Graduate Education Course Descriptions
For any PS courses listed in the requirements or electives for Education programs, please refer to the Psychology course listings.
ED 500 Curriculum Theory and Development
(3)
The prospective teacher will study curriculum priorities of the school
and assessment techniques. He or she will learn how to organize content,
develop outcomes, and select materials.
ED 505 Student Development and
Learning (3)
The prospective teacher will study students, their characteristics as
individuals, special needs populations, how students learn, individual
interests of students, motivation, and how to establish a productive learning
environment.
ED 510 Reading and Communication
(Field Component) (3)
The prospective teacher will learn about language development, the reading
process, methods and materials for learning to read, and application of
reading skills in all subject areas. The prospective teacher will learn
to use technology as part of the reading and communication process. Field
component requires a minimum 30 hours of in-school observation.
ED 515 Classrooms and Community:
A Social Unit (3)
The prospective teacher will learn about the classroom as a social unit
and the management/organization skills to create an effective learning
environment. The prospective teacher will become familiar with the organizational,
social, economic, and political forces that impact upon schools. Prerequisites:
ED 505 and ED 510.
ED 520 Professional Skills (Field
Component) (3)
The prospective teacher will study the common skills for the delivery
of instruction including planning, comparative methodology, questioning,
instructional skills, use of technology, selection of materials, goal
setting, pacing of instruction, and measuring outcomes. The prospective
teacher will investigate student creativity and learn how to engage students
in active learning. Field component requires a minimum 30 hours of in-school
observation. Prerequisites: ED 505 and ED 510.
ED 521 Overview of Students in
Special Education (3)
(formerly ED 640 The Special Learner in the Regular Classroom)
Develops strategies and techniques for teaching children with individualized
differences. Students will develop an understanding of a wide range of
individualized differences, ranging from students with severe disabilities
to gifted and talented students, as well as non-English speaking students.
Research, attitudes, and current practice as they relate to children with
individualized differences will be discussed and analyzed. The course
has a 12-hour field component.
ED 523 The History of Special
Education and the Law (3)
This course will provide instruction in the salient issues involved in
the education of students with disabilities. The class will examine the
history of special education, pertinent state and federal legislation,
and relevant topics in the field. Understanding the Special Education
Process, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
will be emphasized. The course has a 12-hour field component.
ED 525 Assessment and Planning
for Students with Individualized Needs (3)
(formerly called Assessing & Planning for All Learners in the Inclusive
Classroom)
Examines the assessment process and studies the use of assessment findings
to develop learning plans for students in a variety of classroom settings.
A central part of this course will be IEP (Individual Education Plan)
components and how the IEP is developed and then used to structure the
student's learning program. This course will demonstrate how to use the
following: classroom observations, portfolios, teacher-made tests, the
IEP, reading inventories, and standardized tests. The course has a 12-hour
field component. Prerequisite: ED 521.
ED 530 Academic Curriculum Alternatives,
Adaptations, and Technology (3)
This course is designed to teach future teachers to create effective learning
environments for students with varying levels of skill in attention, academics,
and social areas in a variety of learning environments. It will introduce
ways of adapting materials, modifying curriculum and adjusting teaching
strategies to meet the needs of all students. This course will also introduce
various ways in which technology can enhance the learning experiences
of students in a variety of learning environments. The course has a 25-hour
supervised field component. Prerequisites: ED 523; ED 525; ED 535; ED
537.
ED 535 Theories of Teaching,
Learning & Reading for Students with Individualized Needs (3)
(formerly called Theories of Teaching, Learning & Reading for Inclusive
Education)
This course provides a comprehensive examination of theories of learning
coupled with an analysis of the commonalities and diversities among learners.
It includes the study of theories of learning, theories of intelligence,
theories of reading, learning styles, and theories of development. The
course examines how various physical, emotional, and chemical conditions
impede development and learning in all areas of the curriculum. It looks
at reasons for reading failure, the role of language development in reading
failure, and the interaction between reading, writing, listening, and
speaking. The course has a 12-hour field component. Prerequisites: ED
340/348 or ED 510 and ED 521.
