Below you will find a detailed list of the courses and course related requirements you will be expected to complete in order to graduate from the MUST program. You cannot test out of any of these courses (with the exception of ETE 501, see below,) nor can any field experience requirement be waived. In order to ensure the highest quality teachers possible, if you earn a grade of B- or lower in any course, you will be dismissed from the program. The courses are described in the chronological order in which you will take them. At the end of this page you will find a description of the research project required in order to complete the program.

Summer I

ETE 501 Technology Strand (two credits). Co-requisite: EDB 601. Introduces students to the basic concepts and skills of computer technologies useful for educational settings and graduate study. An overview of user interface and file handling on both Macintosh and Windows 95/98 operating systems is presented. The use of the World Wide Web for information retrieval is discussed and practiced. Communication via electronic mail and attachments is introduced. Concepts and standard procedures in the use of common word processors and spreadsheets are addressed. Once mastery is achieved among the five topics of OS (Operating Systems), the web, e-mail, Word, and Excel, students are expected to combine their skills to produce a comprehensive final project demonstrating the use of their skills in an educational context. Please note that students will be given an opportunity to test out of this course.

ETE 565 Technology in the Classroom (four credits). Prerequisite: EDB 601. Course is aimed at classroom teachers in all subject areas and at all levels. Provides an overview of and hands-on experience with major instructional uses of technology in the classroom; familiarizes students with current research in the area; and builds a moderate level of competence and confidence in designing instructional applications of technology within a given setting.

EDB 502 Psychological Foundations of Education

EDB 601 Educational Research (three credits). An introduction to quantitative and qualitative methods used in educational research. Emphasis on understanding, interpreting, and critiquing research studies. The role of the socio-cultural context in research is considered. Offered every semester.

EDL 505 Reading in the Content Areas (three credits). Critique and analysis of current theory, research, and practice as they relate to content-area reading instruction. Particular attention is given to the development of comprehension, metacognitive awareness, and effective studying strategies. Also stressed are internal and external textbook-thinking skills, the integrated use of reading and writing across the curriculum, and materials and methods to promote life-long learning. Other topics include media literacy, inquiry learning, authentic assessment, action research, and diversity issues. Required for reading endorsement.

Fall Semester

EST 572 Practicum in Secondary Education (three credits). Prerequisite: Prior application and approval of the Office of Field Services; must be taken concurrently with EDS 513, EDS 515, EDS 516, or EDS 517. Structured field experience designed to accompany secondary methods courses in English, science, mathematics, or social studies education. Prepares students for student teaching; stresses the practical application of theory and research to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of instruction. Students explore the various roles of a teacher and begin formulating a personal philosophy for teaching while working in a junior or senior high school classroom under the direction of a cooperating teacher and a University supervisor; includes seminar. Required for secondary teaching license.

EDB 505

ESE 504 Teaching Students of Varying Abilities (three credits). Survey of educational issues related to serving individuals with disabilities as well as those considered to be gifted and talented. Includes an introduction to the characteristics, etiology, classification, incidence, and learning potential of students with special needs, as well as the legal aspects involved in teaching these students. Addresses methods for accommodating learners of varied ability within the regular classroom through alteration of the environment, curriculum, and instruction.EST 572 (Fall)

Students must also take one of the following, depending on specialization:

EDS 513 Secondary Language Arts Instruction and Assessment (four credits). Co-requisite: EST 572. Critical exploration and analysis of current developments in the teaching of secondary English with emphasis on student-centered methods that encourage integrated study of the language arts. Pragmatic and theoretical aspects of language, literature, and composition instruction are considered especially as they apply to the selection of objectives, strategies, and materials for instruction and evaluation. Areas of study include reading and writing development, the writing process, the processes involved in reading literary works, oral language and listening-skill development, as well as formative and summative techniques for assessing pupil progress.

