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School of Teaching and Learning

Course Code
STL 226  Credits
Title Social Studies Content for Elementary Teachers 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description In this course, students will receive background on the content of social studies with special emphases on the fields of geography, history, government and economics, which are the backbone of the elementary and middle school social studies curriculum. Other parts of the social studies will also be discussed. In addition, students will receive background on the history, government and culture of Minnesota's American Indian groups. 



Course Code
STL 291  Credits
Title Early Literacy 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This course provides the learner with an overview of early literacy development in children ages birth to 6. Attention will be focused on the continuum of early literacy development; the relationship between language acquisition and early literacy; the importance of promoting literacy development in all children, particularly those with special needs; the impact of sociological and cultural factors on literacy development; and the wide variety of home and school experiences that provide children with a solid foundation of success for learning to read and write. 



Course Code
STL 327  Credits
Title Technology in Education 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This course provides a balanced look at technology and its effect on people and society by reviewing social, legal, ethical, and human issues faced by educators and students. Teacher candidates will work with various instructional technologies to explore communication, collaboration, instruction and assessment in P-12 classrooms. The course will discuss protection of intellectual property and safety/privacy issues in the use of educational technologies. 



Course Code
STL 330  Credits
Title Child Development and Learning for Teachers 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This course explores the growth, development and learning of children from conception through adolescence. It addresses the relationship between development and learning and explores implications for teaching. Growth and learning are explored through a matrix of developmental domains and specific content knowledge areas. 



Course Code
STL 341  Credits
Title Reading and Writing Methods PreK-3 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description First in a series of two methods courses where candidates will learn and apply knowledge and pedagogy that supports the development of reading and writing in young children. By knowing and understanding the ages and stages of literacy development, candidates will begin to explore effective instructional practices focusing on integrating the five areas of reading within a balanced literacy instructional framework for primary age children. A response to intervention approach to instruction will be integrated so candidates will engage in instructional best practices to meet all children's unique learning needs. 



Course Code
STL 388  Credits
Title Classroom Assessment 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description In this course, we examine assessment broadly as we examine principles of effective and appropriate assessment that apply to children from birth to grade eight and across multiple subject areas. Principles of assessment taught in this course include: assessment for learning, assessment of learning, users of assessment, purposes of assessment, bias, validity, reliability, assessment targets and methods, and standardized vs. informal assessment. This course also provides an overview of the major types of assessment methods used by classroom teachers to evaluate student performance and improve instruction. Specifically, the course will address the use, construction, and interpretation of assessments that utilize the following methods: selected response, essay, performance, and personal communication. We will assess students' dispositions as well as the examination and basic interpretation of standardized tests. 



Course Code
STL 390  Credits 1-3 
Title Topics in STL 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This is an upper division topical course which may be repeated when the topic changes. 



Course Code
STL 413  Credits
Title Effective Teaching 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description In this course, the candidate continues to develop an understanding of how students learn and how students develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally. Candidates will understand how to meet the needs of culturally and/or developmentally diverse learners across the scope and content of the curriculum. Candidates will identify and design instructional approaches which nurture critical thinking skills, model problem solving, and encourage student achievement. The candidate will develop, implement, and evaluate lesson plans which meet the individual and developmental needs of learners. Candidates will explore the use of educational technology for motivation, instruction, and assessment. Candidates will model effective and respectful communication techniques. The candidate will understand the role of special education and the varying models of special education services including co-teaching with the general education teacher. The candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the role of the individual education plan for students with identified special education needs and the role of the classroom teacher in adapting instruction and curriculum according to the IEP. 



Course Code
STL 428  Credits
Title Building Partnerships 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This course will focus on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for building relationships in the field of education. Understanding issues faced by contemporary families and their relationship to schools will be studied. Barriers, strategies, communication, consultation and cross-cultural sensitivity are covered. The teacher's role in building effective relationships with families and other professionals is emphasized. 



Course Code
STL 441  Credits
Title Children's Literature: Content and Methods 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This course requires close reading and study of children's literature--folktales, myth, hero tales, picture books, poetry, modern fantasy, biographies and realism. Emphasis is placed on the nature of children's literature, literature from diverse cultures, criteria for selection, and strategies for reading/teaching literature as a content field in the elementary school. 



Course Code
STL 442  Credits
Title Advanced Reading and Writing Methods PreK-3 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This is the second methods course for teaching reading and writing to primary age children. In this course candidates will deepen their knowledge of how to effectively teach reading and writing in the primary grades. STL 442 includes a strong emphasis on the role of assessment in the teaching and learning process, exposes candidates to a variety of literacy assessments, and continues to build their understanding of a response to intervention approach to instruction. 



Course Code
STL 443  Credits
Title Learning Environment 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description In this course, students will be instructed on the impact the physical, social, communicative, academic, and behavioral needs of the classroom community. During this course, candidates will demonstrate competencies drawn from the MN Board of Teaching standards. Competencies associated with this course will be applied and evaluated in a rigorous field experience. 



Course Code
STL 474  Credits
Title Methods in Teaching Elementary Science and Environmental Education 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Methods course for teaching science and environment education in elementary settings. Emphasizes inquiry learning, methods of instruction and assessment, place-based environmental education, integration across the curriculum, safety, and responsiveness to student diversity. Recommended Corequisite: STL 476



Course Code
STL 475  Credits
Title Teaching Reading and Writing Grades 4-6 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Methods course for teaching language arts in the intermediate grades. In this course candidates will learn strategies to strengthen students' ability to read advanced texts as well as the use of reading and writing to learn content across the curriculum. Candidates will examine a variety of instructional approaches, including: literature circles, integrating literature into content learning, and building comprehension and vocabulary through integrated experiences. In addition, students will explore a variety of language arts curricula. Candidates will develop a range of strategies to support older students' reading and writing development through a response to intervention instructional approach. 



Course Code
STL 476  Credits
Title Methods for Teaching Elementary Social Studies 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Content, philosophy, and organization of social studies program; methods of instruction and curricular issues. Recommended Co-requisite STL 474



Course Code
STL 481E  Credits 8-16 
Title Student Teaching: Elementary 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Supervised student teaching experience in an elementary school setting. Includes weekly seminar. 



Course Code
STL 490  Credits 1-3 
Title Topics in School of Teaching and Learning 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description This is an upper division topical course which may be repeated when the topic changes.