DEPARTMENT
OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Chair:
Karen L. Stanley1
Faculty: Irene Aiken, Rebecca Berdeau, Swannee
Dickson, Kelly Ficklin2, Ashley D. Hope, Emily R. Long, Lisa
Mitchell, Joseph Sciulli
1Director, Elementary Education Graduate Program
2Coordinator,
Elementary Education Undergraduate Program
The
Department of Elementary Education offers the Bachelor of Science degree in
Elementary Education. The Elementary Education program is one of 12 teacher
education programs offered at UNCP. The program is designed to (1) provide
experiences for candidates to develop the content knowledge necessary to be a successful
teacher in the Kindergarten-Grade 6 learning
environment, as noted by the North Carolina
Teaching Content Standards; (2) provide candidates with experiences in pedagogical content knowledge, as noted by the North
Carolina Professional Teaching Standards; and (3) provide experiences whereby
candidates develop into professional educators who are committed,
collaborative, and competent, as noted in the UNCP School
of Education
Conceptual Framework.
It
is our desire that the Elementary Education graduates will motivate and engage
their Kindergarten-Grade 6 students in active learning and that they will
inspire them to become lifelong learners. This program is accredited by the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and North
Carolina State Board of Education and provides the means for candidates to earn
a Standard Professional I license to teach in the state of North Carolina.
At
the graduate level, the department offers the M.A.Ed. degree in Elementary
Education. The mission of the master’s program in Elementary Education is to
prepare the experienced teacher for full participation in the profession as
leader, researcher, and master practitioner.
The master’s program is designed to promote both teacher autonomy and
interdependence through inquiry, reflection, and practice. Teacher educators are encouraged to
collaborate on ways to enhance their professional lives, improve learning and
well-being of their students, the teaching and learning environments of their
schools, and their collaborative relationships with diverse families and
communities. The program is offered for
practicing teachers who hold a Standard Professional I teaching license. Two
years of full-time teaching experience is recommended, but not required.
Each
Elementary Education major or licensure candidate is assigned an advisor who
helps the student plan and approves his or her program of study. Additional
information about the elementary education department is available on the
department’s web page, accessible through the School of Education’s website.
BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (K-6)
Coordinator: Kelly Ficklin
Upon successful completion of the program of study in
Elementary Education and related requirements, graduates are eligible for a
Standard Professional I license to teach in the State of North Carolina. For a more detailed description, including
the program standards and goals and objectives, turn to Undergraduate Licensure
Programs in the School of Education section of this catalog.
|
Course Requirements |
Sem. Hrs. |
|
Freshman Seminar and General
Education |
45 |
|
Educator Preparation Core EPC
2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, 3010, 3020 |
12 |
|
Essential Standards ELE
2010, 2020, 2030, 2900, 4010, 4020, 4030, 4040, 4050 HST
3170 |
30 |
|
Content Pedagogy ELE
3010, 3020, 3030, 4060,
4070 |
21 |
|
Academic
or Professional Concentration (The number of hours may vary depending upon
student’s choice of concentration. Hours may overlap with some General
Education courses. The student should
plan the concentration in consultation with advisor.) |
18 |
|
General Electives |
2 |
|
|
Total: 128 |
COURSES
ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION (ELE)
ELE 2010.
Child Development and Cultural Dynamics
This
course focuses on conceptualizing the profession of teaching through the
specific development, nurturing relationships and shared responsibility of
educating children at the elementary school. Establishing ways in which
learning takes place in elementary settings for the appropriate levels of
intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of elementary
students. Through this course, students will prepare to build partnerships with
all segments of the school culture including parents, school and the community
with effective family and community involvement. Credit, 3 semester hours.
PREREQ: Must have no less than a 2.0 Grade Point Average
ELE 2020.
Health and Wellness Awareness
A
hands-on approach relating health and wellness awareness to teaching in 21st
century classrooms and schools. Focused on the methods, media, materials and
techniques used in elementary schools to establish relationships between students’
healthful and active choices to potential learning in the elementary grades.
Concurrent enrollment in Field experience required. Credit, 3 semester hours.
PREREQ: Admission to Teacher Education
ELE 2030.
Arts Integration in the Elementary School
Methods,
media, materials and techniques for integrating the arts in daily classroom
instruction will be investigated through the 21st century teaching
and learning skills including discovery, imagination, innovation, exploration,
reflection, and evaluation. Collaborative techniques will be connected to
elementary teaching through Music, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, Movement and
Dance. Concurrent enrollment in Field experience required. Credit, 3 semester
hours. PREREQ: Admission to Teacher Education
ELE 2900.
