Master's Degree in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum:

Teacher Certification Track - Grades PreK-4 Education

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Learn more about the MS in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum: Teacher Certification Track
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Curriculum

Grades PreK-4 Certification
 
A minimum of 45 credits is required to complete the degree.
 
A transcript review of your content courses will be done upon applying to the program. Additional undergraduate content courses may be required if a candidate has not successfully completed them. Click here to view the required content courses for grades PreK-4 Certification.

PreK-4 Core Pedagogy Courses (45 Credits Total)
EDUC 506Assessment of Young Learners3.00 credits
EDUC 520Prof Studies Instruction3.00 credits
EDUC 521Typical & Atypical Develop EC3.00 credits
EDUC 525Multi-Media Instruc Desgn3.00 credits
EDUC 539Expressive Arts3.00 credits
EDUC 542Fundamentals of Special Education3.00 credits
EDUC 544The Inclusive Classroom3.00 credits
EDUC 546Literacy and Content Skill Development3.00 credits
EDUC 565Foundations in Instructing ELLs3.00 credits

PreK-4 Required Methods Courses
EDUC 513Elementary Sci Teach Methods3.00 credits
EDUC 517Math Methods & Content: EC PK43.00 credits
EDUC 529Early Literacy3.00 credits
EDUC 555Social Studies Teach Methods3.00 credits

Field Experience
EDUC 540Field Experience3.00 credits
Field Experience - All graduates seeking teacher certification are required to complete 2 weeks of Pre-student Teaching (at the end of EDUC 517 and EDUC 529) immediately prior to beginning EDUC 540: Field Experience.  EDUC 540 requires the student to be full-time and spend 12 weeks with a cooperating teacher in an appropriate PreK-4 school classroom. All state-approved teacher certification programs include a similar field experience requirements. All field placements (domestic and international) will be arranged on the students’ behalf by the Drexel University Field Placement Office. In addition, throughout the program, students will be required to complete classroom observations, interviews or some fieldwork within most core Pedagogy courses. For more information on all required field experiences, please click here.
Field Experience Orientation - Drexel highly recommends that all interested students visit the School of Education's in depth Student Teaching Handbook prior to applying. The information presented in this piece thoroughly breaks down the time commitments and prerequisites required to undertake this portion of the program and helps the student gain a better understanding of what will be involved. Placement, site approval, and course requirements are also discussed in the Student Teaching Handbook.
PA Instruction I Teacher CertificationCompletion of this program satisfies the requirements for Pennsylvania Instructional I Certification. Through operation of interstate reciprocity agreements, a Pennsylvania teaching certificate may be converted to the analogous teaching certificate in another state. Please contact your state’s Department of Education for more information.

Sample Professional Electives
Students need only to complete three graduate quarters to be eligible to obtain a Master's Degree in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum. Students may select a course in an area of interest from the following list.
EDUC 511Computer Skills for Teachers3.00 credits
EDUC 512Focus on World Geography3.00 credits
EDUC 516Diversity and Today's Teacher3.00 credits
EDUC 524Current Rsrch Curric & Inst3.00 credits
EDUC 532Designing Virtual Communities for Staff Development - Non-Field Experience3.00 credits
EDUC 533Designing Virtual Communities3.00 credits
EDUC 534Dev Educ Leaders Using Techn3.00 credits
EDUC 535Rsrch & Eval Instruction Tech3.00 credits
EDUC 705School Law and Politics3.00 credits
Successful completion of the Praxis I and II exams, 14 core pedagogy (with minimum grade of a "B") and content courses (minimum grade of a "C" which maintaining cumulative 3.0 GPA) satisfy the requirements for Pennsylvania Instructional I Certification. Through operation of interstate reciprocity agreements, a Pennsylvania teaching certificate may be converted to the analogous teaching certificate in another state. Please contact your states Department of Education for more information.
*Important note for students who plan to obtain teacher certification through this program: U.S. state teacher certification requires U.S. citizenship or a declaration of intent to become an U.S. citizen. Students who are contemplating completing the field experience requirement outside of the United States must make arrangements to student teach in a U.S. affiliated school, such as on an Army base, under the guidance of a U.S. fully certified teacher at the grade level and subject appropriate for the intended area of certification. The cooperating teacher needs to be certified in the U.S. with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience in the area of certification being pursued.

