use of educational data to assess and teach diverse learning needs, educational planning and progress monitoring, instructional models, curricular access, mapping, and development will support teaching in inclusive classrooms supporting all students learning. Teacher candidates create culturally responsive teaching plans by designing and implementing daily lessons in one-to-one settings. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Spring)

ELSPED 3118. Learning Motivation, Behavior Support, and Reasoning Skills — 8 hrs.

Teacher candidates will study recent trends in the elementary classroom environment and curriculum for grades K through 6 while examining the influence of cognition and motivational factors on children's learning, motivation, and behavioral supports. The second module of this session focuses on skills needed to organize and manage the culturally sustaining and inclusive classroom environment for instruction in elementary classrooms using individual, small group, and whole group strategies that facilitate productive behaviors for learning. The development of professional behaviors and effective skills for interdisciplinary and family collaboration is experienced by the teacher candidate throughout the program, including problem-solving and strategies for an individual. In a third module, learners engage in mathematics as problem-solving, focusing on whole numbers, rational number concepts, and arithmetic operations with connections to algebraic thinking. Connections to practice are explored with classroom stories and experiences learners encounter in their work as paraeducators. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Spring)

ELSPED 4115. Engaging in Integrated Science, Methods of Teaching Science, and Math Reasoning Part 1 — 8 hrs.

This course will focus students on science investigations in life and physical sciences and prepare teacher candidates to teach science in the elementary classroom. It will engage teacher candidates with mathematics as problem-solving, communication, connections, and reasoning and includes data analysis, probability, and algebraic reasoning. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Summer)

ELSPED 4116. Engaging in Integrated Science, Methods of Teaching Science, and Math Reasoning Part 2 — 8 hrs.

This course focuses on science investigations in physical and earth sciences, preparing teacher candidates to teach science in the elementary classroom. It will also feature a module on mathematics as problem-solving, communication, connections, and reasoning and includes geometry, measurement, and proportionality. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Summer)

ELSPED 4117. Differentiating Literacy and Social Studies for All Students — 8 hrs.

This course focuses on learning about differentiated content reading, writing, and social studies methods of teaching. Students use reading and writing strategies to support learning about social science content and the differentiation process for experiences that support inclusive elementary classrooms. The focus on supporting diverse learners is woven throughout this course. The coursework is linked to grouping, assessment for learning, and strategies for discussions and responses to readings. An integrated unit will be collaboratively designed with specific attention to differentiated literacy and social studies for diverse learners and could be implemented in student teaching. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. (Fall)

ELSPED 4118. Differentiating Math for All Students and Differentiation Practicum — 8 hrs.

Learners will continue their study of differentiated methods of teaching elementary mathematics and engaging in small group teaching practica in diverse classrooms. Teacher candidates will work with children who have IEPs and identify and utilize assessment instruments and strategies to evaluate the learning needs of K-8 students in a special education environment. This course will encompass the Level III Benchmark where students have the opportunity to teach whole group lessons in a subject area agreed upon between the student and classroom teacher. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only; ELSPED 3117. (Fall)

ELSPED 4120. Transitions: Education and Post K-12 — 2 hrs.

This course is taken with Student Teaching. Student teaching is offered on a credit/no credit basis only and provides the teacher candidate the opportunity to experience, in-depth, teaching responsibilities. This course incorporates work with post-school transition programming for individuals with disabilities and will support teacher candidates' understanding of current initiatives and research related to planning and supporting educational (K-12) and post-school transitions for students with disabilities at the intersections of race, gender, gender identity, immigration, sexual orientation, and among other historically marginalized people (i.e., Black, Indigenous, and Youth of Color). This module explores the development and implementation of self-determined careers, post-secondary education opportunities, and inclusive community living for adolescents and adults. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. Corequisite(s): TEACHING 3134 or TEACHING 3135. (Spring)

ELSPED 4121. Health and Fitness for Elementary Teachers — 2 hrs.

This course is taken with Student Teaching. Student teaching is offered on a credit/no credit basis only and provides the teacher candidate the opportunity to experience, in-depth, teaching responsibilities. This module includes work on methods and materials in health education and physical education appropriate for all children. Prerequisite(s): declared Purple Pathway for Paraeducators majors only. Corequisite(s): TEACHING 3134 or TEACHING 3135. (Spring)