Research and Writing in Elementary Education
This
course is an introduction to writing in the field of elementary education with
an emphasis on formulation and execution of researchable topics within required
content disciplines. The course is designed to help students master
competencies related to in-depth research, content knowledge, communication,
and composition, including the use of current technologies. Credit: 3 semester hours; PREREQ: ENG 1050 and ENG 1060; 2.0 GPA.
ELE 3010.
Differentiated Instruction for Today’s Learners
Classroom
content area design and management strategies for individual differences and
exceptionalities that focus on ways teachers use ongoing differentiated
instruction to create a responsive classroom learning community. Course emphasis
will be engaging students in multisensory approaches to promote skills and
strategies for self-directed life-long learning. Concurrent enrollment in Field
experience required. Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ: Admission to Teacher
Education
ELE 3020.
Classroom Design and Management
Students
will explore best practices of effective classroom design and management,
organization and time management, and how to establish a productive classroom
climate. There will be an emphasis on increasing student motivation in diverse
classroom settings, building positive student-teacher relationships, behavior
management, and effective parent and community partnerships. Credit:
3 semester hours; Concurrent Enrollment in Field Experience
Required. PREREQ: Admission to Teacher Education.
ELE 3030.
Purposeful Assessment for Learning
This
course is designed to introduce students to current national, state, and local
classroom assessment data practices and alignment of practices with desired
classroom and student outcomes. Students
will learn how to make data-driven decisions through selection of appropriate
assessment instruments, observing and recording data, analyzing test scores and
performance, interpreting data, and creating accommodations and plans for
remediation of diverse learners. Credit:
3 semester hours; PREREQ: Admission to Teacher Education.
ELE 4010.
Mathematics and Science I
A
course designed to help students further develop their understanding of the
mathematics and science curriculum and processes in grades K-2. Special emphasis will be placed on the
integration of math and science, as well as, the use of technology and
manipulatives. Students will design and
implement developmentally appropriate methodology for teaching to be
demonstrated through both individual and group field experiences. Concurrent
enrollment in Field experience required. Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ: ELE
2010, ELE 3010, and Admission to Teacher Education
ELE 4020.
Mathematics and Science II
A
course designed to help students further develop their understanding of the
mathematics and science curriculum and processes in grades 3-6. Special emphasis will be placed on the
integration of math and science, as well as, the use of technology and
manipulatives. Students will design and
implement developmentally appropriate methodology for teaching to be
demonstrated through both individual and group field experiences. Concurrent
enrollment in Field experience required. Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ:
Successful completion of ELE 4010 and Admission to Teacher Education
ELE 4030.
Living in a Global Society
A
comprehensive course covering the K-6 social studies curriculum, including:
developing best teaching practices for delivering social studies content, while
addressing different learning styles, meeting the needs of diverse learners,
and strategies for differentiating instruction within standards-based social
studies instruction. All sections of EDN 4030 will be in hybrid format with
some classes online and some face-to-face. Concurrent enrollment in Field
experience required. Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ: ELE 2010, ELE 3010, and
admission to Teacher Education Program.
ELE 4040.
Literacy and Language Arts I in the Elementary School
A
comprehensive study of the foundation of language arts in the elementary school
that fosters developmentally appropriate reading, writing, speaking, listening,
viewing and responding skills in 21st century classrooms and schools. Early
literacy methods that include instructional strategies for reading development,
language arts assessments K-6 and literacy processes addressing diverse
learners that facilitate continuous growth in the language arts. Concurrent
enrollment in Field experience required Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ: ELE
2010, ELE 3010, and Admission to Teacher Education Program.
ELE 4050.
Literacy and Language Arts II in the Elementary School
An
in depth study of literacy processes in the elementary school that fosters
developmentally appropriate reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and
responding skills implementing research based strategies that are integrative
across content areas and instructional modalities in 21st century classrooms
and schools. Advanced literacy methods of transactive processes that include
the learner, the text, the learning goal, and the context in which learning
occurs. Concurrent enrollment in Field experience required. Credit, 3 semester
hours. PREREQ: ELE 4040 and Admission to Teacher Education Program.
ELE 4060.
Internship in Elementary Education
A
highly interactive semester long full‑time internship experience in a
public school elementary K-6 classroom. Pass/Fail grading. Credit, 9
semester hours. PREREQ: Admission to the Professional Semester
ELE 4070.
Professional Seminar in Elementary Education
A
seminar designed to parallel the full semester internship experience involving
candidates in a professional learning community. Teacher candidates will implement, and
evaluate an integrated unit of study and assessment plan designed to meet the needs
of 21st century learners in a K-6 public school setting. They will
implement, evaluate and reflect on outcomes for individuals, groups and the
class. Teacher candidates will document on-going self-evaluation and
reflections. Credit, 3 semester hours.
PREREQ: Admission to the Professional Semester.
GRADUATE
COURSES
For
complete information about programs and courses leading to the Master of Arts
in Education (M.A.Ed.), see School of Graduate Studies.