Selected students are permitted to secure specialized training appropriate to the needs of the individual. The student's project may involve intensive library investigation in a special field or the collection and analysis of original data pertinent to a given problem.

Translation of theories about how children learn into ideas for application in the classroom. Bases for developmentally appropriate practices are examined in light of the students' own experiences as learners.

Exploring the communities where Pre-K-5th grade students and their families live and work. Developing habits of mind for viewing children, families, and communities with empathy and curiosity. Locating resources in children's lives, which can then be drawn on in classroom teaching and learning.

Candidates will learn how to integrate the performing arts (dance, music, theater) and the visual arts as primary media for communication, inquiry, and engagement among P-5 students. Developing child creative arts through drawing, painting, sculpture, and crafts appropriate for young children will be covered.

Active experiences in integrating the performing and visual arts in the early childhood classroom.

General approaches to culturally responsive pedagogy, including how elementary teachers cultivate meaningful relationships and asset-based knowledge about diverse children and families to inform responsive content-area lesson planning. How teachers implement culturally responsive classroom management and how teachers demonstrate high expectations for student learning and achievement.

Field experiences in grades Pre-K-5th, including observation of children in classroom contexts and design and teaching of an inquiry project with groups of students.

Develop philosophical perspectives of teaching and classroom management, consider effective parent-teacher relations, and connect with the wider community as a resource context for teaching and learning. Plan and teach an integrated, thematic curriculum unit for prekindergarten through grade five as part of the field component.

Active involvement in the life of a Pre-K-5th grade classroom, including experience with planning, teaching, and assessing integrated lessons as well as organizing and guiding classroom learning communities.

A forum for issues of professionalism connected to professional teaching experiences. Topics may vary depending on student-generated issues and concerns.

The history of Hip Hop music and culture of Hip Hop-based education. Students will learn Hip Hop's origins, traditions, and how current Hip Hop music and culture has been influenced by urban youth's social, cultural, educational, and political identities to influence teaching practices.

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.