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Adolescent Development
Adolescence is a fascinating time of life from a developmental perspective because of the many physical and psychological changes that occur. Popular wisdom considers adolescence to be a time of turmoil and crisis, but is that really an accurate description? In order to better inform counselors, teachers and administrators in this advanced course, we will examine adolescence as a developmental phase. We will examine biological changes such as puberty and brain development, cognitive and moral development, changes in parent and peer relationships, sexuality, gender, cultural context, and ethnicity. Problems of adolescence, such as drug use, eating disorders, suicide, violence, and teen pregnancy will be covered, but normal development will be emphasized. We will learn about adolescence primarily by examining current and classic research, presented in experimental journal articles and review chapters. We will also cover the major theories of adolescence, will get some practical experience interviewing and observing adolescents, and will talk about how to apply what we learn from adolescence research in real world contexts, such as parenting, teaching, counseling, and public health.

Advanced Geometry for Teachers
EDUC7000
Participants will study geometry in a problem-solving, technologically rich manner. The course encompasses advanced topics of plane and solid Euclidean geometry: definitions and terminology, congruence and similarity criteria, the coordinate plane, constructions, transformations, area, volume, Platonic solids, properties of quadrilaterals, the inscribed angle theorem and associated circle theorems. Applications will include compueter generation of smooth curves, tiling of the plane, figures on constant width, tangency, summation, iteration, fractuals, and graph theory. Geometer's SketchPad® will be used extensively for illustrations, experimentation and assignments.

Advanced Topics in Conservation of Natural Resources
EDUC7000
This course offers an in-depth study of the laws of the natural environment. Conservation issues that occur in response to human use of the natural environment are examined and analyzed from a variety of physical, social, and political perspectives. The course will address demographics and population growth, air pollution, water quantity and quality, regional and global atmospheric change, land degradation and deforestation, the depletion of mineral and other natural resources and the transition to a global sustainable society. This interdisciplinary science course investigates the three science content areas of earth, life and physical science, and content subjects of chemistry and physics as they relate to conservation and natural resource issues in the context of the science and technology curriculum framework. Each individual will choose a topic relating to the above for in-depth study and research as an individual project.

Advanced Topics in Statistical Reasoning
(EDUC 7000)
This course is designed to provide the student with a solid foundation in the conceptual understanding, calculation, and application of statistical techniques. The student will gain a deeper understanding of topics such as measures of central tendency, dispersion, and relationship, as well as hypothesis testing using inferential techniques such as t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square. The weaknesses of hypothesis testing will also be discussed, with a view to the use and understanding of effect size methods.

Attentional Issues in the Inclusion and Regular Education Classroom
This advanced course is designed to provide SPED and regular education teachers with a deeper understanding of students with attentional issues as well as materials/programs and a variety of simple to more complex strategies for teacher to implement at their classrooms. This course will assist teachers to understand and explore AD(H)D Look Alikes that mimic learning disorders (reading, mathematics, written expression, LD-NOS ), developmental disorders (motor skills disorders, communications/tics, stuttering and PDD disorders/ASP), and psychomedical/biomedical problems that may be mistaken for or coexist with AD(H)D. By understanding how attentional issues may impact student's in the areas of listening, states of learning, memory, organizational skills, movement, and social skills, teachers will understand and expand their use of classroom strategies promoting academic success for students.

Biology in Light of Evolution
EDUC7000
Participants will develop an understanding of concepts in biology through various strategies that encourage self reflection, collaboration and investigation. The course will include concepts from molecular, cellular and organismal biology. The nature of science, research methods and related sciences will also be included so that essential concepts are learned at greater depth, and evolution will be used as a connective thread. The instructor will model best taching practices based on current science education research, so that participants may consider how to best enhance student learning in their own classes. Materials to be included are online resources, science articles and biology essays.

Brain-Based Memory Strategies: Meaningful Connections for Instruction and Assessment
This course is designed to provide teachers with a working knowledge of the dynamic facets of the human memory and its implications for learning. The connections between our systems of memory and the effective and productive construction of meaning will be explored. Candidates will actively engage in activities promoting the best, time-tested practices and strategies for moving new information from the site of sensory input to multiple sites of long term storage, thus enabling learners to timely and effectively retrieve information for future recall. Candidates will learn how to purposely teach for memory so that students will retain the information not only for classroom assessments or high stakes tests, but for retention and retrieval of information at any time or in any setting. Participants will learn how to structure authentic assessments to match the multiple memory pathways used during instruction.

