Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate Licensure Program (Grades K-12)

This course is designed for non-traditional students with a bachelor's degree who are seeking the Resident Educator License in Ohio. This course focuses on the principles which influence teaching in the PK-12 classroom. Students will develop an understanding of the range of individual differences in the classroom and their implication on instruction and classroom environment.

This course explores the profession of education and examines the state, federal and institutional standards that guide the profession. Students will examine the psychological, sociological, and philosophical foundations of education as they relate to learning. Topics of discussion and analysis include the development of individual differences; atmosphere of respect; understanding students' needs grouping, education of minorities; how the teacher creates instructional opportunities that are equitable and adaptable to diverse learners; exploring the components of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation.

This course provides students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education as well as an understanding of the characteristics of learners who have special needs; explore and define the concepts of special education in schools and society; acquire knowledge about the legal and procedural aspects of special education, and develop an understanding and respect for individual needs and diversity. Students relate multicultural issues, beliefs, and practices to the needs of the student with mild/moderate disabilities, explore crisis intervention/prevention models and strategies, and examine conflict resolution. This course presents students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the issues relating to developing and encouraging positive social interaction skills, issues relating to the diverse emotional needs of students with mild/moderate disabilities, and issues relating to student behavior.

This course provides students the opportunity to apply the principles of education and teaching and learning theory to instructional design.

The course examines introductory aspects of instructional planning as well as the common strategies teachers employ to conduct their lessons. Basic elements of measurement and assessment that are essential to effective teaching are addressed. It assumes students have an understanding of the content they will teach and an extensive understanding and appreciation of the students with whom they will work. The overriding purpose of the course resides in the transformation of content and behavioral objectives into sequences of instructional activities that make them accessible to students and the central role assessment plays in the instructional process as teachers construct and utilize various types of assessment to provide valid measures of learning outcomes.

The course explores literature for the early and middle childhood aged student with an emphasis on standards for selection of materials with reference to the interests, needs, and abilities of children at the different levels within these ranges of ages. Attention is given to books and their uses in all subject matters. Special emphasis is placed on activities that will motivate early and middle childhood students to read. The goal of creating life-long readers is stressed.

This course is designed to emphasize the connectivity of technology to the classroom and the general curriculum. Students will explore programs that will aid them in classroom management, data collection, student-produced work, creating instructional tools, and administration of classroom responsibilities. Students will develop products that can be used to support their teaching and the learning process of their students.

This course introduces student to action research methods and procedures as they relate to seeking solutions to instructional problems within the field of education. Research techniques, the analysis of research results, and the uses of research are explored. Students will also explore how to use data to influence classroom decisions; guide and improve teaching skills and tailor instruction to individual learning needs. This course will also the connection between constructive evaluation skills such as constructive feedback; helping student monitor their own progress; influence students' continuing motivation; perceptions of self efficacy as learners and their positive effect student learning.

This course provides students the opportunity to develop skills in planning and managing the teaching and learning environment; managing student behavior and social interaction skills; communicating effectively; developing collaborative partnerships, and in demonstrating professionalism and ethical practices. Students become familiar with daily management skills, safety and health issues in the classroom, creating and modifying a supportive learning environment, and behavior management skills. The course also focuses on the development and interaction of the educational team, on methods and models of collaborative practices with parents, students, educational personnel, and members of the community and incorporates this into the instructional process.

This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore research and theory on the effectiveness of differentiated classrooms; examine the importance of differentiating instruction for today's diverse student population; recognize the need to increase variety in teaching, learning, and assessment to respond to individual student needs; utilize strategies including assignment tiering, graphic organizers, critical thinking skills, reflection and assessment strategies customized for a mixed-ability classroom; diagnose student needs and prescribe tasks that create better matches between learning needs and preferences and plan and implement methods appropriate for assessing individual learning needs in a performance-based curriculum.

The PK12 Reflection and Seminar is the in-class seminar portion of the student teaching experienced designed to meet the requirements for the Resident Educator License. The seminar provides teacher candidates with an opportunity to continue developing skills needed to become a reflective practitioner based upon their practicum experience in the field component of student teaching.

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking licensure in the Intervention Specialist K-12 Mild/Moderate area. It provides students with an understanding of the importance of the Transition Planning Process in planning to address the social, academic and vocational needs of exceptional children as they prepare for life after high school. Students will also be exposed to tools that can be used to gather information that can be used to develop transition plans for these children. Time will also be spent identifying and making visits to programs and agencies involved in this process. Students will also be responsible for interacting with an adolescent student with an exceptionality and gathering data which they can then use to develop a transition plan for this student.

This course provides students the opportunity to develop skills in examining curricular themes, problems, and issues that are appropriate to students with mild/moderate learning issues in grades K-12. Students describe and define characteristics of learners with disabilities in inclusion settings; differentiate curriculum strategies, goals, and objectives to meet individual needs and examine and use materials to enhance the curriculum being taught. Students demonstrate skills in determining appropriate teaching strategies with the regular classroom content goals and objectives.

This course provides students the opportunity to develop skills in establishing collaborative professional partnerships to enhance instruction in multiple academic settings. Focus is on interpreting formal and informal classroom assessment data to select instructional content, materials, and resources, as well as co-teaching arrangements and instructional strategies that best meet the diverse needs of learners.

The professional growth and development practicum is the field portion of the student teaching experience designed to meet the requirements for the Intervention Specialist, K-12: Mild/Moderate Resident Educator License. The practicum is an in-depth clinical laboratory experience that provides opportunities to observe, analyze, plan, and practice teaching methods in a school setting. The experience enables the teacher candidate to move through stages of increased responsibilities under the guidance and with the support of a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor.

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Provisional Early Childhood License, the Provisional Middle Childhood License, and the Provisional Intervention Specialist License or the Reading Endorsement. The course introduces the prospective classroom teacher to the elements of phonics. It explores the English sound system and its relationship to reading and spelling. It acquaints the student with the specific terminology used to describe the various aspects of phonics. It also assists the student in determining the proper place of the phonic's instructor in the reading program. The course emphasizes the methods of teaching phonics. It also assists the prospective teacher in selecting appropriate commercial materials and in developing teacher-made materials to teach phonics in the classroom.

This course is required for teacher candidates seeking the Provisional Early Childhood License, the Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate Disabilities License, or the Reading Endorsement. This course examines how children's oral language, develops, how they learn to read and write and the teacher's role in this process. Using a balanced approach to literacy instruction, candidates learn how to select instructional materials, utilize strategies to meet the cognitive and affective literacy needs of all children, create, utilize and interpret assessment data to inform teaching and learning. The candidates learn the role of parents in literacy acquisition and the link between play and learning.

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Provisional Early Childhood License, the Provisional Middle Childhood License, Provisional Intervention Specialist License, or the Reading Endorsement. The course examines the development of communication skills in young children, from listening and speaking to reading and writing. It explores the notions of "readiness and emergent literacy." It investigates the strategies in young children. The course assists students in becoming acquainted with a wide variety of historic and current approaches to reading, including phonics and Whole Language. It explores assessment instruments and highlights valuable methods and materials. It helps prospective teachers begin to develop their own eclectic style of teaching reading.

This course is required for students who are seeking the Resident Educator Early Childhood License, the Middle Childhood Licensure, or the Intervention Specialist License. The course provides an overview of the reading process. It explores the strategies that are needed for reading and discusses ways of encouraging the development of these strategies in children. It explores common miscues and discusses ways of using diagnostic reading instruments. It stresses the importance of developing positive attitudes toward reading, as well as developing reading skills.