The course explores the historical, philosophical, psychological, and social foundations of middle childhood education as they relate to present day practice and emphasizes the connections between theories learned in college classrooms and their application in the P-12 classroom with the purpose of developing reflective practitioners. Developmentally appropriate education environments aimed to fulfill all students’ needs is a focus of this course. Specifically, issues pertinent to middle level education, including but not limited to, current research about best practice, block scheduling, team teaching, collaboration across teaching specialties, and the uniqueness of middle childhood students and their education will be addressed. The importance of family involvement including sensitivity to family structures and assistance to families in need, as well as knowledge of community resources and collaboration with community professionals is stressed. Classroom management and varied instructional techniques, including the uses of media and technology are discussed in class. A special emphasis on reading and writing to learn is provided. Students develop units that integrate reading and writing to learn, classroom management strategies, varied instructional techniques and assessments. Data generated by assessments are analyzed in order to guide remediation and future instruction.
Prerequisites
Admission to the Teacher Education Program or Applicable Education Studies Concentration
