Master of Education (MEd.) Courses
MED - Master of Education (MEd.) Courses
MED-610: Sociocultural Contexts for Learning (Credits: 3)
Explores the effects of sociocultural factors on learning at the individual, classroom, and structural levels. Students will study their own and their students' social and cultural identities, and explore how sociocultural factors affect classroom dynamics, curricular materials, teaching pedagogies, and larger structural issues such as equal access to education. Students will develop plans to make their teaching or administrative settings more inclusive so that they can more effectively facilitate learning for all students.
MED-613: Theories of Adult Learning (Credits: 3)
This course explores theories and research that seek to explain how adults learn. This course uses a complexity thinking frame to understand learning at various levels (e.g., embodied, individual, collective, societal) and learning as an emergent process of interactions between levels. The course draws upon brain research, theories of adult learning, and research on adult learning. Students formulate a working theory of adult learning in a specific setting.
MED-615: School and Politics (Credits: 3)
Emphasizes the importance of understanding schools and other educational institutions as organizations that are embedded in a political system. Explores decisions that are made within schools and educational institutions, in state legislatures, and in the federal government, theoretical frameworks for understanding those decisions, and the processes for participation in decision-making.
MED-620: Multilingual Learners Family & Comm. (Credits: 3)
This course explores the role of family and community in the language acquisition and identity formation among Multilingual Learners. Students will conduct an ethnographic case study with a child who is in the process of learning English and their family based on the concept Funds of Knowledge. The course critically evaluates issues of socioeconomic status, race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, and immigration history relative to MLs by reading ethnographies about their experiences in various educational contexts.
MED-621: Foundations of Multilingual Education (Credits: 3)
This course introduces students to foundational theories and policies that impact multilingual education. Concepts studied include the linguistic, sociological, historical, political, and legal foundations of bilingual and ESOL education. The course presents an overview of the types of programs and the principles of effective education for Diverse Language Learners including observational fieldwork. The content will guide students toward a critical perspective of how the teaching and learning process can enable or constrain students whose dominant language is not English.
MED-622: Language Acquisition and Development (Credits: 3)
This course examines how languages are learned. Students will discuss prominent language acquisition theories and how these apply in instructed settings, analyzer learner language, and explore individual differences in learning an additional language. In addition, knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics are applied to teaching Diverse Language Learners.
MED-623: Instruc Methods for Multilingual Learner,Learners (Credits: 3)
This course will connect second language acquisition theories to research-based principles of instruction as they relate to language learners. Students will explore and apply methods and strategies to promote comprehensible interaction in reading, writing, and language arts for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and adult second language learners. Course includes fieldwork component.
MED-624: Content Instruction-Multilingual Learner (Credits: 3)
Students will explore and apply methods and strategies to promote comprehensible interaction in the content areas for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and adult language learners. The emphasis of the course is the design of standards-based differentiated lesson plans for Multilingual Learners in heterogeneous content area classes as well as sheltered content area courses for secondary students. Fieldwork is an integral component of this course.
MED-625: Assessment for Multilingual Learners (Credits: 3)
Students will apply content from the Methods and Content Area Instruction courses to develop a rationale for incorporating assessment as an intrinsic and ongoing aspect of the teaching/learning process. Students will learn ways to monitor student progress, place students appropriately, and design authentic assessment for elementary, secondary, and adult language learners. Students will also explore policies and practices of standardized assessments commonly used to assess language proficiency and academic language development within the context of U.S. public schools. Course includes fieldwork component.
MED-630: Literature & Info Texts K-12 (Credits: 3)
Students will become familiar with a wide range of children's and adolescent's literature and explore their uses in the classroom. The course focus will be on instructional strategies for written and oral responses utilizing critical and analytical thinking skills. Literature selection and sharing will be presented, along with a study of genres and integration into content areas.
MED-634: Teaching Adults (Credits: 3)
Teaches a variety of instructional strategies for facilitating adult learning. The course covers setting learning goals and methods of instruction for teaching skills and content, for increasing understanding, and for construction and application of knowledge. The course addresses teaching in different settings and the implications of context on instruction. The course also teaches methods of assessing various types of learning.
MED-638: Justice in Everyday Life (Credits: 3)
Though social justice practices can seem set apart - rallies, marches, protests, movements - they permeate everyday life. In this course, we will engage both text-based and experiential-learning opportunities to examine concepts of justice in everyday life. With attention to marginalized voices and experiences around the world, we will consider social justice as global praxis: reflection and action to acquire critical awareness about structures that connect people in systems of inequality. Students will develop critical and creative thinking skills and apply them to questions about how we do and should live our lives.
