Online Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education curriculum

This seminar is designed to provide students the information and resources required to effectively participate in both clinical experiences as well as education course work aligned to all clinical experiences required, leading to graduation and initial teacher licensure. This seminar requires attendance to three online seminars with dates announced in advance. Students will complete steps required for admission to Teacher Education and clinical placements as assignments; some assignments have a cost attached. This course should be taken in the same semester as ED 200. This course is taught on a pass/fail basis.

Note(s): Graded pass/fail.

This course provides an overview of the field of education for potential teacher candidates. Prospective teachers are introduced to the basic constructs of teaching along with justification of those constructs as part of effective teaching and learning. Topics include current learning standards, certification requirements, professional expectations, and the realities of teaching as a career. This course should be taken in the same semester as ED 100.

Knowledge of the growth and development of the person from conception to adolescence are vital in effective teaching. The areas of physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and moral development are studied. Particular emphasis is given to foundational theories such as constructivism and behaviorism, and topics such as executive functioning, creativity, cultural diversity, motivation, discipline, and contextual factors in development. Practical applications of theory to practice, as well as global issues affecting children and families, are explored.

Prospective teachers should acquire a perspective into the origins of their discipline as well as a general understanding of education which should precede career decisions. The content of the course aids the students in acquiring concepts in the development and contemporary conditions of education and schools in the United States. The projects and activities promote the growth of students not only in the intellectual domain but also in the areas of social, emotional, and psychological development.

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to study the existence of problems and the development of possible solutions for establishing and maintaining racial, ethnic, gender and cultural harmony within the early childhood and middle grades classroom. Emphasis is placed on variables that contribute to the development and maintenance of prejudice, stereotypes, racism, gender bias and oppressive conditions.

This course provides a definition of exceptionalities and introduction to children with exceptional needs in schools. The primary focus of this class is the educator’s role and responsibilities in meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities. The course covers characteristics, legal provisions, and pre-referral procedures, and instructional accommodations.

This course introduces a variety of strategies in teaching and managing classroom behavior. Emphasis is placed on designing positive learning environments, and selecting and implementing behavior management strategies. Note: Requires admission to teacher education.

Note(s): Requires admission to teacher education

An introduction to basic lesson planning skills needed to provide a variety of teaching method, media, materials and resources essential for supporting effective teaching practices in the grades four through eight classroom Students will be guided in the preparation and presentation of a lesson plan that will serve as a foundation for completing lesson plans in the methods courses to follow. ED 321 should be taken early in the student’s program and before any methods courses.

A course which focuses on a variety of methods of assessment. Emphasis is on the communication of formative and summative assessment results to learners, parents, colleagues and the community at large.

Note(s): Requires admission to teacher education.

This full-semester capstone course is designed to accompany and enhance the student teaching experience. It is designed to provide an opportunity to synthesize the student teaching experience and move the student teacher towards the world of teaching at a professional level. Meeting once a week, it offers information on certification, employment search processes, and educator ethics/dispositions while also providing an avenue to analyze, evaluate and discuss the student teaching experience. A portfolio is required.

A full-time, semester-long experience in a regionally accredited school classroom. Guidance and direction will be provided by the classroom teacher with assistance from university faculty. Students will be required to assume all duties of the classroom teacher for a minimum of four weeks during the experience while demonstrating competence in planning and materials, classroom performance, and professional behavior. The student teaching experience begins when the assigned school begins its semester and continues through the Brenau semester. The student is required to take ED 415 Applied Instruction during the student teaching semester. Prerequisites: All other courses and placements must be completed before student teaching; passing scores on appropriate GACE Content Area Exams are required before student teaching.

Prerequisite(s): ED 415 and all professional core and methods courses.
Note(s): Must have completed all professional core and methods courses. Taught on a pass/fail basis.

