MEd in Curriculum & Instruction: Reading Interventionist

This course will provide teachers with the resources and skills necessary to integrate character themes and character development into their school curriculum. Course provides a forum in which to discuss and develop one's own moral perspectives on the basis of generally accepted criteria.

This course is designed to provide leaders with the latest psychological research about learning and guide them in exploring ways to directly apply these precepts to their current work setting. Topics include cognitive science, learning theory, and relevant teaching theories that utilize this information. The course fuses the latest biological and psychological understanding of how the brain learns so candidates can harness this knowledge and apply it directly to learning situations.

Course challenges candidates to confront the tremendous diversity in their current environment and develop strategies to build community in the midst of the social, ethnic, economic, and alternative lifestyle differences that permeate today's 21st century workplace. Course stresses the critical importance of creating community in the workplace and illustrates how that community can generate an efficient, supportive, and positive workplace.

Candidates identify, review, and analyze major trends and issues impacting the contemporary state and national educational scenes. Each class session provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the advantages and liabilities of current educational reforms and issues from the perspective of prevailing educational research as well as from their own personal beliefs and current work environment. Candidates will also consider how they can impact and influence change in their own workplace.

This course discusses the reading process and the factors that influence its development, the role of assessment to inform and adapt literacy instruction, the evaluation and use of formal and informal assessment tools for individual learners and groups of students, and the interpretation and communication of assessment results.

Note:  Prior completion of MAT 563 Curriculum and Instruction: Reading and Language Arts is an approved substitute for EDRD 551 if taken within the last five years.

Reading professionals will build on foundational skills in instruction of comprehension and engagement, utilizing various genres of young adult and children’s literature PreK through grade 12. Current issues and trends in young adult and children’s literature will also be examined.

This course explores the theoretical and knowledge bases of reading, including literacy acquisition and the construction of meaning, and provides practical classroom applications and instructional practices.

This course discusses current areas of concern and best practices in instruction being researched in the field of literacy. Candidates will collaborate with their peers, sharing information on special issues and reading researchers.

The course is designed to increase understanding of the organization and management of school literacy program development, the roles and responsibilities of the literacy coach, and program evaluation and improvement. The course will explore the major components of a school-wide literacy program, and ask candidates to step outside of the classroom and assume a new role as a scholarly, principled instructional leader who integrates the district's vision through a standard-based literacy program.

This course provides students with the basic competencies necessary to understand and evaluate the research of others, and to plan their own research with a minimum of assistance. This course includes the basics of both qualitative and quantitative research.

Practitioner Inquiry focuses on the reflective acts of the candidate as an educator seeking to improve teaching practice. Premised on the self-study research methodological traditions, Practitioner Inquiry provides the opportunity to reflect on teaching practice and generate improvements based on classroom observation. Practitioner Inquiry is focused on the educator and her/his own practices, developing skills of inquiry, observation, reflection, and action in teachers.

Prerequisites: EDGR 601 with a B- or higher

Candidates will learn more about the action research methodology, complete final edits of the literature review, and design a complete action research proposal including data collection methods and analysis approaches. During this course, the proposal will not be implemented with students/participants. This design provides candidates with the requisite skills and means to pursue the transformative practice called Action Research in their classroom, school, district or other work environment.

Prerequisites: EDGR 601 with a B- or higher