Education Courses

Summer 2013 Graduate Education Courses

Courses offered, dates, and times subject to change. Copies of the course list and course descriptions are also available for download.

GED 508 Current Topics in Special Education: Co-Teaching: Why & How? (3cr.)

Instructor: Deirdre Donovan and Arlene Moore
July 15-19; 8:00 am – 3:00 pm with a followup in Fall 2013
Are two teachers better than one? Explore the benefits of the co-teaching model in a week long, intensive course. Participants will focus on how co-teachers share responsibilities for planning, instruction and assessment. They will also explore how a content area teacher and a special educator combine their professional strengths, philosophies and personalities to create a positive, cohesive classroom to ensure success for each and every student.

GED 520 Child and Adolescent Development (3cr.)

Instructor: Diane Guarino
T, TH; July 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, August 1; 9:00 am –4:00pm
This course provides an analysis of developmental theories for school-age children and adolescents. Students will examine specifics of cognitive, social, emotional, moral and physical development. Stages and theories will be reviewed from an interdisciplinary perspective and related to implications for learning.

GED 526A Creativity and the Neuroscience of Teaching (3 cr.)

Instructor: Sam Crowell and David Reid-Marr
Monday – Friday; June 24 - 28 and July 1-3; 8:45 am – 1:30 pm
This course will focus on reducing stress in educators' lives and creating less stressful environments in elementary, secondary and higher education classrooms. Research and experience will be integrated in a way that deepens understanding and enriches practical knowledge. Participants will experience a wide variety of stress reduction practices that promote a sense of well-being and enhance creativity, learning and achievement.

GED 535 Children's Literature: Author and Illustrator Study (3cr.)

Instructor: Anita Silvey
Fridays: July 5, 12, 19, 26 and August 2; 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
After the instructor presents the components of a successful picture book, seven author-illustrators will be traced from their first book to their final work -- Virginia Lee Burton, James Marshall, Ezra Jack Keats, Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, David Wiesner, and Laura Vacarro Seeger. Class members will read and evaluate the works of these creators and in the final class present an author study. Drawing on forty years of experience in publishing and reviewing books, Anita Silvey will model different approaches to author units and help each student execute a final project that can be used in the classroom or library.

GED 542 Differentiated Curriculum in the K-12 Classroom (3cr.)

Instructor: Beth Peterson
M-W; July 22 – 24 and July 29-31; 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Students will explore the principles and elements of differentiated instruction, a term identified and defined by the work of Carol Tomlinson. Students will also learn basic elements of Understanding by Design and the connections between the two approaches. We will study instructional and management strategies that help teachers respond to students according to their readiness, interests, and learning profiles. We will focus on ways to differentiate the content, the learning process and products for all students. We will use the Vermont Grade Level Expectations or the Common Core. This course is specifically designed for practicing classroom teachers.

GED 558 Introduction to Educational Research (3cr.)

Instructor: Anne Judson
Mondays and Thursdays: June 24 - August 5; 1:00-4:00 pm (First meeting is June 3th, 4:00-6:00 pm.
This course introduces students to the broad range of educational research, develops critical skills needed for analyzing research studies, and provides intensive assignments directed toward writing a research proposal. Among the skills students develop are the abilities to access and synthesize information from multiple sources; choreograph a research project; and write a literature review. Students should come prepared with a question to research. Required writing assessment for Candidacy included in course.

GED 565 Computer Assisted Language Learning (4 cr.)

Instructor: Christine Bauer-Ramazani
Online, May 14 – June 15
Participants learn how to incorporate computer technology into lessons that enhance the skills of English language learners (K-12, adult) through project-based activities, including newsletters, animated slide shows, and free Web-based quizzes, rubrics, audio, or video. Participants construct an interactive/collaborative Web space (Web 2.0), review current research, and follow the professional dialogue about technology in the classroom. They discuss the effectiveness of technological media through peer reviews and critical evaluation of Web sites and/or software.
Miscellaneous Notes: Course meets requirements for ESL licensure. Requirements: Competence in the MAC or Windows operating system (WinXP or higher), basic file management, Internet navigation, e-mail, and word-processing. Must be able to store large files (Flash drive, personal Web account). A $90 e-College Lab fee will be charged. Cross-listed with GSL 520.

