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STANDARD 1: DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING, AND MOTIVATION

Candidates in Elementary Education are required to take at least three different courses in Psychology. First, they take the course, Introduction to Psychology, in which basic concepts of knowledge, development, and perception are the topics. Second, they take a course in Educational Psychology, in which questions related to student learning, the environment for learning, and the consequences of different styles of teaching are the subject. Third, they take a course in Child Development, in which developmental milestones, student abilities, and motivation are among the topics analyzed. Copies of the syllabi for those courses are attached.

STANDARD 2A: CONCEPTS, INQUIRY, AND STRUCTURE OF CONTENT

Elementary Education candidates are required to take a course in Curriculum in which they deal with concept-based teaching, inquiry strategies including various forms of questioning, and the structure of the content of the various subject areas of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Reading. A syllabus for that course is enclosed.

STANDARD 2B: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Candidates for the Elementary Education Program must take a course entitled Methods of Teaching Language Arts. The topics encompassed in this course include the teaching of writing, thinking skills as applied to language arts, different forms of expression including poetry and various kinds of prose, the development of a second language, and multiple assessment in the language arts. Although candidates are deaf and will be teaching students who are deaf, nonetheless the concepts of Listening and Speaking are adapted in the program to refer to receptive and expressive language. Candidates also must take a course entitled Methods of Teaching Reading, which includes the topics of how elementary children learn to read, the relationship between letters and sounds, how students get meaning from text, and the general structure of English. Candidates must also take a course called Children's Literature, which includes experiences with poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and biography; students learn the process of critiquing these various works in terms of their appropriateness for teaching to elementary children. Syllabi of all three courses are attached.

STANDARD 2C: SCIENCE

Candidates for the Elementary Education Program must take a course called Methods of Teaching Science. In this course, through both discussion and hands-on experiences, candidates work with basic concepts in the physical sciences, life science, earth science, and space science in an inquiry context. The inquiry involves the asking of questions, ways of conducting laboratory experiences, data collection, and the collection of evidence. A syllabus for that course is attached.

STANDARD 2D: Mathematics

Candidates in Elementary Education must take a course in Methods of Teaching Mathematics, in which the emphasis is on the use of problem-solving techniques in the teaching of mathematics, teaching for meaning in regard to mathematical systems, the various kinds of measurement systems, and different numeration systems. Candidates must also complete at least two separate courses in college-level mathematics, in which the candidates deal with concepts in mathematics up through at least pre-Calculus. Candidates also are required to complete two courses entitled Math Concepts for Teachers, 1 and 2; in these courses, a full review of mathematics required for elementary school teaching takes place, including whole numbers, fractions, decimals, the four basic operations, and percents are included; in addition, graphing and geometric concepts and relationships are discussed as well. Syllabi for all five courses are attached.

STANDARD 2E: SOCIAL STUDIES

Candidates are required to have a broad general knowledge of history and the social sciences through a program of General Studies. In that set of experiences, students take courses in World Civilization, United States History, Psychology, and at least two courses dealing with different aspects of cultural diversity. Candidates also must take the required course, Methods of Teaching Social Studies, which deals with the pedagogy of teaching about culture, geography, social institutions, government, concepts in economics, and global connections; candidates also investigate methods involving discussion and inquiry as well as the analysis of different points of view. Candidates also take a required course in Physical Geography, which deals in depth with questions of people and places, maps and globes, and geographic measurement. The syllabi for both courses are attached.

STANDARD 2F: THE ARTS

Candidates in Elementary Education are required to take courses from a selection in the area of the arts and humanities, which deal with theater and the visual arts, including the history of art. While many candidates do not take a required course in music because they are all deaf, there is full exposure to other aspects of the arts for these candidates; for candidates with some residual hearing, music courses are offered. A list of courses in the arts from which candidates select is enclosed.

STANDARD 2G: HEALTH EDUCATION

Candidates are required to take two semester hours of credit in Physical Education and Health; in that context, they learn about physical fitness, general health issues, disease, and concepts related to lifestyle. In addition, candidates take a course in biology in which the body systems are a topic of study. A copy of the relevant syllabi are enclosed.

STANDARD 2H: PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Candidates are required to take two semester hours of credit in Physical Education and Health; in this connection, they learn about motor skills, movement, and the value of cooperation in physical activity. Relevant syllabi are enclosed.

STANDARD 2I: CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

Candidates are required to take a course in Curriculum in which one emphasis is on making interdisciplinary connections across the various fields of study. The techniques used in the course include various questioning strategies, how to deal with ambiguity, problem-solving, thinking skills, and the application of knowledge to real-life situations. A copy of the syllabus is included.

STANDARD 3A: INTEGRATING AND APPLYING KNOWLEDGE FOR INSTRUCTION

Candidates are required to take the course, Curriculum, which includes an emphasis on curriculum development and how to use information about child development in fitting activities within the curriculum to the needs of the child. Candidates also take a required course in Instructional Development which gives them the opportunity to apply various forms of technology to the planning of instruction. Candidates also take a required course in Educational Psychology which includes a study of theories of learning as applied to teaching. Syllabi for those courses are enclosed.

