Graduate Course Descriptions

In this course, students will learn how to create online effective instruction as outlined in the Teacher Effectiveness Model of teaching supervision and evaluation. The candidate will learn strategies and techniques to actively engage students while building an online learning community. They will learn how to facilitate and monitor appropriate interactions of students while building trust within this community. Candidates will understand their role as an effective learning facilitator by establishing consistent and reliable expectations while giving appropriate and timely feedback to community members. Techniques for leading online instruction groups that are focused and inquiry based will be developed. Emphasis will be placed on providing differentiated instruction addressing the needs of the diverse online learners. (Prerequisite: EDL 666) (Includes 14 Field Experience Hours)

This course provides classroom teachers with information about factors that contribute to risky behaviors with a focus on the ecology of children’s lives that includes the school, community and neighborhood environments that increase risk in PK-12. Family, school, and individual characteristics that provide a more prominent and direct influence on youth will be explored. Data on at-risk categories along with major treatment and prevention approaches are examined. Prevention strategies are presented that focus on family, school, peer groups, and the individual.

This course seeks to inform teachers about the importance of mental health literacy in teaching students in PK-12. Mental Health issues include substance use and abuse, STDs, Risky Behaviors, Youth Violence, Youth Suicide, Anxiety, Depression, Bullying, Child Abuse and Neglect, Coping with Emergencies and Disasters, Attention Deficit (ADD/ADHD), Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia, and Affective Mood Disorder with a goal toward understanding and compassionate care of youth engaged in these behaviors (Required: 10 hours supervised or mentorship in the endorsement area.)

Research shows that to be successful in adult life, students must master not only core academics (literacy, numeracy, etc.) but also social emotional skills and a mindset that embodies a good citizen (Bock, 2015). Socio-emotional functioning of students, a non-academic component of schooling, is inextricably intertwined with academic functioning. Immaculata University’s approved endorsement program in Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness PK-12 requires field experience of its students. The final course requires a culmination of 45 hours of field experience PK-12 (10 hours from each of the first two courses) and 25 hours integrated application of wellness with a portfolio of culminating supervisory or mentorship experiences.

This course will equip candidates with the ability to effectively integrate children’s literature into instruction from Pre-K through high school. Various fiction and nonfiction genres will be explored in terms of motivating students, increasing their interest in reading, and developing an appreciation for a wide variety of types of texts. Emphasis will be placed on incorporating children’s literature into core and intervention instruction to address the Pennsylvania Core ELA Standards. This course is required for reading specialist certification.

This course is designed to provide reading specialist candidates with the ability to successfully evaluate and diagnose children who are struggling with reading and writing. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of how to select, administer, and analyze date gleaned from a variety of formal, informal, and state-required assessment types, including but not limited to formative, diagnostic, progress-monitoring, summative, curriculum-based, standardized, and informal reading inventories. Candidates will develop the ability to interpret and communicate those results to school personnel and families. Students will conduct a variety of assessments and will compose a case study diagnosing the strengths and needs of a struggling learner. This course is required for reading specialist certification.

This course will focus on the study of the PK-12 literacy program. Emphasis is placed on the role of the reading specialist in developing, coordinating, and administering a literacy program at the school and district levels. Students will analyze the strengths and needs of a school’s literacy program and make recommendations for improvement. Other topics that will be explored include involvement in professional organizations; instructional schedules, tasks, and procedures; selecting materials and programs providing professional support and development.

The Special Topics in Education course will address innovations, trends, and strategies in the field of education.

Provides the Principal Certification Candidate with the opportunity to apply educational theory and research findings to practical application in a variety of educational environments. Students are required to experience appropriate activities in the areas of administration, curriculum, teaching and learning. These experiences provide students with opportunities to compare their varied practical educational experience with the knowledge base of educational administration to diagnose sources of difficulty, to identify problems, to develop plans and strategies as well as to assess developing outcomes. Includes 360 hours of documented activities of which 180 may be accumulated prior to taking the Principal Practicum. The hours may be accumulated through work-site activities in the school setting as well as through completion of assigned coursework research. The focus of the practicum experience is directly aligned with the standards of the Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Program. (All pr

This course provides the Certification Candidate with the opportunity to apply educational theory and research findings to practical application in a variety of educational environments. The candidate may accomplish this task through participation in work-site activities in the schools setting as well as completion of assigned coursework research. Students are required to experience appropriate activities in the areas of administration, curriculum, teaching and learning which are directly aligned with the standards of the Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership program. These experiences provide students with opportunities to compare their varied practical educational experience with the knowledge base of educational administration to diagnose sources of difficulty, to identify problems, to develop plans and strategies as well as to assess developing outcomes.