This course will prepare prospective educators to be responsive to the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional needs of learners by providing a classroom environment in which all students can grow and thrive. Students will be introduced to various approaches and models for classroom discipline and will develop their own personal system of discipline. They will learn practical techniques for organizing and arranging classrooms and using procedures that maximize learning, and for involving parents in the educational process.

Trends and issues concerning exceptional education will be explored and discussed.  This course presents an overview of learners with exceptional needs.  Emphasis will be on characteristics of various exceptionalities, current issues, and the basic principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).

This course introduces students to the fundamental psychological principles underlying education and examines how these principles can be applied in classroom settings. Relevant theories concerning the development of cognition and language; social, emotional, and personal development; learning styles and other learner differences; motivation of learners; and learning environments are presented. This course is a prerequisite to all education methodology classes.

Students will have the opportunity to preview science materials and learn how to use them in a classroom through planning and simulation. Provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of what science is. Students will learn to integrate Science lessons with other content areas, including Lakota Studies, with an emphasis on the integration with math, and to critique science materials, activities, and children's materials for appropriateness. Students will develop an understanding of the process of science and how children learn. Students will identify the fields of study and explore cultural variations in science learning and teaching.

This course is designed to provide a survey of current teaching methods in mathematics and to develop competencies in using variaous instructional strategies and materials including those involving calculators and computers. It focuses on a problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics and provides teaching experiences using manipulatives. Current math standards will be emphasized as well as the integration of mathematics within the curriculum, in particular the connections between math, science and technology.

This course is intended to provide students an opportunity to explore multiple social studies teaching methods. Students will have an opportunity to read and discuss literature concerning the teaching of the social sciences and will create teaching units which exemplify these methods. Students will be expected to utilize all resources available to them including print, electronic and social.

This course is designed to provide a survey of current teaching methods in the language arts and to develop competencies in using various instructional strategies and materials. All major aspects of expressive and receptive language will be addressed. Students will be required to develop lesson plans, projects and teaching units that integrate the language arts throughout the curriculum. Current theories in teaching language arts will be explored. Students will be required to work with children in a classrom that reflects their area of study in the development of language arts project that reflects the service-learning model of instruction.

This course is designed to provide a survey of current teaching methods in expository and narrative reading materials; develop competence in using various instructional strategies; promote an enthusiasm for reading in elementary and middle school classrooms; and teach skills that will ensure future teachers can establish a balanced literacy approach in their classrooms. Diferent approaches toward analysis and reading comprehension will be discussed and modeled. Reasearch related to reading styles will be discussed and integrated throughout the course. Current theories that build upon the unique strengths that each student possesses will be discussed. Since teachers must be keen observers and reflective thinkers, this course will promote the idea that teachers can and must make instructional and diagnostic judgements in order to select appropriate strategies and techniques.