Middle and Secondary Education (MSSE)

This course provides information about preparation programs and careers for teachers of the middle and high school levels. Students participate in reflective activities for making personal and professional decisions about teaching and also engage in a service learning project. Students are responsible for transportation to field placements at local schools.

The course will introduce students to social studies education through exploration of questions including: What is social studies education? Why teach social studies? What is the role of social studies content in the world of a teacher? What makes a social studies educator? Students will learn through class discussions, field based classroom observations and guest speakers. Students should come to class prepared to challenge their preconceived notions surrounding social studies education.

This course is designed to introduce teacher candidates to the adolescent diversity they will encounter in the secondary classroom. Candidates will explore cultural, ethnic, racial, gendered and linguistic identity including various exceptionalities, as related to adolescents, in order to understand the impact of students' development and backgrounds on classroom experiences and academic learning.

This is an introductory course in measurement and analysis in education, exploring statistical methods designed primarily for undergraduate preservice teachers in the liberal arts. The class presents basic measurement and statistical concepts with an emphasis on the logic of inferential statistics applicable to school-related professionals. While we assume you have no previous statistical background, we expect you to be proficient in arithmetic and basic algebra. The primary goal of this course is for you to build a solid foundation in measurement and analysis methods used in educational research in order to prepare you to read, understand and interpret testing and measurement data. A secondary goal is to become a better consumer (critical thinker) and advocate of and for educational research.

This general teaching methods course provides a solid foundation for planning curriculum and instruction for middle and high school students. Topics include engaging adolescent learners, lesson design, instructional strategies and assessment models.

This course provides an opportunity for students to work with adolescent learners through a service-learning component. Students will explore the needs and challenges of adolescent learners, be placed in a local middle or high school, explore the art of teaching, and practice engaging with students in a variety of ways. Throughout the semester, students will be prompted to reflect on their experiences in order to better understand the complexities inherent in teaching as well as their own personal beliefs, strengths and areas for growth.

An introduction to the science of learning and how it informs teaching and learning in laboratory and field-based natural sciences. Special emphasis is given to conceptual change, metacognition and effective teaching strategies based on learning science, science discourse and argumentation, and safety.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of and skill to apply classroom and behavior management techniques and interventions, including techniques that promote emotional well-being and teach and maintain behavioral conduct and skills consistent with norms, standards and rules of the educational environment. Diverse approaches for classroom and behavior management based upon behavioral, cognitive, affective, social and ecological theory and practice will be learned.

This course covers specific instructional and assessment techniques and methods targeted for the middle school learner for middle and secondary teachers in their respective discipline areas. Competencies to be developed will include discipline-specific planning strategies, instructional models, assessment of student learning, etc.

This course covers specific instructional and assessment techniques and methods targeted for the middle school learner for middle and secondary teachers in their respective discipline areas. Competencies to be developed will include, but are not limited to, discipline-specific planning strategies, instructional models and assessment of student learning.

This course covers specific instructional and assessment techniques and methods targeted for the middle school learner for middle and secondary teachers in their respective discipline areas. Competencies to be developed will include discipline-specific planning strategies, instructional models, assessment of student learning, etc.

Specific instructional and assessment techniques and methods targeted for the middle school learner for middle and secondary teachers in their respective discipline areas. Competencies to be developed will include discipline-specific planning strategies, instructional models, assessment of student learning, etc.

This course allows students to put into practice many of the skills and theories learned in foundational education coursework. It is designed to introduce the diverse roles and responsibilities that a teacher has in the middle school classroom, while also giving students the opportunity to identify the perspectives of the students they will be teaching. Throughout this field experience, the host teacher is the primary instructor as students "learn on the job" while being supported by a university supervisor.

This course is designed to assist teacher candidates in meeting the diverse needs of adolescent learners. Participants will gain an increased understanding of how adolescents differ in their approaches to learning and how a responsive classroom can address these needs. Specific topics addressed include developing a positive classroom environment, using ongoing assessment to identify student needs, utilizing a variety of grouping strategies, designing instruction and assessment at an appropriate level of challenge, and engaging students in equally respectful tasks.

