Special Education Courses

A study of teaching as a profession with emphasis on 21st Century skills, professional duties, policies, law and ethics, organizational structure, and student needs. Field experiences included.

An introductory study of integration of literature for children and young adolescents and the arts (dance/movement, theatre/creative drama, music, and visual arts). Through this course, students will study children's literature and arts integration as a basis for providing engaging learning experiences, fostering a love of reading, and teaching content curriculum. Students will become familiar with the broad range of genres, authors, and illustrators in literature for children and young adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on exploring ways in which literature can be used across the curriculum in elementary and middle school classrooms, as well as on integrating the arts with the core content areas (reading/language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).

A study of theories of teaching and learning and their relationship to instruction and assessment in public school settings. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council for students majoring or minoring in Teacher Education; Completion of EDUC 2000 and approval of instructor for students pursuing the Educational Studies minor.

A survey of the characteristics, education, and social integration of people with physical, emotional, cultural, behavioral and/or cognitive exceptionalities. Prerequisite: PSYC 2500.

A study of current programs, methods, and materials for teaching special populations in the elementary, middle and secondary school to include field-based experiences. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council.

This course provides a study of current programs, methods, and materials for teaching literacy with emphasis on the foundational skills of literacy to include phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and word identification skills, fluency, and diagnosis and remediation of literacy difficulties, with the goal of preparing future educators to equitably teach diverse student populations. Field-based experiences are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisites: EDUC 3104 and EDUC 3106.

A continuation of the study of teaching literacy with an emphasis on language comprehension skills, to include fluency, vocabulary development, text comprehension strategies, and writing, with the goal of preparing future educators to equitably teach diverse student populations. Field-based experiences are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisites: EDUC 3105 and EDUC 3107.

A study of teaching science and health in the elementary school, with an emphasis on inquiry-based approaches. Includes field experiences in area schools. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisite: EDUC 3102 and EDUC 3106.

A study of current programs, methods, and materials for teaching social studies in the elementary school with emphasis on the development of critical thinking in a democratic and global society. Field-based experiences are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisite: EDUC 3103 and EDUC 3107.

A course in the methods of teaching mathematical concepts of number sense, numeration, numerical operations, patterns, relationships, functions, and algebraic thinking, with the goal of preparing future educators to equitably teach diverse populations. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisites: EDUC 3102 and EDUC 3104.

A course in the methods of teaching mathematical concepts of spatial sense, measurement and geometry and data analysis, probability and statistics, with the goal of preparing future educators to equitably teach diverse student populations. Prerequisite: Permission of the Teacher Education Council. Corequisites: EDUC 3103 and EDUC 3105.

This course addresses the management and intervention strategies for students with special needs in the general and separate classroom settings in elementary and secondary schools. Examination of a Functional Behavior Assessment and development of a Positive Behavior Plan are included in this course to equip the special educator with effective crisis intervention strategies. Teacher candidates are taught to integrate 21st Century learning skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills to detect early warning signs of problematic behaviors, employ verbal and non-verbal techniques to avoid violent confrontations, and implement safe research-based physical intervention procedures. Course participants will learn how to develop instructional and leadership skills needed for teaching students with special learning needs, as well as students at-risk for academic and social failure. Focus will be placed on learning management strategies for special learners with a range of disabilities from learning disabilities (LD) to emotional behavior disorders (EBD) to autism and to attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Students will also become familiar with Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) implementation. Emphasis will be placed on identification of observable behaviors, performing task analysis, structuring learning environments, selecting and implementing behavior management strategies and utilizing methods for monitoring behavior changes. Basic federal and state laws as they pertain to the legal procedures for all teachers, including teachers of students with disabilities and ESL students, will be presented. Students will gain knowledge of the institution of special education as it exists in the United States through the examination of the personal, political, economic and socio-cultural influences which shape schools and the roles of those who teach. The readings, discussions, and assignments are aligned with the mission statement of Catawba College Department of Teacher Education, which states “to prepare reflective practitioners who possess the professional knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary for effectively teaching students in a diverse society.”

A survey of the important methods, theories, themes, issues and research findings in the field of lifespan developmental psychology.

A study of basic principles and concepts of integrated science as seen through the lens of the environment.

A broad study of number sense including set theory, logic, systems of numeration, number theory and the real number system, and basic algebra, graphs and functions. A student will not receive General Education credit in Math for both MATH 1120E and MATH

A broad study of patterns in math, including systems of equations, the metric system, intuitive geometry, modular arithmetic, probability and statistics. This course is required of Elementary Education majors and Middle School Math majors.

A basic survey of American history from colonial to contemporary times, focused on cultural disputes that have persisted from generation after generation.