EDUC 500E Technology and Curriculum
Examines various technology applications at the elementary school level. Presentation tools, assistive technology, tutorial/enrichment, diagnosis/remedial programs, are covered. Emphasis is on curriculum integration and implementing learning activities related to technology.
Co-requisite: Educ 601, 620, or 630.
Summer, 1 credit
EDUC 500R Technology and Literacy
This course is designed to instruct students how they can best utilize the computer, to assist, enhance and enrich their curriculum and instruction. Students will explore the fundamentals of the Internet, create animations, and design instructional reading/writing strategies to be used for both remediation and enrichment. This course will be taken in conjunction with EDUC 601 Reading and Writing Methods in Early and Middle childhood. (Course objectives will overlap.)
Summer, 1 credit
EDUC 500S Technology for Special Education (1)
Students will be introduced to a variety of computer applications and assistive technology designed for use by individuals with disabilities and teachers in the field of special education. Computer technology will be shown to be of use as an adjunct in the instruction of students with disabilities and as an aid in their daily functioning. A variety of hardware and software will be demonstrated and reviewed.
Summer, 1 credit
EDUC 501 Foundations of Education
The course content includes the history and role of education, comparative education, and philosophies of education. Emphasis will be given to the study of the development of American educational principles, the impact of constitutional laws and state statutes upon the educational institutions, teachers and teaching; rights and responsibilities of practitioners, students and parents.
Fall, 3 credits
EDUC 502 Educational Psychology and Human Development
Systematic explorations of contemporary psychological knowledge related to education and learning, particularly constructivism. Emphasis is placed upon the principles of cognitive processes, language acquisition and development, and a range of factors related to learning readiness and student diversity.
Spring, 3 credits
EDUC 505A Fieldwork Experience I
Graduate students enrolled in one or more methods course during the Fall semester must also enroll in this course which will provide the field based experiences related to the pedagogical base of the methods courses. Participants will spend a minimum of 50 hours per semester in a school setting appropriate to the area of certification. A weekly seminar on campus will introduce students to topics such as the school/learner environment, the New York State Learning Standards, curriculum design and the integrated curricula, lesson planning design, teaching strategies, assessments and classroom management.
Fall, 3 credits
EDUC 505B Fieldwork Experience
Graduate students enrolled in one or more methods course during the spring semester must also enroll in this course which will provide the field based experiences related to the pedagogical base of the methods course. Participants will spend a minimum of 50 hours per semester in a school setting appropriate to the area of certification. A weekly seminar on campus will provide students with opportunities to review and reflect on their efforts at lesson planning and lesson execution to relate content from their liberal arts background to the New York State Learning Standards. Other topics related to effective planning, assessment and instruction related to child development and learning psychology will be addressed.
Spring, 3 credits
EDUC 511 Classroom Management
Specific techniques and strategies for motivating and enhancing student achievement (both academic and social) as well as modifying student classroom behavior in predictable and desirable directions will be examined and practiced. Strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of a teacher's behavior in producing desired levels of student motivation and self-discipline will be studied. Selected topics include: safe and nurturing environment, responsibility, respect, working with parents, resolving conflicts.
Summer, 3 credits
EDUC 580 Introduction to Special Education
This introductory course will acquaint students with the basic concepts of individual diversity and the impact of variation on interactions with the family, school, community society and the work place. A social systems perspective will be applied to address the unique development experienced by learners with disabilities. Characteristics of learners with mild, moderate, severe and multiple disabilities with be emphasized. The historical, social and legal roots from which special education has evolved will be examined. Field work investigations are required.
3 credits
EDUC 581 Instruction in the Content Areas for Students with Special Needs
This course emphasizes the application of practical, relevant instructional approaches derived from theory and research to the education of learners with special needs in regular or special education classrooms Three broad objectives underpin this course. The first is to direct attention to the necessity for effective teaching methods that will result in the learning of specific skills and concepts. The second is to introduce students to content area curricula as presented in the New York State learning standards. The third is to apply knowledge of methods and the standards to the design of appropriate instruction for remediation or enrichment in the content areas for students with special needs.
