Course Descriptions By Program
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CHD200 - Introduction to PreK to Grade 8 Education
This is an introductory course that emphasizes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to become a PreK to Grade 4 or Grade 4-8 educator. National and state professional standards provide a framework in the areas of planning & preparation, classroom environment, instructional delivery, professional conduct, assessment, and knowledge of diverse learners. A 30-hour field experience in a school setting is required.
CHD250 - Health and Physical Education Methods for Pre K-4th Grade
This course is designed to meet the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) guidelines for the Pre K - grade 4 certification program. Topics covered include understanding the needs of the whole child, the role of play in health and physical activity needs, integrating physical activity throughout the curriculum, fitness, nutrition, and safety during activity and in the environment. More specifically, the Pennsylvania State and National standards for Health and Physical Activity for grades Pre K – 4 will be addressed and applied in the context of learning about developmentally, culturally and individually appropriate practices to support children’s healthy growth and development, both in and out of the classroom.
CHD312 - Instructional Leadership in Childhood Education
The goal of this course is to develop teacher leaders who advocate for all students in grades Prek-4, including students with exceptionalities and students of diverse populations. Objectives are aligned with Pennsylvania Department of Education Field competencies, Levels 1 and 2, and candidates are required to complete these competencies with 30-45 hours of observation and classroom experience under the guidance and observation of a mentor teacher in a Prek-4 setting. Based on field experiences in the assigned Prek-4 classroom, interviews with school personnel, and research of professional literature, candidates will examine current issues and trends in policy, ethics, organization and administration of Prek-4 learning environments. As a result, candidates will develop a comprehensive plan for advocacy on a relevant and timely educational issue based on analysis of schoolwide and demographic data. Candidates will also become reflective practitioners, developing plans for their own professional development based on their self-identified strengths and weaknesses. The course is standards-based, supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education standards for teacher preparation, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC).
CHD322 - Professional Education Internship
The internship course provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to experiences outside or within the education field. In consultation with the department Advisor, students select an organization or agency that matches their career interests and goals. Students complete a minimum of 120 hours under the supervision of a university faculty member and an off-site supervisor at the internship site.
CHD350 - Family and Community Collaboration Partnerships
An exploration of the knowledge, dispositions, and skills required of professionals in order to respond to diverse family systems and needs. Emphasis is placed on: developing collaborative partnerships, effective communication, mobilizing community resources, ethical and research-based practices, and advocating for culturally, linguistically, developmentally, and socioeconomically diverse individuals and families.
CHD400 - Issues, Advocacy and Leadership in Childhood Education
The goal of this course is to develop teacher leaders who advocate for all children in early childhood and middle level grades. Candidates will examine current issues and trends in policy, ethics, organization and administration of early and middle level learning environments. Candidates will explore social, historical, and philosophical perspectives in the field of early childhood and middle level education (e.g. developmentally appropriate practice, advocacy, ethical conduct, standards-based education). In addition, they will analyze and apply skills that demonstrate effective advocacy and leadership. This course provides candidates with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan for advocacy on a relevant and timely educational issue based on analysis of schoolwide and demographic data. The three-credit course involves fieldwork in an early childhood setting for Prek-4 majors and a or middle level setting for Grades 4-8 majors. Prek4/Special Education majors and Grades 4-8 /Special Education majors will complete the course for two credits with no field component included within this course. Candidates will also begin to be reflective practitioners, developing plans for their own professional development based on their self-identified strengths and weaknesses.
CHD412 - Field Experiences with Diverse Populations
This course is designed to provide students practical experiences in identifying and working with diverse populations in a K-8 classroom. The dimensions of diversity include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, religion, mental and physical ability, class, and immigration status. Pennsylvania Department of Education Field competencies, Level 3, provide the objectives of this course. Students are required to complete these competencies with 30-45 hours of observation and teaching under the guidance and observation of a mentor teacher in K-8 elementary classroom. Current teaching technology and strategies to meet the needs of children in grades K-8 will be researched, observed and discussed. Students will complete a diversity field project, in which they will complete an action research project to identify underrepresented groups in a K-8 classroom, areas of need, a plan of action, data analysis, conclusion, and recommendations. University classroom seminars and field classroom teaching experiences are combined to give students an opportunity to discover their aptitude and interest in working with K-8 school children. The course is standards-based, supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education standards for teacher preparation, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC).
CHD413 - Content Area Literacy Field Experience
This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with practical experiences in a K-8 classroom. Pennsylvania Department of Education Field Competencies, Level 3, provide the objectives of this course. Teacher candidates are required to complete the field competencies with 30-45 hours of observation and teaching under the guidance and observation of a mentor teacher in a K-8 classroom. Teacher candidates will gain insights into the different ways in which literacy enables learning across the curriculum and will explore how to integrate literacy instruction into the content areas. Candidates will gain an understanding of language and literacy development and will examine the literacy needs and experiences of linguistically, culturally, and economically diverse students. Candidates will develop a diverse toolkit of instructional and assessment practices that can be used in a variety of classroom contexts to support literacy across the disciplines. Course content will help students in conceptualizing, designing, and implementing content specific literacy instruction. Candidates will complete a mini-action research based project in which learners in a K-8 classroom will be assessed to identify areas of need associated with a specific content area; then candidates will plan and implement developmentally appropriate lessons, using age-appropriate assessments to determine the overall impact on student learning. University classroom seminars and field classroom teaching experiences are combined to give students an opportunity to discover their aptitude and interest in working with K-8 school children across the content areas.
CHD450 - Assessment and Data Literacy for Teaching
This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with in-depth instruction and authentic experience to integrate assessment literacy and data literacy into instructional planning, implementation, and decision-making to improve teaching, learning, and school programs. The course includes methods for transforming information into actionable instructional knowledge and practices by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting various sources of data to determine instructional next steps and program revisions. Additionally, this course includes methods for planning assessments that are integrated with instruction, crafting assessment tools, grading and evaluating students, assessing higher-order thinking, interpreting state-mandated and other standardized tests scores for classroom and school-wide purposes, and aligning assessment with state standards. Further, this course integrates a field-based component and requires work in a field placement.