Graduate Education Courses

This course encompasses the structure of American Education by exploring the development of social, economic, political, and cultural constructs in which learning takes place in American society. Included are considerations for social values, education as a profession, education and the community, and impacts of social policy. This course will also serve as a transition to more advanced educational pedagogy by addressing topics such as multiple intelligences, dimensions of learning, differentiated instruction, lesson design, and the Common Core Standards in math and English language arts. We will examine the New Jersey Professional Teaching Standards and the contexts in which teachers teach. A multicultural emphasis and multi-disciplinary approach to schooling in both urban and suburban communities will guide our explanation of schools here in the state of New Jersey. In addition, students will be introduced to methods for finding viable peer-reviewed research articles using Education-specific databases.

The ongoing increase of new cases of autism being diagnosed has created a growing demand for effective programs, practical suggestions and information. The TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children) approach will prepare educators and service providers to assess and adapt the physical environment as well as general educational structure for both preschool and school-age students. Topics to be covered include: the primary characteristics of autism as they relate to classroom practices, the elements of “The Culture of Autism” and how to employ the “Cultural Compromise” .how to organize the physical space, create and implement individual daily schedules, plan and execute “One to One” teaching, as well as create independent workstations that include visually clear independent work tasks.

This course focuses on the study of curriculum development and principles of teaching, emphasizing the background content research needed to develop curricula. The course will introduce the skills to design and develop interdisciplinary curricula that is based on research and the application of that research through best practices utilizing; multiple intelligences, diverse learning styles, dimensions of learning, the Bloom’s taxonomy. The curricula will facilitate the integration of standardized and alternative assessment measures to meet the New Jersey Student Learning Outcomes.

This course focuses on the further development of curriculum design and principles of teaching. The course reinforces the skills of differentiated instructional design and delivery, integration of technology, and adapting lessons to address diverse learners including special needs and ELL students. The essential elements of instruction, assessment, grouping strategies and effective questioning will be illustrated to effectively plan instruction for diverse learners in English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

This course will enable teacher candidates to demonstrate their teaching skills in the designed delivery of curricula addressing the needs of diverse learners. Teacher candidates will design, differentiated instructional lessons and demonstrate skills in the delivery of lessons based on the understanding tha learners have differing needs. Students present their lessons using a variety of strategies, integrating diagnostic, formative and summative assessment data.

This course is designed to examine young adolescents, their development and issues related to their educational needs during the period of growth from childhood through adolescence. Exploration and application of research-based findings will be pursued to investigate the developmental differences between the stages of preadolescence and high school adolescents and its impact on education. Students will learn how to use developmental characteristics in the instructional design and planning process. Students will also learn how schools should be structured to maximize learning for this population.

This course is designed to foster understanding of the dynamic continuum of development and learning in children from birth through PreAdolescence. Topics include cognitive and linguistic factors affecting development and learning, nurturing diversity and equality, addressing multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles, integrating of play and language, and literacy across the curriculum. Knowledge of early childhood development and how it is related to the learning of children is the foundation upon which all effective teaching and learning decisions are built. Without this knowledge, a teacher cannot design an appropriate program or meet the learning needs of each student. Students will learn to be able to apply their knowledge about early child development and learning to adapt the learning environment to meet the needs of children with atypical development in the affected developmental domain(s). Students will also obtain the research skills to find and analyze research articles to explain children’s development and show their deeper understanding of early child development and learning.

This course is designed to foster understanding of the significant roles of families and communities in the growth of young children. Topics include recognizing children at risk; establishing linkages with community resources to support families; recognizing and accepting diverse family units; the impact of home, community, health, and cultural experience on development and learning; and understanding social, historical, political, legal, and philosophical constructs that impact children, families, and communities. Identification and collaboration with community agencies and resources to support individuals with special needs and their families will be addressed. In addition, students will consult databases to summarize peer-reviewed research studies and form an argument around a contemporary issue in education.

A coursed designed to provide cross training for the teacher in the regular classroom in order to be able to work as part of a collaborative, interprofessional team. Through study, observation, field experiences, and research exploring professional journals, books and other resource materials, as well as peer reviewed research, for the pre-service teacher to gain valuable training and resources by applying research based best practices to implement strategies, modifications and accommodations for special needs students in the regular classroom.

The course serves as an introduction to the teaching of literacy in grades Preschool-12 and focuses on both theoretical and practical approaches to assessing teaching, and incorporating literacy into the classroom. Teacher candidate will explore and learn to apply teaching practices related to balanced, comprehensive literacy including phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, development, and motivation. These approaches will be discussed in the context of special needs and ELL students, multicultural education, technology integration, and differentiated strategies. Connections to the New Jersey State Learning Standards will be integral. This course will also expose teacher candidates to developing/analyzing lesson plans, evaluating case studies, and reading/discussing contemporary issues in literacy through a review and synthesis of peer reviewed, scientific-based reading research (SBRR) studies..

