Teaching and Curriculum (T C)

Degree Conferred: M.Ed.

The Graduate Faculty

• Beatrice Adera, Ph.D. (North Texas) Assistant Professor of Special Education
• Ann L. Berger-Knorr, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Reading
• William D. Bigos, Ph.D. (Pittsburgh) Assistant Professor of Education
• Lewis A. Boahene, Ph.D. (Ohio) Associate Professor of Social Studies Education
• Patricia Bullock, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Education
• Shanetia P. Clark, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Education
• William R. Freed, Ed.D. (Lehigh) Assistant Professor of Education
• JoVictoria Goodman, Ph.D. (Pittsburgh) Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations
• Carolyn J. Grasse-Bachman, Ph.D. (Delaware) Assistant Professor of Education
• Kimetta Hairston, Ph.D. (Hawaii) Assistant Professor of Education
• Anju Jolly, Ed.D. (Indiana of Pennsylvania) Assistant Professor of Education
• Jane B. Keat, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Education
• Incho Lee, Ph.D. (Washington) Assistant Professor of Education
• Barbara Marinak, Ph.D. (Maryland) Assistant Professor of Reading
• Denise G. Meister, Ph.D. (Penn State) Associate Professor of Education
• Steven A. Melnick, Ph.D. (Connecticut) Professor of Education
• William D. Milheim, Ph.D. (Kent State) Director, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education; Professor of Education
• Mary Napoli, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Education and Reading
• Martha J. Strickland, Ed.D. (Northern Illinois) Assistant Professor of Education
• Karthigeyan Subramaniam, Ph.D. (University of Otago, New Zealand) Assistant Professor of Education
• Jane M. Wilburne, Ed.D. (Temple) Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education
• Judith L. Zaenglein, Ph.D. (Ohio State) Assistant Professor of Education

The Program

TThe Master of Education degree in Teaching and Curriculum is designed to enhance the skills of teachers for public and private schools. The program focuses on three essential components – curriculum, instruction, and assessment – that contribute to the organization’s philosophy of learning. The Teaching and Curriculum Program is unified by its vision of critical thinking, democracy, diversity, life–long learning, nurturance, and scholarship. Courses are designed to reflect the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The program is offered at Penn State Harrisburg and other selected Penn State campuses.

Through this program, teachers will be able to:

• Communicate more effectively with school-aged students, parents, colleagues, and administrators;
• Enhance their ability to conduct instructional programs that provide a sound intellectual and emotional climate for learning;
• Increase their competence in a variety of teaching methods and in the utilization of materials and content;
• Interpret and evaluate educational literature and research;
• Better describe and evaluate major issues and current trends in instructional curriculum practice and development.

Students may choose a general program of study in Teaching and Curriculum at all locations where the program is offered or may choose from a variety of areas of specialization at Harrisburg, including early childhood education, English as a second language, language arts, math education, or principal certification.

Admission Requirements

The M.Ed. Program in Teaching and Curriculum has four important admission requirements.

First, candidates must have achieved an overall junior/senior grade point average of 3.00 or higher. For candidates applying for admission who have completed credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, we will evaluate the last (approximately) 60 credits completed. Students must submit two copies of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.

Second, candidates must submit two letters of recommendation. These letters must be from former professors who can attest to the academic ability of the candidate.

Third, candidates must submit a 200-300 word personal statement that addresses their career goals and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree.

Finally, candidates must submit test scores from one of the following: Graduate Record Examination, Miller Analogies Test, or Praxis examinations completed for certification. In addition, students whose native language is not English must also achieve acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Students are required to submit a completed online application with the appropriate fee. An application is available at http://www.hbg.psu.edu/admissions/gradapp.php.

Application Deadlines

Candidates may enter the program at the beginning of fall or spring semester, or the summer session. All information, including test scores, must be received by July 1 for fall admission, November 1 for spring admission, and March 1 for summer admission.

Students are required to submit the following:

• A completed online application with the application fee;
• Two copies of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended;
• Two letters of recommendation;
• A 200-300 word personal statement as described above.
• Test scores from one of the following: Graduate Record Examination, Miller Analogies Test, or Praxis Examinations;
• Students whose language is not English must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

An application is available at http://www.hbg.psu.edu/admissions/gradapp.php

The Curriculum

The Master of Education degree in Teaching and Curriculum provides students with two options: (1) course work with a master’s project (EDUC 587) or (2) course work that includes a capstone course (EDUC 591). The option that includes a master’s project requires a total of 33 credits; the capstone course option requires 36 credits. Individuals who select the capstone course option must complete all other degree requirements prior to enrolling in the capstone course. Students may complete the degree requirements for either of the two options with the approval of their adviser.

At least 18 credits must be at the 500-level or higher.

PRESCRIBED CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Introductory Course:

• EDUC 500 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (3)

Educational Foundations:

• EDUC 505 CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONS (3) Prerequisite: EDUC 500

Curriculum Development and Instructional Design:

• EDUC 506 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN (3) Prerequisite: EDUC 505
• EDUC 403 CURRICULUM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD (3) (Early Childhood only) Prerequisite: EDUC 505

Learning Theory:

• EDUC 520 LEARNING THEORY FOR THE CLASSROOM (3) Prerequisite: EDUC 500

Measurement and Evaluation:

• EDUC 539 EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 520
• EDUC 404 YOUNG CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR: OBSERVATION AND EVALUATION (3) (Early Childhood only) Prerequisite: EDUC 520

Educational Research Designs:

• EDUC 586 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH DESIGNS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 539

Culminating Course/Project:

• EDUC 587 MASTER’S PROJECT (3) or
• EDUC 591 EDUCATION SEMINAR (3)

Electives

Students are required to take up to 15 credits of elective course work in the non-project option and 12 credits in the project option. Students may take all of those credits in education or select up to 9 credits of electives in a field other than education.

