Student Learning Goals

Below are the departmental learning goals mapped to College-wide goals for student learning.

The department’s current goals for students’ learning:

• Students will understand the history of schooling in the United States, the intersection between social identities and schooling, and the creation and presence of structural advantage and disadvantage in the institutions of schooling. (Ia, Ib)
• Students will learn and enact teaching practices premised on constructivism and social justice. (Ic, IIa, IId, IIId, IVa)
• Students will demonstrate content knowledge of the elementary subjects to be taught. (Ia)
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of child development theories and cognitive learning theories to inform planning for instruction. (Ia, Ic)
• Student will develop and demonstrate pedagogical knowledge in mathematics, literacy, social studies, science, health, and technology. (Ic, IIIc)
• Students will develop a range of instructional methods and ability to differentiate instruction based on student needs. (Ic, IId, IIIc)
• Students will analyze data (individual, aggregate, disaggregate by sub-group) to identify areas of understanding and misunderstanding in order to plan instruction and assessment targeting the needs of elementary students. (IIb)
• Students will develop a reflective stance toward learning and teaching, which will culminate in student teaching planning based on instruction, assessment, and feedback from mentor teachers and college supervisors. (IIa, IIe, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IVb, IVc)
• Students will understand professional ethics, obligations, expectations, standards and dispositions (self-directed learning, a tolerance of ambiguity, patience, collaboration, acceptance and equity, and reflective practice) necessary in teaching. (IIc, IId, IIe, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IVb, IVc, IVd)

Education Studies, Requirements in the Major: Writing

• Research and demonstrate critical writing with attention to the social context of education and schooling. (e.g. developing and writing an educational philosophy) (IIa, IIb, IIIb)
• Utilize systematic documentation for observation and assessment (e.g. formal and informal student assessment). (IIb, IVa)
• Develop curriculum and write developmentally appropriate lesson plans (e.g. annotated bibliographies). (IIa, IVa)
• Write reflections on educational planning and practice (e.g. lesson plan reflections, journal entries). (IIb, IVb, IVc)

Education Studies, Requirements in the Major: Information literacy

• Utilize research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources and lead to further inquiry (e.g. annotated bibliographies, research papers). (IIa)
• Understand the increasingly collaborative nature of the creation and dissemination of information and how to cite the work of others. (IVb)
• Synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources and draw reasonable conclusions based upon the analyses and interpretation of information (e.g. developing a teaching philosophy, assessing educational data, making data and evidence-based decisions in fieldwork). (IIb)
• Understand how information systems are organized in order to access relevant information (e.g. use of research databases, utilization of national and state standards documentation).
• Present information that utilizes multiple formats and modes of delivery in order to convey a message (e.g. use of multimedia tools for teaching, collaborative learning and instruction). (IIc)

Education Studies, Requirements in the Major: Visual literacy

• Find, access, and use visual media effectively (e.g. selecting quality materials and appropriate visual aids for field work or presentations). (IIa, IIc)
• Interpret and analyze the meaning of images (e.g. analyze graphed assessment data to make effective instructional decisions). (IIa, IIb)
• Create and design meaningful visual media (e.g. create conceptual graphic organizers, design lessons using visual images that support and enhance instruction). (IVa)
• Understand the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding the creation, access and use of visual media (e.g. evaluate visual media in curriculum, cite visual media sources used in lessons). (Ic, IIIc)

Education Studies, Requirements in the Major: Technological literacy

• Utilize technology to enhance pedagogical approaches and foster a culture of learning. (IId, IIId)
• Identify, explore, evaluate, and adopt new digital resources and tools for learning (e.g. use digital content in field work to meet the diverse needs of all students). (Ic)
• Use technology to analyze and understand data to inform instruction and support students in achieving learning goals (e.g. design and implement formative and summative assessments in fieldwork). (IIb)

Education Studies, Requirements in the Major: Effective oral communication

• Clearly communicate a central message (e.g. identifiable main thesis point, lesson objective, or goal). (IIa, IIc)
• Effectively communicate using delivery techniques such as posture, gestures, eye contact and voice to convey any messages (e.g. classroom presentations and fieldwork work instruction). (IIc)
• Use language that is grammatically correct, free of bias, and delivered in a manner appropriate for the targeted audience. (IIa, IIc, IId)
• Organize content through sequencing of ideas to enhance the effectiveness of the oral presentation (e.g. classroom presentations, fieldwork instruction). (IIa, IIc)
• Use supporting material from credible, reliable, and appropriate sources backing principle ideas. (IIa, IVa, IVb)