This course will focus on the study of the foundations of education and the teaching profession as a whole. It will include reviewing the historical, philosophical, and sociological foundations underlying the role, development, and organization of public education in the United States. Participants will review the legal status of teachers and students, including federal and state laws and regulations; school as an organization and culture; and contemporary issues and current trends in education, including the impact of technology on education. Local, state, and federal governance of schools, including the roles of teachers and schools in communities will be reviewed. Professionalism and ethical standards, as well as personal integrity,  will be addressed. Students will be required to exhibit knowledge and understanding of Virginia’s guidelines for uniform performance standards and evaluation criteria for teachers.

This course is designed to provide information on balanced reading instruction in grades PreK-6. Specific topics addressed will include theories/models of the reading process, language acquisition, phonemic awareness, word identification strategies (sight vocabulary, phonics knowledge, structural analysis, and contextual analysis), vocabulary development strategies, comprehension strategies, reading-writing connections, and assessments (formal and informal). 

The principles and processes of human development from birth to adolescence are presented. Emphasis is placed on the development of the whole child.

A survey of the field of special education. Emphasis is on techniques for integrating students with intellectual, emotional, social, and physical handicaps into the least restrictive educational environment. Students will review legal aspects that include an understanding/application of regulatory requirements and expectations associated with the identification, education, and evaluation of students with disabilities. 

This course is designed to help students identify the definition and characteristics associated with specific disabilities and the learning and behavioral needs of students with those disabilities as they access the general education curriculum at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The disabilities discussed in this course are: learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, intellectual disabilities, developmental delay, autism, other health impairments, traumatic brain injury, and multiple disabilities.

In this course, we will be examining various aspects of student assessment including test construction, administration, scoring, and interpretation of results. We will focus on the use of test data to make educational decisions for students, with an emphasis on developing programs for students with special needs. Attention will be given to both norm-referenced tests and curriculum-based assessments.

The goal of this course is to prepare special education teacher candidates to develop high-quality IEPs, and design and implement services that accurately reflect those IEPs. One of the most important and challenging duties of a Special Educator is the development of Individualized Education Plans. Designed to ensure that a student with a disability receives a free and appropriate education, an IEP is a legally binding document that outlines exactly what services and accommodations a school system will provide for a student with a disability. This course will take students through the process of eligibility determination and IEP development, with an emphasis on the associated state guidelines and legal responsibilities. Students completing this course will learn about and practice the steps to developing an IEP for students participating in a general education curriculum and the Virginia K-12 Standards of Learning. How to organize and implement services, as well as how to objectively measure and monitor progress will also be addressed. Students will be required to develop a sample IEP and create a plan for implementation. There will be ample opportunities for participants to exchange feedback, ideas, and suggestions.

The purpose of this course will be to examine and discuss elements of teaching history and social sciences in the elementary and middle school grades. Participants will discuss methods of instruction based upon the knowledge, skills, and processes of history and the social sciences that are necessary for teaching content in the classroom. Assignments will address a variety of strategies of instruction, observation of the history and social science classroom at the elementary and/or middle-level grades, construction of lesson plans for daily, unit and semester planning, and completion of a textbook critique.

In this course, we will be examining various aspects of student assessment including classroom and state assessment. It will examine the relationship between assessment and effective instruction at all stages of instruction: before, during, and after. The course will focus on the collection and evaluation of data that inform instructional planning, assessment tools for gathering data prior to instruction, design, and implementation of effective formative assessments, and development of summative assessments appropriately aligned to learning targets. The course will emphasize the importance of the integration of assessment before, during, and after instruction as essential to student learning success.

This course is designed to provide future special education teachers extensive study in preparing students with disabilities to make transitions throughout their educational experience and into adulthood.  Course participants will study strategies that will enable them to prepare students and work with families to provide successful student transitions throughout the educational experience to include post-secondary training, employment, and independent living which addresses an understanding of long-term planning, career development, life skills, community experiences and resources, self-advocacy, and self-determination, guardianship and legal considerations. Participants will identify strategies that are essential in teaching life skills to students and are necessary to achieve the greatest level of personal independence.  This course will prepare students to work with families, students with disabilities, and related agencies to plan and prepare for transitional needs that will enhance each student’s capacity for personal independence.

The purpose of this course will be to study how humans and their environments (both physical and cultural) interact.  Course topics will focus on describing and analyzing geography, population, migration, culture, languages, religions, ethnicity & race, political geography, food & agriculture, development, industry, services & settlements, urban patterns and resource issues.

Instruction in this course focuses on the techniques, methods, and materials that can be used to effectively diagnose reading difficulties/deficiencies and strengths in students in grades K through 8. Course content will include a study of both formal and informal assessment measures with emphasis placed on the procedures for administering and interpreting an Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) and how to use results from this inventory to prescribe and then deliver appropriate reading instruction to students in grades K-8. 

Skills in this area shall be designed to impart a thorough understanding of the complex nature of language acquisition and reading, including phonemic and other phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension strategies for adolescent learners. Additional skills shall include proficiency in writing strategies, as well as the ability to foster an appreciation of a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts and independent reading for adolescent learners.

