Curriculum and Instruction (M.Ed.)

This course draws upon cognitive-behavioral theories and social problem-solving skills. Participants will examine ways to integrate skills of resilience, optimism, and other components into the culture of their classroom. Emphasis will be placed on first developing skills of personal resiliency before examining how to build a classroom characterized by these habits and practices.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the M.Ed program.

Students will explore the historical foundations of education and, in particular, American perspectives on equal opportunity, access, and merit. Social class and economic status have continued to create division in the United States. Students will explore how these social lines relate to educational opportunity, achievement, demographic group stability, and mobility. Topics may include: historical foundations including Supreme Court case rulings, policy, educational initiatives like No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Common Core, disparities in school-funding, the increased call for accountability, and the reliance on standardized assessments. Students will critically reflect on the degree to which our education system is succeeding in preparing students as educated citizens, to what degree current practices and policies are helping or hindering equal educational access to all citizens, and how all of these forces influence the ideal of the American Dream.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the M.Ed program.

In this course, students will focus on the practices of reflecting upon their own teaching in order to, ultimately, improve classroom instruction and better serve the needs of the students. Students will explore the history of reflective practice, the research that supports it, and the benefits of engaging in reflection. In-service teachers will set growth goals, solicit feedback from students and colleagues, and engage in intentional reflective practice strategies to identify strengths, weaknesses, and potential paths for increased teaching success. Course activities may include: completing a self-assessment and growth plan, gathering student feedback, analyzing student data, journaling, observation, video analysis, and creating colleague-coaching relationships.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the M.Ed program.

Students will develop a philosophical base and the skills needed to discuss and analyze curricula and curricular issues in a school setting. A course project using these skills and perspectives will serve as the launch of the action research project. By the completion of this course, participants will identify a problem, create a research proposal, and choose a research coach.
Prerequisite(s): EDUC 5130 Becoming a Reflective Practitioner.

How has the digital age changed the ways in which people learn to read and write? Today, more than ever, literacy requires skill and fluency in "consuming" and "producing" texts and the ability to recognize and exploit the dynamic interplay between these processes in order to demonstrate one's comprehension. This course will explore the ways in which reading and writing traditionally have been taught and incorporated into content area classes and consider what research demonstrates about technology's role in these efforts.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the M.Ed program.

This course introduces theory and instructional strategies for learning written and oral texts across academic disciplines in order to increase student participation and enhance learning. Emphasis is placed upon being reflective, scholar-practitioners, utilizing personal past experiences along with professional literature in scaffolding future teaching activities. Critical readings and analysis will encourage this reflective attitude to embrace professional educator development while creating interdisciplinary lessons and activities.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the M.Ed program.