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Course Descriptions   M.Ed. Degree Program Core Courses

Advanced Child Development
(EDUC7300)
This core course explores human growth and development from birth to age eighteen. Particular attention is given to exploring the relationship between developmental theory and knowledge and educational decisions and practice. Various theoretical perspectives are covered as well as specific developmental areas, such as physical-motor, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. How children develop as thinkers and learners, specifically how problems are solved at different points in development, is emphasized. In addition, students develop a clear understanding of the process of objective observation of children, as well as observation and recording skills appropriate for investigating various aspects of child development and behavior.

Contemporary Issues in Education
(EDUC7400)
This core course is designed to encourage students to think about the history and foundations of educational practice and issues. Students reflect upon past, current, and emerging educational practices and issues using a variety of frameworks including: historical, theoretical, social, political, and legal. The current issues discussed include relating to teaching as a profession. Particular emphasis is placed upon rethinking personal assumptions, considering alternative perspectives, and investigating current and emerging educational theories, practices, and issues.

Curriculum Design and Implementation for Multi-Needs Populations
(EDUC7500)
This core course is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills of the curriculum development process as well as awareness of societal demands on the curriculum. Effective curriculum development and implementation is a dynamic and continuous process through which teachers can plan, implement and evaluate the instructional program in a systematic and logical way. Particular attention is given to designing and organizing curriculum and selecting teaching strategies, which effectively create a learning environment to meet the diverse needs of students. Students cover the major components of the curriculum development process including developing philosophy and objectives, needs assessment, instructional planning and implementation, assessment and evaluation, and curriculum refinement. Emphasis is given to the curriculum areas of Fine Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Students demonstrate curriculum competencies through the development of various curriculum projects, which include understanding a variety of teaching strategies, resource applications, and student assessment.

Internship and Reflective Analysis Seminar
(EDUC9350)
This internship is designed to advance the development of self-directing educators who initiate, facilitate, participate in, and evaluate all aspects of educational practice. A year-long experience, the Internship offers an opportunity to practice communication skills and apply collaborative skills with one or more colleagues in the field. Through cooperative participation of school personnel, students are given the realm in which to plan, organize, and evaluate ways of improving instruction and to implement educational change through such peer leadership structures and practices such as mentoring, collaborative supervision, peer coaching and team teaching. All work is carried out under the supervision of faculty. Ongoing internship projects are analyzed during biweekly seminars.

Literacy in Elementary and Middle School Education
This specialized course in literacy education examines literature and research related to literacy development. Specific attention is focused on language development, reading/writing process and on literature based instruction. Classroom strategies and curriculum adaptations that enhance the learning and motivation of diverse learners, including those which integrate the Fine Arts, are presented, implemented, and appraised.

Research in Education
(EDUC8300)
In this core course students engage in the scientific reasoning process and reflect upon this process as it relates to the educator's role. The goals and methods of educational research, the reading and analysis of primary sources, development of an educational research proposal using research, and the teacher as a researcher are explored. In addition, course material includes currently used research strategies, such as ethnographic studies and the case study approach. Emerging educational practices that are research based are highlighted. Appropriate inferential and descriptive statistical methodologies are also studied.

List of Courses Offered