Online Middle Grades Education Degree

This course is an introduction to the teaching profession. Topics covered include historical, philosophical, contemporary, and ethical perspectives on education as well as social and cultural expectations in teaching. In this introductory course, students are informed on the appropriate role of technology; state and national standards; policies governing education at the national, state, and local level; and careers and organizations related to teaching and education. This course also introduces students to state licensure requirements.

An advanced study of the psychological aspects of human behavior and development applied to the teaching and learning process. Topics include an understanding and function of brain development as it affects behavior and learning, neuropsychological aspects of school related problems, learning styles, attention span, information processing, short term and long term memory, encoding and retrieval mechanisms, categorization, and problem solving. Candidates will develop a positive classroom discipline model as part of this course.

A study of the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of young adolescents. Examination of developmental issues that impact the middle and senior high school, its philosophy, and its practices responsive to the adolescent, both cognitively and affectively.

This course covers an examination of the issue of diversity with emphasis on the social, political, and cultural dimensions of school settings. Students will apply findings on this issue to their own classrooms and community contexts. Consideration will be given to the needs of ESL, bilingual, and bicultural students and the ways in which teachers respond to their needs. Legal requirements and funding issues will be addressed. Teacher certification candidates will develop a philosophy of diversity statement as a component of this course.

This course introduces students to research based instructional strategies along with basic principles and practices of classroom assessment. Special attention will be given to differentiated instruction, maximizing student engagement and learning, formative and summative assessment practices, and the use of data in classroom decision making.

This course introduces candidates to the basic principles of unit planning and lesson design with special emphasis on the School of Education lesson plan template. Planning principles are aligned with the Danielson Framework for Teaching, the edTPA, Illinois Learning Standards, and national content area standards. Strategies for supporting the needs of diverse learners are addressed.

As a literacy method course in the Middle Grades and Senior High education program, this course presents an analysis of instructional materials and methodologies used in reading and writing in content areas for middle grades. The course will explore evaluation of instructional materials, higher order comprehension instruction, learning specialized vocabulary, study skills and cognitive strategies, reading and writing across the curriculum, assessment of student progress, diversity in the classroom, and current approaches to content reading. Teacher candidates will learn how to plan content units with literacy strategies.

Survey of the psychology of the identification of, and the methods of instruction for the exceptional child, including the learning disabled, with special emphasis on characteristics and methods of instruction for cross-categorical special education students.

This course examines the teaching of writing and grammar at the middle grades and senior high school level. Particular emphases are placed on teaching writing as a process, planning curricula to improve student writing, integrating best instructional practices for teaching composition and grammar, and developing effective strategies for assessing student writing.

This course examines literature particular to the early- and middle-adolescent reader. The primary areas of focus include exploring the purposes of adolescent or young adult literature in relationship to social, cultural, and psychological frameworks; critical practices for the selection and evaluation of literary texts; and research-based methods of instructing and supporting adolescents to become complex readers through comprehension and interpretation strategies.

This course focuses on the methods and techniques for mathematics instruction and assessment in the middle grades. Student candidates will develop differentiated lessons and implement effective strategies through collaborative planning and peer teaching. This course will emphasize and review specific math content and skills appropriate to middle grades learners as identified in the Common Core State Standards.

This course focuses on the methods and techniques for mathematics instruction and assessment in the middle grades. Student candidates will develop a comprehensive, interdisciplinary unit plan and implement effective strategies through collaborative planning and peer teaching. This course will emphasize and review specific math content and skills appropriate to middle grades learners as identified in the Common Core State Standards.

This course prepares candidates to teach science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by focusing on selected science content, along with specific methods and techniques for helping middle grades students develop skills specific to the sciences.

This course prepares candidates to teach science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by having candidates review selected science content, develop unit plans, and evaluate resources.

This course prepares candidates to teach social science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of social science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by focusing on selected social science content, along with specific methods and techniques for helping middle grades students develop skills such as reading, discussion, and critical thinking.

This course prepares candidates to teach social science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of social science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by having candidates review selected social science content, develop unit plans, and evaluate resources.

Mini teachers meet regularly with School of Education faculty to share and reflect on the experience and prepare for the edTPA. There will be a minimum of 35 hours of mini teaching in a local school in connection with methods courses. The student must meet the required grade point average and have a receipt by the School of Education of meeting the Illinois basic skills requirement.

As the capstone course in the teacher education program, this course enables students to create personal syntheses of the educational experiences as graduate students and as prospective educators. Students will examine selected philosophies of education in order to develop their own. Candidates will assemble professional portfolios, prepare for teacher licensure, and outline future areas of inquiry for further professional development.