Dec 03, 2024  
2010-2011 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2010-2011 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Communication and Rhetoric Major with Adolescence Education


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Communication and rhetoric prepares students to become versatile communicators in spoken, written, and visual forms. Building on the College’s liberal arts core, and housed within the English department, the Communication and Rhetoric major produces proactive learners who are efficient and effective problem-solvers, proficient in the analysis of their own and others’ visual and graphic communication in both print and digital media. Graduates are well-positioned for a variety of careers, not only in typical communication-related fields such as journalism, media, advertising, and public relations, but also in the wide range of other fields that require excellent reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. In addition to classroom instruction, all students receive direct pre-professional training in the form of internships and seminar projects conducted in consultation with local businesses and communication professionals.

Students who elect to combine the communication and rhetoric major with teacher certification take the communication/rhetoric requirements, with the exception that the Professional Semester (student teaching) substitutes for the required internship (COMM 482). The education course sequences listed below substitute for the Praxis Strand, and in lieu of the COMM electives students will take any two of the six survey courses from the literature major (ENGL 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, and 206).

Students who elect to pursue teacher certification through our English education program receive special instruction in teaching methods and philosophy through the English department (in addition to their required coursework in the education department). In order to be eligible for the Professional Semester (student teaching), students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.7.

Communication and Rhetoric Major Requirements


All Communication and Rhetoric Majors are required to take the following:

(24 Credits)

*For students majoring in Inclusive Childhood/Middle Childhood Education, their student teaching will count as their internship, although they may choose to do a separate internship.

Communication and Rhetoric Praxis Strand


Communication and Rhetoric students choose one or two praxis strands.   (6 Credits)
**If the schedule permits, a student seeking Teacher Certification may choose one praxis strand.

Required Courses for Adolescence Education


The following courses are required for Adolescence Education for majors in Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, Theatre, (English Certification) French, Italian, German, or Spanish.

  • Student Teaching and Curriculum Methodology: These courses hold the academic department acronym. These course are numbered 457, Curriculum Methodology: Middle School and Senior High in their area of certification and 479, Student Teaching or professional semester in their area of certification (Ex: HIS 457 or MTH 457).

 

Additional Program Option: Teaching Students with Disabilities at the Adolescence level (Grades 7 - 12) (Dual Certification)


Students also have the option of completing required coursework and field experiences that would lead to another certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities at the Adolescence level. This dual certification option is designed to provide the knowledge base to support student learning in content areas at the adolescence level, as well as to specifically meet the needs of students who have special education needs in grades 7-12 by means of differentiated instruction and collaborative teaching.

Students who elect to pursue this option complete the following courses in addition to the required courses for Adolescence Education listed above:

Communication and Rhetoric Major Senior Experience


The Communication and Rhetoric Senior Experience allows students to design and present a project/portfolio of work that bridges the academic and professional worlds.  Students are expected to design a project that will apply what they have learned over the course of their study.  The Senior Seminar class will provide a community in which to work on this project.  Projects will be presented at the end of the semester in a public forum. 

Sample Program for Communication and Rhetoric Major with Adolescence Education


Freshman Year


  • Arts & Sciences Perspectives I Credits: 9
  • Modern Foreign Language Credits: 6

As well as:

Sophomore Year


  • Literature Survey Credits: 3
  • Arts & Sciences Perspectives I Credits: 15
  • EDU 204

As well as:

Junior Year


  • Literature Survey Credits: 3
  • Arts & Sciences Perspectives II Credits: 9
  • Elective Credits: 3

As well as:

  • ADOL 030 - Orientation for Professional Semester Credits: 0 (Fall Only)
  • ADOL 410 - Principles of Teaching, Learning, & Assessment for Diverse Secondary Learners Credits: 3 (Fall Only)
  • EDU 090 - Orientation to the Personal Electronic Portfolio Credits: 0 (Fall Only)
  • EDU 475 - Health Education, Child Abuse, and Violence Prevention Workshop Credits: 0
  • ENGE 357 - Theories of Grammar and the Composing Process Credits: 3
  • ENGE 457 - Curriculum Methodology Middle School and Senior High Credits: 3 (Spring Only)
  • LST 301 - PII Language and Literacy Development Credits: 3

    and one of the following:

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