Special Education

Candidates will student teach for 75 school days under the supervision of a certified special education teacher. Candidates are assigned to a school district and supervised by a certified teacher at the elementary level (K–8) and at secondary level (5–12). The student teaching will be divided in half at each level. During this period, they will fulfill obligations and responsibilities similar to those of the cooperating teacher. This course is part of the professional semester and is taken with a two-credit seminar, which is part of the 16 hours for degree candidates. Candidates also meet during the professional semester for seminar requirements. This course is offered Credit/No Credit only. The DWU Student Teacher Handbook and seminar syllabus serve as the course syllabus. Prerequisites: Completion of all coursework required for graduation, 2.6 GPA, admission from the education department faculty, submission of passing Praxis II examination scores for the required tests and approval for student teaching placement. Corequisite: EDU 475.

This course defines and examines the nature and needs of exceptional learners, including those with documented disabilities as well as giftedness and those with multicultural heritages. Special education foundations and legal mandates will be discussed. Appropriate accommodations and teaching methods designed to meet the needs of the range of students included in a typical classroom will be examined. The role of teachers, parents and other relevant personnel will be investigated in relation to programming for struggling learners. Students will research a specific educational challenge and complete observation hours in a school setting. Prerequisite: EDU 201 or Corequisite EDU 201 or instructor permission.

This course will help prepare candidates to teach at the middle grade level. The course will develop an understanding of the middle school concept and the instructional strategies that support that concept. Field experience at the middle level will be required. Prerequisite: EDU 201.

This course will examine theories of learning and how they may be applied to the classroom. It will include the study of cognitive development, motivation and learning, how knowledge is constructed, constructivism, individual differences in learning, and learning environments. Prerequisites: EDU 201. Non-education majors must have consent of the instructor.

This course provides a foundation for integrating technology into the classroom. A primary goal is the development of a mindset intent on exploring, identifying, engaging and applying current, emerging and future technologies in the teaching/learning process. Students enrolled in the course will consider the appropriate relationship of technology to standards and ethical issues. They will design and present technology-enhanced lessons and become skilled, confident users of digital and electronic resources.