English Major with a Secondary Education Concentration

Secondary Education Concentration

In addition to the core English Major requirements, students with a concentration in secondary education must complete:

Required courses:
Introduction to the development of skills in speech and movement through the use of theater games and improvisations. Usually offered fall semester.
Introduction to the basic skills of journalistic writing such as interviewing, gathering and reporting news and writing feature stories according to standard formats and styles. The course also covers ethical and legal considerations related to news reporting.
† indicates a required course

One additional survey course from ENG 221-229 (the total of four surveys must include three from 221-226)

Survey of selected major American authors from the colonial period to about 1900. Usually offered every semester.
A survey of selected major American authors from 1900 to the present. Usually offered every semester.
A survey of selected major English authors from the Middle ages to about 1800. Usually offered every semester.
Survey of selected major English authors from about 1800 to the present. Usually offered every semester.
Survey of selected major writers from earliest literate history to about A.D. 1000. This includes literature from western Europe and non-western cultures. Usually offered fall semester.
Survey of selected major writers from about A.D. 1000 until about 1800. This course includes literature from western Europe and non-western cultures. Usually offered spring semester.

Three from

Investigation of fundamental questions such as the definition of literature, the value of literature, and the validity of the literary canon. This course provides an introduction to a variety of critical approaches to literary interpretation, on both a theoretical and practical level. Usually offered alternate spring semesters.
Study of diverse topics that vary from year to year. Past topics have included Film Criticism, Environmental Literature, Sports Literature, and Small Town Life. Usually offered at least once a year.
Examination of African-American literature as a lens through which students may more clearly view the ways that African Americans have contributed to, been influenced by, appropriated and transformed notions of American identity, specifically conceptions of freedom, equality, gender, sexuality, religion, class, and literature. Usually offered alternate fall semesters.
Investigation of the ways in which women from a broad diversity of cultural backgrounds respond to and reshape a tradition that has typically been gendered as masculine. This course explores the effects of culture, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and religion on women's writing. Usually offered alternate fall semesters.

Total: 21 credits

To be certified by the state, secondary education concentrators must also complete:

This course is designed to allow the pre-service music, art, language, or grade 7 - grade 12 secondary teacher certification candidate to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting the education and language acquisition of the diverse language and cultural minority groups of the United States. This course is required under Act 49-2 and may be taken while student teaching.
This course will offer comprehensive preparation for teaching English in secondary schools through discussing, reading, writing, and completing projects. As part of this course, students will synthesize, reconfigure and connect what they have learned within the areas of literature, writing and education; use technology effectively as an instructional tool; establish and practice appropriate classroom management strategies for all students including those with disabilities; design lessons/units of study that meaningfully integrate different and varied aspects of English for all students including those with disabilities; develop appropriate assessment strategies for all students including those with disabilities; explore and utilize materials, techniques and methods of classroom instruction for a variety of populations.
A study of the basic principles and procedures for middle school and secondary classroom management and instruction
A continuation of the basic principles and procedures for middle school and secondary school classroom management and instruction.
Students spend an entire semester in an area school under the supervision of a cooperating teacher.
This course is designed to introduce all categories of disability. Specific attention will be given to the potential cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, and language differences in children with disabilities. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, case study discussions, and student presentations.
This course will begin with a historical overview of the field of special education, including key legislation and litigation that drives current practice. Assessment tools for diagnosing disability will be introduced, as well as assessment tools for documenting student progress. In addition, collaboration and communication skills essential for working as a part of the special education team will be practiced and further developed. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, field experiences, and hands-on experience with various assessments.
† indicates a required course

(Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, as required by PDE).

Note: Students transferring credits into the program from other institutions may also need to take the following:
The focus of this course content will be on (a) behavioral principles and their application in the classroom, (b) literacy development and literacy interventions for students with disabilities, and (c) evidence-based instructional strategies in other content areas, such as mathematics, social studies, science, and the creative arts. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, case study applications, field experiences, hands-on experience with various literacy programs, and student presentations.