Special Education All Grades/ Childhood 1-6 (BS)
Department Co-Chairs: Marya Grande, Ph.D. and Kelly Harper, Ph.D.
INTRODUCTION
This major prepares candidates in Childhood Education which covers Grades 1-6 and Special Education (All Grades) which covers Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade for Students with Disabilities. Coursework includes the pedagogical knowledge and skills to ensure that candidates are qualified to teach at these levels and in high needs classroom settings. Many courses are infused with field experiences so candidates build skills as they progress through the program. In addition, each candidate must take coursework as set forth in the Canisius University Core Curriculum and must also choose a 30 credit liberal arts concentration to ensure that they have the content knowledge necessary to teach children from Grades 1-6 in general and special education settings.
Licensure Disclosure
Canisius University cannot determine whether completion of this program would be sufficient to meet licensure requirements outside of New York State for the intended occupation. We advise you to contact your state licensing board or appropriate licensing entity to determine whether the program meets requirements for Professional Licensure in the state where you are located or the state in which you intend to pursue licensure. Please contact the associate dean of your school if you have further questions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Students must meet the requirements at all transition points in order to graduate with an education degree and be recommended for teacher certification. Please see School of Education and Human Services website for transition point requirements.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECCH 221 | Emergent Literacy | 3 |
| ECCH 222 | Literacy and the Arts in the Elementary Classroom (20 hour field experience required) | 3 |
| ECCH 412 | Managing the Elementary & Secondary Ed Classroom | 3 |
| EDE 100 | Human Growth and Development - Birth through Childhood | 3 |
| EDE 390 | Cognition and Learning - Birth through Adolescence | 3 |
| EDU 100 | Exploring the Teaching Profession | 3 |
| EDU 122 | Technology in Education | 3 |
| EDU 250 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDU 272 | Teaching Social Studies Integrating English Language Arts | 3 |
| EDU 356 | Assessment for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Teaching Math and Science: Supporting STEM Education | 3 |
| EDU 494 | Capstone Seminar for Teacher Candidates | 3 |
| EDU 495 | Child Abuse Workshop | 0 |
| EDU 496 | Prevention of School Violence Workshop | 0 |
| EDU 497 | Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop | 0 |
| EDU 498 | Student Teaching Seminar | 3 |
| SPE 291 | Nature and Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities (20 hour field experience required) | 3 |
| SPE 292 | Remedial Strategies in the Content Areas | 3 |
| SPE 311 | Nature and Needs of Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (20 hour field experience required) | 3 |
| SPE 330 | Nature/Needs of Students with Behavioral Disorders (20 hour field experience required) | 3 |
| SPE 341 | Inclusive Strategies | 3 |
| SPE 432 | Seminar in Teaching and Assessment (50 hour field experience required) | 3 |
| or EDU 432 | Pre Student Teaching | |
| SPE 493 | Supervised Student Teaching | 12 |
| or EDU 493 | Student Teaching | |
| Total Credits | 69 | |
Optional Extensions to Teach at Additional Grade Levels
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EXTENSION
Candidates wishing to obtain an extension to teach grades 5-6 for Adolescence majors or 7-9 for Childhood majors in their area of concentration (English, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Spanish) must take EMC 352 and EMC 391 in addition to the courses listed. Please note that in order to obtain the extension, you must have at least 30 hours in the content area.
INITIAL EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION
Candidates wishing to obtain a certification to teach grades B-2 are advised to take two early childhood courses that focus on learning and development and methods of instruction in addition to the courses listed, and apply for an individual evaluation of credentials through NYSED. Courses that students have taken in the past include EDY 208 and EDY 209. Please note that NYS also requires candidates to submit a transcript showing they have 6 credits each of Math, Science, and Social Studies. Discuss this requirement with your advisor to ensure that you will meet these requirements before applying for certification.
Additional Curriculum Requirements
Childhood majors need to choose one of the following academic concentrations: Liberal Arts, Social Justice, English, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Spanish .
