Western Governors University's Elementary Education Program: Shaping Future Educators
For individuals with a passion for education and a desire to shape young minds, Western Governors University (WGU) offers elementary education degree programs designed to equip aspiring teachers with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience necessary to excel in the classroom. WGU's programs focus on preparing educators to impact students, classrooms, and their communities through a curriculum integrating research-based concepts.
Curriculum Grounded in Research and Practice
WGU's elementary education degree programs integrate research-based concepts from the Science of Learning and the Science of Reading. Coursework is based on cutting-edge research in the field of education, including online and blended pedagogy, using innovative technologies like AI in education, and competency-based education in P-12. The goal is to help teacher candidates grow and develop a deeper understanding of elementary contexts.
The curriculum emphasizes practical application, with opportunities to practice work before entering the classroom. These opportunities start with embedded virtual simulations and progress into in-person classroom experiences.
Degree Programs Offered
WGU offers multiple pathways for individuals seeking to become elementary educators:
B.A. Elementary Education: This program provides theoretical depth and practical experience combined with curriculum planning and classroom management skills. It leads to teacher licensure, with specific grade levels varying depending on licensure in your state. The program requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Elementary Education Master's Programs
B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education: This program prepares educators to teach students with a range of disabilities (from mild to moderate) and learning needs. It equips candidates with the skills needed to connect to diverse learners, helping them thrive. Clinical experiences are woven throughout the coursework, starting with embedded virtual experiences.
B.A. Educational Studies with an Emphasis in Elementary Education/Special Education: For students who want to study elementary education but aren't quite ready to pursue the clinical experiences, this program allows them to learn the same material and complete the same courses, but without the student teaching component.
M.A. Elementary Education: This master's degree program will help teacher candidates learn the content knowledge and teaching skills needed to run their own classroom, giving them the ability to connect with every kind of learner, increasing their understanding and growth.
Hands-on Experience
WGU's elementary education programs include a clinical experience component that provides candidates with valuable in-classroom experience. This includes observation hours and a Student Teaching component hosted by an experienced elementary teacher and directed by a clinical supervisor. In the B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education program, clinical experiences are woven throughout the coursework. The program starts with embedded virtual experiences in the professional core and methods courses, allowing candidates to practice in lower-stakes environments.
Core Courses and Curriculum Components
The elementary education programs at WGU cover a wide range of topics essential for effective teaching. Some key courses and curriculum components include:
Read also: Choosing Elementary Programs
Elementary Literacy Curriculum: This comprehensive course deepens an educator's knowledge of language acquisition and progressively complex concepts and skills surrounding literacy. It explores critical elements of the science of reading and writing, including applying key theories and research used to support the development of literacy, evaluating diverse resources, and utilizing purposeful oral, written, and digital communication in elementary curriculum.
Elementary Literacy Methods: This engaging and comprehensive course focuses on the development of effective literacy teaching strategies for elementary-level students. It reviews the fundamental principles of literacy education through science of reading, but takes a more specialized focus on vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and the deeply complex literacy skills developed in grades 4 to 6.
Early Literacy Methods: This specialized course is designed for educators and professionals passionate about nurturing literacy skills in young children. It offers an in-depth exploration of the foundational concepts and practices essential for promoting literacy development in early childhood through the science of reading.
Foundations of Literacy through Literature: This enriching course focuses on the exploration and utilization of literature to foster growth in the skills and concepts necessary for reading. It delves into the role of varied and age-appropriate literary works in the science of reading to develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities in learners.
Literacy Assessment and Interventions: This essential course enhances skills in identifying and addressing literacy challenges in all student populations, including students with dyslexia, through Tier1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 multi-tiered systems of support and assessment (MTSS). It reviews the science of reading associated with a wide range of assessments and techniques used to evaluate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
Read also: Your Guide to Elementary Education Masters
Elementary Social Studies Curriculum: This course is tailored for educators looking to develop and implement a rich, engaging social studies curriculum for elementary-aged students. It offers an in-depth examination of the key concepts and themes essential for teaching social studies effectively at the elementary level.
Elementary Social Studies Methods: This specialized course is designed for learning effective and innovative methods for teaching social studies at the elementary level. It delves into the best practices for introducing young learners to the complexities of history, geography, civics, economics, and culture.
Elementary Science Curriculum: This comprehensive course provides an in-depth look at the development and implementation of a robust, inquiry-based science curriculum that aligns with current educational standards and best practices. Participants explore key concepts in teaching science to young learners, including major concepts within the Earth, life, and physical sciences.
Elementary Science and Engineering Methods: This course focuses on the foundational methods of teaching science and engineering concepts, emphasizing hands-on, experiential learning. Students explore effective strategies for fostering inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking among young learners through science experiences, engineering projects, and the use of technology.
