Education (MS)

This course is designed to familiarize students with underlying foundations, principles and theories related to education and learning. Emphasis is placed on developmental theorists and educational theory as it relates to the process of teaching and learning.

Prerequisites None

This course is designed to introduce students to the social and philosophical foundations of education and ways in which they have been influential in shaping education in North America. As such, the course covers philosophies of education within the social/political context that influenced their development. Discussions, lectures, readings and student-centered work take place against the background of emerging philosophies of education in any given time period. A major focus of the course is on an examination of perennial questions related to education and schooling in North America.

Prerequisites: None

This course examines patterns of diversity in North America. Attention is given to racial, ethnic, religious and other minorities in contemporary society. Cultural perspectives which impact schooling are discussed and strategies to enhance teaching and learning are explored. Age and culturally appropriate strategies for creating effective teaching-learning environments are examined.

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to help the prospective secondary school teacher use effective techniques to improve students' reading and writing, both generally and in specific content areas.

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to discuss and analyze current and future trends in education. Emphasis is placed on issues related to chemical dependency, social and economic inequality, school support through mentorships and funding, availability and use of media technology, collaborative teaching techniques, privatization of schooling, equality and equity and other related issues.

Prerequisites: None

Emphasis in this course is on curricular design and instructional planning to address the special developmental and educational needs of students in elementary and secondary school. Attention is given to past and future trends in design and implementation and to appropriate planning techniques for meeting the needs of a diverse population of students at differing levels of social, physical, management and academic ability. Curriculum planning is examined on the state, district, school and classroom levels, along with the roles and responsibilities of administrators, teachers, school staff, students and community members.

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to provide an introduction to special education. Emphasis is placed on the legal foundations of special education and learning and behavioral characteristics of students with special needs in the elementary and secondary school. Attention is given to models of effective collaboration with co-workers and on models which lead to education in the least restrictive environment. Individual instructional programming intervention and learning strategies are analyzed. The use of educational and assisting technology in planning for the needs of individual learners is a critical component of this course.

Prerequisites: None

Candidates will analyze and evaluate multiple literacies and modalities of literacy and their impact on adolescent learners, including critical reading of nontraditional text and how meaning is conveyed through multimodal representations. Emphasis is also placed on the impact of emergent technologies on adolescent development and learning, and on preparation of teachers to convey meaning through the new literacies' in all content areas. Special attention is paid to the impact of multiple literacies on English language learners, students at risk for school failure, and students with exceptionalities.

Prerequisites: None

In this capstone course, candidates work independently with an advisor as they design, edit and finalize their capstone project. Advisors are assigned the first week of classes and it is the candidate's responsibility to schedule meetings each semester with his or her advisor to discuss progress toward completing this project. Candidates develop an e-portfolio to showcase learning outcomes directly linked to applications of professional experience and knowledge to capstone topic. The e-portfolio provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their understanding of the links between content and pedagogy with special attention paid to the New York State and Common Core Standards and to highlight their own advanced understanding of knowledge and skills related to curriculum and instructional applications in their teaching area(s). In the final semester of the program, the candidate's e-portfolio is reviewed by three faculty members, including the candidate's advisor.

Prerequisites: None