Academics

Overview

Additional Program Admission Requirement

Pass DC requirements for Praxis II Early Childhood Education Content Knowledge

Program Requirements

To complete the Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Preparation Program and be recommended for dual licensure in the District of Columbia, candidates must satisfy the following requirements:

  1. Completion of graduate degree requirements.
  2. Successful completion (grade of B or better) of all academic and practicum requirements specified by the Department of Education.
  3. Successful completion of all field experiences and student teaching.
  4. Successful completion of all appropriate Praxis II examinations, and of program performance assessments aligned with courses, field experiences, and student teaching. [Candidates who successfully complete the degree program (i.e., grades of B or better in all coursework) but not the performance assessments may graduate from the program but are not recommended for licensure.]
  5. American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) rating of 2+.

This program leads to DC Licensure. If you are seeking licensure in another state you are responsible for checking into their reciprocity policy.

Courses & Requirements

Additional Program Admission Requirement

Pass DC requirements for Praxis II Early Childhood Education Content Knowledge

Program Requirements

To complete the Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Preparation Program and be recommended for dual licensure in the District of Columbia, candidates must satisfy the following requirements:

  1. Completion of graduate degree requirements.
  2. Successful completion (grade of B or better) of all academic and practicum requirements specified by the Department of Education.
  3. Successful completion of all field experiences and student teaching.
  4. Successful completion of all appropriate Praxis II examinations, and of program performance assessments aligned with courses, field experiences, and student teaching. [Candidates who successfully complete the degree program (i.e., grades of B or better in all coursework) but not the performance assessments may graduate from the program but are not recommended for licensure.]
  5. American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) rating of 2+.

This program leads to DC Licensure. If you are seeking licensure in another state you are responsible for checking into their reciprocity policy.

Summary of Requirements

Summer I Semester (Hybrid)

EDU 602: Denotes courses that are not required for students who have previously taken them (or their equivalents) and passed them with a grade of B or higher.

This course is designed to familiarize students with various educational technologies. Students will learn how to use, troubleshoot, and integrate technology into their instruction. Emphasis will be on presentation, collaboration, and organization of technology tools to support student learning.

Credits: 2
Requisites:

Pre- or co-requisite: EDU 600 or equivalent

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

The focus of this course is research as a strategy of inquiry for improving practice and advancing our professions. The general principles of qualitative, quantitative, and action research designs will be considered, along with related problems of measurement, statement and clarification of research problems, and basic statistical methods for describing data. The goal is to produce professionals who are consumers of research in their fields who can apply research for the improvement of their school or work settings.

Credits: 3
Distribution: Graduate, Masters, Online

Fall I Semester (On Campus)

EDU 620, EDU 624, and EDU 670: Denotes courses that are not required for students who have previously taken them (or their equivalents) and passed them with a grade of B or higher.

This course provides an introduction to the field of early childhood education. The course will include the study of the foundations of early childhood education including: theories, models, evidence-based practices, issues and developmentally appropriate practice. In addition, the course will address the role of the teacher, families, and other professionals in supporting young children (ages 3-8).

Requisites:

Pre- or co-requisite: admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course prepares teacher candidates with the basic techniques for observing, documenting, and interpreting the development and behavior of young diverse learners from PreK to 12th grade. Candidates will apply their knowledge in child and adolescent development to utilize child observation and assessment strategies and documenting methods to gather information on development and learning and to make inferences for education planning based on the information gathered. The emphasis in this course also includes culturally relevant and equitable assessment strategies.

Requisites:

Admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course emphasizes developmental learning environments, materials, and experiences for teaching young children, birth through preschool. Focus will be on curriculum based in home-school interactions, as well as the integration of language arts, reading, science, social studies, mathematics, and creative expression. 20 hours of related field experience required.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

EDU 620; and admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Undergraduate

This course is designed to familiarize students with the identification of exceptional children in terms of developmental needs, interpretation of assessment data, development and evaluation of appropriate intervention strategies for the regular classroom teacher, and legislation in special education. This course will prepare teacher candidates to work with children and youth with a broad range of disabilities and educational needs. Topics will include understanding disability; understanding principles of legislation and curriculum and instruction; establishing positive learning environments; and working collaboratively.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

Admission to the program or permission of the program director

Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Minor, Undergraduate

This course provides directed observation and participation in various educational programs; directed visits to schools and classes; and seminars focusing on these experiences and on professional, instructional, and child-related topics. Experiences include visits to general education, deaf education, early education, or bilingual programs in the metropolitan area surrounding Gallaudet University.

Credits: 1
Requisites:

Matriculation into the program

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

Spring I Semester (On Campus)

EDU 621, EDU 626, and EDU 665: Denotes courses that are not required for students who have previously taken them (or their equivalents) and passed them with a grade of B or higher.

