Science (Grades K–8)

Effective teachers are leaders who make a positive difference in classrooms, schools, and society.  Education professionals explore what it means to be a teacher leader in today's diverse and changing educational landscape, while gaining expertise in current research-based educational advancements.  They examine their values, beliefs, vision, and mission, and they explore teacher effectiveness in relation to their role in the larger context of the teaching profession. They collaborate in professional learning communities and advocate for students and other educators in order to promote positive social change. They synthesize their learning throughout the course and use this knowledge to enhance professional growth and development.

In this course, education professionals examine 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 are emphasized. Educators 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, educators engage in a process for designing standards-driven classroom curriculum, instruction, and assessment that will meet the diverse learning needs of their students. (Prerequisite(s): Endorsement candidates must complete special education endorsement courses and receive a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to moving into MS in Education courses.)

Education professionals can investigate the nature and history of science and the role science plays in 21st-century life. They can discover unifying themes across all areas of science such as scientific inquiry, systems and energy, models and scale, constancy and change, ecology and the environment, and form and function. Education professionals can explore environmental science and apply the scientific tools of inquiry, discovery, hypothesis, and theory to facilitate their own learning in science and to foster engaging and motivating scientific learning in their students.

In this course, education professionals explore the value of linguistic and cultural diversity and the powerful learning opportunities it affords today's classrooms and schools. They examine their attitudes, beliefs, and biases regarding linguistically and culturally diverse students, families, and communities, and they learn approaches for working together to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Through real-world observations, they assess strategies for ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning experiences. Education professionals also explore effective practices, such as cultural responsiveness, anti-bias curriculum, differentiated instruction, and academic vocabulary development. (Prerequisite(s): Endorsement candidates must complete special education endorsement courses and receive a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to moving into MS in Education courses.)

Education professionals can examine various physical phenomena (e.g., light, sound, heat, magnetism, and motion) in this course. They engage in authentic, active learning experiences that advance their knowledge about these phenomena and model creative teaching approaches that can be used to engage their students in powerful learning about the physical sciences. The practical application of theories and concepts will be emphasized.