EDUC 421 - Advanced Teaching, Learning, and Planning (3)

This course is structured to support pre-service teachers in their understanding of instructional design and implementation. The course serves to deepen candidates’ understanding of how to support individual learners and will develop their ability to craft and deliver high quality instruction. Emphasizing conceptual thinking in content delivery, candidates learn to select and integrate appropriate strategies and resources to develop comprehensive conceptually based curriculum units. Through a blend of university instruction and a companion field experience course, candidates engage in hands-on clinical experiences across diverse educational settings and in immersive learning that bridges theory to practice. The course emphasizes content standards alignment, the establishment of clear learning objectives, the creation of engaging and inclusive lessons, and the adaptation of instruction for students with a variety of needs. Candidates explore high yield instructional strategies to foster content mastery and actively participate in ongoing professional development to refine their teaching. Collaboration is fostered through participation in professional learning communities, empowering candidates to explore educational issues through the discussion of equity and inclusion. Moreover, candidates are equipped with the skills to implement a variety of forms of assessment, interpret data to inform instruction, and cultivate culturally responsive teaching practices. By setting high expectations, fostering diverse learning environments, and forging meaningful connections with families and communities, candidates emerge as reflective practitioners dedicated to advocating for their students’ development. Prereq: EDUC 321. Co-req: EDUC 420. Offered: Spring.