This course for teacher candidates specializing in early childhood provides an integration of literacy theory and research, content-based instructional practices, and assessment and evaluation cycles for diverse learners including ASL-English bilingual learners, English language learners (ELL), struggling readers and writers, and students with disabilities. In this course, candidates explore in depth an integrated approach to the study of early childhood literacy, curriculum building, methods and materials for literacy instruction, including language development, reading and writing.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

EDU 600; EDU 311 or EDU 601; and admission to the education program, or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Undergraduate

This course emphasizes developmental learning environments, materials, and experiences for teaching young children, 6 to 8 years of age. Focus will be on curriculum based in home-school interactions, as well as the integration of all subject areas (social studies, mathematics, language arts, reading, arts, science, and physical education). 30 hours of related field experience is required.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

Pre- or co-requisites: EDU 620 and admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Undergraduate

An in-depth study of children's literature primarily for early childhood and secondary education majors. Focuses on the evaluation, selection, and sharing of children's and young adult books in instructional settings. Participants will read, respond to, and evaluate picture books and chapter books of various genres. Emphasizes the identification and teaching of literary elements in context, strategies for sharing books with children, and the importance of using authentic children's and young's adult literature in schools.

Credits: 3
Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Minor, Undergraduate

This course is the second of three pre-professional field experiences in the Department of Education practicum/seminar series. It is designed to build on the knowledge, skills, and experiences of previous and concurrent coursework and lead to the terminal and capstone student teaching internship. Special emphasis is placed on the candidates' developing skills in reflective observation of best instructional practices, assessment strategies as they align with instruction, multiculturalism, diversity among hearing, deaf, hard of hearing learners in a range of educational settings (general, special, deaf, and bilingual), technology to support learning, behavior management, working with families/caregivers, and working within professional teams.

Credits: 1
Requisites:

EDU 785

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

Summer II Semester (Hybrid)

This course is designed to provide the students with the knowledge of the specific linguistic structures and introduce them to basic similarities and differences in the linguistic structures and uses of American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Examining categories from a universal perspective, the linguistic contrastive analysis is accomplished by focusing on: phonological and morphological processes, syntactic properties, discourse types, word classes, and linguistic variation in Deaf and Hearing communities in the United States. Also, the students will examine the basic phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic features of ASL and English. Application of the instructional ASL/English linguistics and structures in the classroom and activities will be presented. Students will develop activity plans, and adapt and implement the methodologies and materials used in ASL/English learning to the needs of the individual Deaf/Hard of Hearing child.

Credits: 4
Requisites:

Admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

Theories, research, methods, and perspectives pertaining to the development of auditory/oral skills in deaf and hard of hearing children and youth. Knowledge of the development, improvement, and /or maintenance of auditory/oral skills in an interdisciplinary bilingual educational environment.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

Admission to the program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

Fall II Semester (Online)

This course focuses on developing knowledge, skills, and dispositions in creating and maintaining meaningful collaboration among home, school, and the community for diverse learners (from birth to 21 years old) and their families. The course prepares students to achieve collaborative and respectful relationships with students' families and communities as valuable contributors to the educational process. The course also includes developing knowledge in multicultural education and culturally pluralistic educational practices for all students. 25 hours of related field experience is required.

Requisites:

Admission to the program or permission of the program director

Distribution: Bachelors, Undergraduate

This course addresses literacy instruction through a bilingual and ESL instructional methodology in general bilingual education and their application to a diverse group of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Students will apply the theories and instructional strategies they learn during their practicum experiences, and reflect on these applications through on-line, group activities, and assignments designed to promote the creation of optimal bilingual k-12 classrooms.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

EDU 707; 311 OR 601; and EDU 621, 631 OR 641; Admission to the program or permission of the program director

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course addresses several theories and theorists on language acquisition and cognitive development, with a focus on educational applications with deaf children. The instructor presents information, facilitates cooperative learning activities, and models educational strategies. Class participants fully participate in cooperative learning activities, complete required readings and journal response activities, and complete projects/assignments, individually or in teams.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

EDU 707

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course provides synthesis of professional, legal, and ethical practices related to the provision of meaningful learning experiences for deaf and hard of hearing learners in array of educational programs. Current theories of assessment and learning across diverse educational settings are studied with a focus on deaf children and youth. Assessment and standards-based programming and evaluation are emphasized. Reflection and application of effective assessment practices are demonstrated through classroom and field-based experiences. IN meeting the standards of the following District of Columbia's state learning standards, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), this course is designed to prepare candidates to teach K-12 learners.

Credits: 3
Requisites:

EDU 600; Admission to the MA program or permission of the program director.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course is designed to build on the knowledge, skills, and experiences of previous and concurrent coursework and lead to the terminal and capstone student teaching internship. Special emphasis is placed on the candidates' developing skills in reflective observation of best instructional practices, assessment strategies as they align with instruction, multiculturalism, diversity among hearing, deaf, hard of hearing learners in a range of educational settings (general, special, deaf, and bilingual). Emphasis is also placed on the use of instructional technology to support learning, behavior management, working with families/caregivers, and working within professional teams.