ED 537 Introduction to Applied
Behavior Analysis for Teachers (3)
(formerly called Inclusive Education: Behavior Management Strategies)
This course is designed to teach future special education teachers to
create effective learning environments for students with varying levels
of skill. It is important for future special education teachers to understand
concepts of applied behavior analysis and also how to apply those concepts
in their classrooms. The principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
can be used to teach academic skills, social skills, fine-motor skills,
skills in independence and self-help and on-task and prosocial behavior,
to name just a few. ABA is an overall management system, not a collection
of gimmicks for keeping students under control. No one procedure will
be effective for all children with varying levels of skills. Future special
education teachers will learn to individualize the principles of behavior
analysis to effectively teach each child, regardless of skill level. The
course has a 12-hour field component.
ED 540 The Special Education
Teacher as Collaborator (3)
(formerly called The Special Educator as Collaborator)
Provides students with the skills necessary for collaboration and consultation
with other professionals and discusses not only how schools and teachers
can collaborate with these agencies, but which agencies are the appropriate
ones to contact. Communication strategies and skills, with emphasis on
communicating with the home, with other teachers, and with professionals
outside the field of education, will be practiced. Team building strategies
between teachers and other professionals will be developed. Collaborative
learning and collaborative planning will be practiced for implementation
in in-class support programs. This course includes a 12-hour field component
requirement. Prerequisite: ED 521.
ED 553 Assessing Effective Treatment
for Children with Autism (3)
Provides a short history of autism and examines its characteristics and
how to assess the effectiveness of the major therapies that have been
developed to treat autism. In addition to evaluating applied behavior
analysis (ABA) and the landmark studies by Lovaas and Krantz & McClannahan,
the course evaluates other approaches, such as Auditory Integration Therapy,
Sensory Integration Therapy, Greenspan, and the Miller Method.
ED 556 Advanced Applied Behavior
Analysis for Teachers (Field Component) (3)
Examines strategies to promote generalization of learned skills, prompting
strategies, language development, teaching self-management, group-oriented
contingencies, shaping techniques, behavior chains, motivational systems,
differential reinforcement of alternate behavior, etc. This course includes
a 12-hour field component requirement. Prerequisite: ED 537.
ED 557 Learning Disabilities:
Concepts, Characteristics and Identification Procedures (3)
This course is designed to acquaint students with the concepts of learning
disabilities and the observable characteristics of those who are learning
disabled. An orientation to educational diagnoses including: purpose,
types, content, administration, analysis and individual instructional
planning will be provided. Support systems for youngsters with learning
problems and for their diverse families will also be featured. IDEA rules
and regulations will be recognized. This course includes a 12-hour field
component requirement.
ED 559 Assessment of Learning
Disabilities and Instructional Planning Techniques (3)
This course provides advanced training in the identification of, and the
planning for students with, learning disabilities. Administration and
analysis of diagnostic batteries, views on measurement issues and evaluation
of data to make decisions regarding eligibility and instructional planning
will be covered. Case study methods will be used to simulate teacher,
parent and Child Study Team practices. This course includes a 12-hour
field component requirement.
ED 564 Diagnosis and Corrections
of Reading Difficulties (3)
This course is designed to provide practice for the teacher in the use
of formal and informal assessments in appraising a student’s skill
in reading. The utilization of a literacy profile, which serves as the
basis for instructional practices, as well as miscue analysis, running
records, and other techniques for the diagnosis and prescription of reading
difficulties will be emphasized. This course includes a 12-hour field
component requirement. Prerequisites: ED 557 & ED 559.
