MEd, Teacher Licensure

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 includes a study of concepts essential to becoming a teacher leader. Basic and advanced strategies in curriculum, instruction, assessment, current research, technology, diversity, leadership, and philosophy are addressed. This course is Module I in the Master of Education - Teacher Licensure program.

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. This course is Module II in the Master of Education - Teacher Licensure program. 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 and diversity issues will be examined throughout the course.

This course is an overview of the teaching of elementary mathematics with an emphasis on research-based methods and theoretical foundations for contemporary math programs. Candidates will explore and practice teaching and assessment strategies based on the concept-centered approach to teaching math and the cognitive constructivist approach to learning. Candidates will have the opportunity to examine a variety of materials, including appropriate technology for classroom use and for evaluation purposes. Real world applications, diversity, and the integration of math concepts in other disciplines will be emphasized. Candidates will also become familiar with and apply national standards in practice unit/lesson plans.

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.

Candidates will examine strategies and pedagogy related to the life, earth/ space and physical sciences. National standards and the application of those standards to K-5 lesson planning will be emphasized. Research will focus on best practice as candidates learn to plan, instruct, and assess life, earth/space, and physical science unit and lesson plans. Candidates will also create integrated unit lessons connected to science, technology, and societal issues. Inquiry-based learning experiences will be studied and constructivist activities will be modeled as candidates learn to plan, present, and assess constructivist unit and lesson plans for K-5 students.

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.

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 diverse characteristics and needs of students.

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 diverse learning needs and varied backgrounds.

Candidates in this course interpret and apply current special education policy and law to practice, as professional and ethical educational leaders and advocates for students with disabilities.

Candidates in this course learn collaborative teamwork as the means to address literacy, communication, and language development in children with special needs. They learn to collaborate and consult with professionals in order to evaluate students' needs, contribute to IEP preparation, and provide exemplary instruction.

This course provides a framework for understanding students with moderate and severe and multiple disabilities. The impact of these disabilities on the family and community will be discussed. Candidates will evaluate the varied characteristics and communication skills of students with extensive support needs such as health care, self-care, community-living, and self-advocacy. Candidates will focus on how these support needs affect performance at school. Candidates will plan for and effectively teach learners with moderate and multiple disabilities, while incorporating varying levels of guidance, support and prompting into teaching. This course will prompt candidates to explore systematic instructional procedures as a means of ensuring all students have equitable access to learning opportunities.

This course examines various categories of disabilities outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) while integrating literacy and math instructional strategies and assessments. Candidates will gain a comprehensive understanding of student levels and goal setting for growth. Through practical application and case studies, candidates will develop the skills necessary to provide targeted support and facilitate meaningful progress for students with diverse learning needs.

This course examines the complexity of classroom and behavior management using the framework of Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavioral Supports. Candidates apply knowledge of how teacher behavior, environmental factors, and disabilities influence the behaviors of all students. Candidates research models of classroom and behavior intervention. Candidates develop and deliver effective instruction using behavioral principles within a framework of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and functional behavior assessments. Best practices in behavior and classroom management will be discussed.

Candidates, in compliance with IDEA transition assessment requirements, will identify transition assessments and programs suitable for individuals with varying characteristics, skills, and aptitudes. They will accurately interpret assessment results in order to develop appropriate, individualized postsecondary goals. Candidates will develop strategies to report results to students, families, and other team members and work collaboratively to plan for students' self-determination, skill development, and identification of supports and services. 

This course provides a framework for understanding and designing effective social interaction/communication and behavior interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. The course focuses on the application of empirically validated social interaction/communication and behavioral interventions that are consistent with principles of ABA in designing the interventions. Students will participate in lectures, demonstrations, presentations, and application activities.

This course provides an in-depth study of responsive teaching strategies to meet diverse learning needs while emphasizing the need for strong homeschool collaboration between schools and families of students with high incidence disabilities. Candidates collaborate to form professional teams with staff, administrators, and others for professional development, instruction, and problem solving. Candidates examine characteristics of students with high incidence disabilities, including learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities and mild or moderate intellectual disabilities (focusing on how to apply various strategies of accommodations and curricular modifications to meet individualized learning needs.) This course emphasizes a culturally responsive, inclusive philosophy that promotes self-determination. Candidates explore the best of inclusion practices, the most effective general teaching practices, and ways to differentiate instruction for specific content areas with an emphasis on effective literacy and mathematics instruction for learners with complex support needs. Candidates apply principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the latest strategies relating to academic success as a means to improve outcomes and prevent failure of all students, including students with disabilities, ELL students, and other at-risk students.