Request to revise the Undergraduate Elementary Education Program

Date: June 1, 2010
To: College of Education
From: Clarence Greene, Faculty Governance Program Assistant
Approved On: February 8, 2010
Implementation Date: 2010


Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.


Catalog Copy

ELED 3111. Instructional Design and Technology Integration with Elementary School Learners. (2) Prerequisite: Admission to Elementary Education Program. Introduction to setting goals and objectives of instruction, various formats of lesson addressing, alignment between instructional objectives, activities, and assessments and the related use of technology in the development of effective and systematic learning environments; focused on current PC operation system, Web@.) Tools, words processing, spreadsheet, presentation package and other multimedia tools. Five hours of clinical experiences required, (Fall, Spring, Summer)

ELED 4111. Instructional Design and Technology Integration with Elementary School learners. (1) Prerequisite: Admission to Education Elementary Education Program: completion of all ELED coursework, except 4000-level courses, & Admission to Yearlong Internship. Examination of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and higher-order thinking skills. Design of technology-rich instruction to address curriculum standards, and exploration of how technology can further enhance student learning. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

ELED 4292. Multicultural Education: Modifying Instruction for urban Learners. (3) Prerequisite: Admission to Elementary Education Program: completion of all ELED coursework, except 4000-level courses, & Admission to Yearlong Internship. This course assists teachers in developing strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the learning needs of all members of elementary classrooms, including but not limited to, students at risk for school failure, gifted students, and individuals form culturally diverse backgrounds. There will also be a focus on socioeconomic class, religion, language, and gender. (Fall, Summer)

BACHELOR OF ARTS: ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

The B.A. program in Elementary Education qualifies graduates for an entry-level (“A”) license to teach grades K-6.

Program Objectives. Graduates of the program are prepared to meet the 10 INTASC standards for new teachers in Content Pedagogy, Student Development, Diverse Learners, Multiple Instructional Strategies, Motivation and Management, Communication and Technology, Planning, Assessment, Reflective Practice, School and Community Involvement.

Requirements. The major in Elementary Education leading to the B.A. degree requires at least 120 semester hours as follows:

General Education (35-48 hours). Course options are listed on the program’s Academic Planning Worksheet. Course selections must be initially approved by the student’s Pre-Education advisor in the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) Office and finally approved by the student’s major advisor after admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. General Education requirements may also be met through the “Articulation Agreement” with North Carolina Community Colleges.

An Academic Concentration (18 hours, including up to two courses that also meet General Education Requirements) is required in one of the following subject areas relevant to an elementary school classroom:

• The Arts
• Diversity Studies
• English and Communications
• Global Issues
• Global Studies and Foreign Language
• International Studies
• Math, Science, and Technology
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Visual and Performing Arts

The required and elective courses in each Academic Concentration are listed on the program’s Academic Planning Worksheet. Course selections must be initially approved by the student’s Pre-Education advisor in the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office and finally approved by the student’s major advisor after admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. With advisor approval, a full second major or a bona fide minor in an Arts and Sciences discipline may be substituted for the academic concentration.

Related Licensure Courses (1-13 3 hours). If these courses or acceptable substitutes have already been taken for General Education or Academic Concentration credit, no additional courses are required.
1) Practicing the Creative Arts (0-3): ARTE 2121 Development Arts, MUSC 2191 Musicianship, or DATH 1100 Exploration of Voice and Movement. The course must be in an area of the arts different from that taken for General Education.
2) Children’s Literature (0-3): ENGL 3103 Children’s Literature

Professional Education Courses (57 hours)
EDUC 2100 An Introduction to Education & Diversity in Schools (3)*
SPED 2100 Introduction to Students with Special Needs (3)*

