Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching Online

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

Constitutional and statutory provisions governing a public school system are examined on local, state and national levels. A thorough review is made of the legal parameters surrounding the local level of the educational system. In addition, students inspect federal and state guidelines generated to meet the needs of diverse student populations in compliance with current judicial decisions and state legislation. The impact of precedent-setting cases is a major focus of this course.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

Through case studies, applied practice, and research-based practices, students investigate data sources for possible application in administrative decision-making to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning, as well as for school improvement. Methods for analyzing and interpreting federal, state, district and school-based data are covered with additional consideration of data credibility, relevance, reliability, and usability. Establishing a data culture, investing in an information management system, selecting the right data, and analyzing and acting on data to improve performance is emphasized. This course has embedded experiential (field-based) learning components.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course examines the reading and writing processes as it pertains to the teaching and learning of knowledge and skills within content disciplines. It includes an exploration of the relationships among reading, writing, critical thinking and learning; discussion and designing of current assessment tools, including portfolio; and analysis of, development of, and implementation of reading and writing strategies and procedures which develop student capacity for using reading and writing to think critically and to learn and understand content. This course involves embedded experiential (field-based) learning components.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

Best practices in classroom management that support positive student behavior are addressed. The course presents strategies such as organizing time, materials, and space as well as activators, summarizers and transitions for smooth classroom operation and effective instruction. Students will be prepared to understand underlying causes of challenging behaviors and consider appropriate interventions. Federal and state laws as they pertain to the legal procedures for all teachers, including teachers of students with disabilities and ELL students, will be presented. This course involves embedded experiential (field-based) components.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course will introduce participants to expanding the walls of the traditional classroom with the technology currently available to interact with students. Course participants will be introduced to the tools to supplement the traditional classroom setting and help engage students by using new and exciting formats that meet expectations and learning styles. Topics covered will include: enhancing presentations, creating content with the latest technologies and tools, continuing discussions outside of the classroom, managing the class outside the classroom, virtual classroom settings and the world of online learning.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course is designed so that teachers will become knowledgeable about the theory and practice of standards-based curriculum and formative and summative assessment practices.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course will address the important role of classroom-based, formative and summative assessment to maximize student progress. Students will build upon previous coursework to align instruction with state and national standards and develop appropriate assessments. They will learn how to use a variety of informal and formal methods of assessment to measure student learning, growth, and understanding, develop differentiated and enhanced learning experiences, and improve future instruction. Students will analyze data from assessments, draw conclusions, and share them appropriately with parents and other professionals as appropriate. Professional behavior and ethics in the assessment process will be stressed. This course involves imbedded experiential (field-based) components.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course brings together students to analyze key issues facing educators today. Focal points will include curricular and instructional decisions, legislative mandates, diversity and special education. Personal biases will be examined.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course focuses on past and current qualitative and quantitative research practices in education. Theories, research and implications for instructional practice are emphasized. Students learn how to be educated consumers of research, how to use of data tools such as Excel, and they examine the development of classroom school-based action research, and various methodologies associated with educational research. Students also develop an understanding of longitudinal studies, sampling procedures, and research bias evaluating competing approaches.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

Students review literature on best practices and implement a project that assesses impact of an intervention on student learning.

Prerequisite: A course in educational research

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

This course will address instructional strategies that reflect high expectations, engagement of students with diverse learning styles, needs, interests, and levels of readiness with a focus on content area instruction. Students learn to create safe and collaborative learning environments that respect student differences and back grounds. They learn to develop differentiated lessons in collaboration with colleagues. Lessons are designed following instructional practices that reflect high expectations regarding content and quality of effort. This course involves embedded experiential (field-based) learning components.

Duration: 7 weeks   |   Credit Hours: 3

Students study theory and practice skills related to communication processes, as well as effective consultation and collaboration strategies for working with school personnel, families, human service agencies and key special education stakeholders. This course focuses on emerging issues related to student assistance, inclusion, communicating with diverse families, IEP development, and implementation and monitoring and transition planning/post-secondary life. Strategies for welcoming, engaging in culturally proficient communication, and working collaboratively with diverse families are emphasized. Students learn how to evaluate their collaboration and consultation skills, target collaboration opportunities and maintain themselves as ethical and reliable consultants/collaborators in a variety of school, community and agency situations.