ED 568 Instructional Strategies
for Students with Learning Disabilities (3)
This course is designed to present advanced teaching strategies that are
tailored to assist students with learning disabilities to master academic
and social skills. Specific subtypes of learning disabilities will be
highlighted. These include disorders of linguistic functioning; disorders
that reflect auditory, visual and central processing which selectively
interfere with the organization, integration, analysis and synthesis of
verbal/non verbal information; disorders which relate to ADHD; and those
which are connected to social competence. Techniques for teaching to a
student’s strengths will be featured, along with easily implemented
methods to engage right/left brain power for creative thinking and problem
solving skills. This course includes a 12-hour field component requirement.
Prerequisites: ED 564.
ED 569 Advanced Instructional
Techniques for Students With Specific Learning Difficulties (3)
This course is designed to prepare the student with techniques for students
with special needs. Particular methods of instruction in reading, writing,
arithmetic, and spelling are presented for special education and regular
education settings. This course includes a 12-hour field component requirement.
Prerequisites: ED 568.
ED 570 Teaching Language and Social
Skills to Children with Autism (3)
Examines a variety of empirically validated methodologies for increasing
language and social skills for children with autism. Examples of these
include: incidental teaching, video and audio modeling, and using textual
cues. Students learn to use these methodologies to teach skills such as
verbal imitation, conversation, play, pragmatics, peer initiation, and
reciprocation. Prerequisite: ED 537.
ED 571 School- and Home-Based
Programs for Children with Autism (3)
Focuses on the necessary and important components of both school- and
home-based instructional programs for children with autism. Issues related
to developing and maintaining a treatment team, designing curriculum,
arranging the instructional space, developing motivational systems, and
data collection strategies will be discussed. Prerequisite: ED 537.
ED 572 Individualized Assessment
& Programs for Children with Autism (3)
One of the hallmarks of applied behavior analysis is its focus on the
identification of goals and the development of educational interventions
specifically tailored for individual learners. This course will focus
on identifying educational goals, developing individualized curriculum
and motivational systems, assessing treatment effectiveness, and making
decisions about transitioning. Prerequisite: ED 537.
ED 575 Ethics, Education and
Society (3)
Enables educators to assist their students to live ethically in a complex
world. This course emphasizes the classroom as a community of scholars
who learn values while learning to value other people. The classroom is
further understood as a place where right and wrong are defined by behavior.
Case studies and research literature will assist educators to understand
that ethical matters related to local and global issues require reflection,
study, and community discourse.
ED 580 Models of Teaching and
Curriculum (3)
Defines good teaching as a process whereby an educator leads students
through a planned curriculum. The teacher who is knowledgeable in a specific
area will refine instructional skills such as selecting content; pacing
instruction; creating an instructional climate; ensuring active participation;
focusing students on task; using effective questioning techniques; and
providing feedback and evaluation of student learning. The course requires
educators to review curriculum and emphasizes the analysis of their own
instructional practices in the classroom.
ED 585 Historical and Philosophical
Foundations of Education (3)
Examines a wide range of philosophical foundations of education including
perennialism, essentialism, behaviorism, and humanism. The course reviews
the evolution of western education with particular emphasis on the American
public school. Educators will study key historical case studies and address
philosophical-historical questions challenging the education profession.
Issues include the concept of core curriculum, choice in education, comprehensive
schools versus specialized schools, and school reform through community
involvement.
ED 590 Education in a Multicultural
Society (3)
Focuses on a multiethnic/multicultural curriculum with goals that are
consistent with the needs of a global society. Educators become informed,
active citizens capable of making reflective decisions in a world beset
by momentous social and human problems. Educators learn how to solve social
problems through responsible action, and develop a sense of political
efficacy and the ability to influence public policy.
ED 595 Integrating Technology
Into the Classroom (3)
Focuses on technology for the 21st Century as a different way of thinking
rather than simply a more efficient way of conducting traditional education.
This course is a critical analysis of a full range of educational technology
and its use in the classroom. Educators will develop their talents in
visual literacy in order to assist students to receive video information
as critically as the written word. Technological expertise includes work
with individual computer stations; interactive video; broadcast television;
videotaped materials; and selected software programs.