EDUC7000 Children's Literature
This course is intended for teachers in grades K-8. It is designed to provide teachers with the tools necessary to foster a love of literature in children/ adolescents. Teachers will be introduced to a broad range of literature and authors of various genres, and will critically examine literature in order to make informed choices about book selection. Grounded in Reader Response Theory, this course blends an appreciation of literature with an emphasis on the involvement of the reader. Participants in this course will expand their knowledge of children's literature as well as develop meaningful response based strategies for their literacy programs.

Curriculum Across the Divide: Developing Curriculums to Address the Academic,
Career and Social Needs of Students K-12
EDUC7000
The Massachusetts Department of Education has adopted a new model for School Guidance that integrates the Curriculum Frameworks with a new Guidance Curriculum that attempts to respond to the needs of all students. This endeavor assumes cooperation among teachers, counselor and administrators. This on-line course will help all school professionals to cross the curriculum divide in order to develop appropriate curriculum responses to meet student needs.

Developing Mathematical Ideas PreK-6
This course provides an advanced investigation into standards based mathematics content and is designed to help early childhood teachers to critically examine how children develop major mathematical content from pre K to grade 12. An important objective is to connect each mathematical strand of the mathematics framework to content development and articulation of content development to algorithms and the major strands of the framework PreK-12. The developmental progression of skills beyond the early childhood years will be analyzed to provide the early educator with advanced mathematical scope and sequence content to advance their own mathematical knowledge. Core materials will deal with actual classroom cases that illustrate the mathematical thinking of students and the place prerequisites play in developing mathematical ideas and their relationship to problem solving PreK-12. In addition, to reading, discussing and analyzing these cases, participants will also view and discuss video tapes of mathematics lessons and explore the actual mathematics content and mathematical thinking in the lessons. Candidates will share and discuss the work of their own students, plan, conduct, and analyze mathematics interviews of their students, write their own mathematical case studies and analyze lessons and their mathematical content from innovative early childhood, elementary and middle school mathematics curricula. An in depth review of the mathematical content research Prek-12 is an integral part of this course.

Education and Society
This course examines the relationship between schooling institutions and the larger society in which they are embedded, with a major focus on the U.S. public K-12 system. The primary objective of the course is to enable each student to think critically about education as a social institution, particularly the U.S. educational system, and her/his own relationship to the system of schooling. The course readings and class on-line discussions will explore the interlocking historical, organizational, cultural, social class, gender, and racial issues that lead to an understanding of the impact and role of education from a range of vantage points, especially those perspectives outside of the U.S. mainstream. This course will be especially helpful for teachers, counselors and administrators who want to engage critical theory and apply this analysis to their institutions in which they work.

Education and The Law
EDUC7000
Participants will learn knowledge of relevant and contemporary issues that affect the organization and administration of public and private schools. This knowledge will assist participants to effectively perform their professional duties within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory and case law.

Effective Discipline Strategies
This course will focus upon a discussion of practical strategies to increase the effectiveness of classroom management, which in turn will lead to more effective discipline strategies. Among the topics to be considered will be: methods for increasing on-task behavior, teaching methods and styles, developing classroom rules and expectations, classroom procedures, appropriate responses to misbehavior, strategies for handling minor disruptions, defiant behavior and violent behavior and methods for solving problems with students. This course will examine current research and theoretical models which can help educators understand how to more effectively manage a classroom, how to more effectively employ methods and strategies of discipline. Research that identifies concepts shown to be detrimental to effective classroom discipline will also be examined.

Exploring A Standards Based Approach to Teaching Mathematics
Participants will become familiar with a standards based approach to teaching mathematics that reflect the NCTM Principles and Standards of School Mathematics and develop a global perspective on the challenges of delivering a comprehensive mathematics curriculum. Topics to be covered include an investigation of the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework, current trends and research findings and programs that help in improving student learning in Mathematics. The Principles and Standards for School Mathematics will be investigated including the Constructivist ideology and the Standards-Based movement. Participants will have an opportunity to share ideas and develop material to aide in classroom instruction and assessment.

