Course Descriptions

EDUC 6610 Teacher as Professional (3 sem. cr.)
This course explores what it means to be a professional in today’s diverse and changing educational landscape. Teachers will examine their values, beliefs, vision, and mission. They will explore their role in the larger context of the teaching profession, the importance of collaboration in a professional learning community, and the need to advocate for students, educators, and the field of education itself. Teachers will learn how a professional stance impacts student learning and serves as a driver of their own professional growth and development.

EDUC 6640 Designing Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (3 sem. cr.)
This course examines classroom curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the context of standards and accountability. The importance of alignment of these components and resulting impact on student learning will be emphasized. Teachers will explore learning theory, learner variables, and the need for differentiation to meet diverse learning needs. Multiple purposes and methods of assessment as well as effective approaches to grading and reporting will be discussed. Using their state or district standards, teachers will engage in a process for designing standards-driven classroom curriculum, instruction, and assessment that will meet the diverse learning needs of their students.

EDUC 6650 Enhancing Learning Through Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (3 sem. cr.)
This course explores teachers’ views on the value of linguistic and cultural diversity and the powerful learning opportunities it affords today’s classrooms and schools. Teachers will examine their attitudes, beliefs, and biases regarding linguistically and culturally diverse students, families, and communities and will learn approaches for working together to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Strategies for ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning experiences will be presented. Effective practices, such as cultural responsiveness, anti-bias curriculum, differentiated instruction, and developing academic vocabulary will be explored.

EDUC 6720 The Special Educator as Instructional Leader (3 sem. cr.)
Powerful internal and external forces impact the leadership capacity and influence potential of special educators. In this course, students will examine internal variables, such as their own emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health. They will also consider external variables, including current trends and issues related to medicine, neuroscience, research, law and governance, and technology. The course will explore the influence that these variables have on teaching and learning and on enhancing one’s leadership.

EDUC 6721 The Impact of Disabilities on Learning and Teaching (3 sem. cr.)
Special educators understand the breadth and depth of each disability. They continually expand their knowledge and skills related to the impact of cognition, behavior, sensory input, and physical/health issues on learning and teaching. This course guides the special educator in examining disabilities beyond the surface level of definitions, characteristics, and common understandings to a deeper, life-encompassing, and futures-planning perspective. Teachers will further their ability to advocate for individuals with disabilities and for the field of special education.

EDUC 6733 Action Research for Educators (3 sem. cr.)
This course provides a structured approach to the practice of action research. Educators learn how to address relevant problems, become involved in collaborative inquiry, and use data and research to inform their practice, improve student academic success, and contribute to positive change in their classroom and school environments. Educators will engage in reflective practices as they collect and analyze student data and develop and implement data-driven decisions and/or actions to improve student learning and enhance their professional growth.

EDUC 6722 Strategic Collaboration in Special Education (3 sem. cr.)
Teaming, partnerships, and collaboration are practices that special educators must embrace and continually hone and refine. Attitudes, skills, and dispositions that foster healthy and productive collaborative relationships are essential for working with teams to provide services for individuals with disabilities. This course focuses on these attitudes, skills, and dispositions and empowers special educators to examine the benefits and challenges of collaborating with others to maximize the learning potential of every student.

EDUC 6723 Advanced Instructional Strategies in Special Education (3 sem. cr.)
Providing accommodations and differentiating instruction are essential practices for special educators. This course focuses on advanced research-based approaches for designing, adapting, prescribing, and delivering instruction in the content areas with special emphasis on progress monitoring. Teachers will examine content-area standards and curriculum, with the goal of designing standards-based, individualized instruction that is functional, appropriate, and systematic.

EDUC 6724 Literacy Interventions in Special Education (3 sem. cr.)
Reading, writing, and communicating are literacy competencies that impact the quality of life for all people, especially individuals with disabilities. Because literacy development is often impacted by learning and behavioral disabilities, the special educator must be well-versed in this area of learning and teaching. This course guides the special educator in identifying reading and writing disabilities and in collaborating with others to devise appropriate and effective interventions, including the use of assistive technologies. Monitoring progress and ongoing assessment of literacy skills, strategies, and dispositions are emphasized.

EDUC 6725 Advanced Behavioral Interventions in Special Education (3 sem. cr.)
Behavior impacts human development at all ages and stages of life and is typically a matter of concern for individuals with disabilities. This course focuses on understanding, assessing, managing, teaching, and monitoring behavior. Students review classroom and school management strategies and explore in greater depth individual functional analysis and individual behavior management plans with the goal of transition planning.