Master of Education LEADING TO INITIAL TEACHER LICENSE in Early Childhood: Teacher of Students with and without Disabilities (Prek-2)

The initial licensure Early Childhood Education program at Lesley University provides students with theoretical and applied experience that prepares them to teach in PreK-2 classrooms. Students receive a Master's degree and are endorsed for an initial license.

Throughout the program, an appreciation for the whole child is developed in collaboration with peers, instructors, and practitioners in the field. Field experiences and ongoing portfolio development build a foundation of curriculum knowledge across disciplines.

*Must be completed prior to the practicum.
**Must be completed prior to the practicum and include field-based assignments.
***As early in the program as possible, and prior to the practicum, graduate students and Adult Learning Division students with education minors must complete a 75-hour Early Field Experience in a classroom appropriate to the license sought. In some cases, recent appropriate classroom experience may be used to document this requirement. (This is not a credit-bearing course, and there are no fees required.)
****For current information on state testing requirements for initial licensure programs, Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) test administration dates, and the Lesley University test policy, see Lesley's Certification Office web page at www.lesley.edu/certification.html.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

EEDUC 5146
Issues in American Schooling: Contemporary Challenges and Historical Contexts
The course examines diverse contemporary issues in American education through a combination of field-based experiences and investigation of the social and historical forces that shape the character of schooling in a democratic society. The course opens the dialogue about the nature of teaching and learning, and the design of educational programs in the context of societal, political, and economic structures as well as within the diverse cultural values of a pluralistic society.

EEDUC 5131
Developmental Learning
This course is designed to help teachers understand the principles of developmental learning, physical knowledge, symbolic thinking, language development, social and moral development, and their implications for teaching practice. An understanding of principles of developmental learning will be presented both through readings and through direct observation of children’s play, language, and social interactions. Formerly: Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood I: Math and Science.

EEDUC 5139
Learning Mathematics in Early Childhood
This course is designed to develop knowledge of content and pedagogy that is essential for teaching mathematics in schools. Assessment strategies, adaptations for special needs, and classroom management are all addressed. The “big ideas” and how they develop and become represented is a strong emphasis.

EEDUC 5137
Language, Literacy and the Arts for the Early Years
This course will focus on the development of emergent and early literacy skills (oral and written language) in young children. Throughout the course, instructional techniques, activities, and materials relevant to young children’s literacy development, as well as the interconnection between language arts/creative arts, assessment/instruction, and theory/practice, will be addressed.

EEDUC 5138
Language, Literacy and the Arts for the Primary Grades
This course focuses on the instruction and assessment of primary grade oral and written language. Emphasis is placed on constructing meaning and empowering all learners with skills and strategies they need to become competent, independent readers and writers. Approaches and resources for the meaningful integration of the arts into the language arts are explored.

EEDUC 5120
Young Children with Special Needs
This course examines concepts relating to young children, preschool through second grade, at risk for or exhibiting developmental delays or mild to moderate disabilities. It focuses on the identification, assessment, diagnosis, and referral of young children with special needs. Class participants will analyze and reflect upon inclusive strategies for classroom structure and curricular/instructional accommodations and modifications. Strategies for collaborating with families with young children with special needs will also be addressed.

EEDUC 5130
Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood I: Science and Health
Young children learn about their world in an integrated, exploratory way. Children’s understanding of the world continuously changes with the interaction between their development and the quality of these experiences. This course focuses on helping the pre-service teacher develop skills and intuitions in creating a rich learning environment for young students in the areas of science and health.

EEDUC 5128
Integrated Curriculum for Early Childhood: Social Studies and Classroom Life
Provides an opportunity for prospective teachers of young children to reflect on how the environments of the classroom and of the world outside the classroom affect learning. The broader concept of integrated curriculum addressing social issues, the past and its impact on life today, and use of technology related to social studies are addressed. Students make informed curriculum decisions for young children who enter school with a wide variety of needs, abilities, and backgrounds.

EEDUC 5115
Families, Society, and Schools
This course is designed to provide an understanding of family diversity within the context of contemporary society. The course will examine links between school performance and family involvement. Institutional structures that facilitate or impede family-school relationships will be addressed. Specific issues facing families and children will be examined to help teachers better respond to the challenges of today’s classrooms. Students will have the opportunity to explore community resources and family support systems.

EEDUC 6109
Observation, Documentation, and Assessment
This course provides an opportunity to examine a variety of ways to study children in their natural environment and in clinical settings. Emphasis is placed on looking at classroom settings, children’s work, group interactions, and teacher behavior. Authentic assessment and work sampling systems are addressed. Strategies for presenting information about children and portfolios are developed.

EEDUC 6111
Multicultural Curriculum: Pedagogy and Practice
This course will examine the goals, assumptions, and strategies of multicultural education and assist 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 and explore practitioner-based strategies, resources, and materials for the development of classrooms that are culturally affirming and inclusionary. Through activities and assignments, students will both explore and demonstrate a developing awareness of how various artistic mediums can be utilized as important aspects in the development of a multicultural curriculum. Reading will be placed within the context of public schooling today in order to develop students’ “cultural consciousness” of the shared societal assumptions that we bring to our teaching experiences. Prerequisite: Completion of a curriculum development course in either early childhood, elementary, or middle school levels.

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.

EEDUC 7727
Practicum and Seminar in Early Childhood Education (PreK–2)
Full-semester, full-time practicum, approximately one-third of which must be in a PreK or K classroom and two-thirds in a first or second grade classroom. Practicum is supervised by a supervising practitioner and University program supervisor and is accompanied by a seminar addressing issues in the field. Prerequisites: Completion of a 75-hour early field experience, required pre-practicum courses, and MTEL requirements. Permission required.

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.