3 credits
EDUC 582 Applied Behavior Analysis
This course is designed to prepare teachers and behavior specialists to analyze and manage the behavior and social interaction skills of children who have developmental disabilities. Functional analysis of behavior (single-subject data collection and analysis, behavior program design, implementation and appraisal). Characteristics of learners with moderate, severe, and multiple disabilities will be emphasized. Includes field work.
3 credits
EDUC 583 Educational Interventions for Young Students with Disabilities
The theories of developmental appropriateness and constructivism will be the organizing forces of this course and will be applied to the acquisition, remediation and enrichment of literacy, numeracy and social skills of students with disabilities. The New York State standards will be used as the basis for the design of appropriate instructional lessons in the areas of language arts, social studies, science and math. A field work component is included.
3 credits
EDUC 584 Educational Interventions for Middle and High School Students with Disabilities
The focus of this course is the practical application and implementation of research based practices with adolescents with mild disabilities in special education or regular education settings in the school and community. In order to prepare these students for the postsecondary work environments of the twenty first century, effective instructional methods, models, and materials in the literacy, math and social skills will be explored. The NYS standards will be used as the basis for the design of instructional plans and units. A field work component is included in this course.
3 credits
EDUC 585 Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education
Both special education enabling legislation (IDEA) and civil rights nondiscriminatory legislation (Section 504) mandate that students have a right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The inclusion of students with special needs in general education classrooms and students placed in self contained settings require a team approach to educational programming. Educators must collaborate with professionals, parents and support personnel to maintain the overriding goal of successful educational outcomes for each student. This course will introduce students to the theoretical structure and methods of collaboration and consultation in the school and home setting in order to achieve that goal. Field work requirement.
3 credits
EDUC 590 The Reading and Writing Process
This course will focus on the interrelationship of the literacy processes through the examination of epistemological, philosophical, theoretical, and pedagogical literacy models. Specifically, students will explore the various aspects of the reading and writing processes (i.e., linguistic, physiological, psychological, and social) as a way of better understanding what is involved during the act of reading and writing. This increased cognizance of process will enable students to create new visions for their own pedagogical practice.
Fall, 3 credits
EDUC 591 Literacy Research
This course will focus on the history as well as current trends in literacy research. Students will engage in an examination of literacy research involving the generation and refinement of models and theories as well as the traditional quest for better methods of teaching reading and writing. Strategies in interpreting and analyzing the professional literature will also be emphasized.
3 credits
EDUC 593 Language Acquisition
This course is designed to provide educators with an understanding of normal language development (both spoken and written) from its origins in early infancy to its mastery during the school age years. These systems of representation, spoken and written language, will be seen as interrelated and as a result, students will be able to integrate their increased understanding of oral language acquisition with reading/writing development. Three underlying assumptions will guide this course: (a) language is a means of representing information, (b) language is a social act, and (c) knowledge about normal language acquisition can be used to better understand the nature of specific language disorders in children.
3 credits
EDUC 601E Methods & Materials of Teaching Reading
This course is designed to assist teachers in the (and refinement) of skills necessary to provide and implement activities and materials for the teaching of reading. Basic foundations of reading as a cognitive process and controversies related to reading instruction are investigated and discussed. Topics to be covered include: readiness, skills of reading, testing, and other assessment techniques. Investigation of historical programs, current programs and related research will be included in the study of methodology in reading instruction.
Spring, 3 credits
EDUC 601R Reading and Writing Methods in Early and Middle Childhood
This course is intended to challenge educators to examine their practices regarding their language and literacy interactions and those of the students they will teach. The content will emphasize the relationship between the sociopsycholinguistic model of reading and instructional strategies and the role of language and culture in learning to read and write. Topics to be covered will include, but are not limited to, the following: emergent literacy, curriculum development, the role of literature, reading programs and instruction, assessment, learning environments, multiculturalism (i.e., culturally diverse populations and the demands of reading as per the NYS standards) and technology. Through discussions, readings, writing, classroom observations in the local schools, and workshop activities, students will examine the tensions between convention and invention in the teaching of reading in our schools.
