Curriculum | Course Descriptions | Textbooks
EDUB 532 Tools and Techniques in Assessment
Students will gain expertise in the use of assessments in the context of both educational decision-making and as a tool for enabling students to better understand the meaning of academic success. After developing a better understanding of how various types of assessments can be aligned with course objectives and instructional standards, students will construct assessments applicable to their current teaching environments. Students will develop a balanced perspective emphasizing that no single assessment methodology is inherently more or less appropriate. This perspective lays the foundation for selecting the most appropriate assessment tool for reporting student achievement, including standardized testing, portfolios and other alternative methods.
EDUB 530 Rethinking Curriculum
Students will explore the relationship of historical and contemporary approaches to curriculum in light of the specific social, historical and economic contexts in which they evolved. Based on that foundation, the student will consider contemporary issues related to curriculum, such as the impact of recent research on student achievement, and of a diverse student population, as well as the associated implications for curriculum development and implementation.
EDUB 539 Multicultural Perspectives and School Climate
Students will better understand the impact of cultural issues on student learning. Specifically, this course examines the nature of cultures as a context for multicultural teaching; explores core values of multicultural education in relation to curriculum models, school conditions and climates and learning styles theory. Students will be better able to integrate theories related to the meaning of culture, race, cultural assimilation, pluralism and the nature of prejudice into teaching strategies appropriate for the diverse learners which they teach. Students will gain a practical awareness of the ways in which theories of ethnic identity development, the dynamics of race relations, and guidelines for understanding cultural differences actually manifest themselves in the classroom.
EDUB 528 Learning Theories, Motivation and Technology
Students will be better able to design learning opportunities for K-12 students of all types based upon respected theories of learning and motivation. Skills associated with the use of learning technologies and computers to enhance learning in a constructivist classroom will be developed. Students will increase their awareness of the research related to human, legal and equity issues concerning the use of computers and related technologies in educational settings.
EDUB 650 Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL
Students will better understand the theoretical frameworks for first- and second-language acquisition and learning, as well as the principles underlying them. This course presents practical applications for using them in instructional planning, and support for English language learners within academic settings.
EDUB 651 Methods and Materials for ESL
Students will explore effective instructional methods and curriculum design for teaching English as a second language. Current approaches to English language teaching, as well as reflection on new insights from research in second-language acquisition are also considered relative to practical application.
EDUB 661 Literacy Development for English Language Learners
Students will develop a better understanding of the developmental stages, skills, and processes of reading and writing acquisition for English language learners. They will also explore how the teaching of reading and writing in both the first and second language provide the foundation for the full development of academic language proficiency in various content areas such as science, social studies, and math.
EDUB 606 Research
Students will gain assistance in becoming better readers of and critical thinkers about both quantitative and qualitative educational research and testing. After an overview of fundamental educational statistics, students will examine research studies in education, assess their importance and apply resulting information to practical school situations, including curriculum and program development. In preparation for actually conducting an applied research study, students will identify accepted steps in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
EDUB 669 Applied Field Research
Students will apply current knowledge and past research to problems of professional practice. Focused on their own classroom and/or educational environment, students will identify a problem of significance and interest. They will then conduct an appropriate research project, ending with a research document which includes: problem definition and hypothesis; a review of the literature, data collection instrumentation and results; as well as a proposed solution and implementation strategies.
EDUB 654 Assessments of English Language Learners
Students will analyze the impact on classroom teaching of issues in the assessment of English language learners, the political context for assessment, trends in statewide testing, recent changes in federal legislation, and the guidelines for appropriate assessment procedures. Students also consider various types of classroom-based assessments used in education today and develop strategies to link assessment to instruction. The focus will be placed on the identification and placement of English language learners and those with possible learning disabilities.
EDUB 655 Language and Culture
Students will develop a better understanding of the lives of language minority students in schools and communities and differentiate among the many different cultural processes at work, including cultural transmission, biculturalism, acculturation, and assimilation. Students will then assess the interplay of these processes on language development for students within their own environments.
EDUB 656 Linguistic and Language Development
Students will conduct a scientific study of language through an analysis of phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. This course develops strategies and techniques to improve students’ understanding of sound-letter correspondence, letter-word formation, word patterns, sentence structure and discourse levels. Understanding the history of the English language and other linguistic family trees provides a solid foundation for application.
