Course Descriptions
The Education Department at Carthage educates students with theory and practice in a liberal arts context to serve their communities with the highest of teaching standards and to become competent, caring, committed teachers. Scroll down to read descriptions of the education courses offered at Carthage, or click on these links for additional resources:
Education and Society
EDU 1010 / 4 credits
The history and philosophy of education (elementary, middle/junior high, and secondary), as well as current social and political issues of education learning environments will be the basic content of this course. Governance issues will also be examined. Critical-thinking skills will be developed through writing, speaking, and listening.
Fall/J-Term/Spring
Educational Psychology and Assessment
EDU 2010 / 4 credits
The course will provide introductions to major theoretical systems of relevance to education, background on instructional design tactics based on the theories covered, and historical background on key psychological and assessment issues that bear on current teaching practices. Contributions of educational psychology and assessment to the areas of classroom management, research foundations, reading and interpreting data, and current instructional methodologies will be addressed.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Fall/Spring
Teaching and Supporting Learners with Diverse Characteristics and Needs
EDU 2050 / 4 credits
This methods course prepares preservice general educators to effectively teach and support learners with diverse characteristics and needs in the context of the general education classroom. Characteristics of learners with learning and behavioral differences, including those eligible for special education services, are addressed, with additional content on the impact of cultural and language differences on learning. Participants will apply principles of differentiation and universal design in planning whole-class and small-group instruction that involves the integration of technologies and strategy instruction. A field-based project is required.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010 Fall/J-Term/Spring
Instructional Technology for Exceptional Learners
EDU 2080 / 4 credits
Students will demonstrate fluency in describing pedagogical approaches to incorporating technology into the instruction of exceptional learners, particularly students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and cognitive disorders. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Inclusion: Communication and Collaboration with Families, Professionals, and Communities
EDU 2120 / 4 credits
This course will prepare preservice special educators to effectively communicate and collaborate with other professionals, family members, and communities for the maximal benefits of students with disabilities.
Prerequisite: EDU 2010
Multicultural Children’s and Early Adolescents’ Literature
EDU 2130 / 4 credits
A study of the story interests of children and early adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on the interactive strategies that focus on content and process and encourage students’ responses in social, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive dimension. Literature will be used as an instructional tool to promote all aspects of reading in correlation with engaging students in literature experiences as a central theme.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Fall/Spring
Creative Arts: Music and Art in Elementary and Middle Schools
EDU 2150 / 4 credits
A study of the philosophies, methods, and materials essential in facilitating artistic development in elementary and middle school students. This comprehensive approach to arts education includes art and music history, criticism, aesthetics, and active participation in art making and musical performance. Emphasis will be placed upon the integration of the arts into the curriculum. Fieldwork required.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Corequisite: EDU 3220 and EDU 3250
Foundations in Urban Education
EDU 2340 / 4 credits
Foundations in Urban Education will provide students with background information to understand current issues in urban schooling. Students will learn the history of urban education, politics and culture in urban schooling, and conduct fieldwork in local urban school settings.
Spring
Fostering Engagement and Positive Behavior in the Classroom (Grades 5-12)
EDU 2570 / 4 credits
This course will prepare middle/secondary education majors to implement effective policies and strategies for creating a productive and safe classroom environment. Materials will cover basic teaching strategies for wide discipline programs. Students will complete fieldwork, in which they evaluate effects of popular management strategies. Conflict resolution will be addressed.
Prerequisite: EDU 2010
Fostering Engagement and Positive Behavior in the Classroom (Grades 1-8)
EDU 2720 / 4 credits
A study of the methods and techniques involved in organized behavior management programs in a school setting. Emphasis is placed on the role of the teacher in relationship to children with special needs. Fieldwork required. Contributions of educational psychology to the areas of classroom management and conflict resolution will be addressed.