Admission to Teacher Education and advisor’s approval are required in order to register for any of the following courses:
ELED 3110 Instructional Design and the Use of Technology with Elementary School Learner (3)
ELED 3120 The Elementary School Child (3)
ELED 3221 Teaching Science to Elementary School Learners (3)
ELED 3223 Teaching Social Studies to Elementary School Learners (3)
ELED 3226 Teaching Language Arts to Elementary School Learners (3)
MAED 3222 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, K-2 (3)
MAED 3224 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, 3-6 (3)
EXER 3228 Integrating Physical Activity and Movement in Elementary Schools (2)
EXER 3229 Teaching Health and Safety to Elementary School Learners (2)
READ 3224 Teaching Reading to Primary Level Learners (3)
READ 3226 Teaching Reading to Intermediate Grade Learners (3)

ELED 4111 Instructional Design and Technology Integration with Elementary School Learners (1)
EDUC 4290 Modifying Instruction for Learners with Diverse Needs (3)

EDUC 4292 Modifying Instruction for Urban Learners (3)
ELED 4121 Measuring and Evaluating Learning in the Elementary School Curriculum (3)**
ELED 4122 Research and Analysis of Teaching Elementary School Learners (3)**
ELED 4220 Integrating Curriculum for Elementary School Learners (3)**
ELED 4420 Student Teaching/Seminar: K-6 Elementary Education (15)***

*Corequisite courses EDUC 2100 and SPED 2100 should be taken during a student’s sophomore year; both must be completed with a grade of C or better to qualify for admission to the Teacher Education Program.
**ELED 4121, ELED 4122, and ELED 4220 should be taken the semester before student teaching.
***Enrollment in ELED 4420 requires admission to student teaching through the College’s Office of Field Experiences.

Electives. The number of free electives will vary depending upon how General Education and related licensure requirements are fulfilled. Students must complete at least 120 hours to meet the University graduation requirement.

Additional Requirements. The successful completion of a degree in Elementary Education includes meeting the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s licensure requirements for K-6 certification. Consequently, additional requirements must be completed during the student’s program and are listed below. Since state licensure requirements often change, additional work may be required to complete the program with a teaching license.

Dispositions. Dispositions are consistent patterns of behavior or habits that may impact teaching effectiveness. At the time of entry to the program, all elementary education majors are asked to sign a dispositions statement that fully identifies and describes behavior patterns that are appropriate and inappropriate in professional conduct. Elementary education students are expected to demonstrate professional dispositions in all of their university activities (courses, clinicals, etc.).

Planning Sheet. All elementary education students are tracked through their program with a Program Planning Sheet. The original planning sheet is kept in the student’s folder and lists all courses taken, transfer hours, General Education and concentration requirements met, and courses remaining in the program. Note that the university requires that the minimum number of credits in a degree program is 120 credit hours.

Clinicals. Many courses in the professional program include a clinical requirement where students complete specific activities or designated hours in an elementary school. Clinicals are designed to expose students to diverse school demographics, locations, and programs.

Academic Concentration. Students must complete a concentration of 18 semester hours in an area of study to obtain North Carolina licensure in K-6th grades. The academic concentration includes both required courses and optional course selections in order to complete the concentration.

Year Long Internship. Teacher education candidates participate in the yearlong internship during their final year of the program. During the first semester, students spend one day per week in an assigned classroom while completing coursework on campus. During the second semester of the internship, students complete full-time student teaching in the same classroom. Applications for this year long internship are due two semesters before student teaching.

ePortfolio. To meet state licensure requirements, all students must demonstrate technology proficiency by documenting 18 competencies in an electronic portfolio. Fifteen of the 18 competencies must be documented prior to student teaching. ELED 3110 prepares students for their ePortfolio documentation.

Academic Advising. Freshmen and sophomores who intend to major in Elementary Education are classified as Pre-Education students in Elementary Education. They are assigned an advisor in the College’s Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL), who helps them select appropriate General Education and Academic Concentration courses, and also helps them meet the requirements for admission to teacher education. Upon admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education, which typically occurs at the end of the sophomore year, students are assigned a major advisor in elementary education, who helps them plan the remainder of their program of study. Assignment of the student’s major advisor is the responsibility of the Chair of the Department of Reading and Elementary Education (REEL).

Note: Elementary education courses are available on a very limited basis in the summer.