Course: EED 500. Foundations of Elementary Teaching (3)
Prerequisite: Admission to the Multiple Subject Credential Program or under Intent to Apply Status (ITA). Intent to Apply (ITA) students who are enrolled in this course are required to perform 20 hours of fieldwork observation (as they have not yet been formally admitted into the teacher credential program). EPC 315 may be substituted for EED/EPC 500 only if completed previously as an undergraduate student. This theory-into-practice introductory teacher education course focuses on the foundations of education and the practical applications of human learning theory and teacher effectiveness research in specific relation to elementary instruction and classroom management. Credential candidates are introduced to important theorists in educational psychology, standards-based lesson planning and instructional design, culturally relevant teaching practices, and strategies that can be employed to modify instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of the full range of learners including struggling readers, students demonstrating atypical development, English learners, and advanced learners. Each candidate develops a Classroom Management Plan describing a range of positive behavioral support strategies and methods for creating respectful, safe, organized, inclusive, and caring learning environments that promote the social-emotional well-being of all students. This course requires candidates to develop a thorough understanding of how students learn and how that learning is tied directly to the candidate’s teaching. (Cross-listed with EPC 500.)