ED 596 Integrating Technology
Into Daily Instruction (3)
Provides an overview of the basic components of computer systems and their
applications to instruction. Various operating systems will be explored.
In addition, students will be introduced to the use of specific applications
software such as word processing, database management, and spreadsheets
and will develop a working knowledge of hardware and software operations.
Develops students who know how to access resources to maintain emergent
technological literacy. Each student will design an instructional project
as part of this class.
ED 597 Creating and Implementing
Technology Plans, Challenge Grants (3)
Explores learning theories and how learning is achieved when instruction
is presented from a computerbased paradigm. This course is designed to
provide a systematic exploration of the interaction between educational
purposes, pedagogical strategies and methods, curricular designs and materials,
technology, and learning theory. Designs, models, and alternative patterns
of teaching/training will be explored and practiced using microteaching
exercises. Develop students who know how to access resources to maintain
emergent technological literacy. Each student will design an instructional
project as part of this class.
ED 598 Strategies for Curriculum
Change and Development (3)
Provides an understanding of the processes of change and decision making
in developing and implementing curriculum. The historical development
of curriculum, how curriculum is organized, and the relationship between
curriculum and instruction will be discussed. Educators will develop a
written process for curriculum development, as well as a process for evaluating
curriculum in order to ensure ongoing curriculum improvement. Educators
will develop a comprehensive integrated curriculum guide including content,
instructional methods, lesson plans, and assessment.
ED 599 Designing a Staff Development
Program to Support the Integration of Technology into Curriculum &
Instruction (3)
Covers the application of instructional delivery systems such as electronic
delivery (e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, conferencing systems), distance
learning, and the Internet. Technical and instructional considerations
for developing, delivering, managing, and evaluating these transmission
techniques will be covered. Develops students who know how to access resources
to maintain emergent technological literacy. Each student will design
an instructional project as part of this class.
ED 602 Designing and Using Web
Pages in the Classroom (3)
Covers the study and application of multimedia systems combining the features
of video, motion, still digital imagery, and digital sound with current
instructional practices in student-centered learning. Develops students
who know how to access resources to maintain emergent technological literacy.
Each student will design an instructional project as part of this class.
ED 603 Designing a Distributed
Technology Model (3)
Presents the organization, design, and evaluation of computer systems
for educational settings. An analysis of district-wide and school-curriculum
needs, personnel roles, and services will be conducted. Budgets, physical
facilities, and inservice activities will be examined and the problems
of implementing educational systems will be explored. In addition, students
will study a wide range of software packages to determine strong and weak
points and will be required to write documentation and evaluation reports
on the packages studied. Develops students who know how to access resources
to maintain emergent technological literacy. Each student will design
an instructional project as part of this class.
ED 610 Educational Research I
(3)
Guides students through the process of creating a research proposal for
action research to be conducted in their school systems. This proposal
will include a statement of the problem, a review of related literature,
and a description of the methodology to be used in the study. As part
of this process, students will develop an understanding of research procedures
and analyze published research related to their topic of study. Prerequisite:
At least 27 graduate credits.
ED 611 Educational Research II
(3)
Guides students through 1.) the process of conducting an action research
study and completing a thesis from the proposal developed in Educational
Research I, or 2.) the process of preparing a journal article suitable
for publication. The thesis or article will present a defensible position
on a matter of significance in the topic of study. Capstone projects will
be published on the web by ProQuest/UMI; a fee of $60.00 will be billed
with course tuition to partially cover publication and copyright costs.
Prerequisite: ED 610.
ED 612 Educational Research for
School Administration (3)
Provides students with the quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
that will be needed to complete the problem-based learning project they
will confront during their externship (ED 676-677). The student will become
familiar with ethnographic research, quantitative analysis, demographic
data, enrollment projections using cohort survival techniques, and research
reports that include the above procedures. A series of identified scenarios
will be provided to engage students in applying the acquired methodologies.
