English as a Second Language Education (PreK-12)

This course surveys the field of children’s literature. It includes an examination of effective ways to use literature with students in primary and intermediate educational settings. It is designed to enable students to become familiar with many books, authors, and illustrators.

This course introduces students to university-level writing and focuses on communication structure, rhetorical strategies, writing processes, argumentation, research, and documentation. The course also includes an emphasis on revision through workshops and other formats.

This course examines the global history of humanity from paleolithic times to the present. This will be accomplished by focusing on three inter-related topics: the relationship between human beings and the environment; the development of religious ideas and institutions; and the development of political, racial, economic, and gendered structures.

This course is a study of basic concepts of elementary mathematics, including the nature and structure of the real number system, whole numbers and integers, and rational and irrational numbers. Basic concepts of algebra, geometry, and measurement are studied, including applications of percentages, metric conversions, probability, statistics, graphs, and charts.

This course is a study of basic concepts of elementary mathematics, including the nature and structure of the real number system, whole numbers and integers, rational and irrational numbers. Basic concepts of algebra, geometry, and measurement are studied, including applications of percent, metric conversions, probability, statistics, graphs, and charts.

In this course, students will learn about the organization of life from cells to organisms to ecosystems. This course will explore exchange of energy and resources in ecosystems, and students will be introduced to ways in which natural selection and inheritance of genes drives ecosystem composition. From this foundation, students will examine how human activities impact the natural world in which we reside and assess the sustainability of these practices and behaviors. Students will be challenged to examine the ethics of sustainability in light of Christian stewardship. In the laboratory, students will directly consider specimens from microscopic organisms to whole ecosystems, and they will implement field and laboratory techniques for assessing ecosystem health.

This course is an integrated science course encompassing major concepts and principles of physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth sciences. The emphasis is on these concepts and principles and their application to real-world views. The co-requisite Lab to this course is SCIN 3201 Science Concepts & Methods Lab.

This course gives students an initial experience teaching in an elementary school setting. Students study principles of education with an emphasis on aiding struggling readers, assessment, and lesson planning. They implement these principles as they engage in a one-to-one tutoring session with an at-risk child. The course is made possible through a partnership between Mooreland Heights Elementary School and Johnson University.

As a continuation of Introduction to Teaching, this course moves students from a broader view of teaching an introductory lesson plan to an in-depth look at a Learning Segment. Emphasis is placed on analyzing and reflecting upon lesson plans, instruction, and assessments as well as incorporating research-based learning theories into each of those areas. Additional focus is put on academic vocabulary, learning environments, and academic feedback.

This course is a study of the characteristics of exceptional persons and the etiologies of some disabilities. The roles of the family and community agencies (especially the church) are discussed, and particular emphasis is given to the role of public education in the lives of persons with disabilities.

Students develop knowledge and skills needed to teach writing, spelling, handwriting, and study skills. Students employ appropriate practices to promote effective communication, expression, and reflection in all subject areas. Students become more aware of the interactive nature of the language arts.

This course explores two areas of significance and potential difficulty for the beginning teacher: effective classroom management and successful organization of the inclusive classroom. In this course, participants study management theory and teacher style, and explore a variety of strategies for developing a plan for classroom management based on Christian principles. They also gain an understanding of the special needs of the mainstreamed child and ways to meet these needs within an effective inclusive setting.

This methods course includes in-depth study of methods of teaching reading in early childhood, elementary, and middle grades classrooms. Students come to know, understand, and use appropriate practices for promoting and developing beginning literacy skills for integrating reading instruction across all subject areas and for enabling all children to become proficient and motivated readers. Students begin to develop skills in applying explicit approaches to support student acquisition of phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

This course examines the development of Christian education through the ages and philosophies that have influenced it. Major educational philosophers and schools of philosophy are discussed, and students are encouraged to apply insights to their own educational philosophy.

This course is required for students seeking licensure in ESL or TESOL credentials. Students learn how to integrate language learning methods and subjects taught in the elementary and middle school, with special emphasis on reading, writing, listening, speaking, and vocabulary development. Students focus on methods and approaches used by educators for language instruction and effective lesson preparation using those methodologies.

This course provides candidates with the skills needed to acquire a deeper understanding of the academic needs of English learners in order to prepare them for the field of ESL education. Special emphasis is placed on specific ESL educational policies, legal requirements, and professional responsibilities. The administration of both formative and summative English language assessments is explored and practiced. Students analyze how the RTI process applies to students developing English proficiency. Students learn strategies in developing strong collaboration with administrators, educators, and parents in order to benefit English learners and their families. Students practice adapting general school and classroom practices in order to meet the linguistic needs of the English learners.

This practical field experience is designed to acquaint entry-level students with a variety of schools and classrooms in the Knoxville area. Students examine various aspects of the classroom environment, management, and teaching methods in the classrooms they visit. This information is shared in written and oral form with their classmates and the faculty supervisor at regular meetings. This course is a prerequisite for other field experiences.

This course is a one-on-one tutoring session with an at-risk child in partnership with Mooreland Heights Elementary and Johnson University.

In this term-long experience, students spend 20 hours working in a middle grade/high school ESL classroom. They observe classroom teacher instruction, prepare weekly lessons, reflect and discuss experiences with a field experience coordinator, and complete assigned tasks.

This course is a term-long experience for five full days at Maryville Christian School. Students observe classroom teacher instruction, prepare weekly lessons, reflect and discuss experiences with a field experience coordinator, and complete assigned tasks.

This course is a term-long experience for 30 hours in a Christian school classroom. Students observe classroom teacher instruction, prepare weekly lessons, reflect and discuss experiences with a field experience coordinator, and complete assigned tasks.

This course is a term-long experience spending 40 hours in a public ESL classroom. Students observe classroom teacher instruction, prepare weekly lessons, reflect and discuss experiences with a field experience coordinator, and complete assigned tasks.

This course is a term-long experience spending 40 hours in a private school ESL classroom. Students observe classroom teacher instruction, prepare weekly lessons, reflect and discuss experiences with a field experience coordinator, and complete assigned tasks.

This course introduces students to the complexity of human language. It is designed to introduce material in three interrelated units, including the nature of language, the grammatical aspects of language, and the applied areas of language. The course focuses on issues such as how the brain and language are related, how language sounds are produced and formed into words and sentences, and how those words and sentences are used to convey meaning. The course also addresses applied areas, such as dialects of English, pragmatics, bilingualism, language acquisition, and language instruction. While covering these various aspects of language, the ways in which the content relates to ministry are addressed.

This course includes a study of the physical, social, emotional and mental development of the child from birth to adolescence. This includes the role of preschool through eighth-grade teachers as they work with these children. Observations and assessments of children are included in this experience. Special attention is directed to working with students with emotional and family problems in early childhood, elementary, and middle schools.