Online MAT in Elementary Education curriculum

This seminar is designed to provide MAT students the information and resources needed to effectively participate in both clinical experiences as well as education course work aligned to all required clinical experiences, leading to graduation and initial teacher licensure. This seminar requires attendance at three online seminars with dates announced in advance. Some assignments in this course have required fees.

Note(s): Graded pass/fail.

Introduction to Teacher Education is designed to provide the initial, basic information and resources required to participate effectively in education course work to all students enrolled in programs leading to initial teacher licensure. The overall goal of the course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to progress successfully within the teacher education program.

Note(s): This course contains a field experience component.

This course provides students with an introduction to the field of special education and the methodologies used to teach students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Broad areas to be covered in this course are areas of exceptionality, major trends and issues in special education with emphases on collaboration and inclusion, service delivery models, roles of general, special class teachers and related professionals.

This course introduces the student to understand a study of child and/or adolescent development and how to design a positive learning environment based on the needs of the learners. Students will apply knowledge of the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of children as they develop effective classroom management plans.

An introduction to basic lesson planning skills needed to provide a variety of teaching methods, media, materials and resources essential for supporting effective teaching practices in the classroom. Students will also be introduced to methods of assessment in order to meet the varying challenges of accountability, standards based instruction, and state mandated testing. Students will identify school curriculum and testing trends, issues, and materials to support classroom instruction. The Georgia Professional Standards will be reviewed as a basis for public school instruction.

Designed for the in service teacher to develop skills in the use of the microcomputer. A non technical survey course in the effective and efficient use of computers as an instructional medium. The integration of computer software into the curriculum is stressed.

To prepare classroom teachers for teaching content courses in an online format.

This course is a survey of the legal basis for education; rights and responsibilities of teachers and students, and due process actions for each. This course will enable teachers to become better informed of both the legal issues which can naturally occur as they are interacting with students, peers, and administrators as well as the consequences resulting from these interactions if they are violated. Teachers will develop a sense of awareness that actions have consequences and that constitutional rights are afforded to students as well as themselves.

Major emphasis is given to the further development of skills in unit and lesson planning, lesson presentations, and evaluation of student progress through a critical thinking approach. This course is in conjunction with student teaching/clinical internship.

This course provides candidates with the foundational knowledge and understandings of literacy. Experiences, both theoretical and practical in nature, will enable the prospective or practicing teacher to demonstrate the knowledge base for teaching the major components of literacy. The most current research findings on literacy 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. Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

Prerequisite(s): ED 500, ED 605, ED 612
Note(s): Clinical hours required.

This course focuses on the teacher’s competencies in planning, teaching, and managing the processes of reading and writing instruction. 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. These will enable the pre-service or practicing reading teacher to acquire and/or upgrade competencies needed. This is a placement embedded course. A 48 hour field experience in a regionally accredited school is required during the course. Permission from the Clinical Experiences Office is required to register.

Prerequisite(s): ED 607.

This course focuses on the teaching of language arts for P-8 in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing development. Instructional strategies appropriate for these age groups, skills to be taught, and activities and materials will be used. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course. Permission from the Clinical Experience Office is required to register.

Prerequisite(s): ED 607, ED 612, ED 608 or 609
Note(s): Clinical hours required.

This is a social studies methods course that is designed to refine the instructional skills of teachers through content exploration. The course will focus on national and state standards for Elementary Education and Middle Grades as well as a variety of instructional approaches to social studies education. This is a placement embedded course; a 48-hour field experience placement in a regionally accredited school is required during the course.

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

Required for all candidates in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program, this course is designed to acquaint students with instructional strategies and philosophies for teaching in the content areas; to familiarize students with structures for use in the planning of daily and long term instruction; to give students opportunities to acquire strategies for integrating content knowledge with effective methods of instruction; and to provide students with pre-teaching experiences designed to build proficiency in teaching in the content areas. A field experience component is included as part of this course. This course can not be successfully completed without the completion of the field experience.

Note(s): Students who preregister for this course and do not earn a grade of “C” or higher in the prerequisite will be administratively withdrawn by the department.

Methods of teaching science concepts, process skills and scientific attitudes in the middle grades classroom are developed through direct experiences. An examination of the variety of methods, available resources and materials utilized for instruction are examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the constructivist approach to instruction, as well as interdisciplinary curricular development.

Mathematics is a major focus of the curriculum for the elementary education level. In Georgia, the student’s mathematical knowledge is tested by the state and remediation is required for children not meeting the criterion at specific grade levels. Because of the state and local testing programs in the areas of mathematics, teachers must be prepared to teach children whose math knowledge and background may be at all levels of mastery, and then, program for each of them. This course emphasizes developmental concepts of arithmetic and problem solving, with a focus on methods and materials for elementary grades. Math methods, materials, content, and activities for the young child are included. A field experience component is included as part of the course. This course cannot be successfully completed without completion of the field experience.

ED 697 – Student Teaching Elementary Education

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 700 Clinical Practice Seminar 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): All professional education coursework. Corequisite(s): ED 700 Note(s) This course is taught pass/fail.

Note: A total of 9-12 hours of clinical experience is required. Choose from student teaching (9 hours) for one semester or the internship experience (12 hours) over several semesters.

ED 789A&B Internship in Elementary Education

Two consecutive semesters during which the student is employed as a full-time teacher in a regionally accredited school in a position matching the student’s major. The school assigns an experienced mentor and works with the student to secure a Georgia provisional teaching certificate. The university assigns a supervisor to observe teaching and oversee assignments. This course is taught pass/fail.

Prerequisite(s): All other courses and placements must be completed before beginning an Internship.
Note: A total of 9-12 hours of clinical experience is required: 9 hours of student teaching or 12 hours of internship. Choose from student teaching (9 hours) for one semester or the internship experience (12 hours) over several semesters.