Mathematics (6-12) Field Endorsement
Course Descriptions:
PSYC 250 | Human Growth and Development (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the physical, cognitive, social and emotional aspects of growth
from birth through old age. In addition, factors thought to influence this growth
are also examined.
General Studies Outcome: Perspectives on Values, Thought, & Aesthetics
EDUC 208 | Foundation and Principles of Teacher Education (2 credit hours)
This course provides an overview of the nature of the teaching profession, including
the purpose, history, philosophy, organization, curriculum alignment and standards
in American public school education. Professional dispositions, reflective practice
and critical thinking skills will be emphasized.
Corequisite Required: EDUC 209, Sophomore standing
EDUC 209 | Teacher Education Orientation & Practicum (1 credit hours)
This course will specifically introduce PSC teacher education candidates to the School
of Education's conceptual framework and program standards, teacher education program
checkpoints, electronic candidate portfolio requirements and implementation, successful
completion of a 20 hour practicum, and successful completion of a faculty panel interview.
Corequisite Required: EDUC 208, Sophomore standing
EDUC 255 | Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the conceptual, theoretical and philosophical issues surrounding
diversity in educational settings and how to successfully implement differentiation
of instruction to offer all types of learners with opportunities for engagement in
their learning environments. The course also explores notions of equity that will
provide candidates with the information they need to create learning environments
that are free of bias and provide a differentiated approach to education for all students.
Teacher education candidates will adopt a philosophical position and design and implement
effective teaching strategies that reflect ethnic and cultural diversity through differentiation.
Prerequisite Required: EDUC 209 or
Corequisite Required: EDUC 209
EDUC 300 | Managing the Learning Environment for Effective Teaching (3 credit hours)
This course is intended to provide teacher education candidates the opportunity to
explore, discuss, and reflect upon the relationships between managing the learning
environment and effective teaching. Research, discussion, and reflection will be focused
on current theory and research-based best practices for managing the learning environment
in order to effectively meet the needs of all learners. Development of lesson planning
approaches, as well as development of individual management styles and plans for their
classrooms, will be emphasized in order to assist teacher candidates in enhancing
their knowledge and skills related to managing the learning environment for effective
teaching.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
EDUC 315 | Educational Technology (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on understanding and harnessing the power of digital media
for teaching and learning. Students will learn to use that power to transform traditional
teacher-centered classrooms into student-focused learning environments where P-12
students use digital media tools for the acquisition, analysis, construction, and
presentation of knowledge. Hands-on experience will help pre-service teachers broaden
their use of digital media tools and techniques, and they will learn rationales and
strategies for developing 21st century literacies.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
General Studies Outcome: Technology & Its Application
EDUC 317 | Assessment for Student Learning (3 credit hours)
This course emphasizes the awareness of the role of the teacher in assessment and
his/her impact on student learning via procedures and practices that utilize assessment
results to inform instruction. Test construction, analysis of teacher-made tests,
and analysis of assessment results will be emphasized along with grading and reporting
of student progress for the purposes of addressing "assessment of learning" and "assessment
for learning" for a diverse student population. Key pre-service assessment skills,
as delineated by the Nebraska Department of Education, will also provide direction
in terms of preparation of pre-service teacher candidates for both the Nebraska State
Assessment System, as well as any additional federal government expectations concerning
assessment.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
EDUC 400 | Professional and Collaborative Practices (3 credit hours)
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the professional practices associated
with teaching today. It is an interdisciplinary approach (incorporating the current
political, economic, legal, social, and cultural aspects in education today) designed
to provide pre-service teachers with a clear understanding of the teaching profession
and the practices, issues, and controversies confronting American education today.
Resume writing, interview skills, and an electronic portfolio will be completed during
this course to prepare candidates for potential career opportunities. The course will
provide novice educators with a broad understanding of how the relationships between
students, parents, and community impact the overall educational experience for students.
The primary focus is to prepare reflective teachers who will be able to make informed
decisions to improve and enhance the learning environment for children.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
EDUC 411 | Secondary Student Teaching (3 credit hours)
This is a practical application of learning principles in the classroom with a progressive
introduction into full teaching responsibilities at the secondary level. Students
teach full-time for four to sixteen weeks.
EDUC 420 | Student Teaching Seminar (1 credit hours)
This seminar will provide student teachers with mentorship during the student teaching
semester. Workshops for portfolio development and completion of the Instructional
Analysis Project will be included, as well as, the activities that were a part of
student teaching call backs (mock interview, certification paperwork, preparation
for the job search, etc.).
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
SPED 200 | Introduction to Special Education (3 credit hours)
This course is designed to provide a historical, political and sociological survey
of the areas of exceptionality in the field of special education. The course will
identify significant changes which have occurred in the education of exceptional populations
and provide an introductory experience concerning the various disability groupings.