The content of this course is designed to help special education teachers develop an understanding and application of service delivery, curriculum, and instruction of students with disabilities in reading and writing. Students will develop knowledge of the general curriculum, English requirements and expectations, and how to provide access to the curriculum based on student characteristics and needs. Students will assess, interpret data, and implement instructional practices to address the identified reading needs of the students. Skills in this area include the ability to identify, understand, and implement a range of specialized instructional strategies and research-based interventions that reflect best practices in reading and writing instruction for students with disabilities. Students will align instructional practices and intervention with the Virginia Standards of Learning and state assessments. Students will be guided to build knowledge and the ability to utilize current assistive and instructional reading and writing technologies to promote learning and independence for students with disabilities in the general curriculum and the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the technologies. Students will develop and use curriculum-based and standardized reading and writing assessments to conduct ongoing evaluations of instructional materials and practices to determine effectiveness and assess student needs as they relate to the curriculum design and delivery. Students will model and directly teach reading and writing instructional strategies in a variety of settings, collaborate and co-teach with general educators to develop and implement instructional practices that meet the needs of students with disabilities in the general curriculum, and monitor student progress.

The content of this course is designed to provide information on various approaches and techniques for utilizing and teaching reading and writing in content areas. Skills in this area shall be designed to impart an understanding of vocabulary development and comprehension skills in English, mathematics, science, history and social science, and other content areas. Strategies include teaching students how to ask effective questions, summarize and retell both verbally and in writing, and listen effectively. Teaching strategies include literal, interpretive, critical, and evaluative comprehension, as well as the ability to foster appreciation of a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts and independent reading for adolescent learners. The student will learn, practice, and internalize strategies that are essential life - long learning skills for reading, writing, understanding and interpreting content specific materials. 

A survey of the field of special education. Emphasis is on techniques for integrating students with intellectual, emotional, social, and physical handicaps into the least restrictive educational environment. Students will review legal aspects that include an understanding/application of regulatory requirements and expectations associated with the identification, education, and evaluation of students with disabilities. 

In this course, participants will examine a research-based trajectory for the development of calculations, reasoning, and problem-solving skills needed for students to have an in-depth understanding of mathematical concepts required by the Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics. Participants will create and implement lessons to reach students with disabilities in a variety of settings while balancing concepts and procedures for effective learning. Participants will acquire the ability to assess, interpret data, and implement instructional practices to address the needs of students.

The purpose of this course will be to examine and discuss elements of teaching science in the elementary and middle school grades. Participants will discuss methods of instruction based upon the knowledge, skills, and processes of sciences that are necessary for teaching content in the classroom. Assignments will address a variety of strategies of instruction, construction of lesson plans for daily, unit and semester planning.

A study of the mathematical topics for those seeking licensure for teaching PK-8. Methods of teaching mathematics for elementary and middle school math will be investigated. Topics to include: number sense, operations, fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions.

This course will address students’ understanding and application of classroom and behavior management techniques, classroom community building, and individual interventions. It will include techniques that promote emotional well-being, teach and maintain behavioral conduct and skills consistent with norms, standards, and rules of the educational environment. Content will address diverse approaches based upon behavioral, cognitive, affective, social and ecological theory and practice that support professionally appropriate practices and promote positive redirection of behavior, development of social skills, and of self-discipline. In addition, students will explore the relationship between age and behavior management as well as appropriate classroom management techniques and behavioral intervention when working with students who have disabilities.

Organizational and Instructional Procedures for Pre-Kindergarten-6th Grade: Principles and techniques of planning and teaching at the Pre-6 levels are presented. 

This course is designed to provide future special education teachers extensive practice in developing skills necessary to collaborate or consult effectively with school professionals, students and their families, and outside agencies in order to provide the most beneficial educational services for students with disabilities. Students will also develop necessary case management strategies.

This course is designed to prepare students to teach at the middle and high school level by developing the necessary knowledge & skills to design, implement, & evaluate instruction. In this course, the student will learn about a number of critical issues and topics that teachers must understand and be able to skillfully apply in order to successfully overcome the challenges of today’s classrooms. The emphasis will be on providing participants with practical advice and strategies to deal with real-world problems that teachers face every day. 

This course will prepare students to teach Career and Technical courses effectively by developing the necessary knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate instruction. This course will provide prospective CTE teachers with resources and curricula for teaching CTE courses in the field they have chosen. Prospective teachers in this class will learn the process for planning, developing, and evaluating curricula that will prepare their students in today’s classroom for future careers and/or higher education. 

This course is designed to prepare future teachers who are planning to teach in PK-12 endorsement areas such as music, art, health, and P. E, etc, by developing the necessary knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate instruction. In this course, the student will be introduced to the concepts of curriculum and instruction with a focus on the interaction of the two. The class will consider a number of issues and topics that teachers must understand and skillfully apply in addressing the day-to-day adventures and challenges inherent in modern classrooms. The emphasis will be on providing participants with practical advice and strategies to deal with real-world problems that teachers face every day.

This course is designed to prepare students to teach a foreign language by developing the necessary knowledge & skills to design, implement, & evaluate instruction. In this course, the student will learn about a number of critical issues and topics that teachers must understand and be able to skillfully apply in order to successfully overcome the challenges of today’s classrooms. The emphasis will be on providing participants with practical advice and strategies to deal with real-world problems that teachers face every day.