3 credits
EDUC 607 The Process of the Writing Workshop: A Curricula Practicum for Educators
This course will focus on the interrelationships of the reading and writing processes. Through participation in a reading/writing workshop environment, a theoretical framework for the reading/writing process can be developed. Emphasis will be placed on teaching strategies, conferring, and related activities for meaningful classroom applications. Specific topics include but are not limited to: effective strategies for pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, using literature as writing models, writing in different genres, writing for authentic purpose, quantitative and qualitative measures of evaluating writing, reading/writing across the curriculum, conventions of standard written English, individual differences among learners as they engage in the writing process and adapting instruction to meet those needs, and use of appropriate technology to support literacy learning. In field-based experience graduate students will observe a learner engage in the writing process.
Pre-req. EDUC601R
Fall, 3 credits
EDUC 608 Teaching Reading in the Content Area
The purpose of this course is to provide teachers with an in-depth understanding of literacy methodology as it relates to the reading of content area text. Topics covered will include literature in the content area classroom, text organization, comprehension and vocabulary strategies, study skills, and the reading/writing connection. Cognitive, sociocultural, and motivational factors will be viewed as important mediators of students’ ability to learn from text. This increased cognizance of the literacy processes across curriculums should enable teachers at all levels to better facilitate students’ internalization of literacy strategies and to develop active, independent learners.
3 credits
EDUC 609 Literacy Assessment and Evaluation: Practicum
This course will prepare teachers to holistically assess and evaluate the reading and writing ability, both strengths and weakness, of early childhood through grade 6 children. Because the reading and writing processes are transactional in nature and a reflection of the interrelationship between language and cognition, the assessment process will be presented as holistic and ongoing. While the focus is on authentic assessment, graduate students will learn and conduct both informal and formal assessment. This course is designed to meet the needs of classroom teachers as well as reading specialists by assessing and synthesizing all the components of literacy, including the academic, emotional, and social aspects.
3 credits
EDUC 610 Literacy Instruction for the Struggling Learner: Practicum
The primary purpose of this course is to provide the graduate student with the opportunity to utilize the diagnostic evaluation conducted in EDUC 609 and to collaborate with the struggling student in designing, implementing, and evaluating an instructional plan based on individual needs. Emphasis is on the importance of teachers’ thought processes to decision-making and the relationship between theory and instructional practices related to socio-psycholinguistic principles and research in the writing process. Course content will stress remedial techniques for students with diverse cultural and SES backgrounds.
3 credits
EDUC 611 Literacy Clinic: Practicum
This course offers students an opportunity to work in the Southampton Literacy Summer Clinic with children who have reading and/or writing difficulties. During these sessions, the graduate student collaborates with his/her student in designing, carrying out, and evaluating a plan for the literacy sessions. Students are expected to write professional preliminary and final reports as well as plans for each literacy session. Literacy sessions will be supervised via observation and videotaping.
3 credits
EDUC 612 Supervision of Literacy Programs (K-6)
This course is designed to focus on the elementary literacy specialist’s leadership role in the planning and delivery of reading instructions from goal setting, program planning, decision-making, problem solving, program supervision, and program evaluation for students from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Specific topics include, but are not limited to, developing a system-wide philosophy of literacy acquisition/development and program goals, organizing and staffing school/system-wide literacy programs, developing "collaborative teams" to engage in ongoing monitoring, evaluation and improvement of school/system wide literacy assessment/instructional program and practices, exploring introductions to and evaluation of professional development models, and designing programs and techniques that facilitate the development of school-system wide literacy connections.
pre-req. EDUC 609
Spring, 3 credits
EDUC 613 Assessment Techniques
The focus of this course is on the construction and analysis of educational measurement and research instruments. Students will critically examine the standardization process, basic statistical concepts, norm and criterion referenced testing, and the interpretation and reporting of testing data. Evaluation techniques in the areas of special education, reading, and general classroom assessments (K-12) will be addressed.
