Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Courses

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MAT - Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Courses

MAT-600: Culture, Family, and Community (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on family and community engagement in school. Using the concept of Funds of Knowledge, prospective teachers explore the abundant knowledge that schools can learn when they engage families. They explore how students bring funds of knowledge from their homes and communities for classroom concept development and building classroom community. Ideas for developing classroom communities that promote trust and encourage dialogue are emphasized.

MAT-602: Foundations of Ed in a Diverse Society (Credits: 3)

This course is designed to introduce students to educational theories and philosophies with the goal of bridging theory to practice. Students will examine, integrate, and apply various dynamics and principles of learning theories to practical classroom environments. Emphasis is placed upon the joining of learning theory and instructional practice, as a means to personal transformation of teacher professionals. The readings will guide students toward understanding a critical perspective on the sociology of schooling. An exploration of how schools have evolved, the political, economic, and social forces that shape those schools today, and the major issues facing public educators. An examination of the way schools operate in relation to race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. The course helps students understand a variety of philosophical systems that shape public education and guides students to articulate their own philosophy about teaching and learning.

MAT-603: Clinical Student Teaching (Credits: 5)

Provides mentored classroom experience under the supervision of a certified secondary teacher. Placement requires observation, participation in, and direct responsibility for classroom work and conferences with the mentor teacher and college supervisor.

MAT-605: Tchng Exceptnl Learnrs in Inclusv Clsrms (Credits: 3)

This course is designed to provide an examination of the professional roles and responsibilities of general educators and special educators in K-12 schools. These roles require an understanding of the salient topical issues impacting exceptional learners as well as issues surrounding general and special education classrooms. High leverage practices (HLPs) supported by research evidence will also be introduced in this course. These HLPs have significant potential for improving academic and behavioral outcomes for exceptional learners in inclusive classrooms.

MAT-607: Student Teaching Seminar (Credit: 1)

This seminar provides a forum for teacher candidates to share information, address concerns, and network with supportive peers and faculty members during their student teaching. Additional foci on the teacher candidates' capstone assessment and career guidance are also provided.

MAT-610: Managing the Inclusive Classroom (Credits: 4)

Students will examine, integrate and apply various dynamics and principles of classroom management to practical classroom environments. This course will prepare prospective secondary teachers to create a personal classroom management plan, analyze their own teaching and conduct action research. Discipline, interpersonal relationships, classroom climate, home and parent involvement, conflict resolution, restorative discipline and providing meaningful opportunities for student voice will be addressed. Prerequisite: MAT 600.

MAT-611: Curriculum Design and Management (Credits: 3)

This course covers the principles and practices of secondary school teaching. Included are instructional methodologies, management techniques, strategies, approaches, and philosophies that are workable in today's middle and high schools.

MAT-612: Secondary Methods Seminar (Credits: 2)

Through synchronous class sessions and asynchronous field work tasks, this seminar provides a forum for discussion on the linkages and curriculum threads among the methods courses. It provides opportunities for team presentations on their burgeoning teaching skills, career preparation for obtaining a professional teaching position, and exploration of how Professional Learning Communities(PLCs), the Utah State Legislature and school boards impact their teaching.

MAT-613: Secondary General Methods and Assessment (Credits: 4)

This course provides educators with the opportunity to reflect on their classroom assessment beliefs and practices. Formal discussions focus on the selection, design, administration, and interpretation of a variety of assessment methods. It will examine the use of assessment results to make instructional decisions, plan instructional activities, and develop appropriate grading practices. Discussions are designed to stimulate thought and provide specific opportunities through which teachers can develop effective assessment practices. Prerequisite: MAT 611.

MAT-614: Content Lit for Diverse Lang Learners (Credits: 4)

This course provides students with a pedagogical and dynamic background in the field of literacy and applications in content areas and in the instruction of Diverse Language Learners. Students will encounter a socioculturally nuanced/multimodal definition of literacy that includes reading, writing, listening and speaking. Theory, research, and practice as presented in the current scholarly and professional literature will serve as a foundation/resource for students in the course. Students will read texts and learn content area reading and language learning strategies in order to explore the relationship between research and practice. Students will also read and discuss content area-specific information, or disciplinary literacy; sheltered instruction for DLLs, and the integration of technology. Prerequisite: MAT 600.

