Elementary Education Major
The major consists of 63 credit hours. The elementary education program at Trinity International University - Florida is recognized by the Florida Department of Education as a State-Approved Educator Preparation Program. Coursework provides needed credit hours to qualify for elementary certification from the State of Florida plus two endorsements: ESOL and Reading. IDS 105 is a prerequisite.
Note: Upon notification from the Florida Department of Education credit hours and course listings are subject to change.
Goals
In addition to the goals that span the Trinity Florida undergraduate curriculum as a whole, the elementary education major has these unique goals:
- Theoretical Foundation: understanding of the varied education trends and methods in the educational world and ability to apply this understanding to practical teaching situations.
- Issues Analysis: awareness of key issues in the field of education and ability to delineate a critically reflective stand on those issues.
- Applied Communication Intervention: ability to analyze actions, diagnose problems, and design effective and ethical educational interventions.
This major provides students with the skills, attitudes, and credentials necessary to enter elementary school teaching. Students who successfully complete the major are prepared to meet the requirements for certification in Florida public schools in accordance with the State of Florida Teacher Certification rules.
Program Outcomes:
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education will be able to:
- demonstrate instructional design and lesson planning strategies
- create an effective learning environment
- demonstrate knowledge of instructional delivery and facilitation methods
- understand assessment methods and outcomes
- undertake continuous professional development
- demonstrate knowledge of research-based practices
- demonstrate knowledge of literacy strategies
Program Specifics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ED 104 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| ED 234 | Children's Literature for Elementary Educators | 3 |
| ED 257 | Technology for Elementary Educators | 3 |
| ED 305 | Reading Fundamentals | 3 |
| ED 330 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| ED 332 | Reading: Literacy Development and Assessment | 3 |
| ED 339 | Fundamentals of Elementary Education | 3 |
| ED 344 | Social Studies Methods in the Elementary Classroom | 3 |
| ED 346 | Elementary Science Methods | 3 |
| ED 347 | Elementary Math Methods | 3 |
| ED 351 | Language Arts Methods | 3 |
| ED 404 | ESOL Methods | 3 |
| ED 416 | Teaching Reading in the Content Areas | 3 |
| ED 423 | Classroom Management for Elementary Educators | 3 |
| ED 431 | Assessment of Learners | 3 |
| ED 436 | Applied Linguistics: ESOL | 3 |
| ED 438 | Cultural Dimensions of ESOL | 3 |
| ED 481 | Field Study# 1 (Reading) | 1 |
| ED 482 | Field Study #2 (Reading) | 1 |
| ED 483 | Student Teaching in the Elementary School 1 | 10 |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
| 1 | Candidates must maintain a GPA of 2.50 in all courses, complete the fingerprinting process, and be approved by the Program Director before being permitted to begin Student Teaching. Student Teaching must be passed with a grade of B or better and will be comprised of 13 weeks with 1 week counting as Field Study #3 in Reading. |
Note: During the semester of student teaching, the student must be available during regular school hours and not be employed full time. This is an intense time of work, and student teachers must give full attention to teaching. The student must have all courses completed, and no other coursework may be taken during the student teaching experience. Any student applying to the Elementary Education degree program should be aware that certain experiences in their background can preclude them from eligibility to work in the state of Florida as an Educator pursuant to Florida Statute 1012.32. Please check the following websites to have a clearer understand of the local and state background checks to ensure that your graduation will not be delayed: www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm? or Florida Department of Education: www.fldoe.org/.
Candidates are required to take the General Knowledge Exam within the first four courses of the major. In addition, students must take and pass the Subject Area Exam and the Professional Education Exam in accordance with the sequence of the cohort schedule provided by their academic advisor.
Required General Education Courses
In addition to the program specific courses, candidates must complete the following specific General Education Courses as part of their program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GE Courses Required for Elementary Education Program | ||
| MA 117 | Mathematics in the Modern World 1 | 3 |
| SOC 330 | Race and Ethnic Relations 2 | 3 |
| ED 260X | Educational Psychology/Human Development 2 | 3 |
| or PSY 260X | Educational Psychology/Human Development | |
| COM 112 | Speech 3 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| 1 | General Education Category: Math |
| 2 | General Education Category: Social Science |
| 3 | General Education Category: Humanities |