CMST101: Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement (3 hours lecture)

This course introduces students to the theoretical and practical requirements of different types of public presentations and helps students develop an understanding and appreciation of the dynamic nature of the communication process. The course focuses on the basic elements of the communication process, listening, communicator and audience characteristics, basic research skills, and message composition and delivery. Students learn about the demands of public presentations in culturally and professionally diverse environments and develop presentation competence and flexibility. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Communication, Communication. Previous course SPCM 101 effective through Spring 2012. 3 sh.

ECEL501: Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Diverse Society (3 hours lecture)

This course examines the education of children during their early and elementary school years from historical, political, social, and cultural perspectives. Students critically analyze issues influencing our current public education system to determine their impact on schools, teachers, children, families, and society. They examine ways our education system reflect and respond to the changing needs, knowledge, and dispositions of our democratic society with particular emphasis on inclusive education, culturally responsive teaching, and democratic practice. Required field work component. 3 sh.

ECEL502: Seminar I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms (1 hour seminar)

Accompanies ECEL 510, Clinical Experience I in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Settings, and offers students a forum for discussion, reflection, and critical thinking with regard to clinical work in inclusive elementary classrooms. 1 sh.

Prerequisites: Admission to M.A.T. in Early Childhood or Elementary Education or Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Early Childhood or Elementary Education.

ECEL504: Seminar II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms (1 hour seminar)

This course provides students with a forum to discuss the role of the teacher as teacher candidates take on full-time classroom responsibilities. Discussions focus on identifying and involving oneself in the professional field of early childhood/elementary/middle school education, upholding and advocating for ethical standards, engaging in continuous and collaborative learning, and taking a critical stance to inform practice. Teacher candidates demonstrate that they can make and justify decisions based on their knowledge of central issues such as developmentally appropriate practice, culturally responsive learning and teaching, and the context of children's lives. 1 sh.

ECEL510: Clinical Experience I in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Settings

Provides clinical experiences in an early childhood or elementary setting to foster the skills and dispositions necessary to become effective and nurturing teachers. Students provide learning opportunities that support children's intellectual, social, and emotional development; design environments that support culturally responsive teaching; and plan and assess high quality curriculum. Students develop skills as reflective and questioning practitioners, promote democratic values and communication in the classroom, and build relationships with school colleagues, families, and agencies in the larger community. 2 sh.

Prerequisites: Admission to M.A.T. in Early Childhood or Elementary Education or Post-Baccalaureate Program in Early Childhood or Elementary Education.

ECEL511: Clinical Experience II in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Settings

Students demonstrate their knowledge of child development and the significant role of families and communities with regard to children's learning by planning and implementing developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive curriculum in an inclusive early childhood/elementary classroom. Focusing on the diverse needs of individual children, students develop, implement, and assess an integrated curriculum unit that incorporates the Core Curriculum Content Standards and emphasizes literacy across the curriculum. As reflective practitioners, students utilize multiple strategies to assess children's learning, classroom climate, and effective classroom management. Students are responsible for the full range of teacher activities in the classroom and are expected to seek out the resources of parents, administrators, and school colleagues. Students are to demonstrate their strengths as a teacher. 5 sh.

Prerequisites: ECEL 510.

ECEL514: In-Service Supervised Graduate Student Teaching

Replaces student teaching for students who are employed as full-time teachers with primary responsibility for a classroom. Students are supervised by university faculty during one semester. Students must obtain permission of the school district and department and complete a COP application. Specific qualifications are required. 5 sh.

Prerequisites: ECEL 522 or ECEL 528.

ECEL516: Social Studies and the Arts: Understanding Democracy in Elementary Classrooms (3 hours lecture)

By integrating the arts-dance, theater, music, and the visual arts-students consider the knowledge, skills and perspectives necessary to help learners become active and informed citizens able to think critically about local, national and global contexts in the 21st Century. Working independently and in groups, students use technology to enter real and virtual spaces to plan, implement, and evaluate teaching and learning. Course activities enable students to discover methods that position learners to understand the myths and truths of the past and present with the capacity to imagine future realities. Students learn how four strands frame social studies in New Jersey-(A) Civics, Government, Human Right; (B) Geography, People, and the Environment; (C) Economics Innovation, and Technology; and (D) History, Culture, and Perspectives. 3 sh.

ECEL517: Integrating Science and Technology in Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms (3 hours lecture)

Inquiry based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experiences for elementary instruction serve as a framework for this course. In this course, students examine the process of discovery through individual and group activities in STEM grounded in critical thinking and problem solving activities, effective pedagogical strategies that engage children in the wonder of STEM, a survey of dominant STEM curricula, and analysis of the impact policy documents have on the work of elementary educators. Opportunities for fieldwork. 3 sh.

ECEL522: Curriculum Development and Assessment in Diverse Elementary Classrooms (3 hours lecture)

This course introduces students to reflective curriculum planning. Students plan a long-term integrated unit that integrates state standards, differentiated instructional strategies, and appropriate adaptations for students with diverse learning styles and interests, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners. They critically examine the issues related to their teaching and learning experiences focusing on inclusion practices, assessment, classroom management, equity and culturally responsive teaching. Students critically examine their teaching beliefs, ethics and teacher professionalism in the field of elementary education. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECEL 501.