Liberal Arts Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| English (6 credits in addition to the core requirement) | 6 | |
| Literature and Medicine | ||
| Literature and Psychology | ||
| Images of Women in Literature and Film | ||
| The Journey in World Literature | ||
| The Journey in American Literature | ||
| Social Justice in Childrens and Young Adult Literature | ||
| The Quest in Medieval Literature | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Introduction to English Studies | ||
| American Literature I | ||
| Native American Literature | ||
| Advanced Academic Writing | ||
| Tutoring Writing | ||
| Mathematics (6 credits) | 6 | |
| Calculus for the Non-Sciences | ||
| College Precalculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus for Business | ||
| Mathematics through History | ||
| Statistics for Social Sciences | ||
| Inferential Statistics and Computers for Science | ||
| Mathematics and Politics | ||
| Mathematics for Elementary Teachers | ||
| Discrete Mathematics I | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Science(6 credits) | 6 | |
| Introductory Animal Behavior I | ||
| Introductory Animal Behavior II | ||
| Introductory Biology I and Introductory Biology Laboratory I | ||
| Introductory Biology II and Introductory Biology Laboratory II | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | ||
| Human Reproduction | ||
| Energy, Environment, and Society | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| History and Social Sciences (6 credits) | 6 | |
| History of the United States: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction | ||
| History of the United States: 1877 to the Present | ||
| History of Asia to 1800 | ||
| History of Asia Since 1800 | ||
| From Jamestown to Yorktown: Making the United States | ||
| From Washington to Lincoln: The Making of American Democracy | ||
| African American History | ||
| Latin American History to 1830 | ||
| Latin American History Since 1830 | ||
| Historian's Craft | ||
| The American Constitution | ||
| American Political Process | ||
| Western Political Tradition | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Comparative Government and Politics | ||
| Race, Law, and Politics | ||
| Interest Groups and Public Opinion in America | ||
| Congress and the Legislative Process | ||
| U.S. Presidency | ||
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Liberal Arts Electives (Can take a total of 6 credits from this list to get to the minimum of 30 hours for the concentration) | 6 | |
| Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Psychology I | ||
| Basic Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Digital Media Arts | ||
| Introduction to Digital Media | ||
| Kinesiology | ||
| Nutrition | ||
| Emergency Care | ||
| Wellness and Fitness | ||
| Healthy Behaviors | ||
| Psychology of Sport and Mental Health | ||
| Evolution of Disease and Illness | ||
| Journalism | ||
| Introduction to Journalism | ||
| Multimedia Storytelling | ||
| Fine Arts/Music | ||
| History of Rock and Roll | ||
| World Musics | ||
| America's Music | ||
| Art History | ||
| History of Architecture | ||
| Frank Lloyd Wright | ||
| Art in Buffalo | ||
| Communicatoin | ||
| Dynamic Presentations | ||
| Writing for Contemporary Media | ||
| Media Literacy | ||
| Sociology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Contemporary Social Problems | ||
| Identity and Society | ||
| Race and Ethnicity | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| Justice | ||
| Ethics of Technology | ||
| Race and Philosophy | ||
| Spanish | ||
| Introductory Spanish I | ||
| Introductory Spanish II | ||
| French | ||
| Introductory French I | ||
| Introductory French II | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Social Justice Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations Course | 3 | |
| Social Movements and Social Change | ||
| Research Courses (select one of the following) | 3 | |
| Research Methods in the Social Sciences | ||
| Research Methods in Psychology | ||
| Skills Classes (select one of the following) | 3 | |
| Dynamic Presentations | ||
| Writing for Contemporary Media | ||
| Relational Communication | ||
| Strategic Communication in Teams | ||
| Training and Development | ||
| Leadership and Motivation | ||
| Elective Courses (choose four from the courses listed below) | 12 | |
| Impact of Culture, Race, and Gender on Message Design | ||
| Media & Children | ||
| Violence and the Family | ||
| Gangs in American Society | ||
| Women In The Western World | ||
| Immersion East Side Seminar | ||
| American Political Process | ||
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Children, Schools, and the Community | ||
| Stereotyping and Prejudice | ||
| Contemporary Social Problems | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Sociology of the City | ||
| Deviant Behavior | ||
| Math Requirement (3 credits) | 3 | |
| Finite Mathematics | ||
| Calculus for the Non-Sciences | ||
