M.A.Ed. Course Descriptions
EDU 501: Classroom Environments & School Culture
Principles, policies, procedures, and strategies for establishing a climate for success within the urban classroom, with the goal of the educator being breaking through negative perceptions and feelings and inspiring students to believe in themselves and engage in learning. Students will learn strategies ranging from developing an effective and welcoming physical classroom environment to establishing boundaries within the classroom, while inspiring students to learn and achieve. Students will develop a comprehensive plan for establishing a climate of support and success within their classrooms.
EDU 502: Relational Dynamics & Communication
Theories, strategies, and models for communicating with students in order to manage student behavior, developing effective conflict management, promoting student/teacher relationships, and encouraging the development of positive self-esteem. Praxis is considered for implementing such skills in the classroom environment and in student-teacher communication.
EDU 503: Cultural Awareness & Understanding
Understanding cultural differences, at-risk environments, and impoverished communities and developing strategies for scaffolding instruction for all learners, breaking through prejudices, and establishing a supportive and inclusive school culture.
EDU 504: Methods in Education I: Learning Outcomes, Standards, and Assessment
Methods of developing instruction driven by standards, course content, and student understanding through learning goals and plans, essential understandings, and assessments that show evidence of authentic learning, which will be further used to drive instruction and develop effective unit and lesson plans.
EDU 505: Methods in Education II: Student-Centered Learning & Instructional Methods
Researched and proven strategies for fostering learning through engaging and meaningful experiences; structures and best practices of inquiry-based, project-centered, and cooperative learning models for students, where students are at center stage and play a critical role in the instruction, discussion, and collaboration within the classroom; unit and lesson planning directly derived from state standards, desired learning outcomes, and evidence from assessment; developing meaningful and purposeful learning experiences that engage the learner in exploration, cooperation, and inquiry; use of information technology teaching tools by teachers in the classroom to excite and enhance learning.
EDU 506: Methods in Education III: Differentiated & Responsive Instruction
Sound pedagogy for meeting the needs of each student within the classroom, including those with special needs, those who are English language learners, and those with varying learning styles and intellectual abilities; learning to evaluate and recognize students who require differentiation and to respond with effective and meaningful instruction for each student within the classroom.
EDU 507: Advocacy & Student Support
Enhanced understanding of the needs of urban youth and the role of the educator in reaching and teaching each student; proven methodologies for influencing and encouraging students who may see little future for themselves in school or in life, including such critical elements of student advocacy and transformational support as mentorship, accountability, and relationship building; develop a future focus with students and establish college, training, and career plans to inspire and support students in believing in their own abilities and future.
EDU 508: Capstone: The Liberating Arts in Urban Education
Students review, reflect, and apply learned knowledge from the liberal arts and education studies (theory, methods, praxis), consider their own experiences during coursework, and develop future plans for adaptation and implementation of crucial strategies. A capstone reflection paper that incorporates five components: (1) information from the liberating arts (i.e., liberal arts disciplines of social and physical sciences and the humanities, and educational literature); (2) reflection papers written for courses EDU 501 through EDU 507; (3) the student’s future plans for improving professional education practices and utilization of the liberal arts; (4) a statement of the student’s educational mission, including philosophy of education and values-based instruction and professional objectives; and (5) an Action Plan that establishes specific plans, procedures, and practices for implementation of components 1-4 in the classroom. The Master of Arts in Education Summer Symposium is a requirement of this course (see Section D: Summer Symposium).
EDU 509: Essentials of Literacy: Emergent Level, Early Childhood
The normal acquisition and development of reading and writing among young children, including an emphasis on developmentally appropriate strategies for instructing children in literacy. The course includes a practicum component.
EDU 510: Essentials of Literacy: Elementary Level
Scientifically based methods of teaching reading, as they apply to elementary at-risk and/or remedial students and a multicultural population. Methods and materials for children with perceptual learning disabilities, including dyslexia, giving the learner a wide perspective of elementary literacy and the issues surrounding young readers.
EDU 511: Reading and Writing in the Content Area: Secondary Literacy Level
The reading process and the methodologies used in the teaching of reading and writing at the secondary level, with a focus on the concept of content reading and on the writing process and how teachers teach their students to effectively learn from expository text; some of the newer theories in content reading and writing, as well as those proven to be effective, are analyzed.
EDU 512: Self-Designed Literacy Course
Students, having a specific literacy-focused topic and learning objectives in mind, self-design a course following a format and process developed in the M.A. in Education program, including development of a learning plan and a course description. The student’s advisor and/or instructor guides the student through this process and must approve the course learning plan before the student’s registration for the course.
EDU 513: Numeracy: Primary & Elementary Level
Teaching numeracy to primary and elementary students through research based methodology, instruction, and progress monitoring. Develop sound and proven strategies for encouraging student thought, problem-solving skills, quantitative reasoning, and mathematical competencies, develop techniques to differentiate for students who may be significantly below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level, and develop class work and assessments that are interactive and are project based.
EDU 514: Numeracy: Secondary Level
Teach numeracy to secondary students through research based methodology, instruction, and progress monitoring; develop sound and proven strategies for encouraging student thought, problem-solving skills, quantitative reasoning, and mathematical competencies; develop techniques to differentiate for students who may be significantly below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level.
EDU 515: The Exceptional Child in the Regular Classroom
Focus on learning disabilities, behavioral and emotional disorders, gifted and talented and second language learners and how to educate them in the regular classroom; how to identify various exceptionalities, legal standards, and modifications and adaptations for learning.
EDU 516: Human Development & Learning
Theories and principles of human development and learning, emphasizing applications in educational settings, including normal development and its conditions as well as a review of life span development; emphasis on learning in the student’s specific level of teaching with modification to meet individual needs with instructor approval.
EDU 517: Self-Designed Educational Specialization Course
Students, having an interest in an educational specialization and concomitant learning objectives, self-design a course following a format and process developed in the M.A. in Education program, including development of a learning plan and a course description. The student’s advisor and/or instructor guides the student through this process and must approve the course learning plan before the student’s registration for the course.