MAT-615: Secondary Student Teaching (Credits: 6)

Provides mentored classroom experience under the supervision of a certified secondary teacher. Placement requires observation, participation in, and direct responsibility for classroom work and conferences with the mentor teacher and college supervisor.

MAT-616: Methods of Teaching Secondary School,History and Social Science (Credits: 3)

This course covers principles, methods, and materials, from both a theoretical and a practical perspective, for teaching secondary history and social science. Prerequisite: MAT 600.

MAT-617: Methods of Teaching Secondary School,Science (Credits: 3)

This course will prepare secondary teachers in the use and understanding of the scientific method and inquiry based learning. In addition students will learn curriculum planning, development, and assessment.

MAT-619: Methods Teach Secondary School English (Credits: 3)

Preparation for secondary and elementary teaching majors and minors to each English in a culturally rich school setting. Includes methods of teaching language, grammar, composition and literature. Prerequisite: MAT 600.

MAT-621: Methods of Teaching Secondary School Art (Credits: 3)

This course is an overview of the methods of secondary art education. It explores the content areas of art education (studio art, art criticism, art history and aesthetics) as well as teaching approaches. This course is a hands-on methods course in which students are required to design and implement secondary level art lessons and experiences.

MAT-622: Methods Teach Secondary School Math (Credits: 3)

An overview of methods employed in teaching mathematics at the secondary level. Students develop understandings of what it means to be a math teacher as they work with school mentors.

MAT-624: Methods Teach Secondary School Language (Credits: 3)

This course is designed to give students new ideas and approaches for teaching the four language skills and to establish and maintain effective classroom communities of foreign language learners. The course will emphasize learner differences, cognitive development, and learning styles along with the different modes of language assessment.

MAT-625: Methods Teach Secondary School Fine Arts (Credits: 3)

This class explores the culture of what it means to be a teacher of theatre and/or music in a secondary school. The focus is primarily on the practical aspects of teaching these disciplines including exploring interconnections between the discipline and classroom management, assessment techniques, lesson planning, and the use of rubrics to assess teacher effectiveness and student learning. Prerequisite: MAT 600.

MAT-626: Special Topics in Master Arts Teaching (Credits: 1 to 3)

A changing topics course.

MAT-630: Elem Instrct Dsgn, Pract, Plcy: DLL Emp (Credits: 3)

Students will design integrated, thematic curriculum that is developmentally appropriate for K-6 students. Family-to-school bridge building is addressed with emphasis on building multilingual and cross-cultural connections. Emphasis will be given to understanding the roles educators play in recognizing the knowledge and skills to effectively organize and implement instruction for Diverse Language Learners (DLLs) in their classroom. In this course, we will explore current political, socio-cultural and instructional contexts for teaching in public schools. Students will learn multiple strategies for teaching subject matter content and addressing content standards.

MAT-631: Math for Elementary Teachers (Credits: 2)

This course is a concept-oriented exploration of selected mathematical topics from the main mathematical strands of early childhood and elementary education. The emphasis is on developing underlying conceptual and relational understandings of these topics and becoming familiar with models for teaching these concepts in the early childhood and elementary classrooms. Students will examine how concepts connect and grow across the K-6 grade levels.

MAT-632: Science Methods (Credits: 3)

Stimulates thinking about various methodologies used in elementary science education by exploring and questioning our preconceived ideas through hands-on, inquiry-oriented experiences, discussions, readings, and field work in the classroom. This course will prepare you to use and understand the scientific method, curriculum planning, curriculum development, and alternative methods of assessment.

MAT-633: Elementary Mathematics Methods (Credits: 3)

Examines current directions in how students learn mathematics in order to promote thinking about best practices for teaching K-6 children mathematics. The emphasis is on understanding a variety of instructional practices, assessment strategies, and curriculum development to plan for effective teaching and learning.

MAT-636: Social Studies Methods (Credits: 3)

This course covers principles, methods, and materials, from both a theoretical and a practical perspective, for teaching social studies in the elementary school. It explores the six disciplines of social studies (history, geography, economics, government, sociology, and anthropology), and the interdisciplinary nature of a social studies education.