| College Precalculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Mathematics through History | ||
| Statistics for Social Sciences | ||
| Inferential Statistics and Computers for Science | ||
| Mathematics and Politics | ||
| Mathematics for Elementary Teachers | ||
| Discrete Mathematics I | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Science (3 credits) | 3 | |
| Introductory Animal Behavior I | ||
| Introductory Animal Behavior II | ||
| Introductory Biology I | ||
| Introductory Biology II | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
| Human Reproduction | ||
| Energy, Environment, and Society | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| History and Social Sciences (3 credits) | 3 | |
| History of the United States: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction | ||
| History of the United States: 1877 to the Present | ||
| United States Military History | ||
| History of Asia to 1800 | ||
| History of Asia Since 1800 | ||
| America and the Holocaust | ||
| From Jamestown to Yorktown: Making the United States | ||
| From Washington to Lincoln: The Making of American Democracy | ||
| Women in American History 1880 to Present | ||
| Latin American History to 1830 | ||
| Historian's Craft | ||
| The American Constitution | ||
| Western Political Tradition | ||
| Race, Law, and Politics | ||
| Congress and the Legislative Process | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
The list of courses provided here only includes active courses at the time this catalog was prepared. Additional classes that are added by other departments might also be used to satisfy this requirement. If you think a class should count, please contact the chair of the Teacher Education Department.
English Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two 200-level literature courses | 6 | |
| ENG 299 | Introduction to English Studies 1 | 3 |
| One American Literature course 2 | 3 | |
| One British Literature Course 3 | 3 | |
| Two writing courses 4 | 6 | |
| Mathematics Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Science Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Studies Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Must take at least one 200-level literature course before taking ENG 299.
- 2
Choose from ENG 315, ENG 316, ENG 319 or ENG 396 (if the topic is American Literature).
- 3
Choose from ENG 233, ENG 305, ENG 306, ENG 308, ENG 309, ENG 322, ENG 323, ENG 347, ENG 370, ENG 373, and ENG 381.
- 4
Choose from EDU 205, ENG 294, ENG 342, ENG 383, ENG 385, ENG 388, ENG 389, ENG 390, ENG 392, ENG 393, & ENG 490.
Mathematics Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAT 111 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT 112 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MAT 219 | Linear Algebra | 4 |
| MAT 230 | Logic, Set Theory, and Proofs | 4 |
| MAT 311 | Abstract Algebra | 4 |
| MAT 331 | Geometry | 3 |
| MAT 351 | Probability & Statistics I | 3 |
OR | ||
| Inferential Statistics and Computers for Science | ||
| Science Elective | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Social Studies Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSC 104 | American Political Process | 3 |
| HIS 107 | History of Modern Europe to 1815 | 3 |
| HIS 108 | History of Modern Europe since 1815 | 3 |
| HIS 123 | History of the United States: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction | 3 |
| HIS 124 | History of the United States: 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIS 209 | History of Asia to 1800 | 3 |
| HIS 255 | African American History | 3 |
| One European or Asian/African/Latin American History elective | 3 | |
European History Options | ||
| Europe and the World in a Century of Conflict | ||
| The History of Food | ||
| Asian/African/Latin American History Options | ||
| History of Asia Since 1800 | ||
| Wars of Latin America | ||
| Latin American History to 1830 | ||
| Latin American History Since 1830 | ||
| The Making of Modern Africa | ||
| Math Elective | 3 | |
| Science Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Spanish Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPA 215 | Communicating in Spanish 1 | 3 |
| SPA 217 | Intro Comp Panorama SocioCultural Latinoamericano 1 | 3 |
| SPA 323 | Topics in Conversation I Peninsular Culture and Civilization | 3 |
| SPA 324 | Topics in Conversation II Latin American Culture and Civilization | 3 |
| SPA 332 | Advanced Spanish Composition | 3 |
| Two Advanced-Level Spanish Classes (any SPA class at 300 or 400 level) | 6 | |
| Mathematics Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Science Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Studies Course Requirement | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Students who begin language study at the 300-level may substitute additional electives in lieu of the intermediate (200) level courses. Thus, students still will take 10 courses for the concentration.
