This course provides participants with a deep dive into best practices in literacy instruction for PreK-12 classrooms. Participants will explore topics that impact literacy development from cognitive, affective, and sociocultural perspectives. The course is grounded in current research and critical theoretical underpinnings that guide best practices. Participants will review strategic actions that support research-based components of effective literacy instruction and apply these components to classroom practice using the gradual release of responsibility. Participants will learn effective techniques to develop strategic readers within the general education and content area settings. They will learn about the importance of a critical approach to literacy instruction and will gain additional knowledge and competencies in the area of information literacy.
This course serves as a pre-requisite to the school based research project and thesis. Students will examine current research on educational change, qualitative, quantitative, and technological methodologies in school-based action research, and various school improvement and change models. Students will learn how to evaluate school programs for continuous improvement, including curricular and instructional practices, professional development, athletics, co-curricular, technology, support services, and community involvement. Students will extend and reinforce their knowledge, skills, and competencies related to professional and educational practice through identification and preliminary research of an authentic school-based problem, which will be developed and completed during the implementation and thesis segment of the program.
This course supports the constructivist philosophy of student-centered instruction and relevant, meaningful learning. Students will further develop and apply their understanding of teaching strategies that will serve to maximize the potential of each child through learning models that are specifically organized around specific content, competencies, communication, collaboration, and connectivity. This course will require students to work, both individually and collaboratively to research, examine, articulate, debate, and ultimately identify the essential criteria for exemplary contemporary teaching practices. The learning experience will be organized around an authentic performance task that will allow students to analyze the impact of families, cultures, and communities on schools and learning. This overarching task will require students to work both individually and collaboratively in the development of a foundation grant application that, in the end, will serve to promote collaboration with family and community members to expand opportunities for authentic student learning.