Education 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:
Urban Education Immersion Experience
EDU 200 / 4 credits
This course offers all education and sociology majors and minors an opportunity to explore urban communities with mentors in elementary schools. Students will read about current issues in urban education as well as three specific models of urban teaching, learn about schools as social institutions in urban settings, the basics of lesson planning and assessment, and work directly with a mentor teacher to plan and execute a needs-based urban learning experience within local schools. This course does not follow a standard J-Term schedule — many days begin at 7 a.m. and extend past three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Potential participants will need to fill out a background check for each school or district which they will be visiting in advance of J-Term.
Education and Society
EDU 1010 / 4 credits
This course covers the history and philosophy of education in K-12 schools, as well as current social and political issues of education learning environments. This course also addresses the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian tribes and bands located in Wisconsin; the history, culture, and contributions of women and various racial, cultural, language, and economic groups in the United States; the psychological and social implications of discrimination, especially racism and sexism in the United States; evaluation and assessment of the forces of discrimination, especially racism and sexism on administrators, teachers, pupils, assessment, curriculum, and instruction in schools; and minority group relations through direct involvement with various racial, cultural, language, and economic groups in the United States. Governance issues in K-12 schools 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. This course addresses philosophical and psychological bases of attitude development and change, and the psychological and social implications of discrimination, especially racism and sexism in the United States. Conflict resolution is a part of this course, including all of the following: a) Resolving conflicts between pupils and between pupils and school staff. b) Assisting pupils in learning methods of resolving conflicts between pupils, including training in the use of peer mediation, and between pupils and school staff. c) Addressing crises, including violent, disruptive, potentially violent, or potentially disruptive situations that may arise in a school or during activities supervised by school staff. Professional ethics and responsibilities, including mandatory reporting requirements, are covered. 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 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. Procedures used for identifying, assessing, and providing education for children with disabilities, including the roles and responsibilities of regular and special education providers and curriculum modifications are discussed. A field-based project is required.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Fall/J-Term/Spring
Instructional and Assistive Technology for Exceptional Learners
EDU 2080 / 4 credits
Special education teacher candidates will learn how to assess students with exceptionalities and, using that information, select and integrate appropriate pedagogical approaches and technological tools to allow meaningful participation in instructional activities, classroom interactions, and self-advocacy. Additionally, teacher candidates will learn how to collaborate and consult with related service providers, other classroom professionals, and students and families to select, implement, and evaluate effectiveness of specific tools. Specific attention will be paid to augmentative and alternative communication devices. Elementary (K4-2) field/clinical 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 survey of classic and contemporary children’s and young adult works from Aesop to Rowling. Students will recognize the value of multicultural and international children’s and young adult literature in developing an understanding and appreciation for cultures through identifying, analyzing, and evaluating works in a variety of different genres. They will also explore creative techniques for presenting and sharing children’s and young adult books.
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, dance, drama, and music. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of the arts into the curriculum. Clinical work will be at a local elementary school.
Prerequisite: EDU 1010
Corequisites for Elementary and Middle School licensure: EDU 3220 and EDU 3250 *
*Art education students can take without corequisites
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 4-12)
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 is a part of this course, including all of the following: a) Resolving conflicts between pupils and between pupils and school staff. b) Assisting pupils in learning methods of resolving conflicts between pupils, including training in the use of peer mediation, and between pupils and school staff. c) Addressing crises, including violent, disruptive, potentially violent, or potentially disruptive situations that may arise in a school or during activities supervised by school staff. Professional ethics and responsibilities, including mandatory reporting requirements, are covered.
Prerequisite: EDU 2010
Fostering Engagement and Positive Behavior in the Classroom (Grades K-9)
EDU 2720 / 4 credits
A study of the methods and techniques involved in establishing a positive and prosocial environment for learning. Emphasis is placed on the role of the teacher in relationship to children with different needs. Contributions of educational psychology to the classroom environment and conflict resolution will be addressed, including all of the following: a) Resolving conflicts between pupils and between pupils and school staff. b) Assisting pupils in learning methods of resolving conflicts between pupils, including training in the use of peer mediation, and between pupils and school staff. c) Addressing crises, including violent, disruptive, potentially violent, or potentially disruptive situations that may arise in a school or during activities supervised by school staff Professional ethics and responsibilities, including mandatory reporting requirements, are covered. Fieldwork required in a K-9 setting.
