Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum

Units: 3

Analysis of literature and research in related to impact of cultural factors on teaching and learning in contemporary schools. Exploration of teaching techniques and curricular directions designed to improve school experiences for diverse populations in K-12 settings.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Origin, development, and current status of elementary and secondary school curriculum and an evaluation of trends and issues likely to influence the curriculum in the future.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Examines teacher leadership research, theory, and practice. Prepares teachers to assume leadership roles in classrooms, schools, school systems, and the larger educational community. Independent research projects required.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

This course is designed to introduce the methods and skills required for designing, conducting, interpreting, and applying action research - the systematic inquiry into curriculum, instruction, teaching, and learning. This course will focus on reflective inquiry and practical applications.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Methods in instruction for applying reading to content areas, with emphasis on means of improving comprehension, vocabulary and learning strategies in subject matter classrooms.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 3

This course surveys theories, principles, and issues of psychological development throughout the lifespan. Emphasis will be placed on understanding current developmental research and its application to the enhancement of development from birth to late adulthood. Implications for helping professionals working in multicultural contexts will be provided.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 3

A critical appraisal of current psychological findings relevant to educational practice and theory.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

This course surveys theories, principles, and issues of psychological development throughout the lifespan. Emphasis will be placed on understanding current developmental research and its application to the enhancement of development from birth to late adulthood. Implications for helping professionals working in multicultural contexts will be provided.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 3

Current theories and research on development during adolescence. Topics include: physical growth, cognitive changes, relationships with peers, parents and teachers, quest for identity and independence, morality and sexuality.

Offered in Fall Only

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years

Units: 3

The purpose of this course is to inform students about motivation theories and how various concepts from these theories are related to education practice. The course components are designed to provide students with an understanding of research in motivation, as well as the relationships between theoretical perspectives of human motivation and the teaching practice.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Introduction to principles of social justice education and their centrality in progressive policies and pedagogies that lead to equity in all teaching contexts. Students will develop strategies for successfully incorporating a social justice education framework in scholarship and professional practice.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Survey of the field of educational research specifically with regard to the modes of inquiry, variety of methodologies, and ethical standards for conducting research with human participants. Limited to doctoral students in Education or by permission of instructor.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

This course is designed for researchers and leaders to gain experience using quantitative analytic approaches to answer questions in educational research and policy analysis. As the first course in a two-part series, this course introduces students to foundational tools in quantitative data analysis. Specifically, topics include measurement, graphical and tabular data displays, probability, hypothesis testing, t-tests, X2 tests, analysis of variance [ANOVA], and fundamentals of regression.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Design of qualitative studies, conduct of field work including open-ended interviews and participant observation, analysis of data and understanding of theoretical and philosophical background of this research approach.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Analysis and construction of effective mathematical tasks in teaching number systems and operations at the K-5 level; attention is also given to the expansion of content knowledge.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Focus on rational number concepts through learning trajectories at the K-5 level; attention also given to problem solving and content knowledge.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Focus on statistical literacy of elementary teachers and the teaching of data analysis and measurement to K-5 students; attention is also given to learning methods which facilitate appropriate classroom interactions.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Focus on the early algebra concepts of functional thinking and generalized arithmetic in relationship to pedagogical practices centered on questioning in the mathematics classroom.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Formative and summative assessment strategies of students' geometric thinking in elementary grades; Concept development of 2- and 3-dimensional Geometry. Attention also given to diagnosis of student errors.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Generating mathematical representations and making explicit connections between concepts; Pedagogy designed to equip elementary teachers to become mathematics teacher-leaders in school settings; Focus given to topics integrated within mathematical strands.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

This course is intended for teachers seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in teaching elementary school science. The course examines the purposes, scope, sequences, materials, and methodologies for teaching science in elementary schools to a diverse student body. It develops skill in planning, instructing, and assessing understanding of science content and processes. It links instruction and assessment and addresses relevant content topics in chemistry, biology, physics, and earth and space science.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Analysis of contemporary elementary school environments specific to elementary science content areas: life, Earth/space, and physical science in elementary school as well as science practices of argumentation, discourse, learning progressions, and science for all.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

In this course teachers build their science content knowledge in life, physical, and Earth/space science, examine strategies for effective science instruction to provide students with 21st Century skills with applications to young children's cognitive and affective learning.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 1 - 6

Supervised opportunities for advanced professional development in contexts concerned with elementary grades education.

Offered in Fall and Spring

TYPE: Internship Course

Units: 3

For classroom teachers. Practical field-tested ideas to help students improve as writers by focusing on composition as a process as well as a product. Activities for teaching prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, grammar and evaluating with suggestions for individual and group learning. Writing in content areas and composition research/ theory. To take this course in sum. as part of Capital Area Writing Project, student must apply and be selected

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Designed to acquaint in-service and pre-service teachers with breadth and diversity of contemporary literature for adolescents, with emphasis on teaching young adult literature. Addresses history and themes of young adult literature, readability of materials, reading preferences, literary merit, skills that can be taught through literature, censorship, motivating students to read and organizing literature units.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Methods in instruction for applying reading to content areas, with emphasis on means of improving comprehension, vocabulary and learning strategies in subject matter classrooms.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 1 - 6

In-depth study of topical problems in curriculum and instruction selected from areas of current concern to practitioners in education.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Theoretical foundations of reading instruction and current methods and materials for teaching reading, with emphasis on planning and implementing reading programs for children in kindergarten through grade six.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Methods in instruction for applying reading to content areas, with emphasis on means of improving comprehension, vocabulary and learning strategies in subject matter classrooms.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 3

Designed for students to expand their knowledge and skills in diagnostic assessment and instruction in alphabetics and word study needed for K-12 Reading Specialist licensure. Topics include assessment and instruction in word recognition, word analysis, spelling, and early reading skills such as phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and concepts of print. Emphasis is placed on critical examination of reading intervention practices in these areas and implementation of innovative research-informed approaches for supporting diverse learners when they have difficulties with literacy in school.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Designed for students to expand their knowledge and skills in diagnostic assessment and instruction in language, comprehension, and inquiry needed for K-12 Reading Specialist licensure. Topics include assessment and instruction in fluency and print processing, comprehension, vocabulary/language, and text-based inquiry. Emphasis is placed on critical examination of reading intervention practices in these areas and implementation of innovative research-informed approaches for supporting diverse learners when they have difficulties with literacy in school.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Supervised teaching experience with school-aged children identified as having reading difficulties. Students use diagnostic assessment data to design, implement, and evaluate individualized literacy instruction. Emphasis is placed on research-informed practices of intensified instruction embedded within engaging and authentic literacy experiences.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

An examination of theoretical frameworks for global learning and comparative studies of various national approaches to K-12 education. This course provides students with multiple lenses through which to consider how we teach and learn given the demands and opportunities present in our interconnected world.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Analysis of principles, strategies and application of new teaching approaches. Structured projects and practical experiences.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

A critical analysis of the literature relating to the teaching and learning of social studies and the drawing of implications for instructional practices.

Offered in Summer

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years

Units: 1 - 6

In-depth study of topical problems in social studies education selected from areas of current concern to practitioners in education.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer