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Primary Education

Bachelor of Arts

Lourdes University Department of Education faculty have designed a nationally recognized and award-winning program that prepares graduates to be excellent elementary, middle, and high school teachers. The Bachelor of Arts in Primary Education program focuses on the development of the whole child in physical, cognitive, language, creative, social, and affective development.

The professional preparation goal of the Primary Education program is to integrate a liberal arts education for teacher candidates to acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to teach and work with young children aged three to eight. An extensive clinical and field experience component and service-learning requirements allow Lourdes education majors to observe and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life settings. Lourdes’ primary education majors regularly secure employment and are known as well-qualified, caring teachers.

Perceived as generalists, Primary educators must master content knowledge that is broad in nature and based on the Common Core, the Ohio Early Learning and Development standards, and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) K-6 Elementary Teacher Preparation Standards.

The following are integrated into teacher preparatory methodology and are critical study areas for professionals working with young children.

  • Fundamentals of child development theory
  • Curriculum development
  • Knowledge of environmental designs
  • Classroom management
  • Multicultural education
  • Integration of instructional technology
  • Assessment
  • Various effective teaching practices

Primary Education majors may also wish to enroll in one of our certificate or endorsement programs.

Plan of Study

Total credit hours: 120

The Primary Education Program prepares teachers to work with young children from ages three through ten, grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth.

REQUIRED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Core Course Requirements

Lourdes University Connections (3 credit hours)  
LUC 101  College Connections
LUC 102  Career Connections – Fulfilled by EDU 100

English  (6 credit hours)  
ENG 101  College Composition
ENG 313  Theoretical Approaches to the teaching of Writing

Mathematics  (3 credit hours) 
MTH 112 if ACT score <22 or SAT score <520 (except MTH 224 or MTH 225) OR a math course higher than MTH 114 if ACT score greater or equal to 22 or SAT score is greater or equal to 520 (except MTH 224 or MTH 225)

Ethics  (3 credit hours)
Education students meet the Core Curriculum Requirement for Ethics through an integrated approach of studying ethics for educators in five courses (EDU 100/101, EDU 230, EDU 216, EDU 317/319, EDU 329).

Enduring Question Seminar     (2-3 credit hours)

Capstone in the major  (12 credit hours) 
EDE 490  Capstone: Early Childhood Student Teaching

Service Learning  (20 hours)

Cultural Diversity course or experience (3 credit hours)
EDU 216  Multicultural & Social Issues in Education

General Education   

History  (3 credit hours) 
HST 121  Survey of United States History I
or
HST 219  Ohio History

Literature  (3 credit hours) 
ENG 200  Introduction to Literature

Philosophy (3 credit hours)
Any PHL course

Theology   (6 credit hours)
First course – one of the following:
THS 125  Foundation of Theology
THS 218  Celebrating the Sacraments
THS 220  Introduction to the Old Testament
THS 221  Introduction to the New Testament
THS 235  Survey of Catholic Belief
THS 265  Christian Ethics
THS 312  Jesus, the Christ
THS 316  The Shape and Mission of the Church
Second course – Any other Theology course (Note that if THS 101 was taken as a first course, THS 105 cannot be taken to fulfill the second course requirement.)

Art/Music  (6 credit hours)
ART 117  Art for the Teachers of Young Children
MUS 113  Integrating Music into the Early Childhood Classroom

Natural Science  (3 credit hours)
SCI 170  Survey of Science

Social Science  (3 credit hours) 
EDU 250*  Educational Psychology and Human Development\

Professional Education Foundation Courses
EDU 100*  Foundations of Education or
EDU 101   Foundations of Education Bridge Course
EDU 151   Technology in Learning
EDU 251   Technology & Pedagogy for Learning
EDU 351   Technology, Pedagogy & Content Knowledge for Learning
EDU 216   Multicultural & Social Issues in Education
EDU 230*  Survey of Special Needs Education
EDU 250* Educational Psychology and Human Development
EDU 317     Classroom Management for Primary Education
EDU 329     Differentiated Instruction & Assessment
EDE 490    EDE 490 requires a 75-day (Approx. 15-week) field placement

Primary Education Strand
EDE 235**  Integrated Curriculum and Instruction in Primary Education
EDE 250**  Primary Education Methods and Field Experience I
EDE 307  Special Education Assessment & Instructional Adaptations
EDE 315  Family, School, Community Relations
EDE 350**  Primary Education Methods & Field Experience II
EDE 490**  Capstone: Primary Education Student Teaching

Reading Strand
EDU 220 Foundations of Literacy
EDU 221 Vocabulary, Comprehension and Writing Instruction in Content Areas
EDU 324 Phonological Awareness and Phonics
EDU 335 Reading Assessment, Instruction, and Intervention

All four of these classes have a field experience component.

