This three-credit course will use the rich resources of the great city of Philadelphia to provide prospective educators with a general introduction to the roles, responsibilities and skills necessary for success in the profession, whether they pursue traditional classroom teaching roles or non-traditional roles in alternative learning settings that may include non-profits, youth service organizations, and cultural/arts/science venues. During this course you will explore a number of cultural and historic venues as you travel about the city under the close guidance of education department faculty members. You will meet some interesting citizens who have lived out their lives in the city, engage in lively seminar discussions focused on your explorations, and hone your creative skills by completing assignments carefully deigned to help you develop your critical thinking abilities.

This is one of the gateway courses into the education programs at La Salle University. It is an introduction to the role of the teacher with an emphasis on how students learn. The course focuses on the study of the nature and scope of educational psychology as it relates to human learning and introduces educational research. The course, which emphasizes speaking and writing, provides prospective education majors with the opportunity to explore the profession from different theoretical perspectives, such as cognitive and behavioral psychology. Students come to understand how people develop cognitively, socially, and emotion ally and how individuals learn. Students combine an in-depth analysis of self, foster higher levels of critical reflection, learn theories and concepts in educational psychology, and participate in field experiences to enhance connections between theory and practice (Open to non-majors, but field experience may be required by course instructors; required freshman course for ESEC, ESML and EDC majors).

From both developmental and ecological perspectives, this course explores the diversity of individuals in society and schools, including race, ethnicity, regional background, exceptionality, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, age, and religion. Personal beliefs and attitudes surrounding issues of human diversity and its impact on the family, community, and society are examined. The course provides an understanding of the legal and ethical issues in educating students from diverse backgrounds and with disabilities. Additionally, the course highlights the characteristics of students with special needs and ways to accommodate their needs in the classroom setting. (The course is open to non-majors (field experience may be required by course instructors); required course for all ESEC, ESML and EDC majors.)

Foundations of Literacy is a course designed to help preservice teachers understand and promote literacy development of students in preschool through eighth grade. Emphasis is placed on providing rich and meaningful literacy experiences that invite engagement and that help children develop skill, confidence, and enjoyment in the processes of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and visual representation.

This course focuses on how students learn mathematics with implications for teaching mathematical concepts, skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The course provides a basis for understanding the changing mathematics curriculum, offers opportunities to plan and evaluate instructional techniques and materials, and examines the integration of mathematics with other content areas, such as science, children's literature, and social studies. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

This course provides prospective Education majors with increased knowledge and understanding of the world in geographical terms, relating especially to physical landforms and structures, maps, human impact on and interaction with the environment, population, and political and economic systems. The course will place special emphasis on cultural geography, that is the variation of human systems from location to location. In addition, this course highlights the role of economics and trade in our expanding global market economy, including the study of comparative economic systems and the distribution of natural and man-made resources. (The course is open to non-majors.)

This course and its related fieldwork addresses social sciences subject matter pedagogy content in accordance with standards required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education. It integrates social sciences into a thematic whole and addresses core concepts in each discipline while simultaneously addressing pedagogical methods of teaching these disciplines to young children using evidence-based instructional practices. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

The purpose of this course is to address the theory and practice of teaching reading across content areas in grades pre-K through 8. Students will examine various theories, instructional materials, teaching procedures and strategies, and themselves as teachers and students. They will also examine literacy as a whole and include strategies on the teaching of writing and the art of classroom discussion. The goal of this course is to help preservice teachers become reflective teachers of literacy in a diverse society. Using inquiry, based on theory, research, and their own investigation in classrooms, students will learn to be reflective teachers of reading, writing, and discussion. Through active participation and practice, students in this course will come to a deeper understanding of literacy instruction. The students will leave the course with many practical, usable classroom ideas to employ in all subject areas. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

Using an educational technology framework, this course explores the unique universe of the adolescent. Issues under discussion will include cognitive, moral, language, sexual, physical, and social development. Students use an educational technology framework to examine the adolescent in a variety of contexts, including family, peers, school, work, and leisure. This course is developed for secondary education majors only and is open to students in other majors to study adolescent development. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

