Online M.A. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction

The course is intended to give educators and teachers as leaders (pre-service, in-service, beginning teachers, mentoring teachers) an opportunity to explore their collaborative roles as researchers in various school settings. It also provides them with a base for decision-making processes regarding effective instructional strategies and treatments. Using a self-reflective systematic and scholarly inquiry, the course offers participants an opportunity to formulate meaningful research questions, identify appropriate methods to use in answering a variety of research questions, and design and implement an action plan for change as they reflect on current practice. This class will help participants to play their optimal roles as researchers and instructional leaders in their diverse schools. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction program.

This course is intended to provide candidates an advanced exploration of the various critical issues pertaining to social justice and diversity in the American education system. It will provide a foundation for building the understanding and skills candidates will need to develop culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogy for all students. The course will build educational leadership skills and engage candidates in challenging social inequities in schools and their broader communities. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction program.

This online course focuses on the educational leadership paradigms to define teacher roles as professionals and leaders in schools. It also helps participants develop knowledge and skills in educational leadership as they supervise, coach, mentor, network, and collaborate with other participants in the school community. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction program.

This course focuses on the development of curriculum at the K-12 level. Students will explore research and theory of curriculum revision and the principles of curriculum development and design. The development of needs assessments and analysis of results to inform curriculum transformation is covered in depth. Emphasis is on the interdependence of assessment, data, and curriculum planning on student achievement. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction program.

Exploration of selected topics in education at an advanced level. May be repeated for different course content.

This course will examine the fundamentals of literacy development. It focuses on landmark and current research (both qualitative and quantitative) related to the components of literacy acquisition process. Course content will include the strategic use of literacy levels across various contexts including the role of technology in literacy development. Topics also include the following: orality; phonemics and phonetics; word recognition, fluency, reading comprehension, visualization, vocabulary development; written language development, motivation, and other aspects of the developmental and socio-cultural experience. By the end of the course it is expected that students will be able to articulate a sound vision of a culture of literacy which is conducive to the unique needs of all students and is consistent with the classroom, school, district, and community expectations.

This introductory course examines the following: (a) current research and theory on what constitutes an effective culture of literacy including reading, writing listening, and speaking; (b) role of assessment/evaluation in written language development through instruction and differentiation, (c) written language development of English Language and English Only Learners. Prerequisites: None.

This course provides candidates with an opportunity to plan, organize, and integrate differentiated literacy instruction for all students. Literacy materials, assessments, and instructional/intervention models are examined and implemented. Candidates apply knowledge by designing and implementing a classroom literacy intervention in a small group format that addresses the unique needs of all students in the diverse classrooms. In addition, this course provides opportunities for candidates to learn methods to assist teachers in using grade level or school-wide assessment data to implement and revise instructional programs and to plan, implement, and evaluate school-wide professional development.

This course focuses on the place of comprehension as one of the most significant aspects of promoting a culture of literacy. Current theory and research on the relationship between comprehension and literacy acquisition/proficiency are explored. Instructional/intervention strategies and materials to support comprehension for all students, including English Learners and students with special needs at the early, intermediate, and fluent levels are studied. Specific topics include background knowledge, culturally responsive pedagogy, response to intervention, concept formation, vocabulary development, narrative and expository text structure analysis, independent reading, and cross-cultural practices.

Note: All core courses must be completed prior to registering for the exam. This is not a catalog course description.
Exam Information:  The exam consists of three research papers.  After registering for the exam, you will receive a list of exam questions on the first day of the term covering different topics discussed while you were in the program. You will be required to select 3 questions from the list and write a research paper on each one (approximately 10-12 pages each) following APA format with 8-10 peer-reviewed sources. The exam (research papers) will be due the last day of classes for the term.  The exam runs the full length of the term (16-weeks in the Fall/Spring and 10-weeks in the Summer) and you must be registered by the first week of the term. The exam can only be taken with two additional courses max in a semester.