Elementary Education

T. Schroeder, Chairperson 

The Department of Elementary Education prepares students to teach children in day-care centers, nursery schools, kindergartens, and first through sixth grades.

Students will be guided by the outline of baccalaureate degrees, the teacher education curriculum, and the concentration areas listed below. All programs qualify graduates for initial Indiana licenses to teach in their areas of preparation. Students will also be guided by the professional education assessment/decision points for teacher education programs. 

TEACHER OF READING FOR ELEMENTARY
LICENSE, 18 hours

TEACHER OF READING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
LICENSE, 21 hours

EDUCATION: ELEMENTARY (EDEL)

100 Education in a Democratic Society. (3)
Serves as an initial investigation into teaching and the teaching profession. Participation in civic activities as a way of coming to understand children and various conditions that influence the teaching profession. 
    May be repeated only once.

200 Planning for the Elementary and Early Childhood Classroom. (3)
Ties direct classroom experience to seminar content. Emphasizes integrating, implementing, and interpreting laboratory experiences. Permission required. May be repeated only once. 
    Prerequisite: completion of decision point 1; permission of the department chairperson.

231 Family and Community Relations. (3)
Explores important and complex roles of families in the educational development of young children. Factors affecting family-child, family-community, and child-community interactions and skills are studied and related to the educational process.

244 (444) Early and Elementary Education for Social Justice. (3)
A broad understanding of social, economic, cultural, and linguistic diversity within the context of early and elementary education in today's society.

252 Creative Experiences for Young Children. (3)
Designed to develop knowledge of creative activities that are developmentally appropriate for the young child. Skill in providing creative and play experiences.

260 Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction. (3)
Focuses on knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement a curriculum for young children. Integrated learning, emergent curriculum, and project work are emphasized. Includes laboratory component.

299X Experimental/Developmental Topics. (3-6)
Topics relevant to the discipline. Course titles will be announced before each semester. 
    A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

300 Management, Organization, and Instruction in the Elementary Education Classroom. (3)
Departmental themes concerning teaching and learning in elementary schools will be extended. This seminar focuses on instructional methods and classroom management. 
    Prerequisite: C or better grade in EDEL 200; admission to the teacher education program. 
    Open only to elementary education majors. 
    May be repeated only once.

301 Teaching in the Pre-Kindergarten/ Kindergarten Program. (3)
Planning and implementing programs for children ages three through five. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 381. 
    Open only to early childhood majors. 
    Students are not permitted to register simultaneously in EDEL 301 and 351. 
    May be repeated only once.

340 Culture and Language in Teaching and Learning. (3)
Examines the impact of culture and language on teaching and learning. Discusses teacher behaviors, educational materials, and school practices that affect the academic success of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. 
    Prerequisite: EDEL 200.

350 Teaching in the Elementary Education Classroom. (3)
Departmental themes concerning teaching and learning in elementary schools will be extended. Laboratory experience focuses on classroom instruction, organization, and management. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program; C or better grade in EDEL 300; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Open only to elementary education majors. 
    May be repeated only once.

351 Teaching in the Kindergarten/ Primary Program. (3)
Planning and implementing programs for children in kindergarten and primary grades. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Open only to early childhood education majors. Students are not permitted to register simultaneously in EDEL 301 and 351. 
    May be repeated only once.

381 Interaction Skills for the Young Child. (3)
Introduces basic skills every young child needs to acquire in order to use oral and written language competently in society. Deals with materials, methods, principles of learning, and conditions necessary for optimum learning. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 301.

400 Student Teaching: Pre-Kindergarten. (6)
After 93 hours, but before their last semester, students enroll in EDEL 400 (6). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 301, 351; EDRDG 400; SS 398; SCI 398; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson.

401 Student Teaching: Kindergarten. (6)
After 93 hours, but before their last semester, students enroll simultaneously for EDEL 401 (6), 402 (6). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 301, 351; EDRDG 400; SS 398; SCI 398; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 402.

402 Student Teaching: Primary Grades. (6)
After 93 hours, but before their last semester, students enroll simultaneously for EDEL 401 (6), 402 (6). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 301, 351; EDRDG 400; SS 398; SCI 398; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 401.

440 Kindergarten Education. (3)
Development of the kindergarten-primary curriculum with special emphasis on kindergarten children and procedures to be used in their development. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program.

442 Administration of Early Childhood Programs. (3)
Activities of young children in pre-kindergarten. Organization, administration, and educational program of pre-kindergarten care. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program.

450 Senior Seminar in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. (3)
Follows student teaching, and synthesizes information and strategies gained throughout the program. Must show satisfactory completion of student teaching to register. Students must earn a C or better grade. 
    Prerequisite: EDEL 463, 464, 465, or EDEL 401, 402; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Open only to elementary education and early childhood majors. 
    May be repeated only once.

455 Senior Seminar in Education. (1)
Taken concurrently with EDEL 464 and SPCED 489, synthesizes information and strategies gained throughout the elementary education program. Grade of C or better required. 
    Prerequisite: professional education requirements; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 464; SPCED 489. 
    Open only to dual majors in elementary and special education.

463 Student Teaching: Elementary. (3)
Students enroll simultaneously for EDEL 463 (3), 464 (6), 465 (3). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 300, 350; EDRDG 400; SS 397; SCI 397; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 464, 465. 
    Open only to elementary education majors.