This course provides candidates with the foundational knowledge and understandings for teaching reading and writing including literacy assessment. Experiences, both theoretical and practical in nature, will enable the prospective teacher to demonstrate the knowledge base for teaching the major components of reading and writing. The most current research on literacy concepts and development will be examined. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): ED 311 or ED 321
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

A systematic (thematic) study of physical (e.g., landforms, weather and climate) and human (e.g., cultural, economic, urban, natural resources) geography with emphasis placed on human interaction with the physical landscape.

A comprehensive examination of the basic computational and mathematical principles and concepts taught in the P-8 school curricula. The basis for the course is the Georgia Core Curriculum. Emphasis of this course is on the establishment of meaningful content in mathematics curriculum. Topics covered include the number system, arithmetic properties and operations, algebraic concepts and operations, probability, data and statistics. Students should be prepared to relate their results in the form of written and oral presentations.

Prerequisite(s): MS 100 (minimum grade of “C”).

Analytical skills and problem solving strategies are developed using real world situations and examples. Students will learn to analyze situations, identify critical and superfluous data, determine appropriate procedures, and justify answers according to each situation. Students should be prepared to relate their results in the form of written and oral presentations. This course is a required first course for teacher education students, and a liberal education reasoning course.

Prerequisite(s): MS 100 (minimum grade of “C”)

A comprehensive examination of the basic physical, earth and life science principles and concepts taught in the P-8 school curricula. Emphasis of this course is the establishment of meaningful content in science curriculum. The Georgia Performance Standards will be studied and applied for that purpose.

Developmental concepts of arithmetic and problem solving are emphasized. Focus on methods and materials for elementary education. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): MS 100, ED 311
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

Methods of teaching science concepts, process skills and scientific attitudes are developed through direct experiences. An examination of the variety of methods, available resources and materials that are utilized for the teaching of science in the elementary classroom are examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the constructivist approach to instruction, as well as interdisciplinary curricular development. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): ED 311
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

This course is designed to prepare teacher candidates to teach Social Studies in the Elementary grades. Concepts, attitudes and skills necessary for effective social studies teaching are emphasized. Attention is paid to developing instructional skills and identifying methods and materials appropriate to the developmental level of young children. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): ED 311
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

This course recognizes the necessity of a literacy teacher to possess competencies in the planning, teaching, and managing the processes of reading and writing instruction with an emphasis on a balanced literacy approach. In order to facilitate these competencies, this course will focus on appropriate instructional methods, strategies and materials as well as providing experiences, both theoretical and practical in nature. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): ED 311 or 321; ED 345
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

This course focuses on the teaching of language arts in the areas of or if description is changing.) listening, speaking, reading, writing and language development. Current approaches to language arts instruction will be explored including the integration of children’s literature. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

Prerequisite(s): ED 311
Note(s): Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

• Historical Perspective – 3 hours
• Civic Engagement – 3 hours
• Global Awareness – 3 hours

• Mathematics – 3 hours
• Science – 7-8 hours (1 course must be a 4 hour lab science)
• Reasoning – 3-4 hours

• Fine Arts – 3 hours
• Literature – 3 hours
• Lifetime Fitness – 3 hours

• Writing – 6 hours
• Speaking – 3 hours
• Modern Language – 0-3 hours
• Communication – 3 hours

• EH 101 – Written Communication
• EH 102 – Reading and Research Writing
• HY 201 – History of the United States I
• BY 105 – Human Biology w/Lab
• BY 105L – Human Biology Lab

One of the following math courses:

• MS 100 – Quantitative Literacy
• MS 101 – College Algebra
• MS 111 – Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry
• MS 210 – Calculus and Analytical Geometry

One of the following physical science courses:

• PS 100 – Physical Science
• PS 104 – Earth Science

One of the following fine arts courses:

• AH 100 – Art Appreciation
• MC 101 – World Music Appreciation

One of the following literature courses:

• EH 201 – Western World Literature
• EH 220 – American Literature before 1865
• EH 221 – American Literature after 1865
• EH 245 – Women’s Literary Studies

One of the following speaking courses:

• EH 103 – Oral Communication
• SP 108 – Fundamentals of Speech