Curriculum and Courses

This course presents an overview of the field of early childhood education. Participants will develop awareness of and competency in the foundations of the physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and linguistic development that occurs from birth to age eight. This course will also focus on what it means to be an early childhood professional equipped to care for young children and effectively work with colleagues, children and families from diverse backgrounds.

This course prepares educators to promote language and literacy development in the early childhood setting. Participants will develop competency in the components of emergent literacy including oral language development, phonological and phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, vocabulary development, phonics and decoding, spelling, morphological awareness, and be introduced to how to build the foundation for comprehension and reading fluency. A variety of evidence-based instructional techniques will be examined, which will equip teachers to design and implement multi-dimensional early literacy instruction that meets the needs of young learners with diverse language and learning needs.

This course explores instructional methods and assessment strategies that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the early childhood setting. Participants will gain experience selecting, organizing, and using materials to plan developmentally appropriate learning experiences for young learners in a variety of content areas including literacy, English language arts, math, social studies, science, fine arts, health, and wellness.

This course prepares educators to manage an early childhood learning environment with a variety of learner backgrounds, exceptionalities, and preferences. Participants will learn about developmentally appropriate classroom management approaches and techniques that are inclusive of diverse learners. The course also builds on prior knowledge of assessment and explores how observation and other types of informal and formal assessments can be used to understand learner needs, manage the learning environment, measure growth and skill development.

This course provides hands-on experience in early childhood education settings, allowing participants to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world practice. Participants will engage in planning, implementing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate activities for young children while building professional skills in the classroom management, communication, and observation. Emphasis is placed on fostering a safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environment. There should be practice in all of the content areas, but there will be particularly strong focus on scientifically based reading instruction. Regular reflection, collaboration with clinical educators, and constructive feedback are integral components of the practicum. A minimum of 120 hours of practical experience is required.

Students gain knowledge and skills needed for analyzing, preparing, applying and reporting educational research. This course will prepare students for their field-based research project.
Prerequisites: Application for graduation and completion of at least 6 hours from the following: ED 612, 613, 614, 622, 623, 624, 632, 633, 634, 642, 643, 644, 652, 653, or 654.

Students examine the integration of current theories of curriculum design and content standards in the planning of TESOL instruction.

Students will identify, plan and write a proposal for a field-based research project in a TESOL setting. Proposal will be submitted to the Huntington University Institutional Review Board for approval.
Prerequisites: ED 599 and consent

Students will implement and complete their approved field-based research project. A written document detailing the research methodology, findings and application of findings is required.
Prerequisite: ED 655A

New students will be enrolled in an online orientation module when accepted into a graduate program (excluding OTD students). Online learning provides a very flexible learning environment that requires students to take ownership for learning. This course is designed to be self-paced and will introduce students to the online learning management system, University policies and ensure students know how and where to seek assistance and support.

This course focuses on special education as a profession. Emphasis will be placed on historical, philosophical, and legal foundations of special education. The rights and responsibilities of parents, students, educators, and other professionals as these relate to students with exceptional needs will also be studied. Programming options and ethical practices for students with intense disabilities will be emphasized.

This course focuses on communication and collaborative partnerships that will ensure success for the exceptional learner across the full spectrum of services available. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of the ongoing relationships between the special education school staff, education colleagues, parents, families, and agencies to support the education and growth of the learner. Skills related to the process of conducting team meetings and co-teaching will be discussed. Ethical consideration dealing with confidential information will be explored.

This course will focus on the characteristics of learners with intense exceptionalities and the methods and materials used for intervention. Various strategies that facilitate learner success in the least restrictive environment will be discussed. Additionally, modifying curriculum and environments to ensure learner success will be stressed. The course will also integrate the Science of Reading, providing evidence-based approaches to reading instruction that support learners with diverse needs. The used of direct instruction and assessment of instruction to plan instructional objectives for the exceptional learner will be emphasized, along with the connection between daily planning and the individual education plan.

This course focuses on the multiple forms of assessment and record keeping. Emphasis will be placed on the selection, use, and interpretation of a wide variety of formal and informal assessments, as well as effective ways of communicating that information to parents and colleagues. Additional focus will be on using assessments to plan, modify, and deliver instruction. Students will also practice the development of individualized education plans (IEPs), with attention to creating tailored educational goals and strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.

This practicum course provides hands-on experience in teaching and supporting learners with intense needs in special education settings. Participants will work closely with clinical educators and other professionals in diverse educational settings to implement individualized education plans (IEPs), utilize evidence-based teaching strategies, and adapt curriculum to meet the unique needs of each learner. Emphasis is placed on developing communication skills, promoting functional independence, and fostering inclusive practices. Through observation, collaboration, and direct instruction, participants will refine their skills in assessment, behavior management, and differentiated instruction, particularly paying attention to areas where scientifically based reading and literacy instruction may be utilized, ensuring positive outcomes for students with exceptional needs. Regular reflection and feedback sessions are integral to the course, allowing students to critically evaluate and enhance their teaching practices. A minimum of 120 practical hours of experience is required.

This course explores issues related to the intercultural communication process and considers the important role of context (social, cultural and historical) in intercultural interactions. Students in the class examine the complex relationship between cultures and communication from various perspectives. Special emphasis will be given to managing cross-cultural conflict, cross-cultural teaching and cross-cultural ministry applications. Graduate students will have assignments and projects beyond those of the undergraduate version of the course.

This course prepares students for the cycle of differentiating instruction and assessment based on various English language learner needs. Students will learn to assess language learners' proficiency levels, SLA stages, individual differences, and achievement of content and language objectives. Students will also learn to differentiate instruction based on assessments and continue the cycle of reassessing and then modifying and implementing instruction.

Students will be introduced to major issues related to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Students will examine the process of second language acquisition, acquire instructional skills for teaching ELs (English learners) and explore resources and opportunities. Graduate students will have assignments and projects beyond those of the undergraduate version of the course.

This course will prepare students to teach aural and oral English language communication. Driven by pragmatics and grounded in the Communicative Approach, this instructional methods course will prepare students with lesson planning strategies, specific language-learning activities for the classroom and access to instructional resources for the EL instructor. Graduate students will have assignments and projects beyond those of the undergraduate version of the course.
Prerequisite: TE 533

This course will focus on specific pedagogical issues related to teaching ELs reading and writing. Students will learn different approaches to teaching writing, compare and contrast native English-speaking composition with EL writing, explore the connection between reading and writing, learn specific teaching strategies for classroom implementation and understand techniques for assessment and responding to EL student writing. Graduate students will have assignments and projects beyond those of the undergraduate version of the course.
Prerequisite: TE 533

This course explores the pedagogical issues related to teaching ELs vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. Students will explore different factors, including the influence of first languages, that impact development of vocabulary and pronunciation as well as proper usage of English grammar structures. Students will learn teaching strategies for classroom implementation as well as appropriate forms of assessment for language usage.
Prerequisite: TE 533

An individualized study of a problem, a research paper or a project related to the TESOL field.
Prerequisite: Consent

Students will participate in a 120-hour practicum teaching and working with EL students either in a self-contained EL setting or in an instructional capacity in a regular classroom.
Prerequisite: TE 533

This certification course will introduce students to the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, explore factors that impact learning languages, examine best teaching practices and principles, and develop instructional skills to prepare teachers for language learning settings.
This course may not be used to fulfill requirements in the TESOL certification.