Certification in Reading
Core Course Descriptions:
EDU 646/646F Language & Culture (3 credits)
This course examines the relationship between culture, language and communication, and explores their implications for second language learning. The course also examines the federal and state laws and support services for English language learners. The focus of the course is to help candidates develop sensitivity to diversity and the knowledge and skills in working with the culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families, and in collaborating with ESL and other schools staff. (15 hour field experience)
EDU 671 Writing in
the Classroom (3
credits)
A practical course in the teaching of writing across the
curriculum. Practice in personal, creative, and expository writing. Methods of
teaching writing and steps in the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, and publishing) are emphasized in the course. Restricted to
certified teachers.
EDU 700 Psychology
of Literacy (3
credits)
Designed to provide educators with an understanding of the
psychological basis of literacy acquisition and development. Emphasis will be
placed upon interactive models of the reading process and their implications
for classroom instruction. The role of language, cognition, information
processing, affective factors and measurement in reading will be examined in
detail.
EDU 701 Literacy
Assessment& Instruction K-3 (3
credits)
This course provides in-depth study of students' literacy
development in grades K-3. A range of formal and informal assessments will be
used to examine children's early language and literacy development, including
phonemic awareness, concepts of print, word recognition strategies, and
comprehension abilities. This information will be used to make informed
decisions about literacy instruction. Prerequisite: EDU 4415.
EDU 702 Literacy
Assessment & Instruction 4-12 (3 credits)
This course provides in-depth study of student's literacy
development in grades 4-12. A range of formal and informal assessments will be
used to examine children's literacy abilities; a focus of the course is
understanding and enhancing growth in areas of selecting and applying
comprehension strategies and reading texts critically. Assessments will be used
to make informed decisions about literacy instruction Prerequisite: EDU 4415.
EDU 703 Literacy
Research 3 credits (3
credits)
This course is designed to enable students to read and react
critically to current research in the field of literacy. Emphasis will include
an examination of the nature of educational research and the use and misuse of
statistical analyses and interpretations of data. Students will complete a
modified literature review of a specific topic to inform their own research
agenda. Prerequisite: EDU 4425.
EDU 704 Planning and Organizing a Literacy Program (3 credits)
The study of the reading program (K-12) is central to this course which utilizes the concept of communication as a unifying theme. Aspects of the planning and organizing of the literacy curriculum are examined. Emphasis is placed on the role of the reading specialist in developing, coordinating, and administering a literacy program. Students will assess the strengths and needs of a school's literacy program and make recommendations for improvement. Prerequisites: three reading specialist courses.
EDU 705 Literacy
Practicum (6
credits)
During this practical experience, students work intensively with
pupils who have reading difficulties in their school setting. Under the
guidance of a supervisor, graduate students will conduct assessments and draw
from these data to inform their instruction. Each student will be expected to
develop a case study on at least one student during the practicum experience. Prerequisites:
EDU 4415, 4425, 4435.
Electives in the areas of Literacy, Language, and Diversity
EDU 706 Sociocultural
Aspects of Literacy (3
credits)
This course is based on theoretical
frameworks relating literacy learning to the various contexts which lead
learners to socially and culturally different ways of making sense and being in
the world. It examines multiple views of language, literacy, and literacy
development. Students explore the factors that impact literacy learning across
different cultural communities. They also explore issues of race, class, and
culture on language and literacy acquisition and development.
EDU 708
Multicultural Literature for Children (3
credits)
This course addresses literature that reflects the lifestyles,
heritage, and values of the various cultures that make up the pluralistic
American society. Students will examine various genres of multicultural literature,
including folktales, realistic fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, and
poetry. Students will examine literature using various theoretical lenses
(reader-response, critical literacy, post-colonialism, critical race theory).
The goal of the course is to prepare teachers to help children transact
thoughtfully and critically with books as part of a social justice agenda.
EDU 711 Language
& Culture (3 credits)
This course examines the relationship between culture, language
and communication, and explores their implications for second language
learning. The course also examines the federal and state laws and support
services for English language learners. The focus of the course is to help
candidates develop sensitivity to diversity and the knowledge and skills in
working with the culturally and linguistically diverse students and their
families, and in collaborating with ESL and other schools staff.
EDU 712 Second Language Acquisition (3 credits) This course examines the processes of language acquisition, especially the process of learning a second or additional language, from various theoretical perspectives. Emphasis will be given to the learning environments, especially the characteristics of interaction, participation, and contexts that facilitate the second language acquisition.
EDU 713/713F Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language (3 credits) This course examines various approaches, methods, and techniques for teaching and assessing English language learners in bilingual and ESL classrooms, as well as assisting ESL students in the regular classrooms. Candidates explore the curriculum, instruction, and teaching materials to maximize opportunities for ESL learners to use the language, to learn about the language, and to learn through the language. Lab experience enables students to apply their pedagogical knowledge and skills in working with the ESL learners. (Prerequisites: EDU 646/646F, EDU712) (15 hour field experience) EDU 714/714F Internship in ESL/Bilingual Programs (4 credits) This course introduces students to the roles and responsibilities of the ESL/Bilingual teacher through a school-based internship. Interns spend 30 hours in the company of expert ESL/Bilingual educators in school settings that serve a high percentage of emergent bilingual students. Emphasis will be on program design and implementation guided by the English language development standards (ELDS), including assessing students’ language capacities, designing programs to fit a variety of language needs, working with teachers and other school professionals to serve emergent bilinguals, and organizing programs to enhance caregiver collaboration. (30 hour field experience) (Prerequisites: EDU712, EDU713, & EDU646).
Elective Options for Reading Supervisory
EDL 665
Administration, Organizational Culture, and Planned Change (3 credits)
This course examines organizations as a set of subsystems which
are both related to and dependent upon one another. Administration theory and
various components of administration are reviewed, including management,
decision-making, communications, organizational development, and change processes.
The human aspect of organizations is analyzed, particularly individual and
group behavior, human relations, intergroup dynamics, personal motivation, and
conflict. A case study approach is used to enable students to apply textbook
theories to real-life situations. The course is designed especially for educators
seeking to enhance their understanding of administrative systems as complex
human enterprises.
EDL 660 Measurement
and Evaluation of Instructional Outcomes (3 credits)
This course provides a detailed
examination of the use of a variety of outcome measures and techniques to
evaluate school programs and to assess the attainment of instruction/student
achievement at several levels of education. Outcome assessment is discussed at
the individual and school district level. Particular attention will be paid to
sound design of assessment programs, technological advancements in measurement,
and appropriate interpretations of educational research.
EDL 675 Curriculum
Development and Practice in Public and Private Schools (3 credits)
This course is designed to include the
theories of curriculum, instruction, and the design of instructional systems.
Emphasis will be placed on the translation of theory into practice. The use of
evaluative techniques in the evolution and reform of instructional systems will
be examined in detail. Focus on curriculum implementation in public and private
schools will be emphasized.
EDL 680 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.