464 Student Teaching: Elementary. (6)
Students enroll simultaneously for EDEL 463 (3), 464 (6), 465 (3). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 300, 350; EDRDG 400; SS 397; SCI 397; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: EDEL 463, 465. 
    Open only to elementary education majors.

465 Student Teaching: Elementary. (3)
Students enroll simultaneously for EDEL 463 (3), 464 (6), 465 (3). Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching; C or better grades in EDEL 300, 350; EDRDG 400; SS 397; SCI 397; EDPSY 393; MATHS 391; 2.5 or better overall grade-point average; permission of the department chairperson 
    Parallel: EDEL 463, 464. 
    Open only to elementary education majors.

468 Student Teaching: Kindergarten. (6)
Designed to give future kindergarten teachers the opportunity to develop teaching competence under supervision of professional teachers cooperating with the university in the student teaching program. Offered credit/no credit only. 
    Prerequisite: admission to student teaching.

490 Practicum in Elementary Education. (1-3)
Laboratory and seminar course involving a study of progressive school practices; the philosophy of education underlying and the possibilities of using progressive practices in public schools. 
    A total of 3 hours of credit may be earned.

491 Independent Study in Elementary Education. (1-6)
Independent study and research in elementary education. 
    Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson. 
    A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

492 Issues in Elementary Education. (1-2)
An analysis of the student’s professional preparation for teaching, identifying areas in which students need to bolster weaknesses and augment strengths and arranging for more preparation in these areas. 
    Prerequisite: one term of student teaching. 
    A total of 2 hours of credit may be earned.

EDUCATION: READING (EDRDG)

320 Content Area Reading. (3)
Practical procedures for developing effective reading skills to be applied by all secondary classroom teachers. Focuses on relationships between the process of reading and learning of content, planning for a range of student reading skills, and methods and materials. 
    Prerequisite: introductory course (EDEL 100 or EDSEC 150 or SPCED 201) with a C or better grade. 
    May be repeated only once.

390 Emergent Literacy. (3)
Basic understanding of environments and planned activities that foster positive attitudes and interests related to reading, procedures that stimulate early literacy development, and related practical experiences with young children. 
    Prerequisite: introductory course (EDEL 100 or EDSEC 150 or SPCED 201) with a C or better grade. 
    May be repeated only once.

400 Teaching of Reading in Today’s Schools. (3)
Designed to review the current thinking, approaches, and methodology of teaching reading in today’s schools. Attention is directed to theories of reading, emergent literacy, comprehension, vocabulary, and work analysis strategies as well as the planning of the total developmental reading program, with emphasis on reading at the elementary level. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program. 
    May be repeated only once.

401 Reading in Today’s Middle School. (3)
Designed to review current thinking, approaches, and methodology of teaching reading in today’s middle schools. Attention is directed to theories of reading, comprehension, and vocabulary, as well as planning and developmental reading program in the middle school. Is required for the middle school reading license. EDRDG 400 may not be substituted for this course. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program. 
    May be repeated only once.

430 Corrective Reading. (3)
Provides prospective teachers with understanding of difficulties in reading and practical experiences in assessing reading difficulties and in study of corrective treatments. Includes guided laboratory experience. Must earn a grade of C or better to pass the course. 
    Prerequisite: C or better grade in EDRDG 320 and/or 400; admission to the teacher education program; permission of the department chairperson. 
    May be repeated only once.

431 Corrective Reading for the Middle School. (3)
Provides an understanding of difficulties in reading and practical experiences in assessing and correcting reading difficulties in the middle school. Includes guided laboratory experience with middle school students. Must earn a grade of C or better to pass the course. Is required for the Middle School Reading License. EDRDG 430 may not be substituted for this course. 
    Prerequisite: C or better grade in EDRDG 320 and/or 401; admission to the teacher education program; permission of the department chairperson. 
    May be repeated only once.

445 Using Computers in Reading Instruction. (3)
Prepares prospective elementary school teachers to use the computer appropriately and effectively in a classroom reading program. Includes attention to commercially prepared courseware and teacher-developed applications. 
    Prerequisite: EDTEC 120 or 350 for computer license add-on students; EDRDG 400 or its equivalent for others; admission to the teacher education program.

450 Reading Strategies and Practicum. (6)
Provides prospective classroom teachers (K–12) with opportunities to study and try various approaches and strategies in teaching reading. Offers experience in grouping students of varying reading abilities and in planning and implementing a classroom reading program appropriate for these students. 
    Prerequisite: admission to the teacher education program; C or better grade in EDRDG 430 or 431.

490 Strategies in the Teaching of Reading. (3)
Provides preservice teachers with the opportunity to fully explore the principles and practices underlying a balanced reading program while in a student teaching experience. Includes theory refinement, application experiences, and reflection activities. 
    Prerequisite: EDRDG 430; successful completion of Decision Point 3; permission of the department chairperson. 
    Parallel: student teaching.

498 Seminar in the Teaching of Literacy. (3)
Designed to provide students an opportunity to discuss, reflect on, and consider the teaching of reading and writing as well as to explore other areas of interest. Also focuses on discussion of the whole school reading and writing program and implications of policy on school practice. May be repeated only once. 
    Prerequisite: EDEL 463, 464, 465; EDRDG 490; permission of the department chairperson.