Prerequisites: EDU 1010 and EDU 2010
Fall/Spring
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Education
EDU 2810 / 2 credits
This course provides an overview of substance use and abuse among adolescents. The course will focus on understanding how to teach this topic as part of a comprehensive school health education curriculum.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Comprehensive Assessment of Exceptional Learners
EDU 3110 / 4 credits
Students will demonstrate competence in designing, implementing, and interpreting informal assessment instruments.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle Schools
EDU 3160 / 4 credits
A study of the processes, skills, and learning approaches required for teaching social studies. Values, value clarification, moral development, simulations, and global concepts will be stressed. Fieldwork required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Corequisite: EDU 3230 and EDU 3260
Reading and Language Arts in the Early Grades
EDU 3220 / 4 credits
The study of the development and mastery of information that involves the integrated processes of reading and thinking. Emphasis will be placed on the developing reader, including the understanding of English Language Learners. In addition, the course will focus on the integration of language arts into the curriculum, implementation of word analysis strategies, comprehension of written discourse, reading in the content areas, and the management of reading programs. Fieldwork required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Corequisite: EDU 3250 and EDU 2150
Reading and Language Arts in the Middle Grades
EDU 3230 / 4 credits
The study of formal and informal diagnostic procedures for identifying strengths and weaknesses of students’ reading, and the successful implementation of programs designed to meet the individual needs of students in learning the language arts. In addition, an emphasis will be placed on the role of linguistics in reading development. Fieldwork required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Corequisite: EDU 3260 and EDU 3160
English Language Learner: Methods and Studies in Education (DIV)
EDU 3240 / 4 credits
This course will provide foundational knowledge and experiences in the effective instruction of students whose native language is not English. Students will become familiar with major theories, educational issues, and instructional methods that are related to working with this specific population of students across all grade levels, K-12. Observational field experiences will be required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program or declared Educational Studies minor
Effectively Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary/Middle School
EDU 3250 / 4 credits
This course is designed to provide elementary/middle school preservice teachers with knowledge of the development sequence of mathematical knowledge and fluency in the pedagogical concepts and skills needed for student success. The focus of this course is on the content, the methods of teaching, and the curricula as taught at elementary and middle school levels. A wide range of teaching and learning experiences will be demonstrated and practiced. The course experiences include collaborating with the instructor and cooperating teachers who are involved in our partnerships with local schools in planning, implementing, and evaluating classroom mathematics instruction. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Corequisite: EDU 3220 and EDU 2150
Effectively Teaching Science in the Elementary/Middle School
EDU 3260 / 4 credits
This course is designed to provide elementary/middle school preservice teachers with knowledge of the developmental sequence of scientific ideas and concepts and fluency in the pedagogical concepts and skills needed for student success. The focus of this course is on the content, methods of teaching, and curricula as taught at the early childhood, elementary, and middle school levels. A wide range of teaching and learning experiences will be demonstrated and practiced. The course experiences include collaborating with the instructor and cooperating teachers who are involved in our partnerships with local schools in planning, implementing, and evaluating classroom science instruction. Environmental education will be incorporated into this course. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Corequisite: EDU 3260 and EDU 3160
Exemplary STEM Education
EDU 3270 / 4 credits
Human societies and our natural world are being shaped in powerful ways by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM education, therefore, seeks to prepare today’s youth to thrive and serve in the world they will inherit as adults. In this course, students examine the idea of STEM literacy, the origin and evolution of STEM education as a national and international imperative, trends in equity and opportunity of access, and common features of exemplary STEM programs and schools. With this foundation, students complete either a comparative or criterion-referenced analysis of (an) existing STEM school/program(s).
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Teachers and Teaching in Urban Education
EDU 3340 / 4 credits
This undergraduate course of study provides an analysis of historical socioeconomic status and political factors influencing urban education; methods of effective instruction and practice that include positive school culture for learning; and opportunities to explore various analytical frameworks (critical race theory, privilege theory, social identity development) that embody the epistemological, methodological, and pedagogical approaches to study/understand everyday inequities in P-20 education. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
Fieldwork in Education
EDU 3500 / 4 credits
This is a self-designed clinical experience intended for students who have a minor in Educational Studies. In this course, the student will work with a member of the Education Department faculty to develop a professional fieldwork experience. The fieldwork experience will occur in a professional setting that reflects the student’s potential career based on his or her major field of study.
Prerequisite: Declared Educational Studies minor
Developmental and Content Area Reading
EDU 3520 / 4 credits
The study of written communication as an interactive process that requires the integration of the individual reader, text, and context factors. The course will focus on using reading to teach subject matter in middle and secondary schools. Note: The course is required for all subject matter certification candidates including art, music, and physical education. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Fall/Spring
Junior Thesis Seminar
EDU 3900 / 2 credits
This seminar class incorporates teaching knowledge and skills with the applications of teaching methods and the theory behind the practice. The InTASC Teaching Standards, required portfolio development (Senior Thesis), teaching mission, and personal philosophy will be finalized. The compilation of the portfolio is the Senior Thesis for those students seeking elementary education licensure. The state requirement of the edTPA (Educational Teacher Performance Assessment) will be introduced and delineated for all pre-student-teaching students. Wisconsin state teaching licensure procedures and requirements will be reviewed with additional attention to Illinois teaching license procedures. Emphasis within this course may change to reflect current trends, innovations, and requirements relevant to state teaching licensure.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and junior standing
Fall/Spring
Methods for Teaching Elementary Level Exceptional Learners
EDU 4090 / 4 credits
Students will demonstrate understanding of instructional strategies and techniques for working with students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms (grades 1-5) and individualizing the general education curriculum. Students will complete a fieldwork project in which they will assess students with disabilities, develop individualized education programs, and demonstrate the program’s effectiveness with performance-based assessment information. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Fall
Methods for Teaching Secondary Level Exceptional Learners
EDU 4100 / 4 credits
Students will demonstrate understanding of instructional strategies and techniques for working with students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms (grades 6-12) and individualizing the general education curriculum. Field experience required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Spring
Methods and Materials in Teaching Secondary Social Science
EDU 4200 / 4 credits
A study of social sciences teaching methods and instructional materials in the students’ field of preparation. Special attention is given to the selection and organization of subject matter and learning activities. Fieldwork required. Students majoring in broad field social science with a minor in secondary education will write their Senior Thesis in partial fulfillment of the course requirements.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Fall
Bilingual Methods
EDU 4279 / 4 credits
This course will draw upon theory, methodology, and research-based best practices for instructing and assessing bilingual students. It will include a focus on contemporary social problems (for the bilingual-bicultural student), culture of the target group, and competency foundations including rationale, historical and legal requirements, and a survey of existing bilingual models including clinical experiences in bilingual classrooms. The course will also include an analysis of current, authentic Spanish language development assessments. Educator cultural competency and the unique learning needs of ELLs from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, will be meaningfully incorporated into course study and application. This course includes 10 hours of clinical experience in a dual-language or bilingual classroom.
