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2024-25 Academic Catalog

ELED Course Descriptions

Table of Contents

ELED 260 Teaching, Schooling & Learning

4 credit hours

An overview of history and diverse social issues in education and an exploration of teaching as a career. Introduction to the teacher education program at George Fox University. Survey of learning theories and possible applications in the elementary classroom are explored. Prerequisite course.

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ELED 324 Issues in Human Development

4 credit hours

This course examines human development with developmental psychology, learning theory, and theoretical and practical aspects of human development-birth through adolescence. Foundations in learning theory and their connections to developmental psychology and learning theory are explored. Foundational knowledge of exceptionalities is built. Included will be age-level characteristics and developmentally appropriate practice for children in early childhood through middle school.

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ELED 326 The 21st Century Classroom

4 credit hours

This course provides teacher candidates the opportunity to explore various types of curriculum offered in the 21st Century Classroom. Candidates will explore and analyze current curriculum in Science, Social Studies, Literacy, Math and Art. Candidates will also be introduced to best-practice teaching models. In addition, candidates will explore technology integration and how to best meet the needs of the 21st-century student.

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ELED 343 Math Pedagogy

4 credit hours

This course seeks to integrate effective mathematics teaching and learning pedagogies within the framework of the common core state standards. The development of personal understanding of mathematical concepts and processes is emphasized; this process requires the student to expand his/her own learning beyond the course assignments to examine the relationships between mathematical concepts and the real world. Teaching mathematics effectively to diverse learners is emphasized. The course is interactive and dependent upon student participation.

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ELED 344 Science Pedagogy

3 credit hours

This course is designed to provide you with a firm understanding of research-based, best practices for teaching science at the elementary and middle school levels. This course encourages prospective teachers to view science as a space for making sense of the natural and man-made world and focuses on what it means to think (content knowledge) and act (scientific and engineering practices) like a scientist. Prospective teachers will develop pedagogical content knowledge around three dimensional learning and learning progressions as described in the Next Generation Science Standards. Part of developing pedagogical content knowledge entails a specific focus on exploring and analyzing childhood ideas in science, planning, assessing, and implementing effective learning environments and lessons that utilize technology, best practices, hands-on experiences, student-centered learning and honors the diversity of all learners.

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ELED 346 The Inclusive Classroom in a Diverse Society

4 credit hours

Part of being an effective educator is recognizing and embracing diversity as an asset in the classroom. In this course, we will consider how institutional and classroom practices help and hinder students as well as how these practices align with values of dominant groups. This course also introduces you to a multiplicity of students and students' needs. It will provide you with a framework for approaching such situations and specific skills for facilitating learning for all students.

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ELED 347 Pedagogy of the Arts in an Integrated Classroom

1 credit hour

Using the basic principles and elements of music and art, students will explore making connections between subjects in the elementary curriculum.

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ELED 348 Social Studies Pedagogy

3 credit hours

This course is designed to provide students with a firm understanding of research-based, best practices for teaching social studies at the elementary and middle school levels. This course encourages prospective teachers to view social studies as a way to analyze patterns of human behavior and understand cultural perspectives. Prospective teachers will develop pedagogical content knowledge. Part of developing pedagogical content knowledge entails a specific focus on exploring and analyzing national social studies standards. In addition, students will utilize technology, best practices, hands-on experiences, and student-centered learning. This course will celebrate the diversity of all learners.

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ELED 349 Integrated STEAM

2 credit hours

This course focuses on the pedagogy of integrated STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education that uses engineering design and language arts as authentic contexts for student learning. With an emphasis on engineering design, teacher candidates will develop engineering content and pedagogical content knowledge, as well as familiarity with the engineering practices and learning progressions described in the Next Generation Science Standards. Teacher candidates will develop efficacy to design, instruct, and assess STEAM units within the K through 5 grade span and the ability to critically examine STEAM resources and curriculum from the perspective of equity and social justice to support inclusive classroom environments.

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ELED 354 Pedagogy of Health and Physical Education

1 credit hour

This course examines and offers opportunities to apply health and physical education methods for elementary teachers. Using state and national standards, students will explore opportunities to include and integrate health and physical education content into the classroom.

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ELED 371 Curriculum and Assessment

4 credit hours

Working within the differentiation framework for curriculum planning, this course will examine and apply the concepts and instructional strategies that are essential for the academic achievement of our students from cultural, diverse, language, behavioral and academic backgrounds. Examines strategies for planning, managing, and teaching content to students. Emphasis is placed on curriculum, teaching, and hands-on learning approaches that accommodate a diverse student population.