MED-639: Neuroscience of Trauma (Credits: 3)
This class will serve as an introductory course in the biological bases of human behavior with a specific focus on developmental childhood trauma and PTSD. Topics will include an overview of central nervous system structure, brain function and development, and include an introduction to emotional and cognitive processing in the brain.
MED-640: Trauma-Informed Schools (Credits: 3)
This course explores ways in which traumatic childhood events impact and shape individuals' brain development, health and well-being, relationships, educational trajectories, and involvement with the justice system. The course examines the impact that schools and teachers who adopt trauma-responsive practices can have in creating more equitable and inclusive spaces that lead to positive student outcomes. Students make institutional recommendations for change.
MED-641: Restorative Justice in Schools (Credits: 3)
This course provides a critical examination of restorative justice principles and practices within the community. Students will explore the efficacy of restorative justice practices as an alternative to punitive discipline policies and procedures within school settings and within the criminal justice system. Students will discover the impact restorative justice practices can have on academic performance, suspension and expulsion rates, retention, and incarceration by exploring and participating in restorative justice processes such as, Victim-Offender mediation, Family Group Conferencing, Clearness Committees, and Peace Circles. Through examination of academic writings, roleplay, case studies, and site visits, students will gain a better understanding of how restorative justice works within real-world settings. In addition to gaining a richer understanding of their own response to conflict, students learn and practice restorative justice facilitation skills that will have lifelong application.
MED-642: Foundations of Restorative Justice (Credits: 3)
This course provides a critical examination of restorative justice principles and practices within the community. Students will explore the efficacy of restorative justice practices as an alternative to punitive discipline policies and procedures within school settings and within the criminal justice system. Students will explore and participate in restorative justice processes such as Victim-Offender mediation, Family Group Conferencing, Clearness Committees, and Peace Circles. Through examination of academic writings, roleplay, case studies, and site visits, students will gain a better understanding of how restorative justice works within real-world settings. In addition to gaining a richer understanding of their own response to conflict, students learn and practice restorative justice facilitation skills that will have lifelong application.
MED-643: Research in Risk and Resilience (Credits: 3)
This course asks students to examine current research on risk and resilience and identify the factors that contribute to both. Through data collection and examination, interviews and observations, students will conduct an in-depth analysis of the needs and strengths of the communities in which they work or live. Following this work, they will make recommendations for specific trauma-informed interventions to promote community resilience.
MED-644: Arts and Movement for Trauma (Credits: 2)
This course explores research-based arts and movement techniques and strategies that can promote self-awareness and self-regulation for those who have experienced trauma.
MED-645: Self-Care for Secondary Trauma (Credit: 1)
This course explores the impact of secondary trauma on individuals in helping professions. In this course, students learn how a self-care practice can mitigate the negative effects of trauma exposure and increase resiliency. Students read about and engage in a variety of self-care practices. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how self-regulation enables them to better serve their communities.
MED-646: Writing for Trauma Healing (Credit: 1)
This course will introduce participants to research on writing-based interventions for healing trauma. They will engage in several of these processes and consider ways in which writing might be used in their work to promote self-awareness and self-regulation, and provide platforms for individuals to be seen and heard.
MED-647: Juvenile Justice (Credits: 3)
This course explores the U.S. juvenile justice system, including its history, philosophical foundations, and differential treatment of individuals based on race, ethnicity, class, and gender. Through visits to detention facilities, interviews with individuals involved in the justice system, and an exploration of comparative systems of youth incarceration in the U.S. and abroad, students will critically analyze and evaluate our current systems and make recommendations for reform.
MED-648: Advocacy Under the Dome (Credits: 3)
Students will gain the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in local public policy making and advocacy. Through first-hand observation of and engagement with local political processes, study of public policies, and analyses of contemporary movements, students will deepen their understanding of how public policies are made and how citizens can be most effective in influencing those policies.
MED-649: Community Justice (Credits: 3)
This course is designed to provide understanding to students regarding the meaning of social justice and community building to advocate for social equity. In regard to Justice Studies social equity is vital to the liberation of marginalized communities. This course is aimed at teaching students the history, theory and practice realities of community building locally and globally through discussion and exploration.? This course will have a service learning component with a nonprofit organization focused on providing junior high school students with the information, skills and understanding for college preparation through the mentoring of college students. Students will learn to critically analyze current social and economic conditions that are embedded in US societal structures. They will gain knowledge and insight of issues underlying oppression while learning approaches to social equity and advocacy. Students will study policy and politics that influence social injustices based on race, ethnicity, socio-cultural and gender characteristics.
