[ Education ]

Course Offerings

Elective Education Courses, 2009–2010

Course offerings for early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education and special education programs are listed on their specific web pages. The courses listed below are elective education offerings.

One unit of course credit equals four semester hours. Prerequisite for all courses 200 level or higher: admission to program.

EDU 104 Cultural Foundations of Education in the United States
An introduction to cultural and systemic aspects of American education, where we examine ideological, theoretical and conceptual aspects of schooling through legal structures, fiction and non-fiction American literature, as well as philosophical writings. This course places emphasis on understanding education as a part of American society that includes cultural, historical, social, political, legal, racial and socioeconomic structures. Students will interrogate the culture of American education since its inception and ultimately locate their own educational agenda as teachers and citizens of American society. Fall Term, Spring Term, Summer Term.  

EDU 107 Classroom Management for Beginning Teachers
Half course
An introduction to classroom management techniques with a focus upon the ‘best possible’ options for learners and how and when to initiate those practices.

EDU 108 Classroom Management for Beginning Teachers II
Half course
A continued investigation of research on classroom management and applications.
Prerequisite: EDU 107 or concurrently with EDU 107.

EDU 112 Instructional Technology
Quarter course
An introduction to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards in Technology with the opportunities to complete skill workshops and gain competence in the application of these standards. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 113 Electronic Portfolios
Quarter course
An elective course designed to introduce students to different forms of electronic portfolios. Students will complete a series of workshops to gain competences in the core technology standards for Illinois teachers by creating electronic portfolios used by classroom teachers. Pass/No Pass grading.

EDU 114 Advanced Educational Technology
An advanced study of instructional technology and the Internet and how combined together they can be integrated into classroom curriculum in correlation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards in Technology with the opportunities to complete projects and gain competence in the application of these standards. Emphasis will be placed on Standard 4 indicating that teachers need to understand how to make good decisions concerning the social, ethical and human issues relation to computing technology. Knowledge of scanners, blogs, wikis, and a willingness to learn basic html code for webpage creation is required.

EDU 121 Practicum in Mentoring, Peer Coaching and Tutoring
Quarter, Half or Full course
Students will participate in peer coaching, mentoring, or tutoring field experiences supervised by a faculty member in the Department of Education and learn the skills needed to effectively support the learning and development of students from diverse backgrounds and age levels.  Pass/No Pass grading. Permission of the supervising professor will be required. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 260 Introductory Seminar in Middle Level Education
Quarter course
An introductory seminar completed prior to beginning upper-level methods courses. Discussions and readings focus on the middle level teacher preparation standards and the role and importance of middle level education. Field hours are required for this seminar as students begin to observe and participate in middle level classrooms. Pass/No Pass grading. Fall Term.

EDU 312 Theoretical Foundations of ESL/Bilingual Education
An advanced overview of the theoretical framework of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual education.  A variety of ESL/Bilingual models and programs implemented and applied in the public school classroom will be examined and explored, in addition to a study of the historical background of teaching ESL/Bilingual students. Prerequisite: EED 314, 315, SPE 316, or ECE 318. MTL 512 is the graduate course equivalent.

EDU 317 English as a Second Language Teaching Methodology
An advanced study of the effective use of English language development methodologies including the issues related to second language development, culture, and conceptual processes. Focus areas include developing and designing lessons for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners by utilizing theories and practices of second language acquisition and by incorporating ESL teaching methodologies. Prerequisite: EED 314, 315, SPE 316 or ECE 318. MTL 517 is the graduate course equivalent.

EDU 319 Linguistics in Second Language Acquisition
This course will integrate the insights provided by linguistics with knowledge of learning theory to create effective instruction for learners of English as a new language. Teachers will learn and understand the influence of the essential components of the English language and how it affects student learning. Teachers will gain knowledge in the areas of language and the brain, child language acquisition, phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax and social linguistics. The emphasis will be on second language acquisition. Prerequisite: ECE/EED/SEC/SPE 299. MTL 519 is the graduate course equivalent.

EDU 321 Content Area Reading
Half course
An advanced study of the developmental reading process, including examination of theories and practical applications for the K-12 teacher. Includes methods and procedures used to develop skills, attitudes, knowledge, and understanding of content area reading material. Prerequisites: EED/ECE/SPE 299. For non-secondary education majors.

EDU 327 Science Methods Practicum for Elementary and Middle Schools
An advanced application of science methodology, utilizing State and national science standards. Prerequisite: ECE/EED/SEC/SPE 299. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 331 Race and Equity in Education
This course will examine the breadth and depth of scholarship on race and equity in education. Of particular interest to students in this course is how race as a social construction finds itself impacting the educational experiences of all students. Topics addressed in this class are racial categories, identity construction, silence, whiteness, and popular cultural representations of race. Students will be exposed to qualitative research methods designed to explore race in school settings and will be introduced to professional presentation opportunities. Prerequisite EDU 104 or permission of instructor. Fall Term.

