Teaching and Learning

This course focuses on an examination of the ethical considerations of educational practice in contemporary society.

This course focuses on the premise that all educators, regardless of formal title, role or position, need to assume responsibility for leadership in service of improving their institution and its members. Further, all educators must be responsible for developing the leadership capacity of those in their care. The course content addresses various theories of leadership, finding one’s own leadership style, and thinking about leadership in such populations as teachers, staff, and students.

This course focuses on developing one’s understanding of adult development throughout the life span and its implications for educational practice. Regardless of role and formal job description, all educators must interact with adults, and an appreciation for the developmental tasks of personal and career cycles is essential. Course content is designed to stimulate thinking about how to promote growth and transformation in one’s own life and with others.

This course focuses on examining the use of reflective practice to improve instruction and leadership techniques and to engender professional dialogue among colleagues. Facilitating one’s own critical reflection, as well as encouraging that in others, is a key component of teaching, learning, and leading. The course content also explores the concept of self-renewal and resilience as indicators of health and wellness in individuals and educational institutions.

Self-Renewal This course focuses on examining the use of reflective practice to improve instruction and leadership techniques and to engender professional dialogue among colleagues. Facilitating one’s own critical reflection, as well as encouraging that in others, is a key component of teaching, learning, and leading. The course content also explores the concept of self-renewal and resilience as indicators of health and wellness in individuals and educational institutions. The key role that mentoring can play in initiating novice educators into the profession, supporting individual growth and sustaining the enthusiasm of veteran educators also is addressed.

This course examines the various ways in which social and cultural factors influence education. It will review sociological research findings on such topics as learning and social class, teacher and parental expectations, learning and gender, ethnicity, and the relation between learning and family rearing practices. In considering the cultural influences on contemporary education, students will study a variety of multicultural education models, the transmission of culture in a pluralistic society, and the role of education in the acculturation and assimilation process.

This course focuses on developing an appropriate research design for each student’s dissertation proposal. It includes articulating the research questions, choosing the design and being able to articulate its appropriateness to the inquiry at hand, discussing the assets and limitations of the design, human subjects and other ethical concerns, and proposed methods of data collection and analysis.

Dissertation research 1 is the first of a two-block experience involving original doctoral research. In this course, the student will gather data to be reported in chapter four of the dissertation, using the research design developed in individualized research design.

Dissertation research 2 is the second of a two-block experience involving original doctoral research. In this course, the student will analyze his/her collected data, including re-engaging with the seminal scholarly literature presented in chapter 2. Data analysis will conform to the methods described in individual Research Design. In addition to analysis, the student will be able to discuss the scholarly and practitioner implications of his/her findings as well as directions for future research.

Dissertation 1 is the first in a three-course block of final required dissertation writing. It yields the first two chapters of the dissertation: Introduction and literature Review. Credit is awarded when the students submits the fully edited and approved version of these two chapters to his/her Dissertation Committee.

Course Dissertation 2 is the second of the three-course clock of final required dissertation writing. Dissertation research consists of conducting the approved research developed the individualized research design yields and the Research Methodology chapter of the dissertation (chapter three. Credit is awarded when the dstudent submits the fully edited and approved version ofthis chapter to his/her Dissertation Committee and receives their approva; for the completed data gathering.

Dissertation 3 is the final block of required dissertaion writing. It yiekds the last two chapters of the dissertaion (chapters four or five) and completes the document. Credit is awarded when the student successfully presents his/her research findings and recommendations and submits the fully edited and approved dissertation to his/her Dissertation Committee.

This course provides a framework for using quantitative methods in educational research. The course will focus on a wide range of quantitative research methods including experimental, correlational and survey research among others. Additionally, students will review the different steps in quantitative research, the determination of different options for types of data collected and the ability to locate, select, and assess an instrument(s) for data collection. Specifying variables, reliability, validity, scales of measurement, scoring of the data, and selection of a statistical program will also be discussed

This course focuses on the concept of qualitative research. It will aid the student in developing an understanding of what qualitative research is, what the types of qualitative research are, when to use it, and how to develop a well-designed research study using qualitative research methods. The course will go on to help the student code the findings and write a dissertation using the qualitative method of data gathering and analysis.

This course focuses on developing one’s understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to increase effectiveness in meeting the needs of diverse learners through appropriate instructional, curricular, and behavioral strategies. It also aims to assist students in exploring the topics of race/ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, and language as they related to teaching to diversity.

This course focuses on theory and research about developing teacher competencies for motivating and increasing student learning through the advanced understanding of the interaction of classroom management and instructional planning. Topics include the creation of successful learning communities, approaches to discipline, and creative problem solving.