Curriculum Content

Language Arts
COM 100  Oral Communications
ENG 101  Composition I
ENG 200  Introduction to Literature
ENG 220  Structures of English Language

Math
MTH 112 if ACT score <22 or SAT score <520 (except MTH 224 or MTH 225)  OR  a math course higher than MTH 114 if ACT score > or equal to 22 or SAT score > or equal to 520 (except MTH 224 or MTH 225)

MTH 224  Mathematics for Teachers of Young Children I
MTH 225  Mathematics for Teachers of Young Children II

Science
SCI 170  Survey of Science
SCI 370  Integrated Science for Teachers

Social Studies
GEO 250  World Cultural Geography
HST 121  Survey of United States History I
HST 219  Ohio History
PLS 122  American National Government

Art/Music
ART 117  Art for the Teachers of Young Children
MUS 113  Integrating Music in the Early Childhood Classroom

* Field experience required
** Clinical experience required
*** Field and clinical experience required

Learning Outcomes

The Department of Education is committed to preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to become competent, caring and qualified teachers and lead rich, meaningful lives.

The curriculum and clinical & field experiences of the teacher education program are designed to provide students preparing to become teachers with the opportunities to demonstrate competency in meeting the following Teacher Candidate Performance Outcomes:

  • The teacher candidate will model the Franciscan values of reverence, service, and learning.
  • The teacher candidate will demonstrate an understanding of subject content, developmentally appropriate teaching practices, student learning and development, assessment, and respect for diversity.
  • The teacher candidate will plan developmentally appropriate and inclusive lessons that articulate clear learning goals, connect prior and future learning, and include appropriate assessment strategies that advance the learning of each individual student.
  • The teacher candidate will use a variety of instructional strategies, which may incorporate the appropriate use of technology, to make content comprehensible; to promote high order thinking; and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and ensure student learning.
  • The teacher candidate will create a positive and safe learning environment, incorporating consistent and appropriate standards for behavior, which respects and celebrates the diversity of all students.
  • The teacher candidate will use a variety of communication methods and collaborate with students, families (parents/guardians), school personnel, and community to support student learning and development.
  • The teacher candidate will engage in reflective practice to improve teaching performance and assume responsibility for professional growth, performance, and involvement as an individual and as a member of a learning community.

The Department of Education programs are designed to offer students the opportunity to achieve a liberal arts education and prepare students for the teaching profession. All programs meet the requirements as set forth by the Ohio Department of Education and the licensure requirements of the Ohio Department of Education. In order to graduate, students must meet the Lourdes University Department of Education requirements. The responsibility for meeting the goals and requirements rests with the student. Lourdes University Department of Education reserves the right to make changes to the courses of study and program requirements due to the frequent changes in national and state standards and regulations.

Certificate Programs

Educators in Toledo, northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan can choose to pursue one of two graduate certificate programs.

ONLINE PRIMARY EDUCATION GENERALIST ENDORSEMENT: GRADES 4-5

Graduate Certificate Program for Educators

Lourdes University offers an online nine-credit, three-course certificate program at the 600 level that qualifies educators who hold a State of Ohio Pre-K3 Early Childhood License to add the Primary Education Generalist Endorsement.

The certificate is offered in an online format at a reduced rate for educators.

Completers must earn a passing score on the Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Assessments in order to add the Primary Education Generalist Grades 4-5 Endorsement to an Ohio License.

17 hours of field experience are required per course.

Applications are currently being accepted.
COURSES
EDU 675 Pedagogy and Development: Young Adolescence
EDU 676 Content and Pedagogy: Mathematics and Science Grades 4 & 5
EDU 677 Concepts and Pedagogy: Social Studies and Language Arts Grades 4 & 5
COST

  • $630 per course
  • $1,890 total for graduate certificate program

No additional fees applied

P-12 READING ENDORSEMENT

Graduate Certificate Program for Educators

Reading Endorsement applications will be accepted until all seats are full. Apply early to secure your seat!

Designed for teachers wishing to help prepare students for state reading exams and to become better readers in general. The program fits the needs of those candidates wanting to enhance their skills as or to become a reading teacher able to teach all grade levels.

Preparing teachers to sit for the OAE exam, the endorsement is offered as a 15 credit hour standalone endorsement or it can be combined with the Master of Education degree. Once the reading endorsement is completed, and the OAE exam is passed, the endorsement may be added to the teacher’s license. The full master’s degree is only 18 additional credit hours to completion.

Courses for the Reading Endorsement
EDU 640 Literacy Foundations and Strategies
EDU 641 Phonics and Applied Word Study
EDU 642 Reading and Writing in the P-12 Classroom
EDU 643 Literacy Assessment, Diagnosis and Intervention
EDU 644 Practicum: Professionalism in Clinical Literacy Practice

Endorsement Programs

Come home to Lourdes.

Transfer to Lourdes and complete your degree.

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