M.A. in Early Childhood Education and Deaf Education

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.

The focus of this course is research as a strategy of inquiry for improving practice and advancing our teaching 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 to inform and improve teaching practice, student learning, or the school learning environment.

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.

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).

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.

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.

This course presents an overview of the theories, theorists, and paradigms within the domains of language acquisition and cognitive development in hearing learners and compares and contrasts this body of information with the emerging body of knowledge on the language and communication development of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

The course focuses on examining the impact language acquisition has on: cognitive development, social and emotional development, & literacy development from infancy through early childhood and throughout the school years. The roles caregivers and teachers play in promoting and supporting language, communication, and literacy are also examined.

This course is the second course in the Department of Education’s required language series, following EDU 707 “The Structures and Application of ASL and English in the Classroom.”

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 student's family and community 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.

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. This course will also acquaint candidates with current trends and issues, and research in the education of Deaf and hard of hearing learners of all ages, including historic and current objectives, techniques, and results. Candidates are challenged to rethink their conceptualization of ''Deaf education'' as well as ''general education'' based on their perceptions of their own cultural dimensions. The course typically is taken in the first semester

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This course is designed to build on the knowledge gained during previous special education course work and goes deeper into government oversight of special education, including statutory, regulatory, and case law. As the governing documents for providing free appropriate public education, IEPs are given special attention. Students will experience the full IEP process from development through implementation.

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.

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.

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.

This course is the pre-professional capstone experience of the MA Programs in deaf education at Gallaudet University, and consists of full-time supervised student teaching in deaf education settings for a minimum forty (40) clock hours, typically completed within a ten (10) week period. This course includes online discussions and activities that pertain to their anticipated professional responsibilities as teachers in addition to sharing of student teaching experiences, building collaborative relationships with colleagues, families and related service personnel, curriculum and instructional planning for diverse learners, creating the classroom environment, classroom management strategies, and survival strategies for the beginning teacher, and preparing and interviewing for jobs in deaf education.