Specialty Courses

Classroom Assessment for Today's Teacher focuses on ways teachers can efficiently and judiciously assess student's learning so that a positive and supportive learning environment is created and maintained. With a focus on key areas of assessment including grading practices and authentic assessment techniques, this course introduces strategies that enable teachers to fine-tune their assessment practices while maintaining high expectations for all students.

Based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, this course establishes a foundation of mathematical content knowledge and problem-solving skills. Participants develop deeper understanding of mathematical concepts they are required to teach and engage in mathematical discourse as a means to explain their thinking and share strategies.

Covering the Van Hiele levels of geometric thought and focusing on shapes and properties, transformations, location and visualization, as well as measurement concepts and skills, this course allows teachers to develop a profound understanding of key mathematical concepts as outlined in the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Participants engage in hands-on problem-solving activities that allow them to apply new understanding to their instructional planning and decision making.

This course focuses on developing algebraic thinking, which includes studying patterns and functions, understanding the structure of the number system, using symbolism meaningfully and using mathematical modeling to solve problems. Participants study many common misconceptions about the learning of algebra to better understand the potential gaps in students’ understanding.

This course is structured around the creation and completion of a real-life data analysis project that allows participants to apply knowledge and skills from other mathematical strands. Key concepts such as data collection, graphical representations of data and measures of center are highlighted. 

This course examines formal and informal literacy assessments; identifies appropriate strategies for remediation of reading disabilities; and plans differentiated instructional methods with emphasis on phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. This course also develops a comprehensive assessment vocabulary in order to administer, interpret, and evaluate assessment instruments. Field experience and a case study component will demonstrate integration of course knowledge and classroom practices.

This course focuses on the writing process and its role in literacy development. As students become fluent readers, they need to balance their literacy time with various types of writing. Participants apply research-based instructional strategies to integrate writing into all subject areas. Specific techniques such as mini-lessons, error analysis, conferencing and using portfolios are addressed. Each step of the writing process is examined as participants design units of study for their teaching practice.