(This course is cross-listed with INST 233.)
As the diagnosis rate for Autism escalates, it becomes apparent that the disorder presents unique challenges for the autistic individual, for those persons who are close to the autistic individual, and for the larger society. This course will take a multidisciplinary perspective to explore these topics, using Psychology and Education as a conceptual framework. We use a focus on the family as the central theme around which the course is constellated. A unique aspect of this course is the adoption of a family with an Autism Spectrum Disorder member by each student; communication with the family continues throughout the semester and is an integral part of assessment. (This course is open to non-majors)

This course provides undergraduate secondary education majors 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, instructional 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. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

This course promotes disciplined analysis of the meaning and effects of educational institutions and provides resources for developing a critical understanding of educational thought and practice. This course also encourages the development of value positions regarding education and schooling in America based on critical study. Students gain resources for the development of policy-making perspectives and skills. Open to nonmajors.

This course focuses on the application of learning and developmental theories as they relate to unit planning, assessment, and classroom management in inclusive educational settings. The entire course is devoted to understanding issues relating to accommodating diversity through developmentally appropriate practice, the 4MAT planning system, Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory, varied instructional methods, technology, culturally relevant teaching, and multiple means of assessing students. Students are required to integrate technology into their teaching through various projects using PowerPoint, Excel, Microsoft Word, and Movie Maker programs. This course is taken with a one-credit lab (EDC 309) in which teacher candidates implement unit, technology, assessment, and classroom management plans in the classroom setting every Friday under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and University supervisor.

This course provides students with a thorough understanding of pedagogy as it relates to students who are placed in inclusion classrooms or special education settings. Students are enrolled in field experiences (EDC 310 lab) that allow them to apply knowledge related to diagnostic assessment, individualized education plans, transition plans, special education law, assistive technology, behavior management, conflict resolution, instructional accommodations, special education populations, and special methods. In addition, a major focus is placed upon critical thinking and reflective practice. The course is designed in accordance with the Pennsylvania Standards for certification in early elementary and special education.

Students are involved in applying skills learned in EDC 307 to their work with school students in specific field placement sites in designated Professional Development Schools. Students work in these schools as pre-professionals under the guidance of La Salle faculty and cooperating teachers.

Students are involved in applying skills learned in EDC 308 to their work with school students in specific field placement sites in designated Professional Development Schools. Students work in these schools as pre-professionals under the guidance of La Salle faculty and cooperating teachers.

This course prepares preservice teachers with foundational knowledge and skills needed to be effective teachers of literacy to PreK-4 students in regular education settings who demonstrate significant problems in reading and writing. It prepares teachers to use diagnostic assessments as a basis for planning preventive and remedial instruction. Emphasis is placed on understanding and analysis of learning problems and the design and implementation of instructional interventions in reading and language arts. A field experience is required of all students, and course content and assignments are linked to this experience.

This course will extend and refine the core concepts first developed in EDC 103, EDC 104, and EDC 224 and will provide contexts for developing and adjusting content-based instruction with specific emphasis on differentiating content lessons for special-needs and ELL populations. The course is heavily dependent upon a variety of digital and analog product technologies and is problem- and project-based in nature. A field experience (two hours each week) is required in conjunction with this course.

This course provides a general overview of the ways to support English Language Learners (ELL) in the inclusive classroom. Information on Pennsylvania state standards for ELL students will be addressed and evidence-based strategies/approaches of oral language development will be emphasized. Theory will be connected to practice in field-based experiences.

This course provides an introduction and overview of the field of early childhood education from both a historical and contemporary context. Course content engages teacher candidates in the exploration of their role as professionals in the field of early childhood education. Issues impacting the field of early childhood education in America will be investigated. Major philosophies and theories related to the development of young children and their implications for teaching and learning in an inclusive early childhood setting will be explored. Course content delves further into early childhood curriculum models in the US and understanding learning in early childhood education integrates all domains of development including social, emotional, language, cognitive, physical, and the arts. Understanding how to develop an inclusive classroom environment that embraces diversity and builds family and community relations is emphasized.

