EDU 351 is a study of the general methods of teaching in the secondary school. Much attention is given to understanding the Minnesota State Standards including knowledge of standards and their use, curriculum planning, and assessment of students. This course integrates methods for developing content literacy (the ability to use reading and writing for the acquisition of new content in a given discipline). The course also focuses on developing awareness of multiple instructional methodologies, the ability to differentiate instruction, assessment and classroom management skills. The course is normally taken in the semester immediately preceding student teaching and is taken concurrently with EDU 350 and EDU 386.

Course Goals:
• To help in the development and practice of teaching strategies and tools to help your future students learn;
• To help you practice curriculum planning and implementation required by educators;
• To have you think, write about and articulate your assumptions about students, classrooms, and content;
• To provide an opportunity for you to talk to your colleagues about teaching.

Course Objectives:
Students will:
• Read and discuss resources to expand their understanding of best practice for teaching and learning
• Reflect on classroom experiences and integrate their new knowledge into their planning for student learning
• Develop/revisit their philosophy of teaching as they prepare to encounter their own classroom
• Design a discipline-specific unit plan based on Minnesota standards
• Practice developing questions and leading class discussions
• Plan and prepare for all facets of teaching units and lessons,
• Explore strategies for using reading, writing and language to construct meaning.
• Explore teaching and management techniques relevant for today’s classrooms.
• Develop a personal classroom management plan.
• Explore the implications and effectiveness of teaching from a multicultural perspective.
• Hone their communication skills and teaching skills in real life and simulated situations.

Grading: The course evaluation system is explained on this page.