Education Courses

Semester specific course descriptions

203. Contemporary Issues in American Education.
A multidisciplinary consideration of current issues in education, to serve as a vehicle by which students may explore the idea of entering the teaching profession. The course includes a multi-cultural examination of current educational issues through lectures, readings, research and discussions of position papers prepared by the student. A field experience is required. Registration priority to sophomores and juniors intending to enroll in the professional semester. Also offered through Peace Studies.

301. Principles of School Teaching.
This course is designed to help students develop effective tech-niques for teaching and creating a climate that is safe and conducive to learning in classrooms. Students learn through lectures, readings, field experience in the public schools, videotaped micro-teaching in small groups on campus and exposure to a variety of role models from the University community and the region. The uses of standards and objectives in curriculum development and assessment are examined. Techniques for acquiring and integrating information, refining and extending knowledge and team-teaching are explored. A field experience in the public schools is required. Registration priority to juniors and sophomores intending to enroll in the professional semester.

305. Educational Psychology.
A consideration of educational and psychological principles and theories applicable to learning, with emphasis on the public schools. Particular attention is paid to such areas as human growth and development, motivation, theories of learning and teaching, evaluation and assessment, student differences and behavior management in the classroom. A field experience in the public schools is required. Registration priority to juniors and sophomores intending to enroll in the professional semester. Prerequisite: Psychology 100 or 101.

405. The Dynamics of School Teaching.
Student teaching seminar.

406. Supervised Student Teaching.
Students in the professional semester enroll in Education 405, 406, 410, 436 and 437 for a full semester of student teaching in the public schools. General supervision by University supervisors in concert with cooperating teachers in the classroom setting. Education 405, 410, 436 and 437 are taught intensively during the first four weeks of the semester, at which time student teachers undertake a 40-hour field experience in the classroom. Then the courses change to a weekly schedule for the remaining student teaching experience. Instructors discuss problems and concerns arising throughout the professional semester and assist student teachers in understanding their own socialization in the teaching profession. The course focuses on those aspects of teaching that promote the establishment and maintenance of a classroom environment that is both safe and conducive to learning. Special workshops in Education 405 cover state-mandated topics including school safety and fire prevention, violence prevention, the identification and reporting of child abuse and the prevention of drug/alcohol/tobacco abuse. Prerequisites: Education 203, 301, 305 and 455 or their equivalents. Enrollment by permission only.

410. Methods, Materials and Literacy Development in the Content Area.
As a part of the professional semester, separate sections of this course are offered in art, English, foreign languages, mathematics, social studies and the sciences. Each section involves a study of standards and objectives, special techniques appropriate for the teaching of the particular subject, materials and aids for facilitating instruction, lesson and unit planning and assessment, and an analysis of problems unique to the teaching of the subject. Focus is on strategies for language and literacy development in alignment with the New York State learning standards. Prerequisites: Education 203, 301, 305 and 455 or their equivalents. Enrollment by permission only.

436. Individual Differences in Inclusive Classrooms.
This course addresses the need for teachers to facilitate the learning of students with a variety of special needs in inclusive classroom settings. Attention is paid to the special education referral and planning process spelled out by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the role of the classroom teacher in meeting the educational needs of mainstreamed students and strategies for helping all students to meet the New York state learning standards. A field experience in the public schools is required. Prerequisites: Education 203, 301, 305 and 455 or their equivalents. Enrollment by permission only.

437. Classroom Organization and Management. (0.5 credit)
This course is designed to assist student teachers in the professional semester to develop successful approaches to classroom management for diverse learners. Students investigate the current theories in classroom organization and behavior management, critically analyzing them according to recent research on learning and school structure. As a part of the professional semester, students have opportunities to apply theories learned in the course in actual classroom situations. The state-mandated two-hour workshop on prevention of school violence is in the syllabus. Open only to seniors or graduate students approved for the professional semester. Prerequisites: Education 203, 301, 305, 455 or their equivalents. Enrollment by permission only.

455. Language Acquisition and Literacy Development Across the Curriculum.
A multidisciplinary consideration of the ways young people learn the language arts (speaking, reading, writing and listening) across the subject matter disciplines. This course addresses language acquisition and literacy development for students who are native English speakers and students who are English language learners. A field experience in the public schools is required. Registration priority to juniors intending to enroll in the professional semester.

489, 490. Independent Study in Education.

Graduate Programs

Graduate courses may be taken for graduate credit only. Undergraduate students who have three or fewer units to complete before graduation may enroll in graduate courses with the permission of the instructor. In addition to the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program, St. Lawrence offers master’s degree programs in teaching, educational leadership and counseling, with programs leading to certificates of advanced study in educational leadership and counseling as well. Completion of a master’s degree program at St. Lawrence helps meet requirements for initial and/or professional teaching certification in New York as well as provisional and/or permanent certification in educational administration and/or school guidance and mental health counseling. For information about graduate-level offerings in education, refer to the Graduate Studies Catalog, available from the department of education