Education

This course investigates the historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological foundations influencing American education policies and practices. This course also examines the history of literacy beliefs and practices and special education services beliefs and practices in America to contextualize current national, state, and local literacy trends and practices. Controversial educational issues are explored, and personal philosophies of education are formulated. This course is a core requirement for MEd EL, IL and IP.

This is a masters-level course that provides education candidates with an overview of the historical, legal, and foundational characteristics of the American education system. Candidates will examine the basic legal and ethical issues in education and includes a survey of case law dealing with the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of educators. Through critical analysis and evaluation, students will develop the skills needed to engage in informed discussions about the future of education in America.

This course focuses on preparing candidates to attain and demonstrate a deep understanding of the essential role literacy plays in equipping students to acquire, comprehend, and communicate content-specific information, as represented in the Tennessee Student Academic Standards.

This course examines research methodologies and basic statistical approaches. Research skills including but not limited to information retrieval, critical evaluation, report organization, and statistical methodology are developed and reflected in formal research proposals related to improved literacy instructional practices. Core requirement for M.Ed. candidates.

This course focuses on school functions, strategies, and support that encourage the highest level of student learning and academic achievement, with an emphasis on literacy practices and achievement across subjects. These school functions, strategies, and support include improving instruction through support of teachers, curriculum development, staff development based on current research and best practices, professional learning communities, evaluation of teachers, and action research.

This course equips educational leaders with a comprehensive understanding of literacy instruction, focusing on both content and pedagogy. It explores the progression of literacy development and strategies for fostering a literacy-rich environment that supports all learners. Special attention is given to the foundation of phonics and phonological awareness, as well as identifying and supporting struggling readers. Leaders will also learn to implement literacy screeners and progress monitoring tools to effectively assess and address learner needs. The course emphasizes evidence-based practices, scaffolding techniques, and strategies aligned with grade-level rigor and Tennessee Academic Standards, ensuring all students receive the support they need for success.

This course includes a study of concepts essential to becoming a teacher leader. Basic and advanced strategies in curriculum, instruction, assessment, current research, technology, educating all students, leadership, and philosophy are addressed. 

This course focuses on the role of the teacher as leader. Candidates demonstrate their understanding of the teacher as leader role by applying relevant concepts to the development of an interdisciplinary unit of study and a personal philosophy statement. Prerequisite: EDUC 570

This course is an overview of early childhood and adolescent development designed for K-12 licensure and masters candidates. The cognitive, social/ emotional, and physical domains will be studied in relation to planning, implementing, and assessing developmentally appropriate K-12 curriculum. Research will focus on the work of theorists who have shaped current child development educational theory. Existing developmental expectancies as well as individual differences will be examined throughout the course.

This course provides teacher candidates with an evidenced-based foundation in literacy and language development through cognitive, linguistic, and pedagogical theory, research, and practice based in the science of reading. Candidates will begin their instructional skills development in the areas defined by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Topics include understanding reading research, the reading process, language development, the sequence of learning to read, the essential components of reading instruction and assessment. 

The Phonological Awareness and Phonics course presents the fundamental principles and concepts of the structure of language, with a focus on phonological awareness and phonics through evidence-based methodologies. Candidates learn sound-symbol/phoneme-grapheme correspondences of language and understand the relationship of phonemic awareness and the phonological system of language to the reading process through the Simple View of reading.

The Elementary Content Area Literacy course provides an overview of literacy instruction in the domains of comprehension, fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and writing in the elementary content areas leading to enhanced conceptual knowledge for students. Exploration of the developmental and instructional implications related to fluent reading, vocabulary acquisition, comprehension and writing instruction through fiction and nonfiction texts as applied in Social Studies and Science will be explored. Candidates conclude their instructional skills development in the areas defined by the National Reading Panel.

This course examines research-based reading assessment (screening/diagnosis) and intervention for elementary classrooms. Candidates will build foundational knowledge of and essential skills in developmentally appropriate practices in reading assessment and intervention. Candidates will work with wide-ranging reading assessments, emphasizing the universal screening process, reading-readiness, curriculum-based measurement, progress-monitoring procedures and diagnostic assessment protocols. This course highlights assessment as part of the multi-tiered, problem-solving process of the Response to Intervention protocol, stressing early identification of and support for struggling readers. Candidates will develop instructional skills, addressing (1) phonological awareness; (2) phonics; (3) fluency; (4) comprehension; and (5) vocabulary development. Candidates will observe reading assessment and instruction in elementary classrooms and develop lesson plans using current standards and evidence-based strategies. Candidates will conduct action research to investigate assessment, progress monitoring, and differentiated-instruction for reading instruction with learners in the elementary grades.

This course examines research-based theory, foundations, principles, procedures, and practices centering on teaching elementary literacy—reading, writing, grammar, speaking, listening, spelling, viewing, and visual representation. Candidates will build knowledge of, and essential skills in developmentally appropriate practices in literacy instruction. Candidates will integrate differentiated instructional strategies, methods, and resources into curriculum they design to help elementary students develop and reinforce their literacy skills. Candidates will develop an understanding of literacy as a system of cultural competencies including reading and writing, synthesis, and critical analysis, along with 21st century literacies within a global arena. Candidates will conduct action research to investigate evidenced-based assessment and instruction for literacy instruction in the elementary grades, creating literacy lesson plans for elementary students.