This course examines schooling and its problems in historic, social, economic, legal, organizational, philosophical and global contexts. The intents and effects of middle level and high school educational institutions past and present are evaluated. Schooling-related controversies are dissected and the organizational complexities of secondary school structures are analyzed. Numerous levels of assessment and accountability are researched. Theories and practices of curriculum development and standards are studied and applied to the construction of a values based curriculum. The course provides resources for the development of educational policy-making perspective skills. It stresses the knowledge, skills and dispositions that make teachers effective curriculum and school leaders.

Based upon claims made by leading educators and psychologists that what we know about learning does not support current teaching practice, this course will engage us in an investigation of the rapidly exploding knowledge base available to those interested in how human beings acquire and represent knowledge. Together, we will derive the implications of this knowledge base about learning for the practice of teaching, and engage in a substantial, authentic project that will help put the information in a real-world context.
Among other things, you will articulate and explore your personal theory of how people learn, distinguish "education" from "schooling", understand how experts differ from novices, identify gaps between pedagogical theory and classroom practice, and learn about what the best teachers and educators do.

This course emphasizes teaching and learning within an educational technology framework. The focus is on elements of the educational process characterized by teacher involvement in decision-making: schoolbased curriculum development, instructional design, instructional methods, instructional materials and resources, educational technology using idea and product technologies, methods of evaluation, classroom management, and adjusting curriculum and instruction to the needs of special populations. Emphasis is placed upon the act of teaching as both art and science. Field experiences (two hours each week) and research papers are required. For Secondary Education majors only. This course has been designated as the writing emphasis course for Secondary Education majors. Students will be required to purchase approximately $50.00 in additional materials.

This course prepares pre-service teachers to plan for, teach, and assess physical education, adaptive physical education, and health for preschool through fourth grade in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Framework for Pre-K Through Grade 4 Program Guidelines. The course is presented in modules. Students will be able to apply state and national guidelines for physical education and health to the development of an integrated mini-unit on health content appropriate to the population that they will teach in their practicum in special education. They will also be able to apply the appropriate state guidelines to the development of annotated games and activities appropriate for the population that they will teach. The course is taken during the senior semester of the practicum in special education for ESEC majors.

Strong collaborations between education professionals, families, and their communities are necessary for effective schooling. This course helps beginning teachers understand the diverse nature of the family in America and how to develop the types of relationships that are critical for the education of children. Emphasis will be on the family perspective. The course will highlight communication strategies and the promotion of family participation. Emphasis will be placed on the effective and dynamic relationship between schools, families, and communities in helping all children succeed in the school environment. The course is taken during the senior semester of the practicum in special education for ESEC majors.

This course prepares pre-service teachers to plan for, teach, and assess the visual arts, music, theater, dance, and play to preschool through grade 4 in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Education Framework for Pre-K Through Grade 4 Program Guidelines. The course is presented in modules connected by the common theme of creativity. Connections to prominent education theorists on creativity and the arts will be made. Students will develop pedagogy through creating an interdisciplinary unit encompassing each of the areas of art and based on a core concept in a content area. There are no prerequisite courses. The course is taken during the senior semester of student teaching for ESEC majors.

This course focuses exclusively on middle level philosophy, transition, learning, and management so that teacher candidates seeking certification in grades 4-8 will have a deeper understanding of pre- and emerging adolescent issues requiring specific educational approaches. The course also focuses on the adolescent in the context of the family, peer group, community, and society. A twelve-week student teaching experience follows this course to allow teacher candidates an opportunity to apply middle level principles to their teaching experiences.

This course provides the student with an opportunity to do research with a faculty member. The student and the faculty member agree on the research project before the student registers for the course.

This course is a continuation of the 444 research course. It provides the student with an opportunity to continue to conduct research with a faculty member.

This three-credit course is a research seminar that accompanies the education internship experience . The focus of this seminar is on applying knowledge and skills that students have gained in their previous coursework to the work expected of them in a multitude of learning organizations. Students will contact an action-research study and design an implementation plan based on action research for internship experience. This seminar does NOT meet certification requirements.

