School of Teaching and Learning

Course Code	STL 226  Credits 2
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 230  Credits 3
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. This course examines influences on child development including culture, family, community, and policy and practices. The relationship between development and learning is explored along with implications for teaching.

Course Code	STL 291  Credits 3
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 295  Credits 3
Title	Foundations of Language and Literacy
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	This course examines language and early literacy development in children from birth to age six. Emphasis is given to the relationship between language acquisition and early literacy, the impact of sociological and cultural factors on early 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. This course includes an introduction to the five pillars of reading, with a particular emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary.

Course Code	STL 325  Credits 2
Title	Principles of Inclusive and Responsive Teaching: Technology Emphasis
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	This course will explore principles necessary for successful inclusion across elementary settings. Effective use of technology and assistive technology to support student needs will be a special emphasis of the course. The course will also cover communication strategies, working with English Language Learners, and other students with diverse needs in order to create inclusive educational environments.

Course Code	STL 327  Credits 2
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 341  Credits 3
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 365  Credits 3
Title	Responsive Teaching I: Learning Environments and Differentiation
Prerequisite	STL 325
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	This course will focus on teaching students with diverse needs in a variety of settings. The course is designed for both regular and special educators to gain knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to best practices for teaching in inclusive environments – including a strong emphasis on differentiated instruction, universal design for learning and collaboration. This course serves as a methods course for education majors; therefore, an emphasis will be placed on students connecting theory to practice and strategies into teaching practice.

Course Code	STL 380  Credits 3
Title	Models of Teaching and Assessment
Prerequisite	STL 325
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	Teacher candidates will learn how assessment and instruction are tied together in providing appropriate instruction based on student need. Models of teaching will be studied and lesson plans will be developed using a variety of instructional models. Candidates will be introduced to principles and methods of effective and appropriate assessment that apply to children grades K-6 and across multiple subject areas. Additionally, in this course, the candidate continues to develop an understanding of how students learn and how students develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally via differentiation and classroom environment supports. Candidates will continue to consider the need for adapting instruction to meet individualized learning needs.

Course Code	STL 388  Credits 3
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 395  Credits 3
Title	Literacy Methods I
Prerequisite	STL 295
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	This course focuses on methods of literacy instruction for teaching children in preschool to grade three. Emphasis is placed on instructional strategies to support readers and writers across the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) within a comprehensive literacy framework. This course builds upon the content and concepts related to the five pillars introduced in STL 295. Further, this course includes a strong emphasis on the role of assessment in the teaching and learning process and exposes candidates to a variety of literacy assessments.

Course Code	STL 413  Credits 3
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 3
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 3
Title	Children's Literature: Content and Methods
Prerequisite	SPED 225, STL 395
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, informational text 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 3
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 3
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 452E  Credits 1-2
Title	Senior Level Field Experience
Prerequisite	Successful completion of all previous practicum experiences.
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	Supervised field experience for Elementary Inclusive Education students. This experience takes place the semester just before student teaching. Students will demonstrate proficiency in knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to successfully student teach the following semester.

Course Code	STL 465  Credits 3
Title	Responsive Teaching II: Collaboration and Team Decision Making
Prerequisite	STL 365; STL 395; STL 380; STL 495; STL 476; MATH 406
Course Outline	Course Outline
Description	Students will be expected to apply principles of effective inclusive environments in authentic settings and reflect upon their practices. An emphasis of the course will be collaboration, parent and professional relationships, and making decisions as a team to meet the needs of individual learners in inclusive settings. Students will have extensive opportunities to plan differentiated lessons considering needs outlined in Individualized Education Plans and using grade-level content standards

Course Code	STL 474  Credits 3
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.