Students will learn about the development of pedagogy from sociological, philosophical, historical and theoretical perspectives for use in the 21st Century classroom. They will focus on teaching and learning in secondary schools and include the study of curriculum and methodology. The students will address the role of today's schools, characteristics of young people of middle-level and high school years, identify the fundamental characteristics of quality public education, and build an understanding of the variety of characteristics and needs of students.

The required Capstone Electronic Portfolio for the MEd Educational Leadership programs is an evidence-based assignment. Candidates in the program are expected to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions that reflect the understanding and application of the competencies as described in the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. 

This course provides full-time teaching experience in a public PK-12 classroom setting under the direction of a mentoring classroom teacher and a university supervisor. Placement will be arranged by the Program Director in consultation with faculty. Bi-monthly seminars are required. Student teaching is required for all candidates seeking licensure through the Master of Education-Initial Licensure program. Before registering for this course, candidates must have completed and passed EDUC 570/571, passed all required Praxis exams and taken and passed all undergraduate courses required for licensure. This course is Module III in the Master of Education - Initial Licensure program.

This course provides full-time teaching experience in a Tennessee public or state-approved classroom setting under the direction of the building level administrator and a university supervisor. Placement is completed by a partner school district’s human resources department with the input of the Lincoln Memorial University Program Director in consultation with faculty.  Candidates completing the Job Embedded clinical practice shall spend the school year in direct teaching activities. The Job Embedded clinical practice will include classroom teaching, observation, coursework, and seminars, the Job Embedded clinical practice will occur in a state approved school. During the field experiences the candidate will have direct teaching experiences with students with a variety of learning needs and varied backgrounds. This course is taken two semesters for a total of 6 credit hours.

This course will address a topic of interest enriching the existing course offerings and expanding candidate learning and experiences. Topics will be developed by an assigned faculty member as approved by the Dean of the School of Education. The course will be offered as required.

This course focuses on supervised application of skills that approximate employment in various educational settings. Master's level course.

This course focuses on supervised application of skills that approximate employment as a school principal. Field-based experiences are completed which are related to courses required in the Leadership program. A total of 9 semester hours is required. Leadership program candidates only.

This course provides a foundational understanding of content and pedagogical knowledge of literacy instruction, the progression of literacy development, and the cultivation of a literacy-rich learning environment that is responsive to all learners. Emphasis is given to foundational and disciplinary literacy and the use of evidence-based practices and scaffolds and supports matched to individual students’ strengths and needs while maintaining grade-appropriate rigor and alignment to Tennessee Academic Standards.

This is the companion practicum for EDUC-609. Candidates will design a professional development project for teachers and staff related to literacy. Co-requisite: EDUC 609.

This course explores the Action Research Model and the vital role of educational literature in action research, and culminates in a scholarly team project designed to improve educational practice and empower educators; specifically, topics around literacy achievement and improvement for diverse learners are discussed. Prerequisites: EDUC 511 or an approved education research course. 

EdS Educational Leadership (EL) and Instructional Practice (IP) candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Pass/Fail grade.

EdS Educational Leadership (EL) and Instructional Practice (IP) candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Pass/Fail grade.

EdS Educational Leadership (EL) and Instructional Practice (IP) candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Pass/Fail grade.

This course will address a topic of interest enriching the existing course offerings and expanding candidate learning and experiences. Topics will be developed by an assigned faculty member as approved by the Dean of the School of Education. The course will be offered as required.

This course focuses on supervised application of skills that approximate employment in various educational settings. Ed.S. level course.

This course examines the role of the school leader to establish and share the vision and mission for academic success of all students including a positive school culture, databased decision-making, stakeholder involvement, and parent and community collaboration. Heavy emphasis is given to all aspects of becoming an effective literacy leader.

Students will initiate the creation of an electronic portfolio that is a purposeful collection of artifacts designed to provide tangible evidence of the candidate's ability to demonstrate leadership in educational settings, and to reflect on critical competencies and practices that improve instruction and enhance student learning. Additional documentation and activities related to Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) for licensure is required of Tennessee Instructional Leadership Licensure candidates. Mentors will be assigned to facilitate the licensure procession partnership with the school district. Candidates focus on a school’s literacy needs to design and implement a school improvement project. 

The required Capstone Electronic Portfolio for the MEd Instructional Leadership Program is an evidence-based assignment. Candidates in the program are expected to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions that reflect the understanding and application of the competencies as described in the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. 

Instructional Leadership (IL) licensure candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework, and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Documentation of the 100 Hour Practicum is also a requirement for the completed portfolio.  Pass/Fail grade.

Instructional Leadership (IL) licensure candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework, and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Documentation of the 100 Hour Practicum is also a requirement for the completed portfolio.  Pass/Fail grade.

Instructional Leadership (IL) licensure candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework, and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Documentation of the 100 Hour Practicum is also a requirement for the completed portfolio.  Pass/Fail grade.