Education

his course introduces the field of professional education and the resources at Alfred University necessary for academic and career success. Integrating mandated New York State certification requirements, the curriculum provides instruction in the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse and maltreatment, alongside strategies for school violence prevention and intervention. Students will explore developmental warning signs, effective classroom management, and referral processes for students exhibiting troubling behaviors. Additionally, the course covers the social patterns of harassment, bullying, and cyberbullying, equipping future educators with strategies to mitigate discrimination and address aggression in the classroom. Further instruction includes preventative education regarding child abduction, fire and arson, safety, and the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. This course includes the required workshops for teacher certification

This course is a survey of human developmental processes and variations, particularly as related to learning, motivation, and communication. Emphasis is placed on applying psychological knowledge, understanding, and skills to stimulate and sustain student interest, cooperation, and achievement in the classroom. Additional focus on childhood/adolescent development, students with disabilities (including curriculum development and use of instructional technology) and how to assess student learning.

This introductory course examines the function of education in society, focusing on the history, philosophy, organization, and evolving trends of the American school system. Students will explore the diverse roles, rights, and responsibilities of teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, emphasizing the importance of fostering productive, collaborative relationships and conflict-resolution skills to enhance student growth. The curriculum covers the fundamental processes of childhood and adolescent development, preparing educators to design learning experiences and assessments tailored to these developmental milestones. Additionally, the course integrates the historical, social, and legal foundations of special education, with an emphasis on supporting employment, independence, and successful outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Students will complete at least 7 hours of classroom observation in a local PK-12 school.

This integrated methods course combines Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and technology with a classroom practicum to develop the ability to plan and implement research-validated and differentiated instruction for students across the full range of abilities. The curriculum explores how human developmental processes and variations including culture, heritage, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors such as health, safety, and trauma impact a student's readiness to learn. Students will apply the use of instructional and assistive technologies, and formal/informal assessment methods to modify their own teaching practices, and engage in collaborative partnerships to benefit students with disabilities and their families. Furthermore, the course provides comprehensive instruction in childhood and adolescent literacy skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing for both native English speakers and English as a New Language (ENL), incorporating methods for enrichment, remediation, and the continuous updating of pedagogical knowledge to support student growth.

This practicum provides opportunities for students to observe actual classroom settings, gaining hands on experience while taking concurrent coursework. This course includes three days a week of field experience in a grade-level/certification area appropriate placement. Field placements in local school systems provide an opportunity for students to blend theory with practice and experiential application. Transportation to area schools is required.

This 12-credit-hour student teaching residency places candidates in local schools to practice under typical public school conditions, supervised by the Division of Education, major departments, and cooperating teachers. Candidates demonstrate skill in applying learning processes, motivation, and classroom management to stimulate student interest and achievement in preparation for productive work and citizenship. This clinical experience integrates special education, focusing on disability categories, state/federal laws, co-teaching, and the use of positive behavioral supports to ensure the progress of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Candidates leverage instructional and assistive technology alongside formal and informal assessment to analyze their practice and individualize instruction based on childhood growth processes. Grounded in the history and philosophy of education, the curriculum includes literacy skills for native speakers and English Language Learners with an emphasis on remediation and enrichment. Candidates are required to foster productive school-home-community partnerships and resolve conflicts to support student growth. Open only to students approved by the Division of Education; transportation to area schools and fingerprint clearance are required.

his 6-credit course, featuring the co-requirement of EDUC 375 (a 150-hour minimum fieldwork component), provides intensive instruction in evidence-based literacy instruction from birth through grade 12. Grounded in the Science of Reading and Scarborough’s Rope, the curriculum covers foundational skills through advanced text comprehension. Participants apply research-validated co-teaching models, assessment data, and assistive technologies to design differentiated instruction for struggling readers, English language learners/speakers of diverse languages, and students with disabilities. This comprehensive approach fosters a culturally responsive environment that supports the social-emotional and literacy development of all students. 

This course gives students an opportunity to demonstrate achieved competency skills for teaching literacy at the B-12 levels. Attention will be given to the current New York State Learning Standards and how to incorporate these standards into the curriculum.

This comprehensive course examines the challenges and best practices of the classroom across the developmental continuum from birth through secondary education, focusing on learning processes, motivation, and communication to stimulate student interest, cooperation, and achievement in preparation for productive work and citizenship. The curriculum integrates the historical, social, and legal foundations of special education, dedicated to the categories of disabilities, the special education process, and state and federal regulations to promote the progress of students in the general education curriculum through individualized instruction, co-teaching, and positive behavioral supports. By emphasizing the holistic alignment of curriculum development and instructional planning, students use multiple research-validated strategies and assistive technologies to design differentiated instruction for the full range of abilities. Candidates apply formal and informal assessment methods to reflect on childhood and adolescent growth, using data to modify their own teaching practices and enhance learning while fostering productive relationships among the school, home, and community through conflict resolution and collaborative partnerships to support student growth and independence across all grade levels.    

This course examines physical, cognitive, communication, and social-emotional exceptionalities from childhood to early adulthood, emphasizing the commonalities between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers within diverse environmental contexts. Participants explore how developmental variations (including the impacts of culture, socioeconomic status, health, and environmental safety) influence readiness to learn, gaining skills to create nurturing classrooms that foster community and mutual respect. The course focuses on students with disabilities, covering disability categories, identification, remediation, and the legal frameworks of state and federal special education law. Candidates develop proficiency in promoting student progress within the general education curriculum through research-validated co-teaching, individualized instruction, and positive behavioral support. By analyzing formal and informal assessment data and reflecting on the history and philosophy of education, participants learn to foster productive home-school relationships and manage the needs of students with mild, moderate, severe, and multiple disabilities. Declaration of major or minor in education or permission of instructor required.