These scenarios will require that data be compiled into a coherent report
which reflects the effective application of the data in support of a recommendation(s).
Prerequisite: At least 18 graduate credits.
ED 625 Learning Theory Issues
and the Developing Student (3)
Provides background and current research on learning theories, with particular
emphasis on current brain research. Teachers will learn how to interpret
brain research and use that information to provide braincompatible learning
experiences. Students will also examine theories of development in order
to provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences for their
students.
ED 630 Issues Facing Educators
for the 21st Century (3)
Examines current issues affecting schools today and the effect those issues
will have in the 21st century as the global information age develops.
Education has a long history of conflicting ideas. An effort will be made
to explore a collection of critical school issues by considering divergent
views. A variety of speakers with experience in dealing with current issues
will provide their perspective on a variety of topics. Students will question,
analyze, and discuss these topics each week. Additionally, students will
become familiar with several models of school reform. They will develop
an understanding of the complexities of current issues and the implementation
of school reform.
ED 635 Principles and Practices
of Curriculum Development and Supervision in Subject Matter Areas (3)
Prepares students for the supervision of curriculum, instruction, and
personnel in subject specific content areas. Students will be able to
set goals, design instruction, plan programs, develop and evaluate learning
materials, design and implement staff development, restructure staffing
patterns and delivery systems for educational programs, and utilize State
and National Standards in curriculum planning and assessment of student
performance.
ED 650 Curriculum Leadership
(3)
Provides an advanced study of effective curriculum leadership traits needed
by urban and suburban school personnel. The demands of accountability
as well as the strategies and techniques used for recasting curricula
will be addressed. Curriculum leadership involves posing problems that
challenge the apparent order in the school and classroom; reflection upon
the assumptions, values and meanings of the activities found in the educational
setting; and an assessment of the consequences in a process of critical
inquiry about curriculum.
ED 660 Teacher as a Creative
Catalyst (3)
Introduces educators to non-traditional modes of thinking and problem
solving through the exploration of new and creative modes of planning
and assessment. Students will become familiar with the research on creativity
and creative techniques to employ in their classrooms. The course will
focus on creativity as universal in children of all cultures. Attitudes
that inhibit creativity will be analyzed and discussed.
ED 665 Ethical and Legal Implications
of Teaching (3)
Analyzes a variety of legal and ethical issues of education law. Federal
and state sources of education law will be identified. Students will focus
on legal issues related to students, teachers, school programs, and school
policies. Ethical implications of school law and legal precedents will
be examined and discussed.
ED 670 General Principles of
Staff Supervision: Theory and Practice in Educational Administration and
Supervision (3)
Introduces students to the process of instructional supervision and models
for implementation of the supervisory process. The course provides an
overview of the relevant theory and research in supervisory theory and
practice. Supervision as ‘coaching’ will be contrasted with
traditional criterion models and clinical supervision. Data collection
to provide feedback to teachers as a basis for instructional improvement
will be demonstrated and simulated. Where possible undergraduates will
be critiqued in person or through videotape as a source of supervisory
experience.Legal requirements that circumscribe the supervision and evaluation
process will be reviewed. Methods of addressing the needs of the unsuccessful
teacher will also be presented.
ED 671 Foundations of Pre K-12
Administration & Curriculum Supervision (3)
This course introduces students to Pre K-12 school administration and
curriculum supervision and provides an overview of the historical and
research foundations of organizational and curriculum development theory.
Using a problem-based approach, it develops an understanding of curriculum
development practice grounded in the understanding of how school organizations
work. This will include such topics as: the school as a social system,
open systems theory, uses of power and authority, leadership theory, supervisory
approaches, curriculum guidelines, and long range or strategic planning
for curriculum and operational development.
ED 672 School Finance: Public
and Private Funding (3)
Describes the current methods of funding education in the public sector
and through various private or parochial school methods. Leads the student
to also consider various supplemental funding sources, public and private.