This course is designed to prepare prospective teachers to create and evaluate a range of assessment strategies. Candidates will examine classroom assessment as a system and construct valid and reliable instruments for each part of that system. Candidates will also learn to analyze assessment results with the goal of gauging student progress and adjusting instruction appropriately.

This course is designed to prepare and support JMU students as they begin a mentoring relationship with students in the area schools. JMU students will experience guest speakers and activities to assist them in their role helping area adolescents set and maintain the trajectory of their lives toward a college experience. By establishing positive relationships and modeling desirable characteristics of a college student, JMU students will provide support and guidance for the adolescent learners with which they engage.

This course is designed to support JMU students as they continue to mentor adolescent learners in area schools. Through readings, activities and experiences, JMU students will continue to build the skills first introduced in MSSE 430. By fostering healthy relationships and modeling desirable characteristics of a college learner, JMU students will provide support and guidance for adolescent students transitioning from 8th to 9th grade.

Research findings regarding the multiple dimensions of teaching in English/language arts will be used to identify the most effective writing, creative arts and cognitive teaching methods for teaching students 9th-12th grade. The first half of the course will focus on the writing process (i.e. narrative and persuasive) and cognitive models of instruction, and the second half of the course will focus on literature, research and writing (multi-genre project).

The aim of this course is to build, expand and draw from the social studies methods explored in MSSE 412. This course gives students the opportunity to continue to consider, analyze and critically examine the details of their teaching career and the purpose of social studies education. Examples of some of the questions examined are: What is "good" teaching? What is the purpose of social studies education? What should students learn? What knowledge is most valuable? How will I meet the needs of diverse students? What are diverse methods of delivering instruction? How does one's belief about the purpose of education shape their pedagogy?

This course is designed to address mathematics-specific methods of instruction for prospective high school mathematics teachers (grades 9-12). Students will develop techniques for planning and assessing student-centered mathematics instruction. Through this course, students will become mathematics teachers who can (1) support their practice and sustain their own learning over time; (2) reflect upon their practice, evaluate it and make changes when necessary; (3) collaborate with their colleagues to improve instruction; and (4) stay informed of current innovations and trends in the field.

This course is designed to help the student evaluate and consume research findings about science teaching that identify the most effective instructional strategies for teaching science to students in grades 6-12. Emphasis will be on developing plans for employing the strategies and making appropriate instructional decisions based on instructional goals, the learner and available resources.

This course continues to build the foundation for students to develop one's instructional practice to be successful within a high school classroom context. This practicum provides the necessary experiences for which students develop the pedagogical content knowledge and professional dispositions needed for success in the student teaching placement.

This practicum is designed to provide the necessary experience in order for students to be successful in their student teaching placement and support major components of their science course work.

The internship seminar is designed to promote reflective decision-making by students engaged in their student teaching experience. The seminar setting offers students an opportunity to discuss their internship experiences in detail and reflect on the implications of that experience for their future practice. Teacher candidates will have the opportunity to demonstrate and articulate their growth as professionals as well as the effects of their teaching on student learning.

This course will examine connections between theory and practice, and the relationship between knowing content and considering to whom that content is delivered. Pedagogy, the art and science of teaching, is enacted in varied ways and is specific to various disciplines. In this course, learners will collaborate in order to learn research-based practices that support student learning and the development of dispositional frameworks.

During this internship, JMU teacher candidates will experience the full range of conditions and tasks expected of a teacher for students in grades 6-8. Candidates will be expected to develop and demonstrate competencies in teaching with the supervision and support of experienced teachers. Furthermore, they will demonstrate mastery of the university's eleven conceptual framework competencies.

During this internship, JMU teacher candidates will experience the full range of conditions and tasks expected of a teacher for students in grades 9-12. Candidates will be expected to develop and demonstrate competencies in teaching with the supervision and support of experienced teachers. Furthermore, they will demonstrate mastery of the university's eleven conceptual framework competencies.

A supervised, individualized study of one or more issues and/or problems in middle and/or secondary education. Prerequisite: The faculty advisor and the program coordinator must approve the plan for the study.

Contributes to the further development of pre-service secondary science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Students will engage in education research to gain experience and develop instructional practices relevant to the Virginia Standards of Learning. To supplement their understanding of scientific concepts and the process of science, the focus will be on the nature of science encompassing literature from the history, philosophy, and sociology of science.