Course Descriptions

EDUC 506 Assessment of Young Learners - 3.00 credits

Candidates will demonstrate a thorough understanding of the role of the assessment process in early childhood education. The content will provide graduate candidates with an in-depth review of informal evaluation procedures and classroom-based data collection strategies for young children in inclusive early child care and education settings.

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EDUC 520 Prof Studies Instruction - 3.00 credits

For students who lack professional-level classroom teaching in grades K to 12. Examines and develops skills in instructional planning, pedagogy, motivation, classroom management and discipline, interrelationships among diverse populations within school settings, and identification of instructional resources. Discusses current principles of developmental and learning theories and instructional design applied to teaching.

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EDUC 521 Typical & Atypical Develop EC - 3.00 credits

This course addresses the multifaceted complexities of typical and atypical child development, through the discussion of classic and emerging theories. The primary aim of the course is to foster the students¿ ability to recognize and apply the connections among developmental domains and of theory and research with educational practice. The readings and class assignments make use of research-based, real-world, and cross-cultural examples.

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EDUC 525 Multi-Media Instruc Desgn - 3.00 credits

Investigates learning theory and its implications for interactive multimedia formats, including the relationship of instructional design principles to selection of media elements (text, video, sound, animation, and graphics) for high-quality design. Examines human-computer interface principles, navigation features, and visual thinking using a wide range of educational software examples. Criteria for software assessment and virtual classrooms are reviewed. Students design and write a software prototype as a group design project. Complex issues and concepts in technology and education are analyzed.

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EDUC 539 Expressive Arts - 3.00 credits

The focus of this graduate course is to teach future educators to develop and incorporate relevant curriculum for the expressive arts (dance, music, theatre and visual arts), into the PK-4 classroom. Through observation, curriculum development and assessment, educators will be able to identify, administer, interpret and plan instruction for PK-4 learners.

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EDUC 542 Fundamentals of Special Education - 3.00 credits

This course provides an overview of the essentials of special education for today's teachers. Specific emphasis is placed on; the history of special education, purposes of formal and informal assessments and current research on inclusive classrooms. Additional focus will be placed on legal/ethical considerations in testing and the translation of data. Field observation hours will be required.

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EDUC 544 The Inclusive Classroom - 3.00 credits

The focus of this course is to teach teachers how to manage instruction for students with diverse learning and behavioral profiles in the inclusive classroom by examining normal and abnormal cognitive, physical, social, behavioral and language development of children. The course will address curricular, environmental and instructional adaptations in addressing students' needs. Field observation hours will be required.

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EDUC 546 Literacy and Content Skill Development - 3.00 credits

The focus of this course is literacy skill development in individuals at-risk for disabilities and with disabilities as well as causes and correlates of individual differences in reading ability. Research, theory, identification approaches and practical, research-supported instructional strategies will be provided for working with students.

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EDUC 565 Foundations in Instructing ELLs - 3.00 credits

This is a foundations course to prepare all pre-service teachers to work with English Lang. Learners. Focus will be on gaining an understanding of the linguistic, social and academic needs of ELLs and the roles and responsibilities of the classroom teacher in meeting those needs. Field-based observation hours will be required.

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EDUC 513 Elementary Sci Teach Methods - 3.00 credits

Methods for teaching elementary school science are explored including strategies and technologies to support student learning as defined by the state and national science standards. Inquiry-based model of learning and assessment emphasized. Theory and practice bridged to provide hands-on experiences in application of constructivist learning theory and effective classroom experiences.

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EDUC 517 Math Methods & Content: EC PK4 - 3.00 credits

Candidates will develop an in-depth understanding of how to effectively deliver standards-aligned academic math content-based on age appropriate understanding and individual and group needs including an appreciation and respect for the individual differences and unique needs of all children in the PK-4 setting.

