Full Course Description List:

MEDU Courses

5 credits

This course begins by building candidates understanding of the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the program. Candidates complete a pre-assessment, and develop an individual learning plan.Following this essential introductory work, candidates begin their study of school leadership by focusing on the structures of school organizations and leadership styles.

5 credits

Effective educational leaders influence the quality of teaching by understanding how to recognize outstanding teaching and facilitate improvement by communicating how and why learner-centered teaching enhances the learning outcomes of every student. This course introduces candidates to the latest research on education, teaching, and learning, and fosters the development of an understanding of how effective approaches to instruction are informed by research.

5 credits

Effective educational leaders work to foster shared understanding of and commitment to making sure that every student learns and succeeds; this requires the ability to communicate and the capacity to create conditions and processes that foster collaborative problem solving and decision making. Education professionals in this course explore the characteristics of effective leaders. They learn how to model open and responsive communication as well as how to create time and use tools to ensure that such interactions are common within the school and throughout the school community. They also explore the role of schools in communicating with and drawing upon community resources of various types, including public agencies and organizations that serve youth and families. Through this course, education professionals work toward establishing the personal, ethical, and moral platforms to become effective leaders who model and promote ethical and productive civic behavior.

Prerequisites

• MEDU 6200 (may be concurrent)

5 credits

Education professionals in this course explore and analyze the issues, complexities, responsibilities, and opportunities associated with leading schools with diverse student populations. By acknowledging differences among learners, as well as biases, discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes, school leaders can identify diversity as a dynamic contributing factor to a rich learning environment in which individual differences are honored and respected. A focus of the course is also on one of the most challenging tasks facing schools today: to substantially increase the achievement of students placed at risk because of limited facility with English, and physical, mental, and emotional disability. Candidates will study diverse and inclusive approaches that have proven most effective in supporting all language learners and students with special needs to reach high standards of performance.

Prerequisites

• MEDU 6200 (may be concurrent)
• MEDU 6201 (may be concurrent)

5 credits

This course includes a study of selected general legal principles, case and statute law, and law-making agencies that impact leaders and their educational institutions. Key content areas include but are not limited to the legal status of the local school district; the role of federal, state, and local governments that may apply; governance of schools; and policies, rules, and regulations. Educators in the course will also cover the legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations of administrators, teachers, students, parents, and school boards, community education, civil rights, collective bargaining, torts and contracts, and legal research, as well as the development of policy to meet regulations and other provisions.

Prerequisites

• MEDU 6200 (may be concurrent)
• MEDU 6201 (may be concurrent)

5 credits

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

Prerequisites

• MEDU 6200 (may be concurrent)
• MEDU 6201 (may be concurrent)

5 credits

Research on effective schools provides guidance on the most productive ways to organize time, people, money, technology, and other resources. To use these resources most effectively, leaders need to have a strategy that defines the most important priorities, the overall educational design, and the organizational structures that best match the necessary goals for improvement. Effective leaders need to be able to (1) link whole-school strategic plans to effective instructional practices and improved use of time and money; (2) ensure individualized attention where needed in subject areas; (3) evaluate alternative paths to school improvement; (4) invest wisely in improving teaching quality; and (5) organize staff and use other resources in new ways that allow focused investment in teaching and learning.

5 credits

Effective educational leaders develop capabilities to foster cultures for learning based on mutual respect among students, teachers, staff, parents, and the larger community. Strategies for fairly and effectively administering discipline and resolving conflict are addressed. This course is intended to help leaders understand and treat individual and group differences and potential conflict as opportunities for developing the dispositions, knowledge, and skills that result in social competencies essential to civic participation and interpersonal effectiveness in school and beyond. Candidates also study issues related to safety and violence in schools, considering both methods of prevention and ways to respond to unsafe and violent situations.

5 credits

To be effective, school leaders must understand the foundational principles of teaching¿curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Education professionals in this course also focus on the considerations with which they need to engage as they plan for the adoption and implementation of a new or substantially revised program to enhance student learning in a content domain. Literacy and math are two content areas that are problematic in many schools, especially those serving diverse students and students who are underperforming. Thus, while the lessons are applicable to other subjects, the focus here is on how to ensure that content standards, curriculum materials, assessment, instruction, professional development, and parental and community involvement, among other initiatives, are aligned in ways that foster student achievement in literacy and math.

