Teacher Education Program

This course provides an opportunity for students to learn about the local community and engage with community-based organizations (CBOs) that support PreK-12 students and their families in the context of STEM education.   

This course provides an opportunity for students to gain practice in developing and facilitating hands-on, culturally relevant STEM learning activities in an informal setting for K-12 students within an out-of-school time program at a local school or community-based organization. Advancing equity and justice through STEM teaching is highlighted.   

This course is to prepare undergraduates looking to become future Commonwealth teachers with the knowledge and skills to effectively shelter their content instruction, so that the growing population of English language learners (ELLs) can access curriculum, achieve academic success, and contribute their multilingual and multicultural resources as participants and future leaders in the 21st century global economy.

Students who took ID 3200 for credit are not eligible to take EDU 3200 for credit. 

This interdisciplinary course integrates educational psychology and cognitive science to equip pre-service STEM educators with strategies that support diverse learners in K-12 settings. Students will explore cognitive load theory, differentiated instruction and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), applying these concepts to enhance student engagement and outcomes for students with disabilities.

The course emphasizes the role of social learning theory and cognitive developmental theory in shaping student behavior and motivation. Culturally responsive teaching practices, traumainformed approaches and collaboration with families and communities are also key components that will be explored through case studies, classroom observations, and scenario-based role plays. Students will develop practical skills in instructional lesson design and implementation and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of course learning objectives through a final project that aligns coursework to real-world teaching scenarios.

This course provides teacher candidates with guidance, support, and best practices to successfully complete the Massachusetts state requirements for initial licensure in a STEM field of their choice. The seminar accompanies the student-teaching experience in a local school and may not be repeated. It is an essential element in the process of completing the seven (7) essential core competencies of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) portfolio.

Students who took ID 4000 for credit are not eligible to take EDU 4000 for credit. 

This course provides students with skills and instructional strategies necessary for success in teaching Science (biology, chemistry, physics), Technology (computer science), Engineering, and Mathematics in middle and high school classrooms. Students are introduced to the seven elements of the Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP), which is the evaluative tool used to obtain teaching licensure within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Course topics include: a brief history of education; curriculum and course guidelines (Massachusetts Education Reform and regulations 603 CMR 7.00, state curricular frameworks, national standards); legal issues; developing unit and lesson plans; and evidence-based teaching methods. Students learn about the elements of an engaging and inclusive lesson, create and design series of lessons to form a unit plan using backward design, how to manage a classroom, group work, and how to develop a classroom management plan, and how to assess student understanding using formative and summative techniques. A portion of the course requires students to complete field work in a local classroom to prepare for the student teaching practicum.  

Students who took ID 3100 for credit are not eligible to take EDU 4100 for credit. 

As an essential component of the Teacher Preparation Program, this seminar addresses current issues that impact the field of education to encourage discourse and deepen understanding of K-12 school culture and classroom environments experienced during the student-teaching practicum. Other topics include career coaching, resume and cover letter development, navigating a job search, and interview preparation skills for K-12 educators.