ECSE502: Sociocultural Context of Disability and Inclusive Education (3 hours lecture)

This course applies critical perspectives to the study of disability and inclusive education through an examination of the shifting social, cultural and political constructions of disability in society. The course material deconstructs traditional psychological interpretations as well as medical models of disability, which conceptualize disability as a "problem" to be fixed or limitations that are located within individuals. In contrast, students explore sociocultural models of disability, which conceptualize disability as a social construct, and people with disabilities as members of marginalized minority group. By examining issues related to disability in the context of the sociocultural paradigm, students have opportunities to take varied perspectives on the ways in which social and environmental factors come to define the experience of disability. Students explore disability and inclusive education through multiple lenses, such as autobiography, personal narrative, film, social policy, and research. 3 sh.

ECSE505: Learning and Development in Children With and Without Disabilities (3 hours lecture)

This course is designed to provide teacher candidates with a socioculturally based understanding of children's development from birth through middle childhood. By examining theories and current research in child development, they learn that outcomes for children with and without disabilities are situated in multiple contexts, and in the complex interplay between biological and environmental factors. Children's developmental pathways will be understood in relation to their implications for learning in early childhood and elementary education settings. Teacher candidates learn the etiologies, behavioral characteristics and wide range of developmental outcomes associated with various disabilities and childhood disorders. They learn to observe and interpret the physio-motor, cognitive, and social/emotional development of children and provide interventions that promote optimal learning and development among all children. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: FCST 214 or FCST 512 or departmental approval.

ECSE508: Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities (3 hours lecture)

This course is designed to enhance students' understanding of the importance of meaningful family-professional partnerships. Students gain knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work collaboratively with diverse families to support the education of children with disabilities. The influence of historical, social, cultural, and community influences are deeply embedded in course content. Various approaches including family-focused practice and family systems theory are explored. Students draw from course readings, presentations by guest speakers, and personal and professional experiences to participate in class discussions, complete assignments and expand their understanding of issues vital to families of children with disabilities. 3 sh.

ECSE536: Observation and Assessment of Elementary Age Children with Disabilities (3 hours lecture)

Students actively engage in observation and assessment of elementary age children with disabilities, with particular emphasis on using assessment processes to inform teachers' pedagogy and support children's active involvement in the general education curriculum. Students plan, implement, and critically interpret the results of a wide range of types of both formal and informal assessments (e.g., standardized assessments, curriculum-based assessments, norm- and criteria-referenced assessments, performance-based and portfolio assessments, etc.) across all skill and subject areas. Throughout the course, specific attention is given to students' critical analysis of the underlying assumptions of assessment processes and of the culture, class, language, and gender implications of using assessment practices in schools. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 502 and ECSE 505.

ECSE539: Pedagogy in Inclusive Elementary Education (3 hours lecture)

Students explore a range of pedagogic principles and practices that enable teachers to create inclusive classroom communities which support the social, behavioral, and academic needs of a diverse group of learners. Students critically analyze the challenges that diverse classrooms of learners pose in terms of traditional conceptions of classroom management and teacher-directed pedagogics, actively exploring as alternatives the inclusive pedagogical tools of differentiation, universal design for learning, collaborative teaching, and positive behavioral supports. Emphasis is placed on developing a conceptualization of inclusive schooling as schooling that is responsive to the needs of all students, and developing an understanding of the ways in which children may be at risk of experiencing marginalization and failure in schooling on the basis of dis/ability, and also on the basis of social class, race, ethnicity, language heritage, and other facets of identity. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 502 and ECSE 505.

EDFD503: Methods of Research (3 hours lecture)

This course offers an overview of key methodological principles and approaches to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. Research literacy and developing the ability to access, read, and critique professional research literature in education, counseling, and related fields is a central focus on the course. The course also provides an opportunity for students to evaluate current research relevant to their professional interests. Previous course ELRS 503 effective through Spring 2013. 3 sh.

FCST512: Child Development I: Theories of Child Development (3 hours lecture)

In this course students examine and critique the standard theories of so-called "normative" child development along with newer contextual models that consider the role of oppressive structures in the lives of children. 3 sh.

GRADCMP: Comprehensive Examination

This course is a placeholder for matriculated master's students planning to take the departmental Comprehensive Examination. Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination will result in a grade of P, unsuccessful students will receive a grade of NC. Students who do not successfully complete the Comprehensive Examination will be required to register for this placeholder course in each term for which they plan to take the examination (limited to three). 0 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master's degree program required.

MATH577: Mathematics Education in the Elementary School (3 hours lecture)

The contemporary mathematics curriculum of the elementary and middle school. The role of behavioral objectives and learning theory in curriculum development/teacher training. Related research findings. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Permission of graduate program coordinator.

READ500: Literacy Foundations (3 hours lecture)

Students examine the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of literacy and literacy teaching. This involves learning about reading development, early years and elementary literacy instruction, assessment processes and policies, and practical strategies for ensuring literacy success for all school students. 3 sh.

READ515: Literacy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom (3 hours lecture)

Students develop a) an understanding of literacy as a multiple, complex set of practices including issues of identity, context, definition and assumption, and b) a repertoire of pedagogic strategies for supporting the literacy development of diverse groups of learners in inclusive classrooms. Particular attention is paid to structurally differentiating workshop models of literacy instruction for diverse learners, incorporating assessment and intervention initiatives such as Response to Intervention (RTI), and integrating new literacies and multimedia, along with assistive technologies (AT) (including the role of augmentative/alternative communication systems [AACS]), in literacy instruction. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 502 and ECSE 505.