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EDUC 529 Early Literacy - 3.00 credits

Course examines research-validated literacy instruction and literacy interventions. Topics include; phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and the reading-writing connection. Significant emphasis is placed on the socio-cultural aspects of reading: appreciating linguistic diversity, integrating cultural narratives, building reading communities, and motivating children through authentic reading and writing experiences.

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EDUC 555 Social Studies Teach Methods - 3.00 credits

Course prepares the preservice teacher in making appropriate decisions about students and instructional processes in the social studies classroom. Perceptions and perspectives as it relates to social studies instruction in the following areas are explored: curriculum standards, unit development, assessment design and construction, interdisciplinary/integrated curriculum planning, specific group strategies, individualizing techniques, instructional technology, and professional development.

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EDUC 540 Field Experience - 3.00 credits

Provides supervised field experience at a cooperating school designed to develop skills in instructional planning, pedagogy, motivation, classroom management and discipline, interrelationships among diverse populations within school settings, identification of instructional resources, and applications of current research on effective teaching.

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EDUC 511 Computer Skills for Teachers - 3.00 credits

Presents major instructional design concepts students will use in developing their own curricular materials. Describes and discusses various kinds of teacher-developed instructional tools in relation to appropriate instructional task or learning environment. Primarily uses the Macintosh microcomputer and appropriate authoring systems. Provides extensive hands-on instruction and experience using various authoring systems to create many different kinds of instructional tools. Students must be experienced with the Macintosh.

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EDUC 512 Focus on World Geography - 3.00 credits

Through the study of geography, students will be encouraged to find a meaningful framework for understanding the system of human culture on Earth and become familiar with the vast interactive system involving humanity and its natural environment.

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EDUC 516 Diversity and Today's Teacher - 3.00 credits

This course explores major issues related to the increasing diversity of students in elementary and secondary classrooms in the United States. The multifaceted challenges of teaching heterogeneous student populations (and strategies for).

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EDUC 524 Current Rsrch Curric & Inst - 3.00 credits

Examines the relationship of curricula and instruction to current research in learning and knowledge construction, developing higher-order thinking in specific disciplines and content areas, and the role of understanding and metacognition in learning. Complex problems of pedagogy are identified and analyzed (e.g., interdisciplinary curricula, team teaching, collaborative learning), with attention to designing learning goals and outcomes with effective instructional strategies.

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EDUC 532 Designing Virtual Communities for Staff Development - Non-Field Experience - 3.00 credits

Examines the impact of distance learning and multimedia technologies on the educational systems of teachers, administrators, librarians, and other professionals in schools responsible for technology and professional development. Online discussion groups, video conferencing, and web-based instruction will be used to form a virtual learning community. There is no field experience component in this course.

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EDUC 533 Designing Virtual Communities - 3.00 credits

Examines the impact of distance learning and multimedia technologies on the educational systems of teachers and other professionals responsible for technology and professional development. Online discussion groups, video conferencing, and Web-based instruction will be used to form a virtual learning community. This course includes a 20-hour internship for ITS certification.

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EDUC 534 Dev Educ Leaders Using Techn - 3.00 credits

Addresses leadership and team building competencies that instructional technologists need to work collaboratively with teachers, administrations, parent groups, and the community. Will use technologies that facilitate communication and team building. This course includes a 1-2 day field-based research assignment.

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EDUC 535 Rsrch & Eval Instruction Tech - 3.00 credits

Course will focus on teaching and learning technology standards, general applications of technology and basic technology and skills. Will examine and critique educational software and learning technologies, and through research, develop criteria for technology. This course includes a 1-2 day field-based research assignment.

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EDUC 705 School Law and Politics - 3.00 credits

This course is designed to assist students with their understanding of how law, politics, and power structures interact to influence the goals and operations of the schools. Students will student the roles of school boards and community organizations, state boards of education, state government agencies, special interest groups, professional organizations, and unions.

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