EDU 360 The Middle School: History, Philosophy, Organizational Structures, and Best Practices
An advanced study of the history, philosophy, organization, and procedures of the middle school through observation and participation in a middle school setting as well as through content delivered in the college classroom.  Focus areas include age-appropriate instructional methods and strategies, the development of curriculum for the middle school learner, and classroom management strategies. Additional topics will address the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical developmental stages of the middle-level learner. Prerequisite: EED/SEC/SPE 311. Fall Term, January Term, Spring Term.

EDU 361 Understanding the Middle Level Learner
An advanced study of the stages of adolescence development as presented through theory, research, and practical applications. Focus areas include the transitions of adolescence; the ways in which adolescents function within the many contexts of our society; psychosocial development; and the many issues and problems facing young adolescents in today’s world.   Prerequisite: EED/SEC/SPE 311. Fall Term.

EDU 380 Comparative Studies – Travel
This comparative studies and travel course varies with different travel destinations as they are offered.The travel destination will be reflected in the title of the course. May be repeated for credit when travel destination changes.

EDU 408 Early Childhood Special Education Characteristics
Half course
An advanced study of the characteristics of young children with disabilities. Development in physical, motor, and sensory domains; psychosocial dimensions and health issues are presented. The impact of a disability upon development, the family system, and implications for educational programming are studied. Prerequisites: PSY 317, ECE 299. Fall Term.

EDU 409 Early Childhood Special Education Methods
Half course
An advanced study of the special methods, materials, and approaches for teaching young children with disabilities. Focus areas include curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation for young children. The development of collaborative team processes and the implementation of the IEP are investigated. Prerequisites: EDU 408. Fall Term.

EDU 421 Practicum in the Field of Education
Quarter, half or full course
Guided practical experience in various aspects of professional education such as research, collaboration with Pre-K through 12 school personnel, technology instruction and assessment, peer field supervision, etc. A minimum of five hours of participation per week is required. Additional standards may be specified. Pass/No Pass grading. Prerequisite: ECE/EED/SEC/SPE 299 and consent of instructor. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 445 Literacy Practicum
Half or full course
An advanced application of the diagnosis and remediation of various reading and writing difficulties (off-campus site). Prerequisites: EED 314, 315; ECE 318 or SPE 316; SPE 440 is also a prerequisite if taking course work toward a reading endorsement. EDU 445 and SPE 440 may be taken concurrently only with permission of the EDU 445 instructor. Pass/No Pass grading. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 453 Student Teaching at the Middle Level
Three courses
Full-day assignment in a public middle school for 15 weeks. Attendance at seminar sessions is required. Pass/No Pass grading. Prerequisites: EDU 260, EDU 360, EDU 361/PSY 318, EDU 472. Fall Term, Spring Term.

EDU 462 Curriculum: Integration for the Middle School
An advanced study of the history, development, and application of the practice known as curriculum integration with a focus on specific aspects of curriculum integration including the following: the history and development of curriculum design within the American educational movement, definitions and components of various types of integrated curriculum, the significance of democratic principles imbedded in the integrated curriculum design, the links of said design to modern middle school philosophy, and the practical issues facing teachers of middle level students as they begin to confront curriculum integration in today’s classrooms. Prerequisite: EED/SEC/SPE 311. Spring Term.

EDU 468 Internship in Education
Quarter, half, or full course
An advanced professional or clinical experience in the field of education supervised by a college faculty member and a certified or licensed professional in a pK-12 school, school district, or educational services setting. A full course internship requires the equivalent of 5 weeks of full-time experience or approximately 200 hours. Permission of department chair and supervising professor.

EDU 472 Capstone Seminar in Middle Level Education 
Quarter course
An advanced seminar completed the semester prior to student teaching. Students self-assess their knowledge, skills, and dispositions gained during their middle level experiences and study critical issues in today’s middle level school movement. Field participation hours required for this course will be completed at the candidate’s student teaching site as they prepare a written “profile” (socio-economic, cultural diversity, learning issues) of their school and students. Pass/No Pass grading. Prerequisites: two of the following three courses: EDU 360, EDU 361, EDU 462.

EDU 490 Special Investigations in Education
Half or full course
Designed to fit specific interests of advanced students. Students work by appointment either in individual or group studies under the supervision of one or more instructors. Upon request.

EDU 495 Honors Independent Research
Half Course
This course affords Honors Program students the opportunity to design and implement a significant research project in the field of education culminating in an appropriate public dissemination of the research methods and findings. This course must be taken concurrently with another 300/400-level course in the major or minor, facilitating faculty supervision and guidance. Permission of the faculty supervisor and the Director of the Honors Program required prior to registration. Fall Term, January Term, Spring Term, Summer Term.

EDU 496 Special Topics in Education
Topics reflect current interest and need as indicated in contemporary professional education literature.