GED 588 Emerging Technology for the 21st Century Classroom (3cr.)

Instructor: Susan Monmaney
Monday-Friday; July 1 – July 12; 8:00 am – 12:15 pm (no class 7/4)
The 21st Century classroom integrates global communication, collaboration, and creativity into meaningful learning experiences for all students. Explore emerging technologies, including social media tools such as online bookmarking, video and slideshow sharing tools, podcasting, and Web 2.0 collaborative tools such as wikis, blogs and Google Docs. Discover the learning possibilities with handheld devices such as eReaders, cell phones, and tablets.  Each course participant's culminating project will be unit plan that incorporates one or more new technologies, with special attention given to the Vermont Technology Grade Expectations and the National Educational Technology Standards for Students and Teachers.

GED 595 Launching & Developing a Writers’ Workshop in the Elementary Grades (3cr.)

Instructor: Libby Bonesteel
Monday-Thursday, July 15 – 18 and July 22 - 25; 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
This course will explore the components of writing workshop in the elementary grades (K-6). The various foci includes: the structure of workshop teaching; the architecture of a mini-lesson, conference, and writing small group; writing process; teaching within units of study; studying craft from published authors; and formative assessments. Students will be designing a unit of study to put in action in their classrooms. Time will also be spent studying the new common core adopted by Vermont. TEXT: The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts), Katie Wood Ray w/ Lester Laminack, 2001 by National Council of Teachers of English; ISBN 0-8141-1317-6.

GED 607 Literacy Instruction for Readers Who Struggle (3 cr.)

Instructor: David Mendenhall
Monday-Friday; July 1-12, 8:00 am - 12:15 pm (no class Thursday, July 4)
The What Works Clearinghouse, the International Reading Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English have all examined research on effective classroom and intervention practices for struggling adolescents. This course is designed to build on this knowledge base as we explore ways to assess and adjust literacy instruction to the strengths and needs of adolescent students.

GED 612 Math and Diversity (3 cr.)

Instructor: Tim Whiteford
Monday - Friday; June 24 – 28 and Monday - Wednesday; July 1-3; 8:00 am – 12:45 pm
This course will explore theories, ideas and practices for guiding learning in math for students with diverse characteristics at the pre-K-8 levels. Students will investigate current literature on cultural, pedagogical and developmental issues related to how children learn mathematics in the four selected areas of diversity; math and students who are speakers of other languages (ELL), math and students with special needs, math and students with math disabilities, and math and students in poverty. Course content will include the math pedagogical content knowledge associated with numeracy, operations and problem solving, the SIOP model of instruction, the WIDA standards, strategies for differentiating instruction and assessing diverse learner characteristics as well as issues associated with developmentally appropriate practice.

GED 618 From Assessment to Action: Using Data to Transform Schools (3cr.)

Instructor: Brian O'Regan
Wednesday - Friday; July 17-19 and Monday-Friday July 22-26; 8:00 am – 1:00 pm.
This course will provide students with an understanding of the cultural shifts inherent in schools evolving from NCLB legislation and the increased focus on monitoring student learning. Students will develop the necessary understandings and tools to make connections between Vermont's grade expectations, the Common Core, local curriculum and formative and summative assessment of student learning. Students will explore ways to use state and local student assessment data to make decisions about instruction, professional development and school/supervisory union based action planning. Students will develop an understanding of curriculum in the context of standards, assessment, instruction and student learning. Students will need access to school assessment data that will be used throughout the course. Students without a teacher license require instructor approval. The course syllabus and reading material will be sent to participants prior to the beginning of the course. Access to some element of student performance data (class, grade, school-wide) required or otherwise arranged with instructor prior to initial class).

