MS – Secondary Education / OATCERT Course Descriptions
Core Courses
EDU4005 TEACHER AS RESEARCHER AND REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER (3 credits)
This course will focus on contemporary teaching practices. Introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches from different theoretical perspectives will be presented. Content will include literature reviews and analysis and implications of existing research as connected to students' major in Education. The role of teacher as reflective practitioner will be connected to research and its implications for personal praxis.
EDU4015 AMERICAN EDUCATION (3 credits)
American education is a dynamic, sometimes cyclic, process. The origins, evolution, and realities of contemporary public and private schools are examined through critical reading of original documents. Visits to elementary or secondary classrooms in multicultural setting provide a strong link to the teacher's world.
EDU4035 PSYCHOLOGY OF TEACHING (3 credits)
This course introduces theoretical models of instructional design, student motivation, classroom management, and assessment. Attention is directed to instructional objectives; to lesson formats; to motivational strategies; to classroom discipline; to teacher attitudes and expectations; and tests and measurements. Particular attention is given to recent developments in schema theory and to constructivist models. Field activity is a required component of this course.
EDU4105 READING IN CONTENT AREAS (3 credits)
The teaching of reading in various fields in middle and secondary schools will be the focus of this course. Topics examined will include reading in the school programs, problems in curricular materials, meeting individual needs, general and specific reading/study skills, critical reading, and adjustment of instruction to meet individual learning styles. Special focus on the use of audiovisual materials in the classroom is a core component of the course.
EDU4205 PRACTICAL ISSUES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION (3 credits)
Intensive study and practice of teaching modalities and classroom management strategies appropriate for a secondary classroom. The study of curriculum resources in the student's area of certification is included. Topics in the course include instructional management, student motivation, the implications of learning theory for classrooms, and the procedures for the measurement of student achievement. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in these skills for successful completion of the course.
EDU4225 SECONDARY FIELDWORK (6 credits)
Student or Intern teaching under approved supervision. This experience is designed as the capstone professional course for the certification student. The fieldwork experience approximates a fulltime working/teaching experience for one full semester. At the conclusion of the experience students must have demonstrated proficiencies in instructional management, student motivation, curriculum planning, learning theory, problem solving in an educational setting, using computers in the classroom, using reading, language, and literacy skills in all classrooms, the use of audiovisual materials in the classroom, the identification of instructional resources, and the assessment of student achievement. The fieldwork course is typically the final course in a certification sequence. Includes an online seminar component.
EDU4705 PROMOTING COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION AND ACCESS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES
(3 credits)
This course focuses on the process of family assessment and intervention, issues of family and professional collaboration and diversity, and methods of promoting adult communication and management strategies. It applies the knowledge of cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of socio-cultural and political contexts as they relate to the family, culture and society. It identifies the members of teams designed to support and optimize children's educational needs and social-emotional development and the network of community services and resources to individuals, families and groups affected by social, environmental, health and related problems.
EDU4545 LAW AND AMERICAN EDUCATION (3 credits)
This course will focus upon the legal aspects of the school and its environment and on the paramount legal-educational problems currently facing the nation, especially as these relate to policy determination and implementation. Particular attention will be given to the issue of contract law in education, due process, collective bargaining, equal protection and establishment, and the legal rights and duties of administrators, faculty, and students.
EDU4575 CRITICAL CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL ISSUES (3 credits)
Current educational problems, trends and issues will be identified and addressed, especially as they relate to the different constituencies, organization and structure of both public and private schools, as well as to American society as a whole. Issues include, but are not restricted to: equal educational opportunity, educational choice and multicultural education. Emphasis will be placed on the values associated with the issues treated.
SPE4805 EDUCATION OF THE SPECIAL LEARNER (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide teachers in training with an understanding of the exceptional child in various instructional settings. Students will be provided with an overview of Special Education with emphasis on historical and emerging perspectives. Topics to be examined will include types and natures of exceptionalities, legal and ethical responsibilities of teachers, least restrictive environment, various instructional settings, the inclusion of exceptional children in regular education, services and programs for the exceptional child.
EDU5435 USING TECHNOLOGY FOR INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT (3 credits)
Participants will investigate how the following technologies can be used to enhance instruction and assessment: assistive technologies, word processors, spreadsheets, databases, multimedia applications, instructional software, desktop publishing, web authoring software, presentation software, and interactive online resources. Participants will evaluate current school practices related to technology and will explore effective uses of technology in the classroom. A major course outcome will be that each participant will apply the technologies available in schools to develop student-centered technology projects that promote authentic learning.
SOCIAL NETWORKING