This course is designed to help students develop an advanced understanding of how learning and developmental theories define the teacher’s role as an instructional leader, how students learn, what motivates learners, and the design and delivery of the curriculum is influenced by these factors.

This course allow for re-examination of one’s own motivation for entering the profession, what values guide current practice, and what inspires that practice. The notion of teaching as both an “art” and a “science” will be explored, along with research on effective teaching. The course also allows for consideration of what teaching models and philosophies are most meaningful at this point in one’s career.

This course in curriculum will provide an introduction to the foundational areas that affect the design and development of curriculum. The course will include the history, social forces, philosophy, and psychology behind many of the curriculum practices and issues that exist in schools today as well as the nature of the curriculum development process. The focus of this course will be on the process of using knowledge about curriculum and evaluation in an imaginative, creative way. Ultimately, the educator will then be able to anticipate and plan for change in an active way, rather than falling prey to every bandwagon or societal pressure that affects the school curriculum.

This course provides advanced exploration of theory and research in human and institutional resiliency with an eye towards how such theory and research can be translated into educational practice. Factors that create risk and promote resiliency in students will be examined, as well as interventions to mitigate situations that put students at risk.

This course includes studies in the literature and research on encouraging teacher leadership at all levels of practice:classroom,school,district state and national leadership styles, recognizing oppurtunities for leadership within different forums in their professional lives,and collaborating with others to effect meaningful change.

The course focuses on the creation and maintenance of collaborative models of parent-school interaction that supports student achievement. Particular attention is paid to such issues as building effective partnerships with hard to reach parents, those who traditionally have been marginalized from schools, and non traditional families. It also explores issues such as parent-teacher conferences, parents as volunteers in schools, and maintaining parental involvement as students move into secondary schools.

This course focuses on an analysis of how the brain integrates, stores, and communicates information. It includes a review of research on how the brain functions and the link to effective teaching practices. The application of brain research to teaching strategies, lesson plans, and problem-solving activities will be stressed.

Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) focuses on the organic whole of leadership practices from a perspective of positive thinking. This course will challenge students to engage in the core topics and foundational theories of POS and positive psychology, and to investigate their interface. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) investigates collective and emergent processes of optimal functioning, at the levels of individual in organization, groups in organizations, and organizations as a whole. POS focuses on the generative dynamics in organizing that enable individuals and collective resilience, thriving, creativity compassion, and other indicators of human function. POS is not one particular theory; it does draw from the full spectrum of organizational theories. Positive psychology is a movement that challenges the field of psychology. It does not draw from the old model of deficient but instead encourages research on strengths, on building the best things in leadership practices as well as repairing the worst.

This course will encompass skill building strategies and exercises in critical thinking, listening, and identity based communication. We will explore how to negotiate, facilitate, and mediate global education. Our goal is to begin the process of understanding the theory, concepts, and skills necessary for developing the cultural mobility among participants required to successfully embrace globally diverse school populations that will yield effective value added relationships and outcomes.

This course focuses on current trends and issues in the use of technology in K-12 schools. Among the topics covered are the use of technology as a tool for teaching and learning, making technologically-assisted learning meaningful, creating active learning through the use of technology, and the “digital divide” and its implications for schooling.

This course focuses on developing one’s understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to increase effectiveness in meeting the needs of diverse learners through appropriate instructional, curricular, and behavioral strategies. It also aims to assist students in exploring the topics of race/ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, and language as they related to teaching to diversity.

This course will examine issues related to equity, diversity, and their implications for educational settings. Personal and community biases will be scrutinized regarding: race, gender, socio-economic status, culture, sexual orientation, religion, second language learners, and persons with special needs. Through coursework, group work, and situational case studies, students will be challenged to examine their attitudes toward these critical issues and to become sensitive and proactively responsive to them. Students will learn of the leadership capacities needed to ensure access, and academic and social equity for all members of the extended school community.

This course Planning and Organizational Change draws on a number of academic disciplines that provide a theoretical as well as practical basis for understanding change at the community and school level. We will apply planning theory from traditions of sociology, political science, and psychology to real organizations in local communities, using theories of practice of community social work and action research.

In these courses, a student pursues, in-depth, an individualized program of reading and/or research with supervision by first and second core faculty.

In these courses, a student pursues, in-depth, an individualized program of reading and/or research with supervision by first and second core faculty.

In these courses, a student pursues, in-depth, an individualized program of reading and/or research with supervision by first and second core faculty.

In these courses, a student pursues, in-depth, an individualized program of reading and/or research with supervision by first and second core faculty.