Graduate Program

This course focuses on the foundational skills required for early success in the classroom. Topics will include the TESS domains (from Danielson’s Framework for Teaching), principles of classroom management, teacher collaboration, and professional dispositions and ethics. Course content will focus on organizing content knowledge for student learning, creating environments that are conducive to student learning, developing the instructional skills necessary for guiding student learning, and demonstrating growth within the profession. Candidates should complete this course in the summer prior to field placement or employment on a provisional license.

This course focuses on preparing pre-service teachers to effectively teach reading and literacy skills based on the science of reading. Course topics include the science of reading research as well as concepts of print, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and word study, development of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction.

This course focuses on developing teacher candidate awareness of the foundational principles of the science of reading as it pertains to literacy instruction in the content areas, as well as their knowledge and skills related to content-area instructional methods and strategies.

This course is part one of a two-course sequence that emphasizes how children develop and learn. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a graduate-level introduction to the theory, empirical research, and practical educational applications of development and learning. Topics will include biological, cognitive, affective, social, and personality development. The focus will be almost exclusively be on typical development. As such, the course will not focus on therapeutic approaches, interventions, or clinical populations (except in rare and limited instances). Material will be covered through instructor and student presentations and seminar discussions.

This course is part two of a two-course sequence that emphasizes how children develop and learn. The purpose of this course is to continue the focus on theory, empirical research and practical educational applications of development and learning. Topics will include learning and memory, language development, literacy, motivation, and social cognition. This course will also provide students with useful tools in understanding teaching within the context of child development, exploring the impact that family structure, peers, and the media has on children’s learning.

This course focuses on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for high quality, authentic instructional practice. Topics will include instruction using interdisciplinary teaching and learning, instructional models for a variety of teaching purposes, and pedagogical practices that support student learning. Students will design an interdisciplinary thematic unit that incorporates content from a variety of disciplines including the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, mathematics, and sciences as appropriate.

Designed to prepare teacher candidates to effectively integrate technology into classroom practice, this course focuses on using technological resources and tools to enhance learning through standards-based content instruction and pedagogical best practices. The course explores how technology may be leveraged as a tool to facilitate changes in the way teachers teach and students learn, and ultimately to stimulate positive changes in education both locally and globally. It also examines how educators can increase their own productivity by using technology for communication and collaboration among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community. Students will examine the benefits and possible drawbacks of technology use in their classrooms and learn how to integrate technology effectively into their teaching to promote student learning. Course topics align with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for students and teachers.

This course explores diversity, equity, and engagement in educational settings within the sociopolitical context of the present day. Readings and discussions will focus on how societal and educational systems impact student learning and how culturally responsive educators can provide high quality instruction to a diverse student population.

This course focuses on foundational legal and ethical principles upon which school leaders should base their decisions in their work as educators and as advocates for their students, their colleagues, their communities, and the teaching profession.

The student teaching residency is designed to provide the pre-service teacher with a realistic mentored experience in planning, managing, and teaching in a public-school classroom. The seminar is designed to both enable the intern to integrate theory and practice and to find professional support from peers and faculty. The seminar itself will be process-oriented, with weekly topics determined collaboratively between the instructor and the students. Interns who are employed by a school district as teacher of record will complete the residency in their district-assigned classrooms. Interns who are not employed by a school district will be placed in a classroom with a mentor teacher. 

The student teaching residency is designed to provide the pre-service teacher with a realistic mentored experience in planning, managing, and teaching in a public-school classroom. The seminar is designed to both enable the intern to integrate theory and practice and to find professional support from peers and faculty. The seminar itself will be process-oriented, with weekly topics determined collaboratively between the instructor and the students. Interns who are employed by a school district on a provisional license will complete the residency in their district-assigned classrooms. Interns who are not employed by a school district will be placed in a classroom with a mentor teacher.

This course explores the historical, social and mental health factors that influence the Deaf learner’s educational journey. Learning enhances our understanding of the impact of these factors and leads to identifying approaches that promote positive educational, psychological, emotional, and social development. The course begins by exploring current educational practices in historical context and then looks at different aspects of a Deaf child’s experiences that impact social and mental health, including connections to the student’s familial and educational environment.

This course is designed to examine the linguistic properties of ASL, including phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, and how signed languages differ and are like spoken languages. Students will be introduced to the linguistic and culturally based communication issues that impact the process between Deaf and hearing persons.

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for basic understanding of the hearing process for normal hearing as well as deaf/hard of hearing individuals. Topics will include anatomy and physiology, hearing evaluations, and intervention strategies that may be available for students. Students will participate in discussions on hot topics in audiology as they relate to deaf education practices.

This course addresses several theories regarding language acquisition and language deprivation with a focus on the direct educational impacts. The course is divided into three main sections: Language Development through ASL, Language Development through Speech, and Language Deprivation Syndrome. 

This course is an intensive study of the legislation and litigation involved with individuals with disabilities, specifically concentrating on deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students between the ages of birth-21years. A historical as well as current study of legislation used as the basis for providing special education services on the federal and state level will be covered. The legal system on the federal and state level is covered as well as critical litigation that has influenced the field of special education, specifically the cases that relate to educating DHH students.

This course is designed to give teachers confidence with research-based instructional techniques and strategies in the area of teaching reading to deaf students. Topics will cover best practices and current trends in second language acquisition while emphasizing explicit instruction, progress monitoring and targeted assessments designed to monitor growth of deaf students. By providing a foundation in ASL/English Bilingual strategies, teachers can move beyond traditional instruction to improving literacy across the curriculum.

This course is a study of the philosophical foundations, principles, and practices of effective instruction for deaf students. Based on the assumption that the best teachers critically consider what to teach, how to teach, and how to assess students and their classes, this course nurtures a well-developed and thoughtful intellectual framework that helps teachers make sound educational decisions based upon the myriad of factors that influence those decisions.

The internship is designed to provide students with a realistic mentored field experience in planning, managing, and teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. The accompanying seminar is designed to enable the intern to integrate theory and practice and to find professional support from peers and faculty on the Arkansas School for the Deaf campus.