5 credits

Candidates study human resources policies and practices for recruiting, selecting, hiring, inducting, developing, evaluating, and retaining or dismissing school personnel. Identifying teachers¿ needs for professional growth is important, but leaders must also ensure that teachers have the opportunity and motivation to use their professional expertise and to participate in ongoing professional development focused on enhancing the learning of every student. As well, school leaders must be able to identify characteristics of productive teacher evaluation processes and programs; distinguish between supervising teaching and supervising learning; and utilize a process and structure for evaluating school personnel that is productive and supportive, motivates improvement, results in retention of highly competent staff members, embodies standards of due process, and takes into account the provisions of the contractual agreements for staff

5 credits

In this course, education professionals explore what it means to be a professional in today's diverse and changing educational landscape. They examine their values, beliefs, vision, and mission, and they explore their role in the larger context of the teaching profession. They also explore the importance of collaboration in a professional learning community and the need to advocate for Education students, other educators, and the field of education. Education professionals learn how a professional stance influences student learning. Through a written reflection, they synthesize their learning throughout the course and consider how to use this knowledge to enhance professional growth and development.

5 credits

Education professionals in this course are helped to develop skills and strategies to prepare students for living and learning productively in today¿s society. They complete a variety of assignments designed to provide practical application of course content, such as designing a lesson in which they integrate habits of mind with other instructional elements to achieve multiple outcomes. They also create a rubric that allows students to demonstrate learning in each area of the lesson. Additionally, they reflect on the theories, concepts, and strategies learned in the course and consider the influence of new knowledge on future personal and professional endeavors. Through this course, education professionals learn how to help students manage, motivate, and modify their own learning as a continuing lifelong process.

5 credits

Education professionals are introduced to the concept of teacher leadership and its value in the field of education today in this course. They engage in personal assessment and analysis so that they may cultivate the dispositions and attitudes of a teacher leader for the purpose of effecting positive change in their learning communities. They also learn the critical importance of expanding their knowledge of educational research and theory to guide leadership decisions that effectively address today’s educational challenges. Education professionals complete coursework that emphasizes self-examination and self-perceptions with regard to teacher leadership.

5 credits

In this course, education professionals explore the value of linguistic and cultural diversity and the powerful learning opportunities it affords today's classrooms and schools. They examine their attitudes, beliefs, and biases regarding linguistically and culturally diverse students, families, and communities, and they learn approaches for working together to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Through real-world observations, they assess strategies for ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning experiences. Education professionals also explore effective practices, such as cultural responsiveness, anti-bias curriculum, differentiated instruction, and academic vocabulary development.

5 credits

The focus of teacher leadership expands from self to students, increasing the sphere of influence of the teacher leader to the classroom context in this course. Education professionals concentrate on advancing their expertise in the field of teaching by increasing their knowledge and skills in three key areas: knowledge of learners and learning; knowledge of subject matter and curriculum goals; and knowledge of effective teaching models, strategies, and practices. They learn to apply this expertise in the classroom in ways that directly affect the learning and achievement of their students.

5 credits

Education professionals address teacher leadership in the context of advancing the expertise and leadership of peers, thereby expanding education professionals’ spheres of influence beyond the walls of the classroom. They explore mentoring and coaching models designed to promote the professional growth of their colleagues. They learn and apply skills for mentoring novice teachers and for engaging in coaching relationships with peers at all stages of the teacher development cycle. Through conceptual and application-based activities, education professionals address various forms of collaboration with colleagues, focusing on interpersonal and communication skills.

5 credits

Education professionals have the opportunity to learn to create safe, supportive, and respectful learning environments that promote social-emotional development, self-responsibility, and character, in order to optimize learning for all students. They can learn how to foster a sense of community in the classroom and develop positive relationships with and among students. Skills and strategies for managing dynamic and flexible classroom structures and for teaching conflict resolution are presented. Educators are also provided with strategies for building positive relationships and engaging in effective communication and problem solving with parents and families.

5 credits

The sphere of influence for education professionals is extended from working with peers to engaging with stakeholders throughout the greater school community in this course. Education professionals learn the processes, benefits, and challenges of building and working in learning communities to identify issues and solve problems that affect student learning and achievement. They consider professional growth and development as an integral part of various types of school improvement processes. Additionally, they engage in a variety of practical assignments, such as an analysis of their own school’s development of mission, vision, values, goals, and communication elements as a professional learning community.