Family System Theory for Teachers, Counselors and Administrators
EDUC7000
This on-line course is intended for counselors, teachers and administrators who want to better understand family systems theory in order to explore interpersonal relationships within a family context for professional and personal applications. Course content has potential applications for family and personal relationships, community practitioners, educational and counseling contexts.

History Through Film and Literature
The purpose of this course is to use film and relevant literature as a way to study historical topics. The basic questions that the course will address are: What does the film get right? What does the film get wrong? In cases where a film is based on a historical novel, what does the novel get right and wrong? Where does the film get creative? To what extent is the film and novel affected by events and conditions contemporary to when it was made? Some of the movies and novels for consideration are: Alexander, The Name of the Rose, Gospel According to Mathew, Cleopatra, Grapes of Wrath, The Mission, Kingdom of Heaven, Braveheart and a Tale of Two Cities.

(The) Internet in the Classroom
(EDUC 7000)
This on-line course is designed to provide teachers of all grade levels and in all content areas a means to integrate the Internet into their classrooms. By following the standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, participants will explore the Internet as a research tool and as a curriculum resource. Participants will develop lessons that engage students in using the Internet. This course is asynchronous, meaning that the participants control the place and the time. The course is comprised of six modules and has 37.5 contact hours. Participants will spend an average of 6 1/2 - 8 hours per week on the course through a combination of reading, interacting on-line with the instructor and other learners and completing assignments.

Introduction to Strategies for Effective Literacy Instruction Across the Disciplines
This course, designed for middle school and high school teachers offers instruction in specific, research-supported "best practices" focused on improving students' reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning skills across the content areas. Focusing on inter-disciplinary activities such as previewing a text, reading non-fiction, building vocabulary, analyzing metaphor, and using film in the classroom, students will learn how articulation of student thinking - in speaking and in writing - can increase rigor while melding course content to literacy development. Each session will allow participants to reflect on the materials and work collaboratively on crafting lessons that employ the targeted strategies in their own content areas. To facilitate this activity, participants are asked to bring with them the textbooks they are currently using in their classrooms.

Literacy Through Literature
EDUC 7000
This course organized by historical periods, is focused on achieving literacy through literature. Candidates will receive a list of books and poetry about the period, most of which will be fiction. Non-fiction books will be mentioned for use as background material. This course, organized by historical period, will have a strong U.S. Literature content and include some material for all core subjects as well as activities that address Gardner's intelligences and that will help develop literacy skills at all levels.

Managing Differentiated Instruction with Response to Intervention
EDUC7000
This course is for candidates who are interested in Response to intervention approach using differentiated instruction with a focus on management in your inclusion classroom. Having a working knowledge of the "nuts and bolts" of Differentiated, candidates will be able to apply the terminology and concepts to an advanced repertoire of structures and strategies for the effective classroom management of differentiated instruction. RTI is a powerful approach to identifying struggling learners and addressing their specific needs-before those students fall through the cracks of our education system.

Multicultural Competencies for Teachers, Counselors and Administrators
EDUC 7000
The purpose of this on-line course is to enhance cultural competence among professionals by fostering congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enables that system, agency or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Operationally defined, the purpose of this on-line course is to facilitate the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, policies, practices and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services; thereby producing better outcomes.

(The) Philosophy of the Physical Sciences
In this course, science teachers shall learn, discuss, and share both the essential elements and finer points of teaching the physical sciences to secondary students. Teachers shall discuss and reflect upon the philosophy of the topics they teach, study advanced content, and examine current practices in science teaching. At the end of the course, teachers will have a fresh look at the essential questions of the physical sciences as well as new advanced level scientific knowledge with which to infuse their classes.

Presentation Software for The Teacher
PDEV TBA
This on-line course investigates Powerpoint, a powerful and intuitive presentation graphics program, and demonstrates its usefulness as a tool for classroom and administrative tasks. Students will gain competence in use of this software application as a productivity tool and as a tool to increase learning. Using online materials, students will discover the features and use them to create dynamic class presentations. Rubrics will be applied and materials shared through the online collegial environment. Working knowledge of MS Word and high speed Internet access outside of school is required.

