Experience It.

Elementary Education

Course Descriptions: EDU

EDU 500 The Core of Education

This course provides study and application of methods and materials appropriate for the understanding and implementation of a variety of "generic" situations as they apply to the various disciplines of teaching in the early childhood/childhood and middle childhood classrooms. New scholarship as well as classic philosophies will be implemented into the pragmatic aspects of the classroom as they apply to these various levels of learning.

EDU 502 Education Methods of Teaching: Math, Science, Technology

This course is designed to examine theories of learning and thinking as they interact with the elementary classroom disciplines of science, mathematics, and technology. A practical application of these theories will be explored and incorporated for the teaching of these disciplines in the early childhood, childhood and middle childhood classroom setting.

EDU 503 Education Methods of Teaching: The Arts, English, Language Arts and Social Studies

This course is designed for students to examine and analyze the information and expectations of the New York State Education Department and accumulate a repertoire of materials, methods and inclusive strategies to plan, teach and assess standards based creative arts,, language arts and social studies for all learners across a range of learning styles. Students will understand unit and lesson plans and assessments that align with the New York State Standards for Learning and the New York State Core Curriculum. The development of differentiated instructional planning, the use of curricular adaptations, the use of curriculum technology, assessment, and instructional strategies intended to support learners with diverse learning needs will be addressed. Attention will be given to the presentation of assistive technology. A practical application of these theories will be explored and incorporated for the teaching of the aforementioned in the early childhood, childhood, and middle childhood classroom.

EDU 504 Early Field Experience/Seminar: Physical Education, Family/Consumer Sciences

This course requires that the learner combines knowledge, dispositions, and skills through seminar training, early field/classroom experiences, and the use of Action Research. Students will reflect upon that which they have learned and apply this knowledge into active and meaningful learning experiences. This course also integrates the areas of health, physical education, family/consumer sciences and career development/occupational studies into the elementary curriculum. Finally, this course defines the understanding of the operations and management of the classroom.

EDU 505 Child Abuse Identification and Substance Awareness, Health Issues and School Violence

This course provides New York State certification in the identification and reporting of child abuse and teaching the awareness of substance prevention, health issues and school violence. It provides the student with opportunities to review literature for discussion or presentation and debate issues.

EDU 577 Student Teaching/Seminar: Career and Occupational Studies

This course provides students with on-site experience. The student will be assigned two situations, one at each level of their certification: Childhood (primary/intermediate levels) or Middle Childhood (intermediate/middle school levels). A professional portfolio and journal will be completed. Students will also, through seminars, become familiar with the New York State Learning Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies.

Course Descriptions: ECI

ECI 510 Research in Education

This course affords the graduate student an overview of the methods used in educational research.  Students will study and apply different methods of quantitative and qualitative research.  The course will further increase a student’s understanding of research methodology and design.  The central focus will be on Action Research which will lead to the culminating project within the Master’s program.  At the completion of this course, the student will have identified their thematic concern and will have begun the cycle of Action Research.

ECI 530 Explorations in Diversity

This course is designed to provide theoretical and applied knowledge to practical methods, strategies, and techniques used to successfully meet the diverse needs of today's inclusive classroom.

ECI 610 Transitions from Education’s Roots to the Present

This course covers the various foundations of education.  It provides a bridge from the works of past theorists and practitioners to current ideas and innovative teaching procedures of present day educators.  The works of core influential thinkers, such as Socrates, Locke, Dewey, Skinner, Rogers, Piaget, Freire, Giroux, hooks, McLaren, and Gardner will be used.

ECI 695 Teacher as Researcher

This directed project requires that students become involved in the internal workings of an educational institution.  In light of action research and using appropriate technology, the student will not only identify an educational problem or concern within the arena of education, but they will also reflect upon and research some of the solutions to that problem.  The problem/concern will be identified early in the graduate program and carried to its required completion in this culminating activity as it is researched appropriately in lieu of the knowledge gained within the various required/selected courses throughout this graduate program.  Students will design lesson plans and assessments that align with the New York State Learning Standards.

Course Descriptions: EDL

EDL 550 Developmental Literacy: Emergence to Fluency

This course will introduce students to the research that supports balanced literacy from emergence to fluency.  They will study the five pillars of reading instruction while exploring the components of word study, read-alouds, shared, guided, and independent reading and writing.  The students will use this knowledge to plan systematic, explicit lessons within meaningful, engaging experiences in literacy. 

EDL 560 Literature for Children

This course explores the role of children’s literature in the elementary literacy program. Students will explore the various genre of literature both in the areas of fiction and nonfiction, narrative and expository. Students will read and develop activities using various types of trade books, to assist student in meeting the New York State English Language Arts Standards.

EDL 650 Assessment and Evaluation of Literacy

This course is designed to investigate current practices and procedures in the evaluation of student’s literacy skills.  The course will include instruction in the administration and analysis of informal reading inventories, running records, assessment of listening and speaking, word recognition, spelling development, , comprehension, writing development, and modes of responding to literature.  Students will utilize information gleaned from assessment data to plan prescriptive instruction.