The Education Department of Carthage offers majors in middle childhood/early adolescent (ages 6 through 13) education and in cross-categorical special education; minors in early adolescence/adolescent (ages 10 through 21) education and programs in special fields of music and physical education.
Teacher Licensure Programs/Majors
Carthage prepares students for teaching in the following majors: middle childhood/early adolescent (elementary/middle education), cross-categorical special education, biology, broad field social science, chemistry, economics, English, French, German, geography, history, mathematics, music, physical education, physics, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish, theatre and communication.
Please see the requirements for each major in the appropriate section of the catalog.
Early Childhood Education (birth to 8 years of age)
A consortial program with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside allows Carthage College students to concurrently enroll in specific UW-Parkside courses which lead to an Early Childhood Education license (birth to 8 years of age). According to the agreement between the two institutions, students enrolled full-time at Carthage College during the fall or spring term may take a UW-Parkside course that same term without paying additional tuition. Please check with your teacher education advisor.
Planning a Program
A decision to teach requires a personal commitment and the willingness to follow a prescribed program. Students whose goal is teaching must plan their program with particular care in order to meet both the requirements for graduation and the requirements for a teaching license. Because licensure requirements may vary among the different states, students are advised to seek information early in their college career regarding particular state requirements.
In each of the licensure programs listed, there are specific course sequences that must be followed to achieve licensure. Students are expected to plan and confirm their programs with an education department faculty member and/or appointed advisor.Middle Childhood/ Early Adolescent majors not seeking licensure in a minor area can choose any minor from the non-licensable minor list found in the Steps booklet. Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent majors seeking licensure in a minor area must choose from the licensable minor list also found in the Steps booklet.
Admission into the Teacher Education Licensure Program
Admission into the Teacher Education Licensure Program (TEP)requires a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of not less than 2.75 on a 4.0 scale computed on all credits of collegiate level course work for undergraduate programs at any and all post-secondary schools attended. The GPA needed in education courses, major and minor, must be at least 2.75.
Students are also expected to successfully complete an assessment of basic skills using standardized tests and other appropriate measures prior to admission to the teacher education program. All students who want to be admitted to the teacher education program to pursue state licensure, must meet or exceed the following passing scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) prior to application for admittance to the teacher education programs: Reading 175, Writing 174, Mathematics 173. Passing scores on the computerized version of the tests are: Reading 322, Writing 320, and Mathematics 318.
Students should apply for admission to the teacher education program after having completed foundations courses in education (EDU 101, 105, and 201) and in general education (Heritage sequence with a C or better). Only students who have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average are allowed into the program. No student may enroll in education courses numbered 300 and above without first having been admitted to the teacher education program.
In order to be approved for student teaching and later endorsed for licensure, a student must have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for the entire undergraduate program which includes courses from all institutions of higher learning prior to attending Carthage. In addition, student teaching candidates need to show an acceptable portfolio, passing the appropriate Praxis II content test, and successfully complete an interview. Students must be admitted to the teacher education program at least one term prior to application to student teaching.
Clinical Experience
The pre-student teaching clinical experiences at Carthage are developmental in scope and sequence and will occur in a variety of settings. To meet the clinical experience requirements students must register and successfully complete an education course requiring a pre-student teaching clinical experience. Students are expected to balance these experiences so that their time is distributed within the content and grade levels in which students seek licensure and in multicultural settings.
Human Relations
The human relations requirement is satisfied by taking the Heritage sequence and completing required field experiences as cited above.
Environmental Education
Teacher education certification candidates in middle childhood/early adolescent education, science, social studies, and other related areas are required to gain competencies in environmental education through liberal arts and education courses as well as other experiences.
Students should be able to show exposure to knowledge of:
(a) the wide variety of natural resources and methods of conserving those natural resources.
(b) interactions between the living and non-living elements of the natural environment.
(c) the concept of energy and its transformation in physical and biological systems.
(d) interactions among people and the natural and manufactured environments.
- Historic and philosophical review of the interactions between people and the environment.
- The social, economic, and political implications of continued growth of the human population.
- The concept of renewable and non-renewable resources and the principles of resource management.
- The impact of technology on the environment.
- The manner in which physical and mental well-being is affected by interaction between people and their environments.
(e) affective education methods that may be used to examine attitudes and values inherent in environmental problems.
(f) ability to incorporate the study of environmental problems in whichever subjects or grade level programs the teacher is involved.
- Outdoor teaching strategies
- Simulation
- Case studies
- Community resource use
- Environmental issue investigation, evaluation, and action planning
(g) ways in which citizens can actively participate in resolving environmental problems.
Content in education methods courses, especially methods courses EDUC 316 and 326 and EDUC 420 for social science and science majors, meet the requirement, as does the content of BIOL 200 Plants and People or BIOL 220 Ecological Bases of Conservation.
GEOG 255 Environmental Geography: Working with the Earth, GEOG 155 Introduction to Physical Geography, as well as other selected courses reflect the requirements.
Students are urged to take BIOL 200 or BIOL 220 to satisfy the Biological Science Requirement, or GEOG 155 to satisfy the physical science requirement, or other appropriate courses.