State and federally funded programs and their implications for various
school organizations are explained. The Generally Accepted Accounting
Procedures (G.A.A.P.) will be introduced and applied by the student. The
various functions of a school business office will be explained and simulated.
Sources of funding in the public and private sectors and overall governance
of finances with considerations of accountability will be examined and
understood.
ED 673 Case Studies in Educational
Administration and Supervision (3)
Focuses on a detailed analysis of practical problems in school administration
with consideration of ethical behavior as a criterion of decision-making.
Legal and regulatory criteria for decision making will also be introduced.Several
decision-making models will be explored and applied. This course will
engage students in simulations and a major presentation contrasting case
study and problem-based learning. This course is a prerequisite for Problem-Based
Externships I and II.
ED 674 Education Law and Regulation
(3)
Examines current statutes and recent case law in the field of education.
New Jersey Administrative Code and State regulations are also studied.
The student will be provided with a context for understanding and applying
the controlling legal precedents to the school setting. Issues such as
compulsory attendance, student and teacher rights, tort liability, first
amendment, sexual harassment, civil rights, tenure rights, and other current
legal matters and procedures will be studied. The relationship of statute,
code, and regulations to contract stipulations will also be considered.
ED 675 Communications for School
Leaders (3)
Develops the writing skills and styles needed by the school administrator
to communicate effectively with the many publics who comprise the constituency
of the schools. The student will learn the value of clear verbal and written
expression and successful presentation styles. Expressing oneself to a
variety of audiences in a manner which is suitable to their needs, interest,
and abilities, as well as their right to know will be explained and modeled.
Practical communication circumstances will be used whenever possible.
The student will be shown how to communicate in a manner that will be
most likely to gain support for initiatives and programs. Grant writing
and the characteristics of a successfully framed proposal will be included.
The role of modern technology in the communications of today’s school
leader will also be stressed.
ED 676 Problem Based Externship
in Educational Administration I (3)
Applying the research techniques learned in ED 612, this course addresses
authentic problems identified by practitioners and selected by the supervising
faculty mentor. During Part I of the course the student is assigned to
a problem-based learning team and oriented to the approach for problem
identification, exploration, assessment, and generation of solutions.
The teams will meet with the client’s representatives in the company
of the faculty-mentor. By the completion of Part I, there will be a clearly
defined problem which has been thoroughly explored through clinical interviews
and the collection of appropriate data. The teams will also have established
a plan for addressing the identified problem in ED 677. Prerequisites:
ED 612 and ED 673.
ED 677 Problem Based Externship
in Educational Administration II (3)
Applying the research techniques learned in ED 612, this course continues
the process of problem-solving initiated by the teams assembled during
ED 676. Using the plan established during the first part of the course,
the teams will seek potential solutions, assess each solution, align necessary
resources and establish timelines, and prepare their recommendations for
the client. Additionally, the team will make a welldesigned and clearly
illustrated formal presentation of their findings and recommendations.
The client and the faculty mentor will evaluate the content of the final
report, the process used to assemble it, and the format and effectiveness
of the final presentation. Prerequisites: ED 612, ED 673, and ED 676.
ED 678 Managing Human and Material
Resources (3)
Administering personnel policies, methods and techniques in both the public
and private sectors. The student will also examine internal and external
environmental influences, relevance to organizational structure, collective
bargaining, tenure, affirmative action, recruitment, selection, induction,
development appraisal, termination and legal parameters for all of the
above. The course also addresses the process of budgeting for personnel
and material resources needed to ensure the smooth operation of schools.
Bidding requirements and practices for public and private sector administrators
will be addressed. Purchasing practices, building renovations, capital
projects, and the funding of such projects will comprise the subject matter
of this course.
ED 699 Independent Study (3)
Offers qualified students the opportunity to engage in individually designed,
faculty-directed study that is relevant to the student’s program
but not available through the standard curriculum. By permission only.