Foundations of Teacher Education

Students evaluate models of behavior management, analyze social emotional learning, and explain the importance of proactive management techniques. In addition, students evaluate models of behavior management, analyze behavior and analyze the influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on behavior in order to focus on developing skills to assist in empowering children to take an active role in self-control and classroom management.

This course addresses the fundamentals of teaching methodologies, learning styles, factors influencing teaching effectiveness, strategies to meet the needs of all learners, questioning techniques, and basic assessment practices.

This course provides an overview of growth and development from birth through adolescence. It acquaints the learner with the fundamental tasks of physical, motor, perceptual, cognitive, social/emotional, and language development.

In this course, students explore the Gateway Technical College community. They examine college resources and services, investigate skills that lead to academic success, and identify strategies for achieving educational and personal goals.

This course is intended to develop analytic reasoning and the ability to solve quantitative problems. Topics to be covered may include: construction & interpretation of graphs; descriptive statistics; geometry & spatial visualizations; math of finance; functions and modeling; probability; and logic. Appropriate use of units and dimensions, estimates, mathematical notation, and available technology will be emphasized throughout the course.

This course will address techniques for the instructional assistant in assisting the classroom teacher in group and individual tutoring activities in math. Current practice. including manipulatives, problem solving, and assessment, will be covered within the framework of state and national standards.

Students learn techniques to support reading development for all learners. Students learn techniques to promote phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Students also learn strategies to promote word analysis, vocabulary, and reading fluency skills.

Students examine a historical overview of special education and special education law including special education disability categories as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students explore state and federal qualification special education criteria and societal responses to students with disabilities. Students examine the impact of a student with disabilities on family dynamics and the role school personnel play in supporting students with disabilities.

This course introduces students to some of the major theories and topics of psychology, including the physiological basis of behavior, personality and learning theories, memory, states of consciousness, stress, research methods, intelligence, human development, psychopathology, and social behavior.

This course explores the fundamentals of effective oral presentation to small and large groups. Topic selection, audience analysis, methods of organization, research, structuring evidence and support, delivery techniques, and other essential elements of speaking successfully, including the listening process, form the basis of the course.

This course is designed for learners to develop knowledge and skills in all aspects of the writing process. Planning, organizing, writing, editing and revising are applied through a variety of activities. Students will analyze audience and purpose, use elements of research, and format documents using standard guidelines. Individuals will develop critical reading skills through analysis of various written documents.

This course examines interpersonal relationships of humans and groups and the consequent structure of society. It details the various social processes and concepts which shape human behavior, analyzing such phenomena as organizations, deviance, race and ethnic relations, population, urbanization, social change, and social movements. Religion, education, and the family are studied.

Race, Ethnic, and Diversity Studies is a course that draws from several disciplines to reaffirm the basic American values of justice and equality by teaching a basic vocabulary, a basic history of immigration and conquest, principles of transcultural communication, legal liability, and the value of aesthetic production to increase the probability of respectful encounters among people. In addition to an analysis of majority/minority relations in a multicultural context, the topics of ageism, sexism, gender differences, sexual orientation, people with disabilities, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are explored. Ethnic relations are studied in global and comparative perspectives.

Students analyze personal culture, explore cultural constructs, evaluate cultural bias in educational materials and analyze strategies to support English Learners. Students examine diversity in the classroom and develop techniques for supporting equity in the learning environment. In addition, students collaborate to identify service needs in the community and demonstrate professional collaboration skills through participating in a service learning project.

Practicum I will introduce the student to a diverse classroom setting at an elementary, middle school and/or high school level. The student will observe children and practice techniques under the guidance of a DPI certified teacher.

Students explore various genres of children's and young adult literature. Students examine techniques used to support learners in reading and writing and strategies for assessing learners in the process. Students examine techniques to support learners with reading and writing across the curriculum.

Students identify research-based interventions for learners in categories defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students interpret Individualized Educational Programs and examine special education related services available for learners. Students collect data to document student behavior and academic performance and recommend program adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities while applying the concepts of least restrictive environment and inclusion.

Apply the skills learned in previous program courses in a school setting while under the supervision of a DPI certified teacher. Students support children with special education needs and programming. Job search skills will be addressed and a professional portfolio will be completed.

This course is an introduction to the content and processes of science. Strategies of teaching science will be studied and practiced and will prepare you in assisting the classroom teacher in group and individual activities in science. Current science processes, strategies, procedures, assessment options, and factors affecting science learning will be explored.

Students analyze current content in social studies education as recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies and design learning opportunities for the five components of social studies: Geography. History. Culture and Society. Civics and Government, and Economics. Students explore factors that influence social studies instruction.

This course provides the opportunity for the learner to develop the knowledge and skills in the area of media and computer resources as it relates to the instructional assistant. Students in this course will gain hands-on computer and media experience and will learn how to operate a variety of equipment. A variety of school related documents will be prepared while using selected software. Students incorporate images into documents from a variety of sources, including digital cameras and scanners.