Educational Foundations Department

Educational Foundations

Courses

  • COLLEGE LITERACY
    Educational Foundations 102, Credits: 3

    In this course, students will learn various active reading strategies and critical reading skills in order to effectively comprehend, apply, analyze, and synthesize information from a variety of texts. The main purpose of this course is to provide students with the necessary active and critical reading skills to succeed in their outside courses. Throughout the course, students will enhance their critical reading and thinking skills as well as their metacognition skills in order to effectively prepare students for complex reading materials in their current and future required college level courses.

  • EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
    Educational Foundations 212, Credits: 3

    This course is intended primarily for prospective secondary school teachers. Among the areas considered are the psychology of teaching, learning theories, memory, development, intelligence, creativity, individual differences, motivation, and classroom management.

  • PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT I
    Educational Foundations 214, Credits: 1

    This course is designed to enable students to develop their Foundations Block portfolio, which is a requirement for admission to Professional Education.

  • CHILD DEVELOPMENT
    Educational Foundations 222, Credits: 3

    A developmental study of the child from conception to the onset of puberty, including physical, psychosocial and cognitive growth.

  • INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
    Educational Foundations 230, Credits: 3

    The focus of this course is the study of human development and change throughout the entire lifespan from psychological, sociological, and biological perspectives.

  • YOUTH CULTURE FORMATION: RACE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY
    Educational Foundations 241, Credits: 3

    This course explores how various U.S. institutions construct "youth" as a social category, how those constructions are primarily interlocked with race and ethnicity, and how those constructions subsequently shape youth cultures in multi-faceted, intersectional cultural contexts such as music, gaming, sports, and media.

  • FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY
    Educational Foundations 243, Credits: 3

    This course is designed to prepare students to understand and teach in school settings with diverse populations. Attention will be directed to major educational issues, the experiences of students from diverse backgrounds, and the role of the teacher in a pluralistic society.

  • PARADOXES AND PROMISES: CRITICAL ISSUES IN URBAN EDUCATION
    Educational Foundations 341, Credits: 3

    This course introduces students to critical issues and policies that influence urban schools, and by extension American society. It provides a deeper understanding of paradoxes and promises we collectively face in making American schools truly equitable institutions, particularly for marginalized communities of color. Trips to regional cities are an enhanced feature of the course and are covered by course fees.

  • DIVERSITY, SERVICE-LEARNING, AND LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY
    Educational Foundations 342, Credits: 3

    This course uses the city as a laboratory to explore major course themes such as intersectionality, youth, power, and cultural relevance. In addition to academic coursework, the course gives students the invaluable opportunity to learn about, learn from, and work with diverse communities in the region through a hands-on, 50 hour fieldwork component. Transportation/additional trips are included via associated fees.

  • CURRENT TOPICS IN EDUCATION
    Educational Foundations 410, Credits: 1-3

    An in-depth examination of a single current topic of interest to preservice teachers seeking licensure in Early Childhood through Grade 12. Topics will vary from semester to semester, and may include, for example, discussions of national curriculum standards for school subjects, assessment issues, intervention, etc.

  • MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
    Educational Foundations 424, Credits: 3

    This class is designed for special education, communicative disorders, and elementary education majors. It includes testing, measurement, and evaluation of student progress in multiple contexts. Teacher testing, assessment, and decision making in the school environments are emphasized as well as examining traditional and performance assessment strategies. Basic statistical procedures, the use and interpretation of standardized tests, appropriate use of non-testing techniques are covered as well as various grading and reporting systems.

  • MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL
    Educational Foundations 425, Credits: 3

    This class is designed for special education, communicative disorders and secondary education majors. It includes testing , measurement, and evaluation of student progress in multiple contexts and subject areas. Teacher testing, assessment, and decision making in the school environments are emphasized as well as examining traditional and performance assessment strategies. Basic statistical procedures, the use and interpretation of standardized tests, appropriate use of non-testing techniques are covered as well as various grading and reporting systems specific to the secondary school setting.

  • BUILDING EQUITABLE CLASSROOM RELATIONSHIPS
    Educational Foundations 475, Credits: 3

    The goal of this course is to prepare future educators to organize and design their classroom environments in a way that builds equitable and sustainable classroom relationships. The course will directly engage philosophies and theories of classroom management, conflict resolution, restorative justice, discipline, relational philosophy, and trauma-informed practices. Across the course, there will be focus on how to practically apply these theories and philosophies in a variety of school contexts to foster equitable learning environments.

  • ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
    Educational Foundations 478, Credits: 3

    Adolescent Development acquaints students with the major theories related to adolescent development and helps students interpret the theories in ways which are meaningful in understanding and working with adolescents. Focus is on the changes of adolescence with special attention given to the biological, cognitive, social and emotional systems.

  • HUMAN ABILITIES AND LEARNING
    Educational Foundations 481, Credits: 3

    This course is designed to help educators comprehend and apply the fundamental psychological principles underlying the teacher-learning process. Among the areas considered are motivation, classroom management, instructional applications, individual differences and creativity.

  • EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS
    Educational Foundations 482, Credits: 3

    This course is designed for students at the senior or graduate level who find it necessary to be an educated consumer of statistical information. This is designed to be a first course on this topic. Major areas of study include gathering/organizing data, probability, inferential techniques (t-test, ANOVA, follow-up tests, correlation, and repression), non-parametric techniques (chi-square test), and single subject designs.

  • CURRICULUM EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT 1
    Educational Foundations 486, Credits: 3

    This course is designed to train school personnel in the selection of published assessments and the creation of classroom-level assessment methods appropriate for making instructional decisions at a individual and classroom level. Emphasis will be placed on understanding core content area standards, formative assessment practices in content areas, developing valid pupil grading procedures, and ethical assessment methods, all with a focus on informing instruction.

  • WORKSHOP
    Educational Foundations 490, Credits: 1-6

    Variable topics. Group activity oriented presentations emphasizing 'hands on' and participatory instructional techniques. Repeatable for a maximum of 9 credits in major/degree.

  • TRAVEL STUDY
    Educational Foundations 491, Credits: 1-4

    Variable topics. Faculty-led courses abroad.

  • FIELD STUDY
    Educational Foundations 492, Credits: 1-6

    Studies designed to increase the student's understanding of an area of library media by reading and travel under the direction of a member of the department. Area of concentration to be approved by the chairperson of the department. Repeatable.

  • SPECIAL STUDIES
    Educational Foundations 496, Credits: 1-3

    Variable topics. Group activity. Not offered regularly in the curriculum but offered on topics selected on the basis of timeliness, need, and interest, and generally in the format of regularly scheduled Catalog offerings. Repeatable for a maximum of 9 credits in major/degree.

  • EXCHANGE STUDY
    Educational Foundations 497, Credits: 1-12

    Variable topics

  • INDEPENDENT STUDY
    Educational Foundations 498, Credits: 1-3

    Study of a selected topic or topics under the direction of a faculty member. Repeatable.