Spring, Summer 3 credits
EDUC 620 Methods of Teaching Social Studies and Language Arts
A theoretical and practical approach to methods and techniques in the teaching of social studies and language arts. The integration of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills with social studies topics will be studied in order to increase students’ understanding and achievement of the concepts and skills in both of these curriculum areas. Application of the State Standards (ELA and SS) to content and differentiated instruction will be the focus of this course. Field experience required.
Co-requisite Educ 505B
Spring, 3 credits
EDUC 630 Methods of Teaching Mathematics and Science
Specific research-based instructional methods appropriate to teaching mathematics and science will be demonstrated and analyzed. Emphasis will be on the constructivist approach with special attention to problem solving, reasoning skills, communication, hands-on activities, and application of state standards to curriculum content. Field experiences required.
Fall, 3 credits - Co-requisite Educ 505A
EDUC 661 Diagnostic / Prescriptive Techniques for Use with Exceptional Students
This course focuses on the use of practical diagnostic instruments in order to design an appropriate instructional program for students with disabilities. Participants will use information collected from assessment instruments to guide them in the selection of instructional methods and curricula that will be effective in meeting the individual needs of students with disabilities.
3 credits
EDUC 662 Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
This course is designed to provide an overview of the condition of specific learning disabilities in students. The emphasis will be on disorders in the basic psychological processes that often underlie learning disabilities as well as the indicators of learning disabilities that manifest themselves in skill acquisition, content area achievement and social / emotional development. Diagnostic, remedial and evaluative strategies will be explored as well as methods of instruction aligned with the New York State learning standards and adapted for students with special needs. Includes field work assignment.
3 credits
EDUC 663 Teaching Students- with Emotional / Behavioral Disorders
This course will focus on the etiology, characteristics, identification, and behavioral and educational strategies associated with students classified as emotionally and / or behaviorally disordered. The legal mandates, the procedures for assessment and placement, family issues, social skills and interactions, and classroom (regular or special education) interventions with a special emphasis on behavior management strategies will be examined.
3 credits
EDUC 664 Research in Special Education
This course is designed to prepare graduate students to become competent consumers of research in the area of special education. Students will become acquainted with current research, the research process, and the tools of research.
3 credits
EDUC 668A Practicum - Adolescence Level
This course provides conditions under which the student can demonstrate competencies by working with students with disabilities at the adolescence level under the supervision of a qualified teacher. This course provides experience in administering assessments, designing instructional plans (IEPs), data collection and analysis and instructional adaptations of content area subjects.
3 credits
EDUC 668C Practicum in Special Education (Childhood Level)
This course provides conditions under which the student can demonstrate instructional competencies by working with young children (grades 1-6) with disabilities under the supervision of a qualified teacher. This course provides experience in diagnostic techniques, the design of IEPS, data collection and analysis and instructional adaptations. A minimum of 20 days of field work is required.
3 credits
EDUC 691E Student Teaching - Elementary
Five days each week are spent in a school assigned by the Teacher Education Office. Clinical practice experience in grades 1-6 is required. Observations will occur throughout the semester to assess student progress. Seminars are held weekly on campus. Topics required for study by the New York State Education Department will be the Child Abuse Seminar, the School Safety & Violence Prevention Seminar, and others.
Every Semester, 6 credits - Prerequisite - approval of Division
EDUC 700 Education Research
Introduces the student to the purposes and procedures of research in education. Students study research designs and their appropriateness to educational problems. With the guidance of a faculty member, students reflect on a topic and develop a plan for the research project. Faculty approval of a proposal for the thesis must be granted before a student may enroll in EDUC 800
Fall, 3 credits
EDUC 700A Analysis of Teaching and Learning Behaviors
The focus of this course is the use of action research as a method to guide teacher decision making and planning in an educational setting. Students will examine the potential, the problems and the impact of action research and then generate areas of teaching and learning behaviors appropriate for an in-depth analysis. A plan will be developed to address the action or strategy that has been chosen for analysis and will include: implementation strategy, timetable, data collection and method of analysis.
3 credits
EDUC 800 Thesis Project
The thesis research project serves as a culminating experience for master's degree students in Elementary Education, Reading and Special Education. During this semester, students will be assigned to a faculty mentor who will provide guidance towards the completion of the original thesis work.
Spring, 3 credits
