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2024-25 Academic Catalog

Bachelors (BS) in Elementary Education

Overview

The elementary education major offers a 80-semester-hour course of study that is designed for the preparation of elementary school teachers with authorizations at the early childhood (age 3 years to grade 4) and elementary (grades 3-8) levels. This degree includes an endorsement in ESOL and requires an iPad to enter the program. Upon entering, students interested in majoring in elementary education should contact an elementary education advisor. There is a recommended sequence for courses in the major. Students are required to obtain a minimum grade of C- in all courses taken for the major.

Degree Outcomes

Graduates with a BS in elementary education will:

  • Understand how learners grow and develop within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical areas and design appropriate and challenging learning experiences for all learners
  • Understand individual differences and diverse cultures and communities and apply this knowledge to creating environments that support individual and collaborative learning on behalf of student achievement
  • Use a variety of instructional strategies to support every student in meeting rigorous learning goals
  • Understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and create learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content
  • Use multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and learner's decision making
  • Engage in ongoing professional learning and use evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice and adapt practice to become more effective

Major Requirements

Complete the following:
Course is an overview of history and diverse social issues in education and an exploration of teaching as a career. Serves as an introduction to the teacher education program at George Fox University. Survey of learning theories and possible applications in the elementary classroom are explored. Required for elementary teaching majors and music education majors. Includes 10 hours of clinical practice. Prerequisite: Declared undergraduate elementary education major.
Examines the diverse and dynamic role of culture in the ESOL student's language development and academic achievement. The course also emphasizes the application of this knowledge for instruction and the involvement of community and its resources for maximizing ESOL students' academic achievement.
This course is the first of two courses designed to engage elementary and middle school prospective teachers in the learning and development of the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching mathematics. It has a multi-dimensional focus on mathematical problem solving and reasoning with understanding of numbers and their properties through various representations, including algebraic and visual representations. Additional course fee required.
This course is the second of two courses designed to engage elementary and middle school prospective teachers in the learning and development of the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching mathematics. Emphasis will be placed on nuanced mathematics content knowledge needed for teaching within the domains of algebra,statistics, probability, geometry, and measurement. Prerequisite: Completion of MATH 211 Foundations of Elementary Mathematics I.
Complete the following:
This course examines the history of the United States and Europe from 1750 to the present day. It critically explores the rise of the ideas of freedom, equality, and justice, while asking what role did the Christian faith, and the courage to express it, have in the formation of the modern and postmodern world?
This course explores a variety of influences which shape many of the characteristics of personhood, focusing on critical consideration of the interplay of factors and the complexity of being human. Students will be encouraged to apply the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual lenses of psychology to understand themselves and others, including how and why self-regulation is a key factor in successful healthy living. Additional course fee is required.
Complete the following:
Elementary education admissions requirements, policies and procedures are listed in the Teacher Education Majors and Minors section.
This course provides an overview of early childhood as a profession in relation to its historical, philosophical and social foundations. Students will examine how these functions influence current thought and be able to translate those theories into practice. Included will be age-level characteristics and child-centered activities that enhance developmentally appropriate practice, assessment, curriculum/instruction, environment, and family/community collaboration. The role of the teachers and ethical considerations are considered to promote reflective thinking, cultural competency, and positive use of technology to meet the needs of young children. Course goals align with the Sate of Oregon program objectives for early childhood and elementary OAR 584-017-0100, ages 3 years to the 4th grade and to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) initial license standards. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
This first course is designed to provide you with a firm understanding of research-based, best practices for teaching mathematics and science at the elementary and middle school levels. Prospective teachers will engage in activities that enhance conceptual knowledge of selected mathematics and science topics, while also developing pedagogical content knowledge. The instruction in the course models the type of learning experiences that have been shown to make a difference in students’ thinking, understanding, and achievement. This course encourages prospective teachers to view school mathematics and science as a space for making sense of the world and promotes what it means to understand and do mathematics and science. Mathematics and science are disciplines where all students should be given opportunities to observe, investigate, explore, verify, explain, conjecture, discover, and generalize concepts and ideas using their own questions, curiosities, and interests in order to foster equity, access, and empowerment. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
This second course is designed to provide you with a firm understanding of research-based, best practices for teaching mathematics and science at the elementary and middle school levels. Prospective teachers will engage in planning and instruction tasks that enhance conceptual knowledge of selected mathematics and science topics, while also developing pedagogical content knowledge. Part of developing pedagogical content knowledge entails a specific focus on utilizing technology and integration of mathematics and science across disciplines. This course encourages prospective teachers to view school mathematics and science as a space for making sense of the world and promotes what it means to understand and do mathematics and science. Mathematics and science are disciplines where all students should be given opportunities to observe, investigate, explore, verify, explain, conjecture, discover, and generalize concepts and ideas using their own questions, curiosities, and interests in order to foster equity, access, and empowerment. Prerequisite: Completion of EDUC 343 Adventures in Math and Science I.
Effective educators recognize and embrace diversity as an asset in the classroom. This course will examine the diversity of cultures, languages, experiences, and knowledge that our students bring to our classrooms. Throughout our studies, we will consider how institutional and classroom practices help and hinder the academic achievement and well being of all students. We will also analyze and critique how various instructional practices may or may not align with values of all represented groups. This course will introduce you to a multiplicity of students and their needs while also examining the tensions and barriers that exist within all classrooms. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
Students will examine how the connections between the Fine Arts and Health and Human Performance (HHP) and other elementary subjects provide a holistic approach into the development of the whole child. This course will offer opportunities to demonstrate how the national/state standards of the Fine Arts and HHP can be integrated  into the EC/EL curriculum planning. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
Working within the differentiation framework (background knowledge, language, academic and behavior) BLAB, 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. Specific emphasis will be devoted to the success of our exceptional students and our second language learners. Integration of Social Studies into the methodology of the work sample will be addressed. Requires up to 20 hours of practicum. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
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 completion of observed lessons is required. Pass/No Pass. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
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. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
This course provides an overview of the content of children's and adolescent literature and its use in culturally responsive teaching. Children's and adolescent literature will be explored with an overview of the genre of literature, the work of authors and illustrators, and the use of children's and adolescent literature in teaching of all students. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
This course creates a foundation for teaching listening, speaking, reading and writing in all grades, with a focus on beginning readers and writers from Pre-School to Grade 2. Literacy theory, literacy learner development, assessment, planning, teaching, and reflection will be modeled and applied. Using current standards, best practice, content on the language learning and development for English Language Learners (ELL) students the course will introduce and reinforce learning from English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses with a focus on teaching all students well. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
This course builds on the foundation gained in Reading and Writing I and focuses on grade 3-8 readers and writers. Theory, learner development, diversity and content knowledge will be applied in lesson and unit planning and in teaching children in the placement. Assessment, planning, teaching and reflection will be modeled and experienced in classroom settings using the CCSS, best practice and attention to the needs of all learners. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
In this course, we will examine the nature of language, as well as research and examine language teaching strategies specific to the English Language Development classroom. Students will investigate and identify the underlying structure of language and its component systems through interactive, semester-long projects with second-language learners. The course examines the fundamental elements, processes and patterns of oral and written language for the teacher of English to speakers of other languages. Topics include phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, morphology, orthography and writing conventions, syntax, semantics, and discourse analysis. English is the primary focus of the course, with reference to other languages commonly spoken by students in Oregon classrooms. Additionally, students will develop a repertoire of best practices and scaffolds that support language development through the Language Development Specialist lens. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
Communication is the basis for all human interaction. In this course, we will explore key language theories of first- and second-language acquisition, since multiple fields intersect in their quest to explain language. Students will deepen their understanding of how languages are learned, including the factors that impact language learners, and the historical perspectives that influence English language teaching. Topics include language learning, language acquisition, interlanguage, translanguaging, language progressions, language loss, language shift, and language attrition. English is the primary focus of the course, with reference to other languages commonly spoken by students in Oregon classrooms. Prerequisite: Declared undergraduate elementary education major.
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 completion of observed lessons is required. The practicum is scheduled 5 days a week. Pass/No Pass. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
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, specifically 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. Through direct practice, teacher candidates will gain insights into identification, placement, monitoring and exiting criteria for ELL students according to federal and state policies; and will be prepared to implement fair and realistic accommodations/assessments in the mainstream classroom. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
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. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.