MAT-637: Creative Arts Methods (Credits: 3)

This course will introduce prospective early childhood and elementary teachers to the value of incorporating the arts into the classroom. Methods, resources and materials in four areas of the arts (visual art, music, creative movement/dance, and drama) will be explored. This class is designed to involve prospective teachers in developing ways of teaching the creative arts in the elementary classroom setting.

MAT-639: Elementary Student Teaching (Credits: 6)

Provides mentored classroom experience under the supervision of a certified elementary teacher. Placement requires observation, participation in, and direct responsibility for classroom work and conferences with the mentor teacher and college supervisor. This course is offered on a credit/ no credit basis.

MAT-640: Elementary Classroom Management (Credits: 3)

Students will examine, integrate and apply various dynamics and principles of classroom management to practical elementary classroom environments.? Discipline, interpersonal relationships, classroom climate, home and parent involvement, conflict resolution, restorative discipline and providing meaningful opportunities for student voice will be addressed

MAT-642: Elementary Classroom Assessment (Credits: 2)

This course prepares teacher candidates to use data from their own classroom assessments and from standardized tests to improve student learning. Teacher candidates will learn to align their assessments with Utah Core Standards and student learning goals. The purpose of both formal and informal assessments will be studied with emphasis on formative assessment and ways to use student data to improve instruction. Teacher candidates will also learn how to administer, graph, and interpret the results of curriculum-based measurements, and to interpret the results of standardized tests.

MAT-660: Directed Studies (Credits: 1 to 3)

Consent of instructor required to pursue a special topic of topic of interest. Prior to registration, a plan of study must be submitted for approval by the director of the MAT Program. Requires permission of course instructor and school dean. This course is repeatable for credit.

MAT-663: Literacy Foundations, Assessment, Instru (Credits: 3)

Research-based literacy assessments, processes, and instructional practices will be studied and then practiced in the field. In addition to a K-6 classroom field placement, a 15-hour assessment and intervention experience with a struggling reader is required. Prerequisite: MAT 630.

MAT-664: Reading and Language Arts (Credits: 3)

Provides contact with lessons, materials, methods, research, and theory for the elementary teaching in language arts skills and strategies for application in the K-8 classroom. We examine various instructional strategies and adaptations in language arts for all learners through critical text readings, shared experiences, field placement, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and active student inquiry and participation.

MAT-669: Literacy Assessment and Intervention (Credit: 1)

This course explores the current research on best practices regarding curriculum and instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities in K-6 settings. Students learn to apply interventions that assist students with learning difficulties in reading, math, and written and oral expression. Students also learn to use instructional and assistive technologies to enhance the learning of students with disabilities. Students are required to spend twenty clock hours in a field placement. Prerequisite: MAT 605; co-requisite: MAT 673.

MAT-672: Methods of Instruction and Curriculum,for 7-12 Special Education II (Credits: 3)

This course explores the current research regarding methods to serve students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students learn to apply learning strategies to reading, writing, mathematics, and study skills. Students also develop transition programs and learn to use instructional and assistive technologies to enhance the learning of students with disabilities. Students are required to spend twenty clock hours in a field placement. Prerequisites: MAT 605, 671, 673; co-requisite: MAT 674.

MAT-674: Special Education Behavioral Supports (Credits: 3)

This course is designed to explore theories and their application to create effective environments for students with behavioral challenges. Specifically, the course will focus on the integration of methods and techniques for addressing the behavioral, academic, and social development of students in special education. Prerequisites: MAT 605; co-requisite: MAT 672.

MAT-676: Student Teach SPED: Mild/Mod (Credits: 4 to 6)

Supervised teaching in selected high-incident or mild/moderate special education programs in an elementary or secondary school. Prerequisites: SPED methods courses must be complete so that a petition can be granted to register. There is a $100 student teaching fee. This course is offered on a credit/no credit basis.

MAT-677: Facilitating Services Across Disciplines (Credits: 3)

This course introduces students to the variety of management issues that are prevalent for special educators. Students will learn various approaches to co-teaching, scheduling services, working with service and support personnel, and utilizing assistive technology.