The objective of this course is to introduce new digital media-various forms of educational technology through hands-on project-based learning to pre-service teachers. This course provides various opportunities for engagement and reflection on the role these technology tools can play in teaching/learning processes in a classroom. Students will become familiar with various technological and digital tools, become capable of using some of the digital tools in their classrooms. In addition, students will learn current issues on technology use in classrooms and will become familiar with basic learning theories, which will help in determining appropriate applications of educational technology in eductional settings. Students will obtain the skills to research evidence to evaluate tectological and digital tools so they can decide the best tools to use and the best way to implement them in their classrooms. Students will learn about eh research process including how to critically review and incorporate peer-reviewed research in the application of theory into practice.

This course will focus on the learning environment of pre-kindergarten through third grade classrooms. The classroom environment is often referred to as the “third” teacher. The structure, design, and choice of materials in the classroom influence how teaching and learning in all developmental domains take place. Students will also learn how to design a supportive, intellectually stimulating classroom environment; how to develop daily and weekly plans that reflect and support children’s growth in all areas, especially the development of self-regulation. In addition, they will learn how a well-designed environment supports classroom management, by exploring research based best practices to accommodate and adapt the classroom environment for success for each individual student and incorporating these accommodations into their classroom design.

This course introduces graduate students to the field of special education and provides the history of the field and to the federal and state regulations and laws mandating special services to learners with disabilities, including an overview of the disability regulations defined in federal special education legislation. The course includes research on the progress of inclusion and current inclusive education practices.

This course enables graduate students to develop competencies for assessing learning of students with disabilities. Course participants will gain knowledge on how to assess, analyze, and interpret data from formal (standardized) and informal (traditional and alternative) testing sources and measurement including functional assessment. Course participants will be taught how to interpret reports as relevant to student from diverse learning backgrounds and use these interpretative results along with behavioral observation, task analysis and other types of measurement to design instruction.

This course prepares gradate students to provide effective instruction to learners with disabilities in inclusive settings. Course participants will gain knowledge to plan, implement, and assess effective instruction and positive learning environments aligned with students’ academic, social and behavioral needs with an emphasis in development of literacy skills. Course participants will engage in research and reflective teaching practices to select effective teaching strategies to teacher literacy for learners in need of supports in general education.

This course offers an overview on history, causes, characteristics, assessment and instruction of learners with autism and other developmental disabilities. Course participants will gain knowledge and skills necessary to support the learning of learners with autism and other developmental developing positive behavioral supports and interventions.

Using emergent curriculum as the approach to curriculum development, this course introduces students to what STEM learning in early childhood classrooms looks like. The basic learning goals of early childhood STEM education are 1) knowledge and understanding 2)skills 3)dispositions, and 4)feelings. In-depth investigations of phenomena lead children to achieve all four of the above learning goals, this course focuses on pedagogical approaches and strategies that help young children explore, observe, inquire, predict, investigate and integrate their learning through hands-on projects.

Legal, historical influences, agencies and program factors impacting the transition process across the life span of learners with disabilities are discussed in this cours. Process of transition planning is covered with emphasis on developing relationships.

This course is a broad introduction to assistive technology (AT) used for instruction of learners with disabilities. Course participants will examine strategies for creating supportive environments for learners with disabilities to effectively use high and low AT devices including augmentative/alternative communication systems.

This 15-hour course introduces students to the Early Childhood Teaching Profession and provides an overview of the P-3 Program, the required performance assessment edTPA, ethics in the field of early childhood, the importance of family, developmentally appropriate practice, and the standards of Pre-K, Kindergarten, and grades 1-2.

This 15-hour course introduces students to the Early Childhood Teaching Profession and provides an overview of the alternate route program, the required performance assessment edTPA, ethics in th e field of early childhood, the importance of family, developmentally appropriate practice, and the standards for PreK, Kindergarten, and grades 1-3.

The teacher candidate will learn about the classroom as a social unit and the management/organization skills needed to create an effective learning environment. The prospective teacher will become familiar with the organizational, social, economic, and political forces that impact upon schools.

This course is designed to help students recognize the importance of books and reading in the life of the young child and to develop knowledge and appreciation of the wide variety and scope of reading material available for young people through grade 3. The course will incorporate strategies for evaluation and finding the best books, learning about authors and illustrators, and using books to ignite a lifelong love of reading as well as strategies to integrate good children’s literature, both nonfiction and fiction, across the curriculum.

Using emergent curriculum as the approach to curriculum development, this course introduces students to what STEM learning in early childhood classrooms looks like. The basic learning goals of early childhood STEM education are 1) knowledge and understanding )skills )dispositions, and )feelings. In-depth investigations of phenomena lead children to achieve all four of the above learning goals, this course focuses on pedagogical approaches and strategies that help young children explore, observe, inquire, predict, investigate and integrate their learning through hands-on projects.

In this course graduate students will complete 30 hours of clinical experiences. These experiences will be completed in classroom environments where students with disabilities are receiving services. Course participants are provided the opportunity to apply content learned in prior courses in real classroom settings. Student will complete clinical experience in classrooms for students with disabilities. Students will observe and under the supervision of a cooperating teacher will practice strategies learned in the courses.