This course engages students in observations, interactions, and analyses of critical and contemporary educational issues. Students will investigate issues influencing the social and political contexts of educational settings in Georgia and the United States. Students will actively examine the teaching profession from multiple vantage points both within and outside the school. Against this backdrop, students will reflect on and interpret the meaning of education and schooling in a diverse culture and examine the moral and ethical responsibilities of teaching in a democracy.

Given the rapidly changing demographics in our state and country, this course is designed to equip future teachers with the fundamental knowledge of understanding culture and teaching children from diverse backgrounds. Specifically, this course is designed to examine 1) the nature and function of culture; 2) the development of individual and group cultural identity; 3) definitions and implications of diversity, and 4) the influences of culture on learning, development, and pedagogy. This course requires community service hours.

Explore key aspects of learning and teaching through examining your own learning processes and those of others, with the goal of applying your knowledge to enhance the learning of all students in a variety of educational settings and contexts. This course includes a lab experience.

This course provides candidates with the conceptual and theoretical foundation in reading, literacy, and language required for individuals who intend to teach children in any subject in grades P-12.

This course provides candidates with the conceptual and theoretical foundation in reading, literacy, and language required for individuals who intend to teach children in any subject in grades P-12.

This course provides candidates with the conceptual and theoretical foundation in reading, literacy, and language required for individuals who intend to teach children in any subject in grades P-12.

The purpose of this course is to engage students in integrated curricular design approaches across the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the arts with the goals of a) increasing the integration of STEM content within individual fields of practice, and b) fostering belonging to and participation in STEM/STEAM education for all students. Emphasis is placed on leveraging effective approaches to standards alignment, assessment, differentiation, and brokering authentic, connected learning experiences and fostering P-12 learners’ development of transferrable skills necessary for 21st century programs of study and careers.

This course will engage participants in developing meaningful understandings of problem-based approaches to teaching, learning, and the integrations of STEM practices across the P-12 curriculum using appropriate technology. Participants will demonstrate their skills through the development and creation of problem-based, hands-on experience lesson plan designs. The STEM content has been designed to address the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

The course will foster an understanding of how teachers and STEM experts can influence education and impact committed interactions and the sharing of knowledge. Prior STEM understanding will be enhanced through the development of integrated STEM projects for the in-service teacher, elementary and secondary classroom, and for dispersal within the community. Through an increased opportunity for action and dialogue associated with community issues, students will become adept at identifying avenues for involvement in STEM that encourage community engagement as a means of promoting STEM for all learners. 15 Field-based (residency) hours required and completion of integrated portfolio requirements (Phase three of Integrated STEM Portfolio)

This is a field-based course designed to prepare teacher candidates to plan, instruct, and assess student learning in PK-K classrooms. It also focuses on the concepts, principles, and theories of implementing best-practice classroom management. Students must complete at least 10 hours of field experience in an approved PK-K setting.

This is a field-based course designed to prepare teacher candidates to plan, instruct, and assess student learning in grades 1-3 classrooms. It also focuses on the concepts, principles, and theories of implementing best-practice classroom management. Students must complete at least 10 hours of field experience in an approved grades 1-3 setting.

This is a field-based course designed to prepare teacher candidates to plan, instruct, and assess student learning in grades 4-5 classrooms. It also focuses on the concepts, principles, and theories of implementing best-practice classroom management. Students must complete at least 10 hours of field experience in an approved grades 4-5 setting.

This course focuses on the basic understanding of data visualization tools and simple data analysis models by using the built-in packages within R programming language. The course provides hands-on experience in R programming through the use of case studies and real-world data sets. Students will be familiarized with R packages that are widely used for data formatting, data visualization, data modeling and data reporting with summary write-ups to explain the outputs.