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Overview

The Thomas University Division of Education offers a Master's in Teacher Education degree for certified teachers. The program is designed to enhance the role of the teacher as a leader in the school community. The Division also offers Post-Baccalaureate programs for persons seeking initial certification in middle grades and secondary education.

Purpose

The purpose of the Master's in Teacher Education degree is to assist teachers in becoming leaders and mentors who are critical thinkers and reflective decision makers in their schools. Strong content and pedagogical skills will be developed that effect change in teaching and facilitate learning in students. Coursework will be taken in four areas:

Goals

Teachers completing the master's degree program will be able to do the things listed in the tabs below.

Teacher Leaders and Mentors

  • Model and teach strong character, civic responsibility, respect for individual and group differences, and instill this in their learners.
  • Design, assess, and implement instructional materials that are developmentally appropriate, integrate activities for the multiple intelligences, address different leaming styles.
  • Work with parents to facilitate the intellectual, social and emotional development of their students; and communicates student needs to parents, teachers, and other relevant adults.
  • Demonstrate teacher effectiveness and model strong presentation skills.
  • Demonstrate professionalism and follow appropriate school law and ethics of the profession.
  • Utilize appropriate strategies for managing the behavior of their students in the classroom.
  • Think critically, solve problems, and help develop these skills in their learners.
  • Develop instruction and classroom environments that increase the chances of "at-risk" students success in school; and analyze a group of learners not experiencing success in traditional classroom and school environments, and design alternative, successpromoting environments using the results of that analysis.
  • Mentor less experienced teachers who need assistance in improving their classroom instruction based on sound research results.
  • Seek evaluation and feedback about professional performance from teacher colleagues, school/district administrators and students; and uses this feedback for selfreflection and improvement.

Research

  • Use multiple assessments, and systematically observe and communicate their students' progress to parents and