Credits: 2
Requisites:

EDU 785 and 787

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

Spring II Semester (Online)

This course is the final professional experience in the early childhood education program and is a required field experience in a school classroom for a period of ten weeks under the supervision of the classroom teacher (cooperating teacher) and a University Supervisor. During the course, the candidate will take responsibility for planning, teaching, and evaluating all aspects of the classroom program. Candidates co-register for and attend a required weekly seminar held weekly on campus for purposes of common problems and/or concerns, and exchange of useful teaching experiences.

Credits: 9
Requisites:

An approved student teaching application and permission of the Program Director.

Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Undergraduate

The student teaching seminar is a capstone course in which student teachers in the Undergraduate Education Program meet regularly as a group to discuss, analyze, reflect upon and resolve classroom issues that occur during their full-time internship experiences with hearing students. This course is designed to be taken in tandem with Student Teaching. Students will be participating in student teaching at various clinical sites every weekday for 10 weeks. Educational topics related to assessment, classroom management, certification, portfolio development, and related areas are covered in depth.

Credits: 3
Distribution: Bachelors, Graduate, Masters, Undergraduate

This course is designed to familiarize students with legislation in special education (past and present) and the IEP process.

Credits: 2
Requisites:

Pre- or co-requisite: EDU 670 Teaching Students with Disabilities, or equivalent.

Distribution: Graduate, Masters

This course is the pre-professional capstone experience of the MA Programs in deaf education, and is comprised of full-time supervised student teaching for a minimum forty (50) clock hours per credit, typically completed within a ten (10) week period. During this experience, the student teacher is mentored by an on-site classroom cooperating teacher and supervised by a Department of Education university supervisor.

Credits: 7
Requisites:

Department approval, after completion of all other program requirements except EDU 792 (Student Teaching Seminar)

Distribution: Graduate, Masters
Program Outcomes

Based on the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) Standards and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Principles

 

Standard 1: Learner Development:The teacher candidate understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and values the perspectives of the child, their family, and the community.

 

Standard 2: Learning Differences: The teacher candidate uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures, languages, and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that are developmentally appropriate and provide challenging learning experiences for each and every learner to achieve their highest potential.

 

Standard 3: Learning Environments: The teacher candidate works independently and with others to create environments that support individual and group learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement, and self-motivation.

 

Standard 4: Content Knowledge:The teacher candidate understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for each and every learner.

 

Standard 5: Application of Content: The teacher candidate understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, evaluation, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

 

Standard 6: Assessment: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, monitor learner progress, and guide the teacher's and learner's decision-making.

 

Standard 7: Planning for Instruction:The teacher candidate plans instruction that supports each and every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

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Standard 8: Instructional Strategies: The teacher candidate uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

 

Standard 9: Reflection, Professional Learning, and Ethical Practice: The teacher candidate engages in ongoing reflection and professional learning and uses evidence to evaluate practice, particularly the effects of the teacher candidate's choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community, and adapts practice to meet the needs of the learner.

 

Standard 10: Leadership, Advocacy, and Collaboration:The teacher candidate seeks appropriate advocacy and leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth.

 

Standard 11: Technology:The teacher candidate uses knowledge of effective multimedia communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and accessibility to support interaction in the classroom.

Standard 12: Literacy and Numeracy: The teacher candidate applies a variety of instructional strategies to develop and enhance the literacy and numeracy skills of each and every learner including the use of multiple representations and explanations to present ideas and concepts.

Accreditation

Gallaudet University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Title IV approved institution. The Gallaudet University M.A. Education: Teacher Preparation (Deaf Education, Early Childhood Education & Deaf Education, Elementary Education & Deaf Education, and Secondary Education & Deaf Education) program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP) organization. The program is also approved by the District of Columbia State Education Agency (SEA) and licensed by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC). In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education and the District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC) requirements for participation in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), Gallaudet University provides information pertaining to this program and teacher educator licensure within each of the U.S. states and territories. This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for teacher educator licensure in the District of Columbia. If your intent is to secure licensure outside of Washington, D.C., then BEFORE beginning Gallaudet University's program, use the drop-down list below and select the state or territory in which licensure is intended. This will help you determine whether Gallaudet has obtained confirmation from the state or territory to formally identify whether the Gallaudet M.A. Education: Teacher Preparation (Deaf Education, Early Childhood Education & Deaf Education, Elementary Education & Deaf Education, and Secondary Education & Deaf Education) program meets, does not meet or cannot be confirmed as meeting the educational requirements for licensure.

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