Graduate Certificate of Completion in Elementary Education Teacher Preparation
Overview
Affect Change in the Classroom
The Graduate Certificate of Completion in Elementary Education, currently available in Florida, is a convenient program for provisionally licensed teachers to further their skills in the area of elementary education. Ideal students are elementary school teachers (except special education) who teach students basic academic, social and other formative skills in public or private schools at the elementary level.
The graduate certificate in elementary education program places emphasis on meeting the educational needs of elementary-age children in a variety of settings. All courses within this College of Education program are online and directly align with specialized professional teaching standards and the associated national content standards. You must have access to a grades 1-8 classroom to complete assignments within many of the courses. These courses guide teacher candidates through required observational and practice-based experiences.
You must submit a copy of your current teaching license or provide evidence of a minimum of one year of teaching experience to apply for this program. In addition, it is essential to have access to a K-12 classroom to complete the program assignments.
Degree Outcomes
Achieve Higher Success in the Classroom
Upon completing this online graduate certificate program in education, your expanded knowledge base of child development, creating supportive learning environments and instructional methodologies can improve your success as an elementary instructor. An in-depth understanding of how children grow, interact socially, self-motivate, engage in learning and comprehend various texts as proficient readers can support individual positive student outcomes. Required practicum and field experience further enable you to explore concepts and apply training outside of the classroom.
This graduate certificate in elementary education equips you with advanced knowledge and skills of elementary instruction and learning concepts that meet the unique needs of students. Develop skills to align objectives, instruction and assessments with an emphasis on differentiating curriculum customized for these diverse students.
What You Will Learn
Explore Student-Driven Learning Concepts
Course topics in the teacher certificate program online include:
- Recognizing varying patterns of learning and development
- The construction of learning opportunities that support individual development, knowledge acquisition and motivation
- Importance of establishing and maintaining positive collaborative relationships to support students
- Collaboration with peers and colleagues to achieve instructional goals through action planning
- Building knowledge to promote early literacy and independent readers
- English language teaching foundations and methodologies with a focus on Structured English Immersion
Career Outcomes
Fulfill a Leadership Role in Elementary Education
Online coursework, practicums and fieldwork experience prepare you to approach your classroom in a leadership role with enhanced knowledge and skill sets in elementary education. You will have the necessary tools to increase student success in an engaging learning environment with student-tailored approaches to teaching. Grand Canyon University also offers placement assistance as part of the certificate program to help guide your career path.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
Teacher candidates survey how children and early adolescents grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas while understanding the implications for designing and implementing developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences. This survey of the seminal concepts, principles, theories, and research related to development of children and young adolescents will allow teacher candidates to build foundational knowledge for constructing learning opportunities that support individual students’ development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation. Practicum/field experience hours: None. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
Candidates in this course will develop skills in aligning objectives, instruction, and assessments. Special attention is given to differentiating curriculum for diverse students and using assessment data to guide instruction. Candidates will collaborate with peers and colleagues to achieve instructional goals through action planning. Review of current trends in instruction and assessment are presented to guide instructional decisions with a special focus on the needs of diverse students. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course presents the historical, legal, theoretical, and sociological foundations of programs of instruction for English language learners. It includes an examination of the role of culture in learning and instructional program models, with a focus on Structured English Immersion. Teacher candidates are instructed in immersion strategies and the use of assessment data. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
Teacher candidates examine how to teach foundational skills to develop proficient readers with the capacity to comprehend texts across a range of texts and disciplines. Teacher candidates build additional knowledge regarding print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to promote early literacy and independent readers. Practicum/field experience hours: 6.
Course Description
Teacher candidates examine how to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self- motivation. Teacher candidates build foundational knowledge regarding the importance of establishing and maintaining positive collaborative relationships with families, school colleagues, and agencies in the larger community to promote the intellectual, social, emotional, physical growth, and well-being of children. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance required.
Online
* Please note that this list may contain programs that are not presently offered as program availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability of the program.
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program's published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution's catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who started the program in the same year and then graduated within the published program length.
Online and Evening program disclosures (8 months)* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.