STANDARD 3B: ADAPTATION TO DIVERSE STUDENTS

In the required course, Curriculum, candidates learn about the diversity of learning styles that are associated with different ethnic groups in the United States; they then use this information in designing activities in a unit of instruction which takes into account this diversity of learning styles. Candidates also must take a course in Introduction to Teaching Exceptional Children, in which they learn about the different learning needs of students with various exceptionalities.In addition, themes of diversity as they occur in Children?s Literature are dealt with in the course on Children?s Literature. A copy of the material on cultural learning styles from the Curriculum course and a syllabus for the course, Introduction to Teaching Exceptional Children, are enclosed. In addition, however, the concept of diversity is infused across the teacher-preparation program, from the required General Studies course in Diversity through the final Student Teaching internship.

STANDARD 3C: DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING

In the required course, Curriculum, candidates learn about and practice a variety of critical thinking skills in a discussion format; those include comparison, categorization, sequencing, organization, and time relationships. A copy of the materials related to that set of experiences is enclosed.

STANDARD 3D: ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING

One primary emphasis of the program is student-centered teaching, including the ways in which teachers actively involve students in the learning process.Candidates in Elementary Education are required to take a course in Child Development. In this course, they learn about human motivation. Candidates are also required to take a course in Educational Psychology; in that course, the topics of classroom conflict resolution and interpersonal classroom communication are a focus. Syllabi of both courses are attached.

STANDARD 3E: COMMUNICATION TO FOSTER LEARNING

Candidates in Elementary Education take a required course in Instructional Development. In that course, candidates learn about a variety of communication tools which includes visual aids and computer technologies. Candidates also take a required course in Communication in which they learn about strategies for communication in discussing ideas, both verbally and non-verbally. Candidates also take a required course in Methods of Teaching Language Arts, in which the language development of the elementary school child is one focus. Syllabi of the three courses are enclosed.

STANDARD 4: ASSESSMENT FOR INSTRUCTION

Candidates take a required course, Curriculum, in which an important focus is the alternatives for various kinds of classroom assessment. Candidates learn about the distinction between formative and summative assessment and their functions, the techniques of observation as an assessment tool, the interview as an assessment tool, the development of rubrics for analyzing student products and student projects, the development of the portfolio as a means of comprehensive assessment, in addition to the various kinds of written tests. In addition, they also focus on the differences between self-assessment, peer assessment, and assessment by the teacher. Later in the various required Methods courses, candidates also learn about various forms of assessment in the classroom. Sample materials related to assessment are enclosed from the Curriculum course.

STANDARD 5A: DEVELOPING CAREER TEACHERS

All candidates complete a 10-week full-time internship with hearing students in a public or private school classroom, with a cooperating teacher. In the course of this internship, candidates are required to take full responsibility for the classroom, integrating knowledge from these several different disciplines. In addition, in this experience, they carry out various forms of assessment. Candidates also take a parallel required Student Teaching Seminar in which they analyze as a group the various kinds of decision-making that are involved in becoming a classroom teacher, as well as questions of professional ethical conduct. A copy of the objectives for the internship experience and the syllabus for the seminar are enclosed.

STANDARD 5B: REFLECTION AND EVALUATION

As part of the requirements for the student-teaching internship and the parallel seminar, all candidates must keep a daily reflective journal for their entire internship experience; in this journal, they reflect on not only what has occurred on a particular day, but also and more importantly how they themselves are growing and developing as professionals, as well as issues that have arisen for which they need help. The reflective journals are read regularly by the university supervisor and responded to in writing. Candidates then extract excerpts from the journal for inclusion in the final student-teaching portfolio, in a way which represents milestones in their professional growth during the period. Included in these reflections are observations about particular students as well as the class as a whole.The required portfolio itself is also a tool of self-evaluation because candidates self-select materials to include in it which will showcase particular skills that they have.

STANDARD 5C: COLLABORATION WITH FAMILIES

In the course of the seminar which accompanies the student-teaching internship, candidates discuss in depth the various methods for ensuring partnerships with parents in the school environment. Although they do not have sole responsibility for working directly with parents because they are in an internship situation, candidates learn about parent choices and concerns for their children. In addition, in the required course in Curriculum, candidates learn about the differences among ethnic groups in relation to family values.

STANDARD 5D: COLLABORATION WITH COLLEAGUES AND COMMUNITY

In the various required Methods courses, candidates regularly share materials such as lesson plans and units, and gain valuable peer feedback in the process. While candidates do not have direct experience in planning collaboration with the community because they are in an internship situation, they do learn about the collaborations which have been set up in their cooperating school for work with the local community. To the maximum extent possible, candidates in their student-teaching experience also establish some relationship with colleagues in the school other than with their own cooperating teacher; this collaboration occurs both informally in the teachers' lounge, and more formally in faculty meetings of the school to which the student teachers are invited.