Course Descriptions (Reading Emphasis)

1. EDUC 6003—Educational Research: A basic course in research and statistical methods to include a study of frequency distributions, graphing, measures of central tendency, data collection, sampling, simple research design, and interpretation of basic research and statistical information.

2. EDUC 6033—History and Philosophy of Education: The course investigates the training of the young and its larger meaning—the transmission of culture—in representative recorded civilizations.

3. EDUC 6403—School Law: This course is an introduction to the federal and state legal systems and applicable federal and state educational case law. Particular emphasis is placed on the current federal and state laws and regulations governing students, employees, finance, and the administration of programs for special student populations.

4. EDUC 5273—Classroom and Group Management: This is an introduction to basic principles of behavior modification and contingency management. Procedures of conditioning, reinforcement, token economy, and self- control as applied to individuals and groups in a variety of settings with emphasis on discussion of research, application, and ethics.

5. EDUC 5033—Classroom Assessment: This course is an introduction to tests and measurements as applied to education. It includes elementary statistics essential to compiling and interpreting test data. Emphasis is placed on accountability in the classroom and the latest developments of the No Child Left Behind legislation.

6. EDUC 6153—Balanced Literacy: It is important for teachers to incorporate learning theory and research data for curriculum planning, assessment, and classroom management. This course reflects current trends in reading and literacy, is research-based, and addresses standards of the National Council of Teachers of English and The International Reading Association. A variety of instructional strategies will be presented for an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.

7. EDUC 5203--Strategies for Content Area Reading: This course will provide education majors with an overview of the instructional strategies for teaching and integrating reading into content areas. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of reading processes and appropriate instructional strategies, which emphasize reading skills necessary for the learning of content area information.

8. EDUC 6103--The Teaching of Reading: This course is a basic course in reading with emphasis on methods and materials for teaching reading. Innovation and experimental procedures are examined. Current programs are studied. A social-psycholinguistic and constructivist theoretical approach will be emphasized. The scope of this course will cover concepts associated with emergent literacy to full literacy development (birth to adulthood).

9. EDUC 6113--Corrective Reading: This course is a basic course in reading with emphasis on methods and materials for identifying and correcting reading problems of students. Different techniques are studied, evaluated, and used with students at risk. The focus of this course is to identify and correct problems which may occur in the reading process, to help students develop good reading skills, to provide students a sense of accomplishment, which will enable him/her to be a productive student and citizen. Inventories will be given to identify the student’s interests and his attitude about reading. Ways for identifying at risk students will be explored.

10. EDUC 6023--Current Trends in Children’s/Young Adult’s Literature: This course presents an examination of books for pre-school through high school children from a topical perspective. Some topics included are family, race, war, gender, and age. This course is designed to guide the study and selection of children’s books. The focus is on the way issues of a social and developmental nature are treated in children’s literature and how they may be used to help children address personal and social problems. Multicultural and transcultural books provide countless interesting places for readers to visit, and cultures and people with whom they may become acquainted.

11. EDUC 6183—Reading Seminar: This course is based on current issues, research, and effective practices in reading of interest to in-service teachers. Students will integrate their understandings of the knowledge and beliefs about reading, instruction and assessment, and organization of a reading program to create a literate environment that supports reading and writing acquisition. Action research in a variety of topic areas will be conducted.

12. EDUC 6853: Capstone Portfolio—This course will provide for the development of the capstone portfolio, based on the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and required for the Master of Education Online Program. Candidates will learn to select, categorize, and document their achievements and accomplishments for review and assessment related to the NBPTS certification process. Computer literacy and graduate-level writing skills will be strictly enforced. Teaching experience is strongly recommended.