SPED 303 Student Teaching (2 units). In this course, you will complete 14 weeks of student teaching. This course will be taken in your final semester of the program. The purpose of student teaching is for teacher candidates to demonstrate competency around core skills related to being licensed as a special education teacher in the state of Minnesota. Your student teaching placement can be completed on-the-job (with prior approval from the LDA Program Coordinator and your district level leadership – school principal and special education director). Please keep in mind, your classroom must serve one (or more) of the following disabilities: learning disabilities, emotional and behavior disorders, autism spectrum disorders, developmental cognitive disabilities, or other health disabilities (disabilities covered under the scope of your ABS license).
ED 203 EdTPA (1 unit). While you are completing the clinical experience as a Teacher Candidate, you will participate in the edTPA, an in-depth performance-based assessment in which you will show evidence of your ability to plan and enact lessons that support the needs of special education students, as well as your ability to analyze and reflect on your teaching practice. Completing this capstone project will support your ability to link theory and practice, as you will be expected to integrate what you learned in your coursework with your experiences in the classroom.