Courses Taught

The University of Rochester
Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development

EDU 432: Theory and Practice in Teaching and Learning Social Studies
Prepares teachers as reflective practitioners of social studies education who make the interdisciplinary study of history, geography, and the social sciences meaningful, exciting, and accessible to ALL students in secondary schools. Explores historical and contemporary issues related to the social studies while promoting critical dialogue about key questions of what should be taught, why, and how in light of relevant theory, research, and national and state standards. Supports candidates in planning, implementing, and reflectively assessing instructional units. The emphasis throughout this course is on preparing teachers to build democratic communities of learners who practice the skills of participatory citizenship by learning to think constructively, conceptually, and critically about social studies.

ED 456: Leadership in Special Education
Examines federal and state laws, regulations, and critical issues regarding the education of students with disabilities. Explores the implications for policy and practice these legal and ethical issues impose on districts, schools, and teachers. Issues of access, diversity accountability including classification, placement, assessments, interventions and professional development will be explored.

ED 451: Teaching and Learning in Inclusive Classrooms
Assists teachers by providing a critical understanding and skills to meet the needs of all students in inclusive classrooms. Provides an opportunity for candidates to critically examine policies and practices for students with disabilities. Focuses on promising practices in the context of general education and curricular reform and provides strategies to assist in collaborative practice and differentiating instruction.

ED 452: Strategies for Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms
Building on what was learned in ED 451, it further explores and develops appropriate teaching and learning strategies to support all types of students in the classroom. Examines past and current instructional practices to understand how people learn and differentiate instruction through the concept of multiple intelligences and strength-based assessment and instruction. Assists teachers in identifying impediments to learning and in developing advocacy skills to overcome these obstacles.

ED 446: Collaborative Teaching Partnerships in Inclusive Classrooms
Empowers teachers to capitalize on the expertise and support of other professionals in addressing the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Explores the nature of collaborative relationships within an educational and social context and how such relationships can be effectively established to support inclusive teaching. Examines historical and current theories and frameworks for collaboration and community building, and strives to develop for teachers a personal model of collaboration and team building with colleagues, parents, and students.

ED 507: Qualitative Research Methods (co taught with Drs. MJ Curry and Joanne Larson)
Introduces doctoral students to qualitative research in education. Offers students an opportunity to explore the theoretical and philosophical foundations of qualitative inquiry while applying these principles to a research project. Students conduct a research study in which they learn the tools of ethnographic data collection, then analyze these data for the final paper. Course readings and class discussion facilitate students’ understanding of the interpretivist paradigm.

EDU 436: Theory and Practice in Teaching and Learning Mathematics (co taught with Drs. Borasi and Choppin)
Prepares teachers to make the learning of mathematics more meaningful and accessible to ALL students in secondary school. Examines the key questions of what mathematics should be taught, why and how, in light of relevant research on the learning and teaching of mathematics, state and national standards, and promising practices. Identifies and analyzes exemplary curricula and instructional materials for grades 7-12. Introduces and examines strategies to differentiate instruction so as to meet the need of students with a range of learning styles and abilities.

The College of New Jersey
(Global Teacher Certification Program)

EPSY 623: Advanced Child Growth and Development (Taught in Venezuela, Spain, Kuwait and Thailand)
This course is designed to examine an overview of concepts and theories of child development with emphasis placed on the elementary school aged child. Developmental issues are examined from socio-cultural and educational perspectives. In this course, educators will be presented with opportunities to enhance their knowledge base and skills so as to increase their efficacy in the teaching-learning process. Through case analyses, discussions, lectures, and group activities, students will be asked to relate these concepts directly to the improvement of instruction and learning in multicultural settings.

RDLG: 537 Teaching the Communication Arts (Taught in Thailand)
This course provides an opportunity to study the interrelationship among the language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and the integration of language arts instruction into the elementary through secondary curriculum. The nature and organization of systematic language/reading programs are investigated. This includes an examination of a variety of teaching methods, materials and techniques that are developmentally appropriate. Instruction in word recognition, vocabulary development, comprehension, study skills and content area reading are discussed.

SPED 501: Learning and Behavior Problems of Children and Youth with Disabilities (Taught in Ivory Coast, South Africa and Thailand)
This course is designed to provide teachers with background information and strategies for teaching children with learning and behavior problems. The course will begin with strategies for creating and safe and supportive learning environment for all children. A brief history, definition and etiology of children with learning and behavior disabilities will follow. A significant portion of the class sessions are designed to allow teachers to learn about and work with teaching strategies. These strategies are specifically designed to provide academic success for children with learning and behavior disabilities, but certainly would benefit all children. The participatory, interactive nature of this class will require attendance, participation and preparation by all members.

The University of Maine-Farmington
(Summer Institute)

EDU 500: Literacy Learning in Inclusive Classrooms
Inclusive education continues to create increasingly diverse student populations in schools and classrooms. Teachers can effectively teach children with diverse educational needs and cultural backgrounds if they continue to adopt a range of innovative practices. Literacy education applies to all learners, in all classes at all grade levels. Struggling readers and writers require frequent, intensive, and explicit literacy instruction to meet their affective, cognitive and linguistic needs in all subject areas. This course is intended to address the nature and needs of literacy learners and strategies teachers may use across grades K-8. Participants will be required to contextualize the course material within their own classrooms.