MED-650: Introduction to Research Methods (Credits: 2)
Introduces students to fundamental principles, purposes, tools, and techniques of educational research. In a primarily on-line format students become familiar with educational databases, qualitative and quantitative methods, theoretical frameworks, and ethical issues. Students identify an area of focus, begin a literature review, and draft a research proposal for MED 679 and 680.
MED-652: Globalization of Education (Credits: 3)
This course analyzes the political, economic, and social forces that have led to the globalization of education. It uses various frameworks and theories to analyze critically the impact of globalization on everyday educational practices and the role education plays in shaping society. The class introduces systems thinking, analysis of power relations, and responses to globalization of education in various parts of the world.
MED-653: Indigenous Knowledges & Lifeways (Credits: 3)
This course introduces indigenous knowledge systems, worldviews, and lifeways from various regions of the world. Students explore epistemological questions, relationships (economic, social, governance, with nonhuman life forms), and historical and contemporary practices around an issue of interest to the student. Students research how indigenous peoples are addressing global crises and reflect on the students' own cultural identity, values, and practices.
MED-660: Directed Studies (Credits: 1 to 3)
Consent of instructor required to pursue a special topic of interest. Prior to registration, a plan of study must be submitted for approval by the director of the MED Program. This course is repeatable for credit.
MED-661: Corp Trng & Workplace Learning (Credits: 3)
This course explores various approaches to teaching/learning in the workplace, including Training, Human Resource Development, and Workplace Learning. Students will learn skills for facilitating learning and for training trainers. Ethical issues in the field will be discussed.
MED-665: Educational Research Extension (Credit: 1)
This course extends the MED research sequence coursework, enabling students to deepen their research projects and further develop their skills in conducting academic research. Projects in the course may include finding and evaluating academic literature, academic writing, synthesizing and analyzing data, learning additional data collection methods, and preparing manuscripts for publication. Course meets on-line in a directed study format. This course is repeatable for credit.
MED-666: Serious Games & Gamification (Credits: 3)
Gaming has become an important pathway for learning in a variety of formal and non-formal settings. In this course students learn the differences between gamification, game-based learning, and learning games and how to use these formats effectively. Students connect learning theories to game design to enhance motivation and learning. Students make use of research on learning through gaming and design a game-based learning unit. Ethical issues involved in the field will be explored.
MED-667: Online Teaching and Learning (Credits: 3)
Students will identify how they and others learn using the internet. They will participate in the development of online learning materials and follow best practices in instructional design to identify learning outcomes, design appropriate learning materials for a type of learner, develop effective learning materials, implement online instruction, and evaluate the effectiveness of the learning process. Learners will also participate in learning technologies that help engage online students and teach others how to use these technologies.
MED-668: Instructional Design Foundations (Credits: 3)
This course introduces instructional design and educational technology. Students will learn the basics of instructional design, systematic design, multimedia learning, user-experience, and instructional design tools. Students will practice identifying and analyzing instructional need and will create instructional design documents.
MED-670: Adult & Higher Ed Foundations & Futures (Credits: 3)
This course introduces students to the breadth of the fields of adult and higher education and their historical, sociological, and philosophical foundations. Students will explore their own beliefs, values, and experiences and develop a working philosophy of education. They will deepen their understanding of the historical development of adult and higher education in the US and the differing philosophies that shape contemporary educational policies. The tools of historical, sociological, political, and philosophical analysis will be used to understand current debates in the field.
MED-673: Internship/Teaching Practicum (Credits: 1 to 3)
Teaching is learned through study, practice, and reflection. This course provides the opportunity for students to strengthen their teaching skills by engaging in research, observing other teachers, trying out teaching and assessment methods, and reflecting on their effectiveness individually and with peers. Assignments can be shaped to the skill level, interests, and teaching situation of each student. This course may be used to fulfill Curricular Practical Training requirements. This course is repeatable for credit.
MED-679: Research Methodologies (Credits: 3)
Through a review of the theoretical and practical aspects of qualitative research methodologies, this course moves towards the completion of a research proposal. Students in this course will pick topics and design studies meant to answer specific research questions. This course requires the completion of Chapters I, II, and III of students' capstone project. Prerequisite: MED 650.