Learning environments for today and tomorrow must anticipate a broad range of learner variability, offer options for engagement and learner choice, ensure accessibility and usability of all instructional resources, and provide multiple means for assessing what is learned. With this certificate, students will learn to transform a one size fits all classroom into a vibrant learning community where all learners can belong and succeed.
Social Contexts of Education
This course examines the roles of situational, school, community, peer, and family factors on the education of children. Participants in the course will strive to understand the effects of their own social contexts on their education, develop strategies to help students understand their contexts, and understand and contribute to what schools can do to improve teaching, learning, and school culture for all students regardless of internal and external variables.
Educating Learners with Disabilities
This course focuses on the education of students with disabilities and other learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The goal is to promote access to the general curriculum for all students through participation in standards-based reform. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides the theoretical framework for this course. Through an examination of historical milestones, landmark legislation, systems for classification, approaches to intervention, and the daily life experiences of diverse learners, students acquire knowledge about diversity and the resources, services, and supports available for creating a more just society through education.
Applying Theories of Instructional Design
This course provides an in-depth review of modern instructional models classified into selected families with regard to perception of knowledge, the learner, curriculum, instruction, and evaluation. Students will be asked to survey models in their fields and select, describe, and defend a personal theory in light of today’s educational settings based upon personal experiences, reflection on current research, and contemporary issues central to the education of all learners.
Students will select 1 course from the options listed below.
Tools and Technologies to Support Teaching and Learning
Course description coming soon
Understanding Learning Disabilities and Education
General and special educators are responsible for serving students with learning disabilities (LD), only some of whom have an identified disability. Course topics include: theories and knowledge of what learning disabilities are, characteristics of students with LD across the life span, and major approaches to service delivery and instruction. This course is appropriate for educators working at the elementary level and higher.
Bilingualism, Second Language, and Literacy Development
This course explores first and second language and literacy development of children raised bilingually as well as students acquiring a second language during preschool, elementary, or secondary school years. It also addresses theories of first and second language acquisition, literacy development in the second language, and factors affecting second language and literacy learning. Participants will assess the development of one aspect of language or language skill of a bilingual individual and draw implications for instruction, parent involvement, and policy.
Readings and Research
Under the direction of a faculty member who serves as Project Director, a student develops and completes a significant study.