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ELED 381 Classroom Management

4 credit hours

Clearly, individual classroom teachers can have a major impact on student achievement. Of the three major roles of the classroom teacher – making choices about instructional strategies, designing classroom curriculum, and employing classroom management techniques – classroom management is arguably the foundation. Research on classroom management is integrated into the course. This course introduces the teacher candidate to research-based effective classroom management strategies.

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ELED 401 Geometry for Teachers

3 credit hours

The Geometry for Teachers course is a mathematics course on the study of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries for secondary teachers. The purpose of the course is for thinking about geometric content deeply while simultaneously connecting to the practice of teaching geometry. With an emphasis on geometric understanding, the course will support learning proof, critiquing reasoning, defining axiomatics systems, making constructions and transformations, and incorporating different technologies.

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ELED 402 Literary Analysis for English Language Arts Teachers

3 credit hours

This course is designed to introduce analysis of literacy as defined by the integrated processes of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. An emphasis on literary analysis will guide our exploration of foundational readings in ELA classes at the secondary level. Writing, listening, and speaking skills will be further explored through the lens of literary analysis.

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ELED 403 Nature of Science

3 credit hours

In this course, students will culturally, socially, and historically contextualize the Nature and Process of Science. Science is a human endeavor; it is affected by, and in turn affects, individual scientists, culture, and society. Students will survey the history of scientific inquiry as currently accepted, starting with Aristotle and concluding with modern day, and contextualize key findings and events within the context of the historical events and personal lives of the scientists. From this survey, students will also form an understanding of how the scientific method, as we know it today, came into being and how it shapes the process of science in education. Finally, students will be asked to thoughtfully design ways to incorporate nature and process of science principles in classroom instruction and assessments.

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ELED 413 Writing Pedagogy

4 credit hours

This course focuses on teaching through a writing workshop. It creates a foundation for teaching writing focused on the individual needs of students. Theory, learner development, diversity and content knowledge will be applied in lesson and unit planning and in teaching children. Assessment, planning, teaching and reflection will be modeled using the CCSS, best practice and attention to the needs of all learners.

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ELED 414 Reading Pedagogy

4 credit hours

This course focuses on teaching reading through a reading workshop. This builds candidate knowledge in the areas of teaching reading focusing on the individual needs of each reader in the classroom. Theory, learner development, diversity and content knowledge will be applied in lesson and unit planning and in teaching children. Assessment, planning, teaching and reflection will be modeled using the CCSS, best practice and attention to the needs of all learners.

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ELED 475 Student Teaching

10 credit hours

The teacher candidate enters the classroom as a co-teacher who is collaborating with a cooperating teacher in developing and presenting instruction that is designed for the success of all students. Successful teaching and the completion of the teacher licensing portfolio. The teacher licensing portfolio is a written documentation of the student's ability to teach all students. Additional course fee required.

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ELED 480 Assessment for All Learners

4 credit hours

Building on the conceptual ideas of Assessment for Learning, this course focuses on the idea that assessment is a collaborative process that involves the student, teacher, and other stakeholders in a collaborative experience that is designed to empower student success. The four dimensions of background knowledge, language abilities, academics, and behavior assessments will provide the impetus for a course which investigates, develops, and plans assessments for all students, including English language learners, special education students, talented and gifted students, and mainstream students. A wide diversity of classroom assessments will be explored. Additionally, the use and interpretation of standardized assessments will be examined, and teacher candidates will be prepared to implement fair and realistic accommodations/assessments in the mainstream classroom.

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ELED 481 Pedagogy A

3 credit hours

A study of instructional strategies and the design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum for content-specific secondary classrooms. The pattern of course topics presented includes the nature of content knowledge, general pedagogical methods, subject-specific pedagogical methods, and integrated pedagogical methods. Inclusion emphasis. For single subject endorsement candidates, this course offers an intensive exploration of developmentally appropriate pedagogical practices within the content area.

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ELED 482 Pedagogy B

3 credit hours

A study of structures, strategies, issues, designs and possibilities for the implementation of curriculum to meet the specific developmental needs of secondary students with an emphasis on mid-level students in the content area. The pattern of course topics presented includes the nature of content knowledge, general pedagogical methods, subject-specific pedagogical methods, and integrated pedagogical methods. Inclusion emphasis. For single subject endorsement candidates, this course offers an intensive exploration of developmentally appropriate pedagogical practices with an emphasis on the content area at the mid-level.

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ELED 490 Senior Seminar

2 credit hours

This course assists teacher candidates to synthesize their foundation, methods and content background during the full time clinical experience, including content to prepare the teacher candidates as they transition into the teaching profession. The course content is presented in a professional development workshop while encouraging an understanding of the need for continued growth as teaching professionals as well as additional information on classroom management and differentiation.

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