5 credits

STEM scholar-practitioners analyze current trends, challenges, issues, and career opportunities related to promoting STEM education. They explore research based strategies and their application in both the classroom and the surrounding community. STEM educators engage in professional discourse about pedagogical models designed to inspire innovative thinking and learn how STEM principles can be used to advocate for social change.

5 credits

Educators must recognize the importance for all students, including students with special needs, to achieve high academic standards. In this course, education professionals examine the learning challenges of students who, by definition of federal law, have disabilities as well as those of students who have significant difficulty with learning but do not qualify for special education services. Education professionals learn how to adapt curriculum, instruction, and assessment to maximize learning for students with special needs. They also have the opportunity to evaluate and describe activities and experiences through the perspective of a student with a learning disability, thus gaining empathy and a deeper understanding of how to work with students with special needs.

5 credits

As new and emerging technologies transform the landscape of education, the possibilities for learning and discovery grow exponentially. Through this course, education professionals examine the history and evolution of technology in society and its influence on education. Education professionals explore technology as a vehicle for broad access, and they employ a variety of digital-age tools, including social networking, interactive learning tools, and collaboration software, to inspire and motivate today’s learners. They also explore and discuss ethical considerations, responsible use, and cyber safety issues. Through practical applications, such as designing a lesson that incorporates blogs, wikis, or podcasts, they gain hands-on experience integrating technology into the classroom.

5 credits

Education professionals in this course explore various learning theories and research on how the brain processes information as well as how they can use this knowledge to support the use of technology in the classroom. They explore and evaluate various technologies, such as computer-mediated instruction and virtual learning environments, as means to foster learner-centered classrooms where students are motivated. Education professionals also learn how to support and enhance instructional practices using technology and how to integrate developmentally appropriate practices in teaching and learning with the latest digital resources available. Applying course concepts, they revise a lesson plan to support and facilitate student engagement using technology-based cognitive tools.

5 credits

In this course, education professionals develop a new, expanded definition of what it means to be literate in today’s technology-rich world. Education professionals explore the use and application of multimedia and Internet technologies that enhance learning and support collaborative problem-solving in a digital information society. They learn strategies for how to prepare students across the grade levels for the complex challenges related to reading, critical thinking, researching, and communicating in the 21st century. Synthesizing course concepts, they assess curriculum standards in their area and develop an inquiry-based unit plan designed to develop their students’ information and visual literacy skills and meet a specific learning outcome or standard in their subject area.

5 credits

In this course, education professionals expand their focus of technology use in the classroom by exploring instructional strategies and digital tools that facilitate content area literacy and learning. Education professionals learn how to design technology-infused projects that motivate students and help them meet specific curricular standards. They also explore developmentally appropriate ways of using multimedia and Internet technologies to bring discipline-specific concepts to life and foster interdisciplinary connections that enhance learning across the curriculum.

5 credits

Education professionals in this course learn to apply various technologies to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, learning preferences, and ability levels. They employ digital-age solutions for differentiating instruction to meet varying needs, including assistive technologies that facilitate learning in students with special needs, programs that support English-language learners, and projects that engage and motivate gifted students. Through this course, they learn to harness the power of leading-edge technologies to increase learning and achievement for all students.

5 credits

Through this course, education professionals consider the future of teaching and learning, discover promising trends in technology, and investigate opportunities to become leaders in the field of technology and learning. They consider how to address school-wide challenges, such as limited resources and resistance to change, and they explore skills and strategies, such as grant writing and leading change. Additionally, they complete a capstone project that demonstrates their ability and willingness to become advocates and change agents who use technology to address challenges and create opportunities within the field of education.

5 credits

Education professionals in this course learn effective instructional skills and strategies to teach English as a second language in the K–12 classroom. Through conceptual and practical discussions and activities, they learn strategies and techniques to help students develop listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills in a variety of English-language learning environments. They also examine a range of language-learning programs, such as dual language immersion, transitional bilingual education, and structured English immersion. Additionally, education professionals learn to apply theories of second-language learning, literacy development, and standards-based teaching strategies to provide productive learning environments for English-language learners in general classroom settings. Note: This course is self-directed and utilizes an alternative model.

5 credits

Professional educators must have the knowledge and skill to make important decisions regarding what students learn and how they will learn it to ensure student success. In this course, education professionals engage in a research-based process for designing and mapping curriculum that motivates students and promotes academic success. Beginning with the end in mind, education professionals identify clear learning goals and big ideas, create authentic assessments, and develop essential questions to guide effective instructional planning and ongoing assessments using their district or state standards and/or benchmarks. They also apply the curriculum design process to a subject area they teach, keeping in mind the influence of learning environment, family involvement, and social development on the design process.