GED 631 Development, Learning, Behavior and Individual Differences (3cr.)

Instructor: Judith Christensen
Tuesdays & Thursdays; May 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30; June 4, 6, 11, 13; 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm
This course examines cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social development from birth through early adulthood, considering how development impacts learning at all stages. Students examine how educational learning theory relates to cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social development. In addition to a comprehensive review of developmental and learning literature, each student has the opportunity to engage in self-directed learning by selecting a relevant topic and creating a project that is either student-based or curriculum-based.

GED 635 Middle Grades Summer Institute (3cr.)

Must register through Middle Grades Collaborative, see below.
Monday – Friday, June 24 – 28. Follow up conference is January 2014.
To be held at Castleton State College.

The Middle Grades Collaborative offers an annual intensive week-long institute for middle-level educators. The major goal of the institute is to foster young adolescent development where every student becomes an intellectually reflective person, a person en route to a lifetime of meaningful work, a good citizen, and a caring and ethical individual. Courses include:

• GED 635A: Middle Grades Curriculum
• GED 635B: Nature and Needs of Young Adolescents
• GED 635C: Middle Grades Organization
• GED 635D: Embedded Literacy in Middle Grades
• GED 635E: Middle School is Not a Building
• GED 635F: Middle Grades Learners and Technology
• GED 635G: Literacy in the Content Areas

Participants select one of the above courses. The first four courses can be credited toward a middle level endorsement. Individuals and teams of teachers seeking further professional development in middle grades philosophy and practice are encouraged to enroll in Middle School in Not a Building and Middle Grades Learners and Technology. Those who are interested in integrating literacy of the Common Core with the content areas of middle grades are encouraged to enroll in Literacy in the Content Areas. A full tuition stipend is available for Literacy in the Content Areas.
For registration and information please contact James Nagle at jnagle2@smcvt.edu. Costs for the Institute are: $1,200 for non-credit; and $1,700 for credit. Tuition includes room and board, but residency is not required. Checks and money orders payable to the Middle Grades Collaborative.

GED 638: Woodcock-Johnson III

Instructor: Rich Reid
Monday-Friday, July 29 – August 2; 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.
Follow-up: one Saturday in FA13.
The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery - Third Edition (WJ-III-NU) is a wide-range, comprehensive set of individually administered tests for measuring cognitive abilities and academic achievement. Through participation in this course, participants will learn about the tests, factors, and scoring options that result from the administration of this test battery. Students will also learn to administer, score, and interpret the WJ-III. Classroom discussions, demonstrations, and activities will be supplemented by three complete administrations of the battery including one during class (with supervision), one to a mature subject, and one to a young subject. Results of the third administration will be reported during a final class that will meet in the fall of 2012. Students who successfully complete this course will have met the training criteria recommended by the authors and publisher of the WJ-III. The course will also include a discussion of Vermont's special education eligibility criteria as they relate to tests and scoring options. The WJ-III will be thoroughly examined in regard to its use within Responsiveness to Intervention (RtI) model of student support.

GED 640 Language and Learning (3cr.)

Instructor: Beth Peterson
Tuesdays, June 18, 25, July 2, 9 1:00-8:00 pm; Thursdays, June 27, July 11, 1:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Wednesday, July 3, 1:00-4:00 pm
This course considers how difficulties in language acquisition and usage affect a student’s ability to succeed in the classroom. Students will learn research-based approaches to teaching oral language, written language, academic language, vocabulary and reading comprehension for atypically developing students in whole class, small group and individual instructional settings. Emphasis is placed on students in grades K-12 with language based disabilities in inclusive and remedial settings. Students will develop a unit to teach a specific reading or writing skill. Prerequisite: GED 522 Teaching Literacy in the Elementary Classroom or Elementary License.

GED 643 Instruction of Students with Learning Challenges in the Area of Language Arts: Elementary Level (3cr.)

