Secondary Education (7-12) Certification
Program Description
In our Secondary Education Teacher Certification program, you'll acquire comprehensive knowledge and skills essential for teaching in secondary school settings. Through rigorous coursework and practical experiences, you'll develop expertise in subject matter content, pedagogical strategies, classroom management, and assessment techniques tailored to the unique needs of adolescent learners. Our program emphasizes fostering inclusive learning environments, promoting critical thinking, and preparing you to effectively engage with diverse student populations. Upon completion, you'll emerge as a confident and competent educator ready to inspire and empower the next generation of learners.
Required for Program Completion
30 Credits
Certification Areas
Certification is offered in Biology, Chemistry, Communications, Social Studies, Earth and Space Science, English, French, General Science, German, Italian, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, and Spanish.
Subject Area Courses
Determined on an individual basis
Core Courses
- EDC 503 Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Development
- EDC 510 Human Diversity
- EDC 613 The Role of the Developmentally Oriented Teacher
Certification Courses
- BLS 601 Techniques of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- EDC 602 Educational Technology
- EDC 617 Reading in the Content Area
Secondary Education Practicum
- EDC 647 Developing and Adjusting Instruction for Secondary Learners
- EDC 648 Secondary Education Summer Practicum
Professional Semester
- EDC 668 Secondary Education Supervised Teaching (candidates with two or more years of teaching experience currently employed as a teacher)
OR
- EDC 689 Secondary Education Student Teaching (candidates with no teaching experience)
- EDC 680 Secondary Education Special Methods of Teaching
| First Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| EDC 503 | Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Development | 3 |
| EDC 510 | Human Exceptionalities | 3 |
| BLS 601 | Techniques of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages | 3 |
| EDC 602 | The Teacher and Technology | 3 |
| EDC 647 | Developing and Adjusting Instruction for Secondary Learners | 3 |
| EDC 648 | Secondary Education Summer Practicum | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| EDC 613 | The Role of the Developmentally Oriented Teacher | 3 |
| EDC 617 | Reading in the Content Areas for Secondary Educators | 3 |
| EDC 680 | Secondary Education Special Methods of Teaching | 3 |
| EDC 689 | Secondary Education Student Teaching | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Course Sequence
Eight-Week Sessions
This course provides an overview of the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, emotional, and moral development for humans across the lifespan. Participants will explore theories of learning and development as they pertain to the individual in the home, in schools, the community, at work, individually, with families and with peers. Attention will be paid to both normative and nonnormative developmental trends.
This course introduces human exceptionalities and surveys the psychological, medical, legal, and social forces influencing the provision of services for exceptional people. Clarifies perceptions of exceptionalities, defines and describes key terms and concepts, and identifies major trends that affect the scope and nature of service to exceptional people.
This course enables students to more expertly apply child and adolescent developmental concepts to the practice of teaching. Explores strategic instructional planning, teaching styles, presentation skills, cooperative learning, and classroom management systems. Emphasizes the role of the teacher as an educational leader and decision-maker. Uses video-assisted micro-teaches both in the laboratory and the classroom.
This course helps teachers incorporate modern technologies of instruction into their classroom practices. Includes visual literacy and design principles, videography, the Internet, videodisc technology, cable in classroom, trends in educational computing, and multimedia. Emphasizes the impact of those technologies on human growth and development.
This course provides students with the opportunity to understand reading as a strategic interactive process that affects the learner's efforts in all academic areas. Students will explore currently held views of the reading process, instruction techniques, and assessment concerns related to secondary education. Class sessions employ a variety of formats, including lecture, demonstration, discussion, and hands-on experiences. Course projects provide practical application of the theoretical, instructional, and diagnostic issues presented. Required of all certification candidates.
An intensive summer immersion program for secondary certification candidates. Provides an early full-time classroom teaching experience in a closely supervised and highly supportive clinical setting.
This course applies a developmental perspective to the design and implementation of secondary-level instruction.
Weekly seminars held either on campus or at the practicum site designed to help students translate theory into practice by exploring teaching methods in the chosen area of certification. Research project required. Required of all certification candidates.
Required of all certification candidates not eligible for Supervised Teaching.
The course analyzes various methodologies used in teaching English as a second language. Emphasis is placed upon methods in teaching, listening, and speaking. Microteaching of difficult points of pronunciation and grammar is also emphasized. Significant attention is given to effective techniques in second-language acquisition.