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
Special education teacher candidates will learn how to implement, interpret, and evaluate formal and informal assessments for students with disabilities across referral, evaluation, identification, and development and progress monitoring of individualized education plans (IEP). Areas of assessment will include academic, adaptive, behavioral, linguistic, and intellectual assessments of PreK-12 students. Special attention will be paid to legal, ethical, and cultural considerations; social versus medical model; issues of overrepresentation and misuse; collaboration; and reliability, validity, and accommodation issues. High School (9-12) field/clinical experiences required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle Schools
EDU 3160 / 4 credits
By linking social studies and an interdisciplinary instructional approach, future teachers and their students will develop and maintain a lifelong interest in social studies that will result in their making positive contributions as responsible citizens in our diverse democratic society. Students will explore a variety of instructional strategies for teaching social studies. The social studies encompass history, sociology, economics, geography, anthropology, and civics/government/political science. Field experience in public schools is required for this course.
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 culturally responsive and integrated processes of reading and thinking. Emphasis will be placed on the developing reader (K-3rd grade), 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 (including phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonological processes), comprehension of written discourse, and reading and writing in the content areas. This is a required course for licenses to teach reading and language arts at the early childhood and elementary and middle school levels. 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 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. Students will learn such appropriate early childhood, elementary, and middle-level instructional methods as phonics, a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic values of letters, letter groups, and syllables. 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 3160 and EDU 3230
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 which 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. Environmental education, including the conservation of natural resources, is included in this course. 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
Methods for Teaching Elementary Level Exceptional Learners
EDU 4090 / 4 credits
Through intentionally designed coursework and clinical experiences, teacher candidates will learn to cultivate and apply their knowledge of students’ strengths, interests, preferences and needs to select, implement, and evaluate specially designed instructional, behavioral, and social emotional strategies, interventions, and supports. Special education teacher candidates will learn to specially design instruction in a variety of settings and write rigorous, culturally responsive Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) based on knowledge of students and best practices in the field. Elementary (K-5) field/clinical experiences required.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Fall
Methods for Teaching Secondary Level Exceptional Learners
EDU 4100 / 4 credits
Special education teacher candidates will learn about characteristics of, brain friendly strategies for, and evidence-based practices (EBPs) across academic content areas to support secondary level exceptional learners. Through coursework and related clinical experiences, special education teacher candidates will learn how to collaborate with colleagues and utilize knowledge of students’ strengths, interests, preferences, and needs to design and deliver specially designed instruction and interventions. Special focus on self-directed IEPs, transition planning, as well as intentionally building the self-advocacy and self-determination skills of secondary level exceptional learners. High School (9-12) field/clinical 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. Cooperative marketing and consumer cooperatives for licenses in agriculture, economics, and social studies is addressed. 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: Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Student Teaching Seminar
EDU 4900 / 12 credits
Teacher candidates observe and teach in classrooms 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 professional ethics and responsibilities, including mandatory reporting requirements. Certification requirements to obtain an initial and professional license are addressed.
Prerequisites: Students must be members of the Teacher Education Program for at least one semester (two semesters for Elementary and Middle Education majors); maintain a 2.75 cumulative GPA and in their major; complete all required graduation and teaching license coursework; participate in mock interviews; pass the Praxis II content test or approved alternative; pass the FORT (Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence only), and clear both a background check and TB test.
Fall/Spring
Research Paradigms in Educational Settings
EDU 5249 / 3 credits
This course explores and utilizes the quantitative and qualitative research processes to teach educational practitioners how to plan and complete an action research study related to students, teachers or schools. Furthermore, the course examines the social, cultural and ethical issues of conducting research with students for the purpose of action research. In addition, the course will also explore mixed methodologies.