Prerequisite Required: EDUC 209 or
Corequisite Required: EDUC 209
EDUC 309 | Secondary Practicum (2 credit hours)
This course is designed to provide secondary education majors with an opportunity
to observe the specific methods being studied in the Secondary Methods course and
to begin to practice these methods. The practicum requires a minimum of 80 hours of
field experience.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education
Corequisite Required: EDUC 310 or HPER 315
EDUC 310 | Secondary School Teaching Methods (3 credit hours)
This course provides education majors with opportunities to study, discuss, and practice
instructional methods specifically for middle and high school students and to examine
these school environments.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education, EDUC 317 (or Corequisite)
Corequisite Required: EDUC 309 or EDUC 312
EDUC 434 | Content Literacy Across the Curriculum (3 credit hours)
This course is designed to complement the quest for learning at the level presented
at Peru State College by preparing teacher candidates to be exemplary professional
leaders in the field of education relative to effectively teaching content literacy
related to reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and technology in their
respective content areas. Collaborative, as well as personal reflection for the purpose
of independent critical thought, will be implemented and utilized on multiple theories
and best practices in the teaching of content literacy in all content areas to a diverse
student population. An emphasis on instructional strategies related to trait-based
reading, informational text, process and technical writing, speaking, listening, viewing,
and technology as they apply to standards and assessments for improving students'
content literacy, will be collaboratively and personally explored, analyzed, and evaluated
for the purposes of effective implementation in lesson design. The focus will also
include both assessment of learning and assessment for learning, in terms of each
of these areas of content literacy.
Prerequisite Required: Admission to Teacher Education, EDUC 317 (or Corequisite)
A study of the methods of summarizing and interpreting data, elementary probability, and its relation to distributions. The meanings, importance, and application of the normal and binomial distributions and the methods of random sampling, testing of hypotheses, analysis of paired data, and interpretation of standardized test scores are covered. Students work on independent research projects to gain first- hand experience with the issues of the course.
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 225 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (5 credit hours)
This course includes the study of analytic geometry, functions, limits, continuity,
related rates, differentiation, maxima and minima, higher order derivatives, techniques
of graphing, and basic integration theory with application.
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 226 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (5 credit hours)
This course includes the study of the differentiation of logarithmic and exponential
functions, antiderivatives and the definite integral, integration, inverses and related
topics.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 225
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 230 | Foundations of Mathematical Thought (3 credit hours)
This course is an introduction to the theoretical aspects of mathematics. Students
will explore axiomatic foundations of sets, functions and logic. Various methods and
styles of proofs will be discussed. Students will learn to write proofs of various
types using proper mathematical style and proper writing style.
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 306 | Modern Algebra (3 credit hours)
This course is a study of the various algebraic systems arising in modern mathematical
computations. Emphasis is placed on the axiomatic approach to algebra and the use
of modern technology to work with algebraic concepts. Topics covered will include
sets, mappings and operations, relations, groups, rings, domains, development of the
real number system and development of the complex number system.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 230
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 327 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry III (3 credit hours)
This course includes the study of further techniques in integration, infinite limits,
improper integrals, polar equations, an introduction to vector calculus, and an introduction
to multivariable calculus.
Prerequisites Required: MATH 225, MATH 226
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 418 | Linear Algebra (3 credit hours)
This course presents systems of linear equations, determinants, vector spaces, inner
product spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors with moderate
emphasis on proof. Applications of these concepts are also covered.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 230
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 490 | Seminar in Mathematical Research (1 credit hours)
This course consists of a review of current research trends in mathematics. Each student
will review current literature and select and pursue a topic of individual study.
Mathematics faculty will mentor and grade the participants in the course. This course
is to be taken during the student's last year of study at Peru State College. This
course is the capstone course and senior competency for the Mathematics major.
Prerequisite Required: Seniors Only
MATH 114 | Trigonometry (3 credit hours)
This course is intended for students who plan to pursue a college program requiring
a strong background in mathematics. The course will build from basic knowledge of
algebra and geometry toward a solid understanding of the modern approach to both doing
mathematics and applying mathematics, especially in the areas of technology and connections
between branches of mathematics. Topics include: the unit circle, trigonometric functions,
(definitions, graphs and inverses), right triangles, oblique triangles, trigonometric
identities, trigonometric equations, the trigonometric form of complex numbers, vectors,
polar coordinates, polar graphs and parametric equations. Applications from many areas
of science are included.
MATH 304 | Modern Geometry (3 credit hours)
This course covers the modern approach to geometric concepts with emphasis in both
the axiomatic approach to geometry and the use of modern technology to work with geometric
concepts. Topics covered will include finite geometries, geometric transformations,
synthetic geometry, geometric constructions and non-Euclidean geometries.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 230
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 404 |Mathematical Modeling (3 credit hours)
This course covers a variety of mathematical topics ranging from graphs and networks
to linear programming. The emphasis of the course is on modeling process used to set
up and solve problems in these topic areas. Strengths and limitations of the mathematical
modeling technique will be discussed. Analysis and critique of traditional word problems
will also be discussed.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 225
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
MATH 430 | Discrete Structures (3 credit hours)
A study of some of the mathematical concepts useful to the computer boolean algebra,
logic circuits, vectors, matrices, determinants, graphs, directed graphs, finite machines,
and automata.
Prerequisite Required: MATH 230 and MATH 113 or MATH 120
General Studies Outcome: Collegiate Skills - Effective Communication
STAT 440 | Advanced Statistics (3 credit hours)
This course covers calculus based probability and statistics with applications. It
continues the study of methods of summarizing and interpreting data, with special
emphasis on non-normally distributed statistics. Topics will include discrete, continuous,
multivariate and sampling distributions; moment generating functions; confidence intervals;
and hypothesis testing.
Prerequisite Required: STAT 210 (or MATH 340)