(The) Rise of Violence and Other Deviant Behaviors Among Females
(EDUC 7000)
This course will examine current trends in female aggression, violence and deviant behaviors. Causes, consequences and possible solutions will be examined. Among the topics discussed will be the various forms of female aggression, current data on the incidences of these behaviors, developmental issues, the effects of the popular culture and interrelated societal trends.

Sociology of Education
This course examines the relationship: between schooling institutions and the larger society in which they are embedded, with a major focus on the U.S. public K-12 system. The primary objective of the course is to enable each student to think critically about education as a social institution, particularly the U.S. educational system, and her/his own relationship to the system of schooling. The course readings and class on line discussions will explore the interlocking historical, organizational, cultural, social class, gender, and racial issues that lead to an understanding of the impact and role of education from a range of vantage points, especially those perspectives outside of the U.S. mainstream. This course will be especially helpful for teachers, counselors and administrators who want to engage critical theory and apply this analysis to their institutions in which they work.

Strategies to Go: The Art and Science of Best Practice
Improve your repertoire of instructional techniques! Understand and experience yourself the different instructional strategies that you can easily transfer into your own classroom. Review basic and advanced strategies used with strategy-based learning. The science (the what/strategies) and the art (the when and how to use strategies) of teaching for "the best teaching practices" possible.

Succeeding with the Resistant Student
(EDUC 7000)
The objectives of this course are to introduce teachers to strategies to help the most resistant students love school, believe in their own ability to succeed and always want to do their best. Many of these strategies are simple movements and activities that are easily used pre-K through the twelfth grade and even with adult learners. The course draws on activities of Brain Gym, Neuro-linguistic Programming and the latest brain research to maximize learning. Teachers using these strategies report an average of 50% reduction in classroom disruptions, improved achievement and special education students successfully moving to regular education classrooms.

Using Picture Books and Novels to Teach the Six Traits of Writing
In this course Using Picture Books and Novels to Teach the Six Traits of Writing participants will explore the six traits of writing and the use of picture books/selections from novels to teach these traits. The focus will be on answering the question "How do I get students personally invested in the writing process?" Teaching children how to "read as writers" will enable them to view the published piece as a result of the six-trait model. The six traits of writing exist whether children realize they are using them or not, this course will give educators strategies to assist children in understanding and applying these traits.

When Religion Becomes Evil
This course will help counselors, administrators, and teachers interpret examine for their students the growing alliance between religion and violence from a historical, political and sociological perspective. Religion seems to be connected with violence everywhere. The September 11 assaults were only the most spectacular of a series of bloody religious incidents. In recent years, for example, religious violence has erupted among right wing Christians in the United States, Angry Muslims and Jews in the Middle East and indigenous religious communities in Africa and Indonesia and in other parts of the world. Like the activists associated with Osama bin Laden, those involved in these events have relied on religion to provide political identities that give license to vengeful ideologies. This course will examine this "unholy" alliance with the following goals.

Course Goals:

• Examine the grievances that give rise to "holy war"
• Explore the organizations that are created to carry out the work of religious terrorism
• Examine the cultures of religious violence and terrorism
• Determine if there is a logic underlying religious violence and terrorism
• Determine the danger signs that cause a religion to become violent.
• Explore the pre- 21st century historical and sociological roots of religious violence

Your Classroom vs. The World: the Social and Emotional Influences on Your Students' Development
This course is designed to teach the educator about the effects of many individual, family and community influences on children’s social and emotional development. Focus will be on the effects of gender, culture, media (including the Internet) and different forms of trauma, and will teach methods designed to enhance children’s resiliency and socio-emotional skills in the classroom. Significant student discussion and participation are expected, as course content depends heavily on students’ experience and interests. Readings, discussion, videos and research will all be utilized.

Voices Seldom Heard - A Literature Sampler
This course is designed to investigate the portrayal of under-represented people in literature. During this course the participants will define why different groups of people throughout history have come to be seen as outside the mainstream and the image of these groups' experiences as seen through literature. Through literature, the participants will explore the portrayal of these groups, how it has changed over time because of personal prejudices, local and global events, and other factors that have impacted how they are represented in literature. Participants will select, analyze, evaluate and assess a wide variety of literature by and about these groups. Through knowledge gained in this course they will then create ways to share their understanding with their students and create a community of respect.

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