About the Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program leads to initial licensure in Virginia and prepares elementary teachers to be successful in 21st century classrooms. Students learn how to develop instruction that values students’ cultural contexts and helps them engage with rigorous academic content across content areas.
The Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program is designed to prepare elementary teachers to provide developmentally and culturally responsive instruction with diverse student populations and across diverse contexts. As a student in our program, you’ll have the opportunity to observe and prepare instruction in multiple placements in rural, suburban, and urban school districts.
You’ll learn how to plan lessons that provide for differentiation, accommodations, and modifications to meet the needs of all students. You’ll be invited to reflect on child development, teaching and learning, and challenged to consider ways to advance the profession, making it more innovative, inclusive, and equity focused.
Successful graduates of our Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program will be eligible for licensure in Virginia, which offers licensure reciprocity with many states across the U.S. Our graduates have the perfect mix of theory and practice that help them land a job after graduation and prepare them for ongoing professional and personal growth.
WHAT YOU'LL STUDY
The Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program requires completion of 39 graduate credit hours in education.
VT undergraduate students who complete EDCI 5554 Educating Exceptional Learners Across the Life Span and EDEP 5154 Psychological Foundations for Teachers during the bachelor's program may be able to complete the program in 10 months. NOTE: In order to be eligible for 5000-level courses, an undergraduate must be a senior and have a 3.0 GPA. Dual/Accelerated status is NOT required for this option.
However, completing the program in 12 months instead of 10 does not delay your degree or licensure, nor does it prevent you from applying for a teaching position.
Plan of Study
Summer Semester:
- EDCI 5274 Curriculum & Instruction in Elementary Math (PK-3)
- EDCI 5414 Theory & Practice in Early Literacy Instruction (PK-3)
Fall Semester:
- EDCI 5224 Advanced Curriculum & Instruction in Elementary/Middle Social Studies
- EDCI 5244 Advanced Curriculum & Instruction in Elementary/Middle Science
- EDCI 5424 Theory & Practice in Content Literacy Instruction (Grades 3-6)
- EDCI 5784 Advanced Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Math, (Grades 4-8)
- EDCI 5964 Field Studies (6 hrs.)
Spring Semester:
- EDCI 5204 Elementary School Curriculum
- EDCI 5754 Internship in Education (9 hrs.)
- EDCI 5784 Elementary STEM Education
PRACTICAL COMPONENT
The program includes 15 credits of field studies and internship, focused on moving research and theory into practice. Students begin by observing master elementary education teachers in their very first course. Gradually, and over time, students have the opportunity to work with elementary students 1:1, in small groups, eventually assuming responsibility for planning and implementing instruction for all students in the class.
Your confidence and ability in the classroom will grow steadily over the course of your studies, and you will be prepared for the classroom through this practical component!
Course Descriptions
This course is concerned with the development of the elementary school curriculum. It deals with the structure, characteristics, problems and practices of the elementary school curriculum, the children, the environment and the school setting. The course is also concerned with the process of curriculum improvement and its implementation in contemporary elementary schools.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Emphasizes curriculum research and recent developments in trends and materials in elementary and middle school social studies instruction. Exploration of alternative approaches in instructional strategies. (1-3H, 1-3C).
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Research and recent developments in elementary and middle school math curricula; study and analysis of recent trends and materials; and examination of alternative approaches in methodology. (1-3H, 1-3c).
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Selected study and analysis of curriculum trends, methods and materials. Emphasis on recent developments and the practical implications of research in science education. (1-3H, 1-3C).
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Examines language development and early literacy teaching and learning. Explores a wide range of current theories and practices including phonics based and meaning based approaches to teaching. Attends to how curriculum, instruction, and assessment reflect differing agendas for literacy and schooling and different definitions of literacy. I.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Focuses on comprehension and literacy development in middle grades. It explores a wide range of paradigms of comprehension and attends to how curriculum, instruction, and assessment are conducted within each paradigm. Special attention is given to socio-cultural and critical perspectives within literacy pedagogy.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s): EDCI 5414 (UG)
Corequisite(s):
Student participation in a planned clinical experience under supervision of a university staff member in an appropriate work center.
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Selected topics in curriculum and instruction, supervision, educational foundations, special education, research, and evaluation.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Selected topics in curriculum and instruction, supervision, educational foundations, special education, research, and evaluation.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture, Online Lecture
Student participation in a planned clinical experience under the supervision of a university staff member in an appropriate work center. (Maximum 12C). Consent required.
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Level: Graduate
Instruction Type(s): Lecture
THE COHORT MODEL
This program operates on a cohort model. Members of a given cohort attend all of the same classes in the same sequence and pursue common plans of study.
The benefits of a cohort model are many. It is designed to facilitate social interaction, collaboration, and the formation of a supportive learning community.
Students in cohorts learn from and help each other with the successful completion of coursework and professional networking. They report a strong sense of community and are more likely to complete their programs of study in a timely manner.