Course Descriptions

Module 1 - The Instructional Process
This module prepares you to set up a classroom, establish classroom policies and procedures, create objective-based lesson plans, utilize various styles on presentations, employ varied teaching strategies, develop and administer various forms of assessment, integrate Sunshine State Standards into lesson development, establish and maintain cooperative relations with parents, research professional literature to seek best practices and to hone the craft of effective instruction. A major focus of this module is the ethical and legal obligations of the teaching profession. You will develop a developmental, assessment and professional portfolio demonstrating mastery of competencies. (160 hours)

Segment A: Classroom Management (40 hours)
Record keeping
Classroom management
School safety
Sunshine State Standards
Creating content area objective based lesson plans
Conducting parent conferences
Assessment techniques
Implications of FCAT and other standardized tests
Professional Ethics
School law and the teacher

Segment B: Instructional Strategies (40 hours)
Learning styles
Bloom's taxonomy
Lessons plan development
Varied instructional presentation styles
Cooperative learning
Group learning
Contextual learning
Project-based learning
Behavioral management
Accommodations for Exceptional Students && LEP Students

Segment C: Technology (40 hours)
Computer based record keeping
Multimedia presentations
Content area instructional strategies
Internet resources
Web Quests
Webpage development
Computer aided instruction
Integration of technology and the learning process
Copyright and Fair Use guidelines

Segment D: The Teaching and Learning Process (40 hours)
Stages and theories of development
Learning Theories
Motivation and persistence
Intelligence
Exceptionalities
Standardized Testing
Critical thinking
Multiple intelligences
Second Language Acquisition

Model 2 - Reading Fundamentals
This module provides substantive knowledge of language structure and function, cognition of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Further, it provides knowledge of the integration of reading components. Instruction in this module is grounded in scientifically-based reading research as a mechanism to affect instructional practice.

Segment A: Foundations of Research-Based Practices in Reading (45 hours)
Evidence about Learning to Read
Introduction to Phonemes, Morphemes, Inflection and Derivations
Strategies for Teaching Basic Decoding
Building Vocabulary
Techniques for Building Fluency
Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension
The Reading and Writing Connection
Reading in Content Area

Model 3 - The Teaching Profession
This module provides the foundation for becoming a productive member of the teaching profession. The participants will gain an understanding of the organization and administration of the public school, the laws governing teachers, the Code of Ethics, and the purpose of schools. This module develops a professional perspective and creates a sense of grounding in the profession of teaching.
Segment A: Professional Foundations (30 hours)
History
Philosophy
School Governance
School Finance
School Law
Ethics and Excellence
Purpose of Schools
Continuing Professional Development

Segment B: Field Experience (15 hours):
You will complete a field experience in public, charter, or private schools. These field experiences will provide the opportunity to gain insight into the instructional process.

Module 4 - Diversity in the Classroom
This module provides you with an understanding of the variety of backgrounds and cultures that may be found in a typical classroom. Field experiences give a broader view of the social aspects of diversity and encourage you to reevaluate personal beliefs and prejudices that may adversely affect the learning process.
Segment A: Diversity (30 hours)
Social Class
Religious
Language
Gender Differences
Culture and Ethnicity
Physical Differences
Prejudice
Multicultural teaching

Segment B: Field Experience (15 hours):
You will complete a series of experiences designed to give prospective teachers a perspective on the varied background of students in public schools. Cohorts will meet together to discuss these experiences and to relate them to their observations of students as well as student behaviors and interactions in the school setting.