Prerequisite: Instructor permission
ELL Literacy and Accommodations
EDU 4280 / 4 credits
Instruction will cover five broad areas that participants will use as they work with learners who have varying levels of language and literacy delays. The areas of focus: relevant criteria used for determining language and literacy delays in children; relationships between cognition, speech, and language; cultural and linguistic differences; instructional arrangements for diverse learning styles; and core components of effective literacy instruction. This class includes 10 hours of clinical work in an ESL classroom in addition to the coursework.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Teacher Education Program and EDU 3240
Culturally Responsive Instruction (DIV)
EDU 4282 / 4 credits
Students will examine the cultural diversity that exists locally, nationally, and globally in order to develop a positive appreciation for the contributions of other cultures. Students will gain personal contact with members of other cultures and learn effective intercultural communication skills for our diverse world. This class is cross-listed with EDU 5220.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Fall/Spring
Practicum in ESL Classrooms
EDU 4284 / 4 credits
This capstone course provides students with observation and analysis skills to apply to their own ESL teaching for this practicum experience, as well as with techniques for working with paraprofessionals in ESL/bilingual classrooms in schools. ESL components/artifacts will be added to the existing portfolio for teaching licensure.
Prerequisite: Instructor permission
Fundamentals of Linguistics for Teachers of Diverse Learners
EDU 4285 / 4 credits
This course will provide students with a framework to better understand the parameters of linguistics, including the nature of communication; phonological components such as phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax; sociolinguistics; and linguistic anthropology. Students will also examine the language acquisition process with regard to its application to student literacy learning outcomes with an emphasis on the unique language acquisition needs of English Language Learners.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Practicum in Bilingual Classrooms
EDU 4286 / 4 credits
Students seeking licensure in Bilingual Education will apply what they have learned about the unique needs of additional language learners in a practicum experience. A strong bilingual and ELL learning foundation (based on in-class study, scholarly research, and clinical experiences) will be applied to additional language-learning classroom settings. Students will attend an independent seminar with their professor and will journal, share experiences, and create lesson plans to be critiqued by peers and the course instructor based on a rubric devised specifically with English Language Learning needs in mind. Student portfolios will be completed and reviewed by the course instructor.
Prerequisite: Instructor permission
Professional Seminar
EDU 4300 / 2 credits
The readings and assignments in this class will develop students’ skills in collaborating with colleagues and parents to support student learning and well-being.
Corequisite: EDU 4900 (Student Teaching)
Fall/Spring
Urban and Cultural Leadership
EDU 4340 / 4 credits
This undergraduate course of study provides exploration and analysis of leadership theories within the context of urban schooling and culture through the examination of teachers as formal and informal leaders. Through the analysis of leadership case studies in urban schools, students will determine what empowerment trajectories urban teachers take in order to become teacher leaders who will improve school cultures and student achievement. Field experiences or project-based activities are embedded in this course.
Prerequisite: None
Student Teaching Seminar
EDU 4900 / 12 credits
Teacher candidates observe and teach in a classroom for a full semester under the joint supervision of a qualified cooperating teacher and a college supervisor. Seminar addresses issues specific to the student teaching experience and reinforces application of current educational expectations, including Common Core and the final Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). Certification requirements to obtain an initial and professional license are addressed.
Prerequisites: Students must be members of the Teacher Education Program for at least two semesters; maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75; they must maintain a major GPA of 2.75; complete all required graduation and teaching license coursework; pass the Praxis II content test; pass the FORT (Middle Childhood, Early Adolescence, and Cross-Categorical Special Education only), and clear both a background check and TB test.
Fall/Spring