Reading Specialist Course Listing

Core Curriculum
18 CI 701: Masters Research Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction (3 hrs)
Learn about research and bibliographic methods in curriculum and instruction; analytic, evaluative writing about research; use of research facilities.

18 CI 702: Inquiry into Teaching and Learning (3 hrs)
This course explores various modes, formal and informal, for posing and pursuing questions about teaching and learning. Emphasis is on teachers as knowledge generators.

18 CI 703: The Role of Teachers in a Democratic Society (3 hrs)
Builds on the theoretical, philosophical, and practical foundations of what it means to be a teacher in a democratic society, with applications to students’ personal and professional lives as teachers.

18 CI 704: Forces Shaping the School Curriculum (3 hrs)
Examines philosophical, historical, political/ legislative, and socio-cultural forces shaping school curricula, past and present. The course provides multiple perspectives for identifying and evaluating the consequences of curricular choices.

18 CI 705: Addressing Diversity in the Classroom (3 hrs)
Focuses on the nature of diversity, both in society and in the classroom, and its relationship to what is studied and how it is taught. The course addresses nature and use of culturally responsive pedagogy to enhance learning and the classroom experience.

18 CI 774: Education Technology-Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues (3 hrs)
This course is a critical examination of technology and its impact on society and individuals from an ethical, legal, and social perspective.

18 CI 874: Culminating Experience Option: The Master’s Project
The Master’s Project is an option for graduate students/practitioners who view the M.Ed. as a terminal degree. Projects should produce a tangible product such as a curriculum, literature review, CD/DVD, or action research study. The candidate should be able to explain how their project applied ideas or skills learned in the program to the problem being addressed and why this approach is appropriate. The results of a project should be useful to the candidate and to others in the field.

Reading Specialist Curriculum

18 LTCY 751: Making Meaning from Text (3 hrs)
Examines the various systems that readers and writers use to make meaning from text and how they orchestrate and integrate the various language systems. Also examines current methods for literacy instruction.

18 LTCY 720: Theory into Practice: Models of Literacy (3 hrs)
This course approaches the study of basic processes from transactional, socio-cognitive, psycholinguistic, and socio-cultural perspectives to examine theories and models as the perceptual aspects of the reading process.  Theories and models of reading are examined, as are perceptual aspects of the reading process. Implications of reading theory for instruction are explored. The primary goal of this course is to examine major theories, perspectives, and models of the reading process and to link this knowledge to instructional practice.

18 LTCY 771: Literacy as a Cultural Linguistic Tool (3 hrs)
This course is an analysis of the social, community, and cultural influences on literacy and literacy learners. It focuses on creating socially and culturally responsive classroom practices and examines issues of second language learning in the content of the regular literacy program.

18 LTCY 755: Assessing and Supporting Literacy Skills and Development (3 hrs)
This course examines a wide range of assessment instruments and instructional methods to support the literacy development of K-12 struggling learners. The course stresses the application and interpretation of assessment tools and instruction within the context of individual differences and individual development. Also includes study in methods of communicating results to a wide variety of audiences.

18 LTCY 757: Literacy Practicum I (3 hrs)
This continuing course examines a wide range of assessment and instructional methods to support K-12 literacy development of struggling learners. Course goals are focused on understanding administration and interpretation of assessment tools, instruction within the context of individual differences and development, as well as study in methods of communication results.

18 LTCY 758: Literacy Practicum II (3 hrs)
This final course examines a wide range of assessment and instructional methods to support K-12 literacy development of struggling learners. The course incorporates the study of and implementation of a wide range of assessments and builds on and extends the methods to support literacy development.

18 LTCY 880: Principles of Organizing a Literacy Curriculum (3 hrs)
Planning, implementing, and supervising literacy programs.

Elective Curriculum

18 LTCY 780: Theories of Second Language Acquisition (3 hrs)
This course is designed to provide a general overview of scientific research into how students learn a second language as well as an essential point of reference for educators and researchers who facilitate the student’s learning process. Second language acquisition (SLA) is a theoretical and experimental field of study which examines the phenomenon of language development and extends an understanding of the complex processes and mechanisms that drive language acquisition. Typical phases in SLA and stages in language development are discussed.

18 LTCY 781: Teaching Reading and Writing in ESL (3 hrs)
This course is designed to explore the critical role of reading and writing in second language acquisition through an overview of theories on bi-literacy as well as important components related to acquiring bi-literacy. Basic processes in reading, common errors in L2 student’s writing, steps in the writing process, developmental stages in reading and writing, various teaching strategies, and practical applications for second language pedagogy for different age groups are discussed and analyzed.