Master of Education in Teaching

This concentration will provide a framework for candidates who are practicing, licensed teachers who want to learn more about Master of Education in Teaching Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With a rise in prevalence of ASD in the U.S. and beyond, it is becoming more critical that teachers are equipped with knowledge about ASD characteristics, laws, research, and evidence-based practices. The concentration will present candidates with historical views of ASD, perspectives on medications and side effects, instructional and intervention strategies, federal legislation, assessment instruments, and programmatic considerations. This graduate program meets the needs of candidates with interests within both public and private school contexts and includes an emphasis on the Council for Exceptional Children - Advanced Special Education Developmental Disabilities and Autism Specialist (CEC – AAS), International Society for Technology in Education for Teachers (ISTE®), and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP®) standards. Completion of the program does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted at a school or other pre-approved professional site.

ISTE® is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education, Inc.

CAEP® is a registered trademark of The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation.

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

• Analyze considerations for K-12 students with ASD from a historical and legal perspective.
• Evaluate data-based intervention and instructional considerations for K-12 students with ASD.
• Appraise various assessment techniques that comprehensively evaluate K-12 students with ASD at a programmatic level.

This concentration is for currently licensed K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies with an advanced degree focused on elementary education curriculum and instruction for grades K-6. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the issues that continue to influence professional practice in the field. Candidates will use research, experience, and professional judgment to collaborate and work with others in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction and services for elementary students. Candidates will have an advanced understanding of the developmental characteristics, culture, and background of elementary aged, special needs learners and how the differences among them influence the learning condition. The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the issues that continue to influence professional practice in the field.
• Use research, experience, and professional judgment to collaborate and work with others in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction and services for elementary students.
• Understand developmental characteristics, culture, and background of elementary aged, special needs learners and how the differences among them influence the learning condition.

  The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction

This concentration is designed for currently licensed K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies by achieving an advanced degree with a focus on working with students to promote elementary level reading and literacy development in grades K-6. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of best practices in elementary reading curriculum and instruction, use a range of research-based practices, methods, and materials to support curriculum development, and will use a variety of assessment practices and tools to diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate effective literacy instruction. The program meets the needs of candidates with interests within the traditional public and private school arena and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), International Reading Association (IRA) standards, research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

Measures the best practices in elementary reading curriculum and instruction; research-based practices, methods, and materials that support curriculum development; and a variety of assessment practices and tools to diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate effective literacy instruction. Emphasizes the creation of environments conducive to developing your students' skills in the language arts using research-based instructional strategies.

This concentration is for currently licensed K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies with an advanced degree focused on working with students whose primary language is not English. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the candidate will be able to use the knowledge of major concepts, theories, and research related to the nature and acquisition of language to construct learning environments that foster English Language Learners (ELL) language development and content area learning. The candidate will demonstrate and use knowledge of culture and identity to cultivate learning environments that support ELL language development and content area learning. Candidates will also use research-based practices to plan, manage, and implement instruction in supportive environments for ELL students, act as English language models, and incorporate standards-based ELL and content curriculum in mixed-ability classrooms. The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL®) standards, research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

TESOL® is a registered trademark of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

Explores major concepts, theories, and research related to the nature and acquisition of language to construct learning environments that foster the development of English Language Learners (ELL). Utilizes speech training software with pronunciation tutoring technologies and learning features that provide immediate, understandable, and actionable feedback.

This concentration is designed for individuals who want to broaden their knowledge of instructional leadership in K-12 settings and includes an emphasis on research-based teacher leadership skills and 21st century professional practices in instruction.

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to evaluate and effectively use performance-based assessments and implement assessment, instruction, evaluation, and intervention plans as appropriate for diverse learner needs. Successful candidates will demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills to work well with school personnel, pupils, and parents, acknowledging and appreciating diversity in its many forms and being able to assess and instruct without influence of bias. Candidates will also use educational technology as an effective tool to promote student learning as well as a means to improve communication among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community. The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and research-based teacher leadership skills.

Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure.

The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

Studies how educational professionals create instructional practices that raise levels of teaching and learning to improve outcomes in educational settings. Explores teacher leadership, professional learning communities (PLCs), reshaping school culture, and shared leadership. Looks at technology as a tool to promote learning and to improve communication, and examines contemporary issues related to special education instruction.

This concentration will provide a learning framework for potential students who wish to teach online at either the K-12 or higher education levels. The demand for teachers with in-depth knowledge of how to use technology together with curriculum design and teaching methods is growing dramatically. The online learning environment continues to expand and there is a need for experienced and knowledgeable instructors to deliver instruction in a distance learning or web-based environment. In this program, comprehensive aspects of online learning will be explored so that the graduating student will have a firm knowledge base with which to function in the online-learning instructional setting. The concentration will present students with an overarching philosophy that raising student achievement is best achieved in instructional environments where the software, web-based, or online instruction is interactive and individualized or personalized. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure.

Provides a foundation for developing problem-solving skills necessary for functioning in online, face-to-face, and hybrid instructional settings. Topics include online learning instructional formats and their impact on student achievement, personalized learning, emerging trends and issues as they relate to technology instruction, and copyright infringement’s implication for course development.

This concentration is for currently licensed K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies with an advanced degree focused on working with students with special needs. The program provides a strong, research-based background in professional teaching practices and provides development for teachers who are knowledgeable of the foundations and theoretical basis for special education, the developmental characteristics of special needs learners, and the instructional practices that best serve them. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the candidate will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of special education including the philosophy, history, legislation, and theory that continue to influence professional practice in the field. Candidates will be able to use research, experience, and professional judgment to collaborate and work with others in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction and services for students with disabilities. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of the developmental characteristics, culture, and background of special needs learners and how these differences influence the learning condition. The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the Counsel for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards, research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

Explores the foundations of special education, including the philosophy, history, legislation, and theory that continue to influence professional practice in the field. Emphasizes the use of research, experience, and professional judgment to collaborate and work with others in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction and services for students with disabilities.

This concentration provides a framework for candidates who are practicing, licensed teachers to learn about integrating curriculum through the lens of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) with the Arts (STEM + the Arts = STEAM). This concentration allows candidates to explore ways to use broader global and local resources and experts (e.g. scientists, artists, etc.) to make bridges among curricular areas so as to better prepare K-12 students to be innovative, creative thinkers. Concentration courses in this program focus on preparing candidates to teach K-12 students through interdisciplinary, problem-based, multimodal experiences. Candidates examine theory, research, and evidence-based practices; science, technology, math, and engineering concepts; and visual and performing arts content. This graduate program meets the needs of candidates with interests within both public and private school contexts and includes an emphasis on Common Core, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, and various fine arts national standards for education. Completion of the program does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure.

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

• Apply STEM/STEAM theory, research, and evidence-based practices in elementary school contexts.
• Analyze ways to use global and local resources and experts in STEAM areas to facilitate elementary school students’ learning.
• Create interdisciplinary elementary school STEAM lesson plans.