Optional

Students may add the middle-level authorization (grades 5-10) to the elementary/early childhood authorization if they meet the testing/course work requirements in a content area, take the required courses, and complete an additional student teaching at the middle level.
This course explores middle level teaching as a profession in relation to its philosophical and educational foundations. Students will examine how these functions influence current thought and will be able to translate those theories into classroom practice. Included will be adolescent development and current teaching methods and strategies that are developmentally appropriate for creating a safe and positive learning environment. The role of teachers and ethical considerations are explored to promote reflective thinking, cultural competency, and effective use of technology to meet the needs of adolescents. Prerequisite: Successful admission into the undergraduate elementary education major.
A laboratory experience consisting of general and specific tasks, managing and instructing pupils and assisting teaching in the classroom. Prerequisites: EDUC 353 Trends and Issues in Middle-Level Education and EDUC 375 Practicum I.
Additional authorizations are available through the graduate department of Educational Foundations and Leadership.

Admission to Student Teaching

Acceptance into the teacher education program does not guarantee assignment for student teaching.

Admission to student teaching is based upon continued good standing; favorable recommendations; an attained cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better on all college-level courses, including transfer credits; completion of the required teaching major and professional courses with no grade below C-; passing scores on appropriate basic skills and having taken content area examinations; successful completion of the student teaching interview; and a minimum of 16 semester hours completed in residence prior to student teaching.