Elementary Mathematics Curriculum: This detailed and practical course is designed for educators who seek to expand their knowledge of the mathematics curriculum in elementary classrooms. It provides the essential mathematical concepts suitable for young learners, including numbers, operations, and algebraic thinking, spanning through the domains of geometry, measurement, data, statistics, and probability.
Early Mathematics Methods and Interventions: This comprehensive course is designed for educators focused on advancing mathematics education in the early elementary grades. It emphasizes innovative and research-based teaching methods for developing mathematical understanding in young children, particularly in the crucial developmental stages in PK through the early elementary grades.
Elementary Mathematics Methods and Interventions: This course focuses on practical, research-supported strategies for teaching essential mathematical concepts, including number operations, geometry, measurement, and data analysis.
Elementary Fine Arts Methods: This course examines the best practices for teaching elements of the fine arts to young learners. Educators explore a variety of instructional strategies to engage all learners, including activities developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive.
Elementary Health and Physical Education Methods: This course is designed to provide educators with the knowledge and techniques to deliver effective and comprehensive health and physical education (PE) experiences in elementary schools.
Elementary Disciplinary Literacy: This course focuses on the unique literacy demands of content disciplines, exploring how reading, writing, speaking, and listening are used differently in each domain.
Learners and Learning Science: This course provides WGU students with a deep understanding of the science behind learning processes.
Instructional Technology and Online Pedagogy: This course is designed to equip students with the skills to effectively integrate technology in their teaching practices.
Assessing and Monitoring Student Learning: This course provides an in-depth exploration of various assessment techniques, including formative and summative assessments, standardized tests, benchmark assessments, progress monitoring, and alternative assessment strategies.
Personalized Learning for Inclusive Classrooms: This course focuses on the principles and strategies of personalized learning, emphasizing the need to value and support the unique needs, interests, and abilities of each learner.
Creating Positive Learning Environments: This course delves into the key elements that contribute to creating and maintaining a positive learning atmosphere for educators focused on fostering supportive and productive classroom climates.
Planning Instructional Strategies for Meaningful Learning: This course provides candidates with the knowledge and skills necessary to create engaging and standards-aligned lessons that meet the needs of all students.
The Professional Educator: This course prepares WGU students to excel in the exciting and impactful profession of being an educator.
Statistical Data Literacy: This course utilizes concepts in statistics, research, data, and data representation to explore the interpretation of data and their application to decision-making.
Technology and Ethics: Emerging Trends and Society: This course explores the intersection of ethical thinking and technological innovations.
Introduction to Systems Thinking and Applications: This course provides learners with the skills required to engage in a holistic systems-based approach to analyzing complex problems and solutions.
Quantitative Literacy: This course views real-world problems through the lens of quantitative reasoning.
Composition: Writing with a Strategy! This course will focus on understanding purpose, context, and audience, writing strategies and techniques, and editing and revising.
Introduction to Communication: Connecting with Others! This course will focus on communication in the professional setting, and present material from multiple vantage points, including communicating with others in a variety of contexts, across situations, and with diverse populations.
Composition: Successful Self-Expression! This course will focus on professional writing for a cross-cultural audience, narrowing research topics and questions, researching for content to support a topic, and referencing research sources.
U.S. Constitution: This course examines the evolution of representative government in the United States and the changing interpretations of the civil rights and civil liberties protected by the Constitution.
Introduction to the Natural Sciences: This course provides students an introduction to using the scientific method and engaging in scientific research to reach conclusions about the natural world.
Applied Probability and Statistics: This course teaches students how to apply the basic principles of descriptive and inferential statistics, interpret statistical results, and make informed decisions based on data analysis.
Physical Science: This course provides students with an overview of the basic principles and unifying ideas of the physical sciences: physics, chemistry, and earth sciences.
Behavioral Intervention Strategies and Applied Behavior Analysis: This course prepares special education teachers to work effectively with students exhibiting challenging behaviors, with a focus on students with behavioral and emotional exceptionalities.
Special Education Law, Policies, and Procedures: This course prepares special education teachers to practice within legal and ethical guidelines as they navigate the Special Education processes, stakeholder.
Program Features and Benefits
WGU's elementary education programs offer several features and benefits that make them an attractive option for aspiring teachers:
- Online Learning: The programs are mostly online, providing flexibility for students to complete coursework around their schedules.
- Competency-Based Education: WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready.
- Affordable Tuition: Tuition is charged per term-rather than per credit-helping students control the ultimate cost of earning their degree online.
- Accreditation: The teaching degree program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
- Expert Input: The online elementary education bachelor's degree program was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from the experts on our Education Program Council.
- Personalized Degree Plan: Students work with a Program Mentor each term to build their personalized Degree Plan.
- Augmented Reality Experiences: Students get to use augmented reality experiences for an opportunity to practice their work before entering the classroom.
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