Spanish Education Course Descriptions

Continuation of language study, advancing students toward comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing while gaining a deeper appreciation for the Spanish-speaking culture, language, and people. Online laboratory work is required. Prerequisites: SPA 1020 or its equivalent. Three hours each.

This course improves oral expression through pronunciation exercises, vocabulary building, and development of communicative strategies. Students will build fluency in small group speaking activities and practice comprehension through engagement with video and audio media. Inclass discussions are based on short readings from the contemporary Spanish-speaking world. Assignments include oral presentations, debates, interviews, and creative assignments such as podcasts. Prerequisite: SPA 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

This course improves written proficiency through intensive study of grammatical and syntactical structures and rhetorical styles. Assigned readings include examples from fiction and non-fiction genres. Students will build writing skills through regular exercises and compositions ranging from creative to expository styles. All work in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPA 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

A study of Hispanic literary genres, periods, and authors. Topics vary, but may include a thematically-focused survey from medieval to contemporary Hispanic literature, the development of a genre, or a literary movement in a particular period. Students will develop a lexical and analytical toolkit for analyzing literary expression, and will learn to substantiate and develop ideas through interpretative essays and classroom discussion. Major reading and written assignments will be in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPA 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

An interdisciplinary study of Hispanic culture. Topics vary, but may include studies in literature, art and architecture, film, or music, or may focus on cultural, social, or political events in a particular period or region. Students will learn to analyze cultural objects—verbal, visual, and material—within a historical context, and will bridge different disciplinary frameworks in class discussions and critical essays. Prerequisite: SPA 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

An introduction to the profession of teaching. Learning experiences are structured both in and out of the classroom with the purpose of assisting the college student in making career decisions relative to the profession, e.g., to teach or not, at which level, and in which subject area. Both content and field experiences are aligned with the missions of Grace College and the School of Education. A grade of B- or better is required to continue on toward candidacy status. Three hours

A study of the learner at all grade levels and the many factors affecting learning, including but not limited to, theories of learning, environment, heredity, cultural impact, discipline, classroom management, exceptionalities, and development. The measurement of academic aptitude and achievement is also covered. Practical application is stressed. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours.

This course is designed for prospective teachers, elementary or secondary, and any interested persons working with children at home or in social agencies. The intent is to develop an introduction to children with exceptionalities and practical strategies to assist these children, especially in an educational setting. This course will examine the types of exceptionalities, the laws that apply to them, as well as adaptations and special services that are provided to them in a regular classroom setting and in alternative educational settings. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours

The course consists of cooperative teaching and learning. The instructor’s role is that of a facilitator, rather than a “giver” of knowledge. There are lectures, small and large group discussions of readings and related information, writing, and research focusing on issues of diversity in schools. To better appreciate the influence of culture on behavior and values, students explore their own diversity through written and/or group discussions and inquire into the cultural diversity of school populations in Indiana and surrounding regions. Among the topics included in this study are multicultural education, social classes and socioeconomic status, ethnicity and race, gender, religion, language, community involvement, curriculum, justice, privilege, and other relevant topics that relate to multicultural concerns. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours.

This course provides you with a theoretical, research-based background for classroom instructional and assessment strategies you will be implementing in your teaching. Key issues discussed will include how people learn, instructional planning, how we successfully assess student learning, and how our instruction and assessment strategies can lead to improved student learning and increased motivation to learn. Prerequisite: SED 1000 & SED 2200. Three hours.

The purpose of this course is to develop a working knowledge of responsive instruction by applying differentiation strategies and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Students will learn to promote all students’ development, learning, and success through ongoing assessment that informs instruction. Multi-tiered systems within the general education setting will be explored. Students will learn technology skills and culturally responsive teaching to enhance student learning. Prerequisites: SED 2600, and candidacy status. Three hours.

The content of this course builds from previous learning in SED 3310 and SED 3320. Candidates will understand reading difficulties and how the difficulties relate to the fourpart processor for word recognition. The MTSS process is introduced with the study and practice of explicit and systematic interventions utilizing encoding and decoding strategies. Candidates analyze data from Curriculum Based Measures and write a structured intervention plan aligned to the Science of Reading. Candidates will also grow in their understanding of explicit vocabulary and comprehension instruction. Candidates will apply knowledge through tutoring and in the elementary classroom setting. In addition, there are fifteen hours of clinical work in an elementary classroom. Candidates will teach whole class and small group literacy lessons. Prerequisites: SED 3310, SED 3320, candidacy status. Three hours.

Candidates spend Wednesday mornings in K-6 classrooms teaching whole and small group lessons. Candidates will foster learning through interactive read aloud, guided reading, and writing lessons. Candidates are supervised by college faculty and K-6 classroom teachers.

This course presents best practices in classroom assessment, environment, and behavior management. Topics include relationship development, organization of the classroom learning environment, classroom procedure development, and approaches for managing individual and large group student behaviors. Various strategies to instruction and assessment will be explored. Candidates will develop lessons utilizing formative and summative assessment tools. Candidates will understand how these assessments inform the teaching and learning process. Prerequisites: candidacy status. Three hours.

This course is an introduction to critical thinking 1 as a fundamental process instrumental in applying philosophy to the craft of teaching. Various topics that deal with classroom concerns, student teaching experiences are discussed each week. Topics include: school law, interviewing, résumé construction, best practices, and classroom management. Candidates will complete the TWS designed to help the teacher education candidates continue their development as reflective practitioners by systematically documenting and analyzing student learning. This course is an introduction to critical thinking2 as a fundamental process instrumental in applying philosophy to the craft of teaching. The course is a systematic study of the philosophy of education and the ethics that undergird the profession. Both secular and Christian philosophical views are examined. Candidates also integrate elements of a chosen set of philosophical beliefs to sharpen their competence as a professional. Candidates interact with key stakeholders associated with the craft of teaching. Describing the work of moral practice is part of the activities of the course. Prerequisite: All SED course work completed, additional school requirements me. Three hours.

Includes full-time teaching experience for an entire semester as well as a seminar for majors during the experience. This course deals with a variety of topics and issues especially germane to candidates who are about to enter the teaching profession. Each candidate enrolled in this course will be required to complete a Teacher Work Sample and earn a passing score of C or higher. Prerequisites: All SED course work completed, additional school requirements met. Nine hours.

This course is offered to help the preservice teacher understand the special characteristics of early adolescents and adolescents and their school settings (middle and high school). Prerequisites SED 2200, SED 2600, candidacy status. Three hours.

This course is a study of curriculum and methods of teaching a foreign language on both the elementary and secondary level, with special emphasis on performance objectives and methodology with classroom practice. Prerequisites: SED 2200, SED 2600, SED 3600, candidacy status. Three hours.