5 credits

Education professionals in this course examine the historical and contemporary perspectives on assessment, including trends in high-stakes assessment and accountability. They learn types and purposes of assessment as well as how to use assessments effectively. Education professionals also analyze strengths and weaknesses of various assessment methods and use ongoing assessments to guide decisions that will improve student performance. They explore and discuss data collecting and analysis, grading, record-keeping, and reporting. Additionally, they learn the importance of student self-assessment and the best ways to support their students in monitoring learning and reflecting on how to improve personal performance.

5 credits

The practice of differentiating instruction is a way for educators to meet diverse learning needs and preferences without having to individualize instruction for every student. In this course, education professionals learn how to differentiate five instructional elements - content, product, process, affect, and learning environment - according to students - interests, readiness, and learning profile. They explore flexible grouping and managing the differentiated classroom. Using their classroom curriculum, they plan and implement differentiated lessons and align them to important learning goals, essential questions, and formative and summative assessments while ensuring that their instruction includes meaningful applications of knowledge. Education professionals also learn how to draw on resources, such as staff, community members, and educators to support the "whole" child in the learning process.

5 credits

Education professionals use action research in a variety of ways to improve schools, student performance, and their own professional development and skills. In this course, education professionals examine a structured approach to the practice of action research. They learn how to address relevant problems, become involved in collaborative inquiry, use data and research to inform their practice, improve student academic success, and contribute to positive change in their classroom and school environments. Education professionals engage in reflective practices as they collect and analyze student data and develop and implement data-informed decisions/actions to improve student learning and enhance professional growth.

NOTE: It is recommended that this is the last course in your MSED program.

5 credits

Leadership and collaboration are essential skill sets for working with teams to provide effective services for individuals with exceptionalities. These are practices that special educators must embrace and continually refine. Educators in this course will analyze the skills and dispositions that build healthy leadership styles and produce positive collaborative relationships. They will also examine the benefits and challenges of leading and collaborating with others to maximize the learning potential of every student.

5 credits

Special education teachers are constantly confronted with ever changing rules and regulations. In order to effectively lead and collaborate with teachers, families and other professionals, special education teachers must have a thorough knowledge of the history and current practices related to special education advocacy, policy and law. When presented with real-life scenarios, candidates will create practical solutions grounded in law and policy.

5 credits

Special educators in today’s schools are responsible for working with a team to evaluate and assess to determine eligibility, create educational plans, and evaluate progress. In order to do this, they must be aware of and be able to implement culturally responsive, valid, and reliable practices. In this course, candidates will synthesize formal and informal assessments to monitor progress and analyze achievement to drive instructional strategies and assistive technologies for students with exceptionalities.

5 credits

Behavior greatly impacts all students’ ability to learn. Special educators are the most frequently called upon professionals to evaluate, assess, and create behavior interventions whether a student is in a self-contained classroom or an inclusive setting. Candidates will be presented with a case study and reflect together on the behavior by identifying the antecedents and consequences presented. Furthermore, they will develop intervention strategies and share resources of evidence based practices for improving behavior. Note: This course is self-directed and utilizes an alternative model.

5 credits

Providing accommodations and differentiating instruction are essential practices for special educators. In this course, special education professionals will apply research-based strategies for designing, delivering, and adapting instruction for students with exceptionalities. Candidates will be presented with real-life scenarios and must debate appropriate research-based instructional strategies to optimize learning for all students.

5 credits

Reading, writing, and communication are literacy competencies that impact the quality of life for all people, especially individuals with exceptionalities. Special education professionals will devise appropriate and effective interventions for individuals with exceptionalities. Candidates will engage in a variety of conceptual and application-based assignments that emphasize ongoing assessment of literacy skills, strategies, and dispositions. Additional areas of emphasis include: cultural and linguistic diversity, assistive technologies, and inclusive environments. Note: This course is self-directed and utilizes an alternative model.

1 credit

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

1 credit

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

1 credit

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

1 credit 

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

1 credit

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.

1 credit

Field experiences provide principal candidates with authentic opportunities to apply what they have learned in courses and expand what they know and are able to do. All principal candidates in the program are required to spend a total of 240 hours in three settings (elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school) mentored by licensed and practicing school principals. Field experience must include at least 160 hours in the candidate's preferred level or primary teaching experience and 40 hours at each of the other two levels.