This six-credit internship course is an experiential program element within the Education Studies program that completes student preparation for professional life in the non-traditional educational setting. The experience operationalizes the research-based plan in EDC 460. The internship experience addresses identified, site-specific needs under the tutelage of a site expert and the coaching of the seminar instructor. This authentic application of knowledge and skills gained in previous coursework is realized in the context of job performance expected of them in the assigned learning organization(s). Students will be challenged to analyze, reflect upon and adjust educational plans and activities assigned by the internship host for purposes of achieving set goals. This internship does NOT meet certification requirements.

This course provides the secondary education major with full-time student-teaching experience in a grade 7-12 classroom. Under the direction of a certified cooperating teacher and a University supervisor, the student teaches for 12 weeks on a five-day-a-week, full-day schedule. The student-teaching experience is supplemented by tutorials/seminars on selected professional issues and practice. The seminars are held for two weeks at the start of the semester on a five-day-a-week, full-day schedule, and evenings during the semester. To be eligible for student teaching, the student is required to make formal application for Stage II candidacy in the Secondary Education (EDC) program.

This seminar course is designed to assist secondary education student teachers in navigating the Professional Semester successfully, prepare for the job search, and complete the Professional Portfolio. The seminar supports students in translating theory into practice by exploring methods and approaches appropriate for their chosen area of certification. A Professional Portfolio is required of all certification candidates.

For one semester of the professional year, pre-service teachers are engaged in student teaching in classrooms under the guidance of experienced teachers and a University supervisor. This experience takes place in a school in Philadelphia or the surrounding suburbs. For ESEC and ESML majors only.

The focus of this seminar is on applying knowledge and skills that students have gained in their previous coursework to the everyday work of teaching in elementary or middle-level classrooms, specifically interpersonal communication and professionalism, design of developmentally appropriate instructional units, adaptation of units to accommodate learner differences, assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes, and classroom management. An action research project that responds to a teaching dilemma, concern, question, or interest is also required. Topics are addressed in the context of the broader skills of problem solving and educational decision making that must be informed by educational research. Specific issues that arise from the student-teaching experience (taken concurrently) are addressed. Emphasis is placed on helping the student make the transition from theory to practice. This seminar is open only to seniors who have been accepted into Stage II candidacy, completion of all required courses in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Department of Education Student Handbook.

This course provides a forum for discussion and deep reflection on issues that arise during the special education practicum, which is a prerequisite to this course. Special emphasis is placed on behavior management practices in self-contained and/or inclusion settings as well as topical issues in special education. Students will revisit Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS), Response to Intervention (RTI), transition planning, and teaching and management practices that are rooted in the behavioral, social-cognitive, and humanistic theories. In addition, students will research, design, and implement a behavior management plan and monitor its effectiveness through data collection and analysis procedures. For ESEC and ESML majors only with senior status that have been accepted into Stage II candidacy.

La Salle students will be placed in special education settings for twelve weeks during the semester and work with students with special needs under the guidance of a cooperating teacher and supervisor. One day a week will be spent on campus attending courses and EDC 477: Seminar in Special Education.

This integrated science and mathematics course is designed for the early elementary and middle level pre-service teachers. It focuses on an interconnected set of scientific knowledge, skills, and pedagogy that are needed by teachers to ensure successful student learning. The main purpose of the course is to expose the teacher candidates--at a university level--to fundamental scientific/mathematical ideas and processes of science, and develop their skills in critical thinking and communication. In addition, the course aims to improve the teacher candidates' attitudes toward science and mathematics and their confidence in teaching integrated science and mathematics in the school.

This integrated science/math course, with a focus on advanced subject matter content and pedagogy, is the second part of the 8-credit IMS course sequence designed for the Pre K-4 and middle level (4-8) education majors. Special attention is given to how children learn science and math, and how science/math should be taught in line with the academic standards documents and research findings. The course also aims to expose the teacher candidates--at a university level--to fundamental scientific/mathematical ideas and processes of science, and develop their skills in critical thinking and communication.