ELED 475 - Integrative Methods of Teaching Language Arts, and Social Studies

3 Credits
Three hours per week.

This course aims to acquaint the pre-service teacher with social studies content and methods as implemented in the elementary and the middle school setting. Reading methods and the expressive phases of language arts content and methods - speaking, handwriting, spelling, English usage, formal grammar, creative writing and dramatizations are also examined with a primary concern for their values as a means of expressing ideas and their integration with other aspects of the elementary and middle school curricula. Specifically, the purpose of this course is to teach the pre-service teacher to integrate the competencies and knowledge acquired in major, professional and pedagogical courses so as to create learning experiences that make the central concepts, tools of inquiry and structures of the content area meaningful for all students. Moreover, this course emphasizes that the pre-service teacher must create learning experiences that build on the experiential, cultural, racial, gender and socioeconomic diversity of his/her students in order that they might achieve higher levels of learning. The State and National Assessment outcomes for language arts and social studies are emphasized. Requisite: Pre-service teachers enrolled in methods courses are required to participate in practicum experiences (in elementary and/or middle schools) connected with the course. To introduce the yearlong internship, and to comply with the 100 consecutive days expectations, candidates will be required to attend seminars during the first and second semester. The interns will receive prerequisite activities designed for a successful completion of the internship.

Prerequisite(s) Completion of all professional education requirements, senior status, and admission to the Teacher Education Program.