CoursesEDUC 332/532 Curriculum and Methods of Teaching (secondary)A general curriculum and methods course emphasizing best practices in curriculum design, assessment and instructional methodologies. Candidates practice various teaching techniques, writing objectives, lesson and unit planning, close examination of student work, classroom management, and subject matter applications. A 50-hour practicum is required in a secondary school. Prerequisites:Prior or concurrent enrollment in EDUC 581C and EDUC 582, and formal admission to the credential program.
Syllabus EDUC 535 Curriculum Design and Evaluation In order to be effective, instruction must be designed to foster enduring understanding of the core concepts of a discipline. This course will take students through the process of designing and implementing an effective unit of study appropriate to their area of interest. Students will identify goals worthy of enduring understanding, craft essential questions to frame the unit, design formal, informal and project-based assessments, and develop lessons and instructional activities to engage students in the process of constructing deep understanding of the unit concepts. Syllabus |
EDUC 536 Curricular Innovations
This course focuses on contemporary curriculum in the context of reform. The need and definition of curriculum is explored as a filtering and ordering mechanism of subject matter while the concept of “innovation” is uncovered. Because extra funding is sometimes needed to implement innovations in the classroom, grant proposal writing will be considered. The various innovations and restructuring movements such as interdisciplinary / integrated curriculum, block scheduling, theme-based high schools, charter schools, schools within a school, and standards-based assessment are investigated. Syllabus EDUC 101 Introduction to teaching and Learning This course has been developed to help USD undergraduates explore and/or confirm career interests in education, with a focus on teaching. It is a required course for the Undergraduate Minor in Education. Presenting both historical and current views of teaching and education, this course encourages students to think more deeply, more broadly, and more systematically about what teaching is, what teachers do, and whether teaching is an appropriate career choice for them. The course begins with the review of the global purpose of education through the millennium goals for education and the integral role of education in the declaration of universal human rights. With this global framework, schools and schooling in the United States and other countries will be explored, including an examination of motives for teaching, the functions and purposes of schools, organization, and what life is like in schools. Then, this course will look at the diversity of students who populate schools, and how they are affected by social factors. In addition, the course will review various tension points (such as access and equality of educational opportunity, school choice, and gender issues) that cause controversy in our educational system. Next, the course focuses on teachers, including what constitutes effective teaching, what teachers should know about teaching with technology, and what subjects are taught as part of the school’s curriculum. An examination follows of the foundations of education (philosophy, history, legal and ethical considerations, and governance and finance issues) that provide the intellectual underpinnings of educational practice. By the end of the course, students will begin to understand teaching as a profession that is a complex endeavor, embedded in a larger organizational and social context. Syllabus |