Graduate Curriculum

Cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its "innovative programmatic and curricular design," the graduate education program breaks away from traditional programming. It reflects and respects the learning styles and schedules of adult learners. TED has three specializations: Reading Specialist, Instructional Technology, and Special Education.

The Instructional Technology and Special Education graduate education programs offer participants a common body of necessary skills and knowledge through a common 12-credit core requirement. It then allows students to pursue an area of interest by specializing in one of two focus areas —instructional technology, (18 credits), and special education (see Tracks 1 through 4 for credit totals). Each program includes courses appropriate to the specialization and the opportunity to participate in additional elective courses, as well as independent and directed studies. The program's unique culminating experiences asks students to share what they have learned in their programs with colleagues by developing and implementing an in-service workshop.

Reading Specialist

School district superintendents are increasingly emphasizing the need for teachers to have a strong background in the teaching of reading. The Reading Specialist program enables teachers who are already certified to obtain both a Reading Specialist Certificate and a master’s degree in education with a specialization in reading. The Reading Specialist Certification requires 24 credit hours and successful completion of the Reading Specialist PRAXIS exam. The Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Reading requires an additional 12 credits and completion of a culminating experience.

Reading Specialist Certificate Courses (24 credits):

EDU 641	Foundations of Language and Literacy
EDU 642	Word Study
EDU 647	Reading and Writing for English Language Learners
EDU 648	Special Education and the Reading Specialist
EDU 649	The Reading and Writing Connection
EDU 650	Reading in the Content Area
EDU 645	Diagnosis, Assessment and Remediation
EDU 645-A	Reading Specialist Internship
EDU 646	Data Driven Instruction

Masters degree candidates must complete the following additional courses (12 credits):

EDU 651	Reading Leadership
EDU 515	Research Methods
EDU 565	Staff Development
EDU 595	Professional Contribution

Instructional Technology

Teachers need to use advanced technology to implement modern curriculum. While they don't need to become computer programmers or software writers, they do need to know how to use modern technology to plan and deliver instruction. The technology specialization of the graduate education program gives teachers the knowledge and skills, as well as the certification, they need to implement technology and to improve educational systems. Graduates can function as leaders of local school district instructional improvement teams, technology planning committees, site-based management teams, building-level management teams, and will also be able to otherwise work to improve instruction in their schools by helping their colleagues implement technology.

Participants who specialize in instructional technology complete the core, six required technology courses, and a culminating experience.

Core (12 credits):

EDU 500	Issues in Education or EDU 567 Issues in Educational Technology
EDU 504	Curriculum
EDU 510	Learning
EDU 515	Research Methods

Required courses (18 credits chosen from the following):

EDU 552	Multimedia for Instruction
EDU 553	Instructional Design
EDU 554	Videography
EDU 556	Programming for Instruction
EDU 558	Introduction to the Internet
EDU 563	Hypermedia Theory and Application
EDU 566	Principles of Instructional Design
EDU 568	Distance Education and Hybrid Technolohy

Professional Contribution (6 credits):

EDU 565	Staff Development
EDU 595	Professional Contribution
Total 36 credits

Special Education

The special education specialization is unique in that three different pathways, or tracks, to a masters degree and/or certification are offered. Track 1 addresses the needs of educators who hold an Instructional I or II Certificate in Special Education. Track 2 addresses the needs of educators who already possess an Instruction I or II Certificate in Elementary Education. Educators pursing Track 3 hold and Instructional I or II, but not in Elementary or Special Education.

Candidates for certification must also meet requirements set by PDE. For example, they must satisfactorily complete the testing requirements set by PDE, and in some cases, the student teaching requirement.

Core (choose 12 credits):

EDU 500	Issues in Education
EDU 504	Curriculum
EDU 510	Learning
EDU 515	Research Methods
EDU 567	Issues in Educational Technology
EDU 517	Special Education
EDU 539	Learning Strategies
EDU 509	Assessment
EDU 573	Teaching in ESL Programs: Theory and Practice
12 credits

*Required core course

Track 1

EDU 517	Special Education*
EDU 515	Research Methods*
EDU 526	Characteristics I
EDU 527	Characteristics II
EDU 528	Methods I
EDU 509	Assessment*
EDU 529	Methods II
EDU 519	Inclusion
EDU 539	Learning Strategies*
EDU 585	Special Topics
EDU 575	Masters Project(6 credits)
36 credits (including core course)

Track 2

EDU 517	Special Education*
EDU 515	Research Methods*
EDU 526	Characteristics I
EDU 527	Characteristics II
EDU 528	Methods I
EDU 509	Assessment*
EDU 529	Methods II
EDU 519	Inclusion
EDU 539	Learning Strategies*
EDU 585	Special Topics
EDU 575	Masters Project(6 credits)
EDU 576	Observation and Practice (0-3 credits)
37 credits (including core courses)

Track 3

EDU 517	Special Education*
EDU 515	Research Methods*
EDU 526	Characteristics I
EDU 527	Characteristics II
EDU 528	Methods I
EDU 509	Assessment*
EDU 529	Methods II
EDU 519	Inclusion
EDU 539	Learning Strategies*
EDU 520	Reading Methods
EDU 524	Writing/LA Methods
EDU 525	Math Methods
EDU 576	Masters Project(6 credits)
EDU 577	Field (0 credits)
43 credits (including core courses

Culminating Activity

As a culminating activity, students are required to develop and deliver a professional contribution, which is a project in which they attempt to create curricular change through staff development. They first participate in a 3-credit course in staff development, during which they develop their projects.

During a subsequent semester, they formally deliver their projects to a group of colleagues or to a professional group.

EDU 565	Staff Development
EDU 595	Professional Contribution