General Education Requirements
Middle Childhood through Early Adolescent majors and Early Adolescent through Adolescent minors must meet the following requirements:
Heritage Sequence: appropriate catalog requirements
HIST 100: Issues in American History: 4 credits
Fine Arts: Choose from approved catalog list of art, music, theatre, or communication courses with FAR distribution credit: 4 credits
Natural Sciences: Choose from courses with SCI distribution credits with one being a lab.
1. Any approved biological science: 4 credits
2. Any approved physical science: 4 credits
Social Science: one class from the following areas with SOC distribution credit (4 credits): economics, geography, political science, pyschology, or sociology.
Modern Language: Choose two courses (8 credits) with MLA distribution credit. Modern language is not required for Wisconsin teacher licensure.
Mathematics: Choose one course (4 credits) with MATH distribution credit.
Religious Studies: 8 credits
1. RELI 100 Understandings of Religion
2. Choose one course with RELI distribution credit.
Exercise and Sport Science*
1. Concepts of Physical Fitness: 1 credit
2. Choose any lifetime/fitness activity: 1 credit
* Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence majors should take EXSS 245 to fulfill this requirement.
Middle Childhood through Early Adolescent (Grades 1 through 9)
The Department of Education offers a major in Middle Childhood through Early Adolescents (Grades 1-9), which requires completion of the following courses:
1. Courses for the major
| EDUC 101 | Education and Society | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 105 | Characteristics of Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 215 | Creative Arts | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 316 | Social Studies in the Elementary/Middle School | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 272 | Behavior Management in the Classroom | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 322 | Reading & Language Arts I | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 323 | Reading & Language Arts II | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 325 | Effectively Teaching Math in Elementary/Middle School | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 326 | Effectively Teaching Science in Elementary/Middle School | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 413 | Children's & Early Adolescents' Literature | (4 credit) |
| EXSS 245 | Physical Education & Health Methods* | (2 credits) |
*This course fulfills the concepts of physical fitness (1 cr.) and fitness activity (1 cr.) general education requirements for the Carthage degree.
2. The following courses are required to complete the Wisconsin teacher licensure requirements:
| EDUC 201 | Educational Psychology and Assessment | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 222 | Methods & Materials: Portfolio | (2 credits) |
| EDUC 490 | Student Teaching & Seminar | (12 credits) |
3. The following courses are required for licensure and are taken as general education requirements for the Carthage degree:
| HIST 100 | Issues in American History | (4 credits) |
Any appropriate Social Science course (4 credits)
Any appropriate Biological Science course* (4 credits)
Any appropriate Physical Science course* (4 credits)
* At least one must be a lab science
4. The Middle Childhood through Early Adolescent major also may earn a minor in a content area approved for teacher licensure.
Approved Minors: Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Geography, German, Health (for EXSS majors only), History, Mathematics, Natural Science, Physics, Spanish, Communication.
Cross-Categorical Special Education
Students seeking the major in cross-categorical special education must also have a major in Middle Childhood through Early Adolescent education or a content major and an Early Adolescence and Adolescence minor. The cross-categorical special education major consists of the following courses:
| EDUC 214 | Principles of Instructional Design | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 208 | Instructional Technology for Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 310 | Informal Assessment of Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 329 | Formal Assessment of Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 409 | Methods for Teaching Elementary Level Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 410 | Methods for Teaching Secondary Level Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 412 | Advanced Study and Field Experience in Teaching Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 430 | Collaboration Between General and Special Educators | (2 credits) |
Early Adolescence and Adolescence Minor (Grades 6 through 12)
Students preparing for middle/secondary teaching must complete an appropriate major in the academic area in which they plan to teach and an early adolescence and adolescence education minor. The minor consist of the following education courses:
1. Courses for the minor
| EDUC 101 | Education and Society | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 105 | Characteristics of Exceptional Learners | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 351 | Techniques and Strategies for K-12 Schools (Required of Music and Physical Education majors only) | (2 credits) |
| EDUC 352 | Developmental and Content Reading | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 354 | Language Arts in Middle and Secondary Schools (Not required of Music and Physical Education majors) | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 357 | Classroom Management Middle/Secondary (Not required of Music and Physical Education majors) | (4 credits) |
| (DEPT) 420 | Methods and Materials in the Major Field | (4 credits) |
Note:
English majors must also take EDUC 413 Children's & Early Adolescent Literature (4 credits)
2. The following courses are required to complete the Wisconsin teacher licensure requirements:
| EDUC 201 | Educational Psychology and Assessment | (4 credits) |
| EDUC 222 | Methods and Materials Portfolio |
(2 credits) |
| EDUC 490 | Student Teaching & Seminar | (12 credits) |
3. The following courses are required for licensure and taken as general education requirements for the Carthage degree:
| HIST 100 | Issues in American History | (4 credits) |
| Any appropriate Social Science course | (4 credits) | |
| Any appropriate Biological Science course* | (4 credits) | |
| Any appropriate Physical Science course* | (4 credits) | |
| *At least one must be a lab science. | ||
4. Science and social science majors must satisfy the environmental education requirement by completing BIOL 200 Plants and People or BIOL 220 Ecological Bases of Conservation as their biological science or GEOG 155 Physical Geography or GEOG 255 as their physical science requirement and other appropriate science courses.
5. Secondary Education students will complete the Senior Thesis in their major field.
6. All education majors and minors should plan their program with an advisor from the major and minor academic area and an advisor from the education department.