Transfer Credits

Only degree students can receive transfer credit. A maximum of 10 graduate-level credits may be counted toward the degree, as long as the credits are from an accredited institution and are approved by the faculty adviser, the program coordinator, and the Graduate School. Courses taken as a non-degree student are considered transfer credits. All course work being considered for transfer must have been completed within the last five years, must be of at least B quality (grades of B- are not transferable), and must appear on an official graduate transcript.

Students who transfer from other Penn State graduate degree programs will have their credits evaluated on an individual basis.

Grade-Point Average and Time Limit

A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 is required to maintain good academic standing in the program and to graduate from the program.

All course work must be completed within eight years from admission into the program.

Program Notes

Most courses during the fall and spring semesters are two-and-one-half hours long and are scheduled one evening per week for fifteen weeks. During the summer session, most courses are scheduled during the morning or afternoon, two times a week for six weeks. Some night classes are offered in the summer, though not as frequently. At many of the Penn State campuses in northeast Pennsylvania and in the western region of the Commonwealth, the required core courses in the program are delivered using a modified distance education model.

Teacher Certification Program

Penn State Harrisburg also offers initial teacher certification programs for post-baccalaureate students in secondary English, mathematics, and social studies. Courses required for initial certification do not count toward the master's degree.

Those wishing to pursue the elementary teacher certification should enroll as undergraduates, even if they already hold a baccalaureate degree.

For a list of courses, visit the web at http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook/$programs.htm.

ADDITIONAL COURSES
EDUCATION (EDUC)

• EDUC 400 DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS PRACTICES IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM (3)
• EDUC 401 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (3)
• EDUC 402 LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, SELF-EXPRESSION, AND LITERATURE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (3)
• EDUC 405 (DF) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD (3)
• EDUC 406 HUMAN SEXUALITY (3)
• EDUC 408 ADMINISTRATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 401
• EDUC 410 THE CHILD AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS (3)
• EDUC 412 EARLY LITERACY INTERVENTION I (3). Prerequisite: permission of the program
• EDUC 413 EARLY LITERACY INTERVENTION II (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 412
• EDUC 418 POSITIVE CLASSROOM CLIMATE FOR POSITIVE ATTITUDES ABOUT LEARNING (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• EDUC 422 LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS (4)
• EDUC 424 FOLK AND FAIRY TALES (3). Prerequisite: 6 credits in humanities
• EDUC 425 LITERACY ASSESSMENT (3). Prerequisite: permission of the program
• EDUC 432 Children's Literature in Teaching Writing (3)
• EDUC 436 INCLUSION PRACTICES IN EDUCATION (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• EDUC 440 EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS AND MEASUREMENTS (3)
• EDUC 450 CURRENT TOPICS IN EDUCATION (1-15)
• EDUC 452 TEACHING WRITING (3)
• EDUC 460 FIELD STUDY IN ECOLOGY (4). Prerequisite: EDSCI 454
• EDUC 462 COMPUTERS FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS (3).
• EDUC 463 THE INTERNET AND K-12 EDUCATION (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 462 or approval of program
• EDUC 464 TECHNOLOGY AND THE LEARNING PROCESS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 462 or EDUC 463 or permission of program
• EDUC 466 FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• EDUC 467 ENGLISH LANGUAGE STRUCTURE FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHERS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 466 or permission of program
• EDUC 468 LANGUAGE ACQUISITION FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHERS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 466 and EDUC 467, or permission of program
• EDUC 469 TEACHING METHODS AND ASSESSMENT OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 466, EDUC 467, EDUC 468, or permission of program
• EDUC 471 BEST PRACTICES IN LITERACY (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 320 or EDUC 321
• EDUC 472 TEACHING READING THROUGH THE CONTENT AREAS (3)
• EDUC 474 ADVANCED WHOLE LANGUAGE (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 471
• EDUC 476 THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT (3)
• EDUC 484 SCHOOL LAW FOR TEACHERS (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• EDUC 495C EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD EXPERIENCE (1)
• EDUC 495 INTERNSHIP (1-15). Prerequisite: prior approval of proposed assignment by instructor
• EDUC 496 INDEPENDENT STUDIES (1-18)
• EDUC 497 SPECIAL TOPICS (1-9)
• EDUC 501 HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION (3). Prerequisite: approval of program
• EDUC 503 CULTURAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS EDUCATION (3). Prerequisite: approval of program
• EDUC 508 TEACHING GIFTED STUDENTS IN HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS (3). Prerequisite: approval of program
• EDUC 560 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT (3)
• EDUC 571 GREAT TEACHERS (3)
• EDUC 572 COMPARATIVE EDUCATION: WORLD PERSPECTIVES (3)
• EDUC 583 PROBLEMS IN TEACHING: SELECTED SUBJECT AREAS (3)
• EDUC 584 ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH: SELECTED TOPICS (3). Prerequisite: EDUC 586
• EDUC 589 PROBLEMS IN URBAN EDUCATION (3)
• EDUC 590 COLLOQUIUM (1-3)
• EDUC 596 INDIVIDUAL STUDIES (1-9)
• EDUC 597 SPECIAL TOPICS (1-9)
• EDMTH 441 GEOMETRY AND MEASUREMENT ACROSS THE K-12 CURRICULUM (3)
• EDMTH 442 ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS ACROSS THE K-12 CURRICULUM (3)
• EDMTH 443 DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY ACROSS THE K-12 CURRICULUM (3)
• EDMTH 455 CURRENT ISSUES IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (3)
• SCIED 455 FIELD NATURAL HISTORY FOR TEACHERS (3)
• SCIED 457 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION (3)

Please note: This page is not a part of the official Penn State Graduate Bulletin.