EDS 515 Mathematics Education in the Secondary School (four credits). Co-requisite: EST 572. Traces the historical development of various fields of mathematics and provides opportunities for the prospective mathematics teacher to gain experience in preparing and teaching problem-centered lessons. Focuses on materials and strategies for teaching mathematics at the intermediate and secondary level. Also considered are student characteristics, teaching and learning styles, issues of equity and diversity, and constructivist theories of learning. Topics for discussion include issues associated with inquiry learning and changing instructional practices that provide a problem-rich environment for learning and the use of technology.

EDS 516 Social Studies Education in the Secondary School (four credits). Prerequisites: Minimum of 75% of social studies content courses completed, and completion of all education foundation and curriculum courses. Co-requisite EST 572. Explores concepts, purposes, and underlying assumptions of teaching social sciences; develops activities to improve intermediate and secondary students' interest and competence in democratic citizenship in a pluralistic society; addresses interdisciplinary curriculum linkages.

EDS 517 Science Education in the Secondary School (four credits). Co-requisite: EST 572. Introduction to structure and function of science instruction in the secondary schools; provides background and principles of science education, including instructional planning, methods, assessment, materials, and philosophy for teaching science.

Spring Semester

EDB 604 Social Issues and Education (three credits). Focuses on the relationship of crucial issues in society to educational questions. Alternative purposes of education in light of the changing intellectual, social, and technological climate of modern America are considered. Offered every semester.

EST 582 Student Teaching in Secondary Education (10 credits). Prerequisite: Prior application and approval of the Office of Field Services; must be taken concurrently with EST 595. Five full days a week for one semester in a secondary school classroom observing and teaching under the direction of a cooperating teacher and a University supervisor. Required for secondary teaching license.

Summer 2

The second summer of the MUST program is devoted to completing student research project. Students only take one course. Below is an outline of what is included in the student research project.

Introduction (2 - 3 pages)

• Description of yourself, your personal and professional path to this project
• Description of your personal, professional interests or concerns behind this project
• Brief description of the problem and the intervention you will use to promote student learning

Review of the Literature (3 - 4 pages)

• Description of the findings from 4 - 5 recent and historical research articles/ books that address your intervention (e.g. "Fastbacks" published by Phi Delta Kappa)
• List of research questions that arise from this literature and the planed use of this intervention in your setting
• Annotated bibliography based on selected research question and intervention

Methodology (2 - 3 pages)

• Description of your community setting, your school and its demographics, and the students in your classroom
• Description of actual "intervention" you will use to promote student learning
• Description of research methods you will use to study your intervention, to collect and analyze data (e.g. questionnaires, surveys, rubrics, student quizzes and assignments, peer observations, your own teaching journal, classroom environment, etc.)
• Data collection methods must include a minimum of 3 data sources, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data sources, and at least 1 data source collected by the mentor teacher
• Description of data analysis process and research timeframe
• Complete chart of your pilot (fall) and final implementation timelines, data collection methods, data analysis methods

Findings and Conclusions (5 - 6 pages)

• Description of the qualitative and quantitative findings from the pilot implementation of the study conducted during the fall semester
• Description of the qualitative findings that arose from the analyzed data, grouped by themes and illustrated with examples and quotes
• Quantitative representation of the findings that arose from analyzed data, shared in graphs or charts and illustrated with particularly interesting numbers and percentages
• Discussion of conclusions that you drew from your qualitative and quantitative data and findings, including comparison of your findings to those of other studies
• It is strongly suggested that findings be shared in a mini - case study format, focusing in richer detail on the impact the use of intervention had on the learning of 4 - 6 individual students

Limits and Recommendations (1 - 2 pages)

• Description of factors that may have influenced your research process or your findings
• Description of components of your research project that you were not able to address sufficiently (most likely because of time)
• Description of future teacher research projects that might be conducted based on your findings
• Description of the "so what?" of the intervention - WHY this intervention was necessary and WHY it impacted student learning

References (in APA style)

Tables, Figures, Appendices

Questionnaires, surveys, and specific instruments used for collecting and analyzing data

Graphs, tables and charts that illustrate findings, and that are too large to include in "Findings and Conclusions" section