Master of Education Curriculum And Instruction - Specialization In English as a Second Language (33 credits)

The Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in ESL Program is designed for experienced educators seeking a Master's degree to strengthen their ability to respond to the ever-growing cultural and language diversity in our schools and society. By taking a required sequence of courses related to culture, language, and learning, participants will acquire knowledge, skills, and strategies to build classroom communities that respect and support the learning of students for whom English is not their first language.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

EEDUC 7111
Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction: Assumptions, Relationships, and Design
Students work with several models and frameworks of curriculum development and their application to systems, classroom curriculum and instruction, and assessment. Models include standards-driven, integrated curriculum, portfolio, and performance assessment. Brain-based research and its impact on curriculum development and instruction are analyzed.

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EEDUC 6125
Dimensions of Learning and Teaching
Students identify and use resources available to support them in their learning, teaching, and reflection. They begin to examine their identity as learners and professionals and use what they learn to explore ways that educational practices and enduring educational controversies can be understood using multiple perspectives and the knowledge that people learn differently. They also begin to build a portfolio in which they reflect upon and demonstrate their expanding understanding and competencies.

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EEDUC 6126
Classroom and School Inquiry
Classroom and School Inquiry focuses on the understanding and critical analysis of educational research and methods for accurately communicating this information to the public. As teachers participate in redefining their educational roles, decision-making and action-oriented classroom practice will be critical in promoting student learning. Both require problem-solving, which is enhanced by the forming and testing of hypotheses, gathering data that is then analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated, and generating solutions. This course will engage students in this process by acquainting them with the knowledge and techniques necessary for them to become lifelong teacher researchers, and to present the results of their research effectively and professionally to a variety of audiences. Note: This course is a prerequisite to EEDUC 6127.

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EEDUC 6128
Dimensions of Equity
This course will examine the goals, assumptions, and strategies of multicultural and special education and prepare teachers to effectively apply theories of equity to classroom practice. Through a variety of cognitive and affective approaches, students will identify and analyze the cultural and structural factors that have led to unequal academic outcomes for diverse learners within the socio-political and historical context of the United States.

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EEDUC 6127
Action Research and Seminar
Students demonstrate their expanding understandings and competencies as teachers. They also collaborate with several classmates to design a research project that can have a direct impact on their school community, through which students may extend the research plan developed in an earlier course, EEDUC 6126. The six-credit option is designed to give students who completed a required induction experience or advanced education license an opportunity to demonstrate continued learning by applying that experience to their Lesley program and using their study to reflect on what they learned from their induction or licensure program. Prerequisite: Successful completion of EEDUC 6126 or an equivalent research course.

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EEDUC 6120
First and Second Language Acquisition
This course addresses the theories and current research in first and second language acquisition. Participants will understand the theories and practices for developing literacy skills in English for English Language Learners (ELL) with different educational backgrounds and different English proficiency levels. A variety of programs—two-way bilingual, sheltered English immersion, English as a second language, and others—are examined. Participants will work with The Massachusetts English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes and other appropriate frameworks and instructional materials.

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EEDUC 6118
Multicultural Issues in Education
A comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the impact of culture and language on the curriculum, relationships, and pedagogy in schools. The course provides a rigorous theoretical and experiential exploration of cultural pluralism in school settings. Intercultural interaction such as cross-cultural enrichment, inclusionary practices, discrimination, racism, ethnocentrism, development of cultural identity, and cross-cultural transition is a central focus. The manifestation and implications of these issues are studied on the individual, group, and systems levels. Prerequisite: Early field experience or equivalent.

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EEDUC 6014
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages — Theories and Methods
This course focuses on the theories and methods of teaching English as a second language and the effective classroom practices for English instruction in reading and writing, as well as literacy in the content areas. The cultural diversity of K–12 students on the site where the course is taught is examined as well as its influence on teaching and learning. The historical, theoretical, and philosophical underpinnings of bilingual education are addressed.

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Lesley University reserves the right to unilaterally add, withdraw, or revise any course offering in the above-mentioned program of study, including policies, provisions, requirements, and fees.

Lesley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or disability in its education programs, employment, or in admissions to, access to, or treatment in its programs or activities.