Roadmap
| Freshman | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring |
| EDE 100 | ECCH 221 (may be used to apply to NYSED or BOCES for early childhood certification) |
| EDU 100 | SPE 341 |
| EDU 122 | EDY 208 (Optional - may be used to apply to NYSED or BOCES for early childhood certification) |
| Sophomore | |
| Fall | Spring |
| EDU 250 | SPE 291 |
| EDU 495 | SPE 292 |
| EDU 496 | EDU 272 |
| ECCH 222 | |
| EDY 209 (Optional - may be used to apply to NYSED or BOCES for early childhood certification) | |
| EMC 391 (Optional - needed for middle school extension) | |
| Junior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| SPE 311 | SPE 330 |
| EDU 356 | ECCH 412 |
| EDE 390 | EMC 352 (Optional - needed for middle childhood extension) |
| Senior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| SPE 432 | SPE 493 |
| EDU 428 | EDU 497 |
| EDU 494 | EDU 498 |
Courses
SPE 291 Nature and Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities 3 Credits
Describes the effect of mild disabilities from PreK-Grade 12. Focuses on collaborative strategies for parental involvement. Highlights the CSE process, placement options, and instructional strategies in grades PreK-12. Requires a twenty hour field placement.
Corequisite: SPE 292.
Offered: every spring.
SPE 292 Remedial Strategies in the Content Areas 3 Credits
Describes appropriate techniques and materials for instruction to students with disabilities and those at risk of failure. Emphasizes assistive technology for students in classrooms across the continuum of services.
Corequisite: SPE 291.
Offered: every spring.
SPE 311 Nature and Needs of Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders 3 Credits
Describes effects of intellectual disabilities and other developmental Disabilities on both the childhood and adolescent levels. Focuses on collaborative strategies for parental involvement. Highlights instructional strategies across the continuum of services. Emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to meet the learning needs of students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Requires 20 hours field placement.
Prerequisites: SPE 291 & SPE 292.
Offered: every fall.
SPE 330 Nature/Needs of Students with Behavioral Disorders 3 Credits
Describes the effect of emotional and behavioral disorders on children, adolescents and young adults, and their families. Highlights NYSED regulations, collaboration, and instructional strategies to address academic and behavioral issues. This course requires a twenty-hour field placement.
Prerequisites: SPE 311 & EDU 356. Corequisite: ECCH 412.
Offered: every spring.
SPE 341 Inclusive Strategies 3 Credits
Provides an overview of special education, including current trends. Addresses successful strategies to support students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Examines the empirical basis of methods utilized to meet the New York State Learning Standards and emphasizes collaboration to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity
Offered: every fall, spring, & summer.
SPE 356 Assessment for Diverse Learners 3 Credits
Addresses the process of identifying, assessing, and diagnosing students with disabilities as well as how to select and administer formal and informal assessments (i.e. standardized tests, curriculum-based assessment, norm-referenced, criterion-referenced assessment, and alternative methods of evaluation). Highlights use of assessment results to promote decisions in planning, teaching, and evaluating for instructional program improvements for students with exceptionalities.
Offered: every fall.
SPE 432 Seminar in Teaching and Assessment 3 Credits
Preparation for student teaching. Includes practica and seminars that focus on professional reflection and topics related to classroom management, increasing family involvement, teaching to higher standards and assessment from the PreK-12 level. Addresses objectives, curriculum, strategies, materials and evaluation necessary for the science of teaching. Emphasizes content, inquiry skills, problem solving and scientific attitude highlighting the NY State Standards. Requires the teaching of lessons across all content areas during 50 hours of field experience.
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
Offered: every fall.
SPE 493 Supervised Student Teaching 12 Credits
Highlights knowledge, skills and dispositions of professional educators. One full-time 7-week placement in each childhood and special education-childhood classroom requires candidates to become the instructional reader under the supervision of cooperating teachers and college faculty.
Prerequisite: signature, minimum GPA of 2.70, minimum grade of C in each required education course, some schools may require certain health tests. Corequisite: EDU 497.
Offered: every spring.
SPE 499 Independent Study 3 Credits
Independent studies require an application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor, department chair, & associate dean.