Instructors: Linda Hunter & Janet Larson
Monday - Friday, July 15 – August 2, 8:30 am-11:30 am
Held at St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski
This course provides an in-depth study of sound instructional practices and materials to use with unsuccessful learners based on an analysis of the learner’s strengths and weaknesses in the area of reading and written language. Methods used to teach reading, spelling, study and writing skills are covered. The emphasis is on working with students in elementary schools. Course times include practicum experience.

GED 673A Exploring World Cultures Through Bookmaking (3 cr)

Instructor: Linda Lembke
Monday-Friday; July 22 – July 26; 9:00 pm – 4:30 pm and Friday, August 9, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
This course celebrates bookmaking traditions from around the world. Participants will create book structures inspired by written and photographic records of books representing traditions from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Discussions of the book as a vehicle for preservation and communication in different cultures, curriculum connections (K-12), and personal applications will be addressed. This course is open to both those who have taken other book arts courses as well as newcomers. Instruction and studio work will take place on 5 consecutive days. Participants will meet Aug 9 to share independent study projects. (Enrollment is limited to 15 students.) A $100 materials fee is required and due at registration.

GED 673C Thinking Like DaVinci: Bringing Innovation to Interdiciplinary Curriculum & the Common Core (3 cr.)

Instructor: Autumn Bangoura
M-F, July 22 - August 2, 8:30-12:15 am
With the newly developed Common COre Standards focusing primarily on literacy and mathematics, many educators are struggling to maintain an adequate focus on Science, History and the Arts. Inspired by DaVinci's innovative way of thinking about the worlds of science, art, technology, writing, mathematics, and invention, this course is designed to help teachers develop a cross-disciplinary approach to unit planning. Conducive to K-8 educators, teaching artists, and museum educators this course provides opportunities for participants to experience model lessons that employ such cross-disciplinary (and Common Core friendly) skills as observation, prediction, experimentation, inquiry, and imagination that will lead to individually designed "DaVinci" units.

GED 684 School and Community (3cr.)

Instructor: Valerie Gardner
Thursday-Friday; June 20-21 and Monday-Friday; June 24-28 and Monday-Wednesday, July 1-3; 8:00 am - 12:15pm
This course introduces current and prospective educators and administrators to the ever changing, but closely coupled, relationship between school and community. Emphasis will be placed on how the community informs what happens in schools, and how the schools, in turn, influence the community. The course will also look closely at the role played by economic, political and social forces.

GED 695 Teaching K-8 Science and Design Technology (3cr.)

Instructor: Graham Clarke
Monday-Friday; July 1-July 12; 12:45 pm – 5:00 pm
This course is designed to explore the many facets of teaching science and design technology at the K-8 levels. Course participants will explore Inquiry-Centered Science and Design Technology concepts and skills through a variety of hands-on, minds-on activities. Course topics will include an exploration of the National Science Standards as well as State and local science standards, instructional resource materials, selected science programs, the application of technology in science education as well as ways students construct a meaningful understanding of science concepts. A $25.00 materials fee is required and due at registration.

GED 699 Capstone Seminar (3cr.)

Instructor: Beth Peterson
(First meeting will be on Thursday, April 18th, 3:30-4:30 pm.)
Thursdays, May 23 – July 25, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
This course is designed to support students as they complete their studies in the M.Ed. program. Students conduct research in a topic of interest and then complete a paper and presentation demonstrating their in-depth understanding of this topic. Research skills, critique, reflection, and interactive presentations are included in the course. Students must have their proposal and timeline approved by the instructor before the first class, April 4, 2012. Prerequisite: GED 558 Introduction to Educational Research.

Future Education Course Offerings

NOTE: This is a tentative schedule for planning purposes. Some courses may need to be offered during other terms or days. Fall and spring courses are offered in the evening from 5:00-7:30 with a few exceptions beginning 30 minutes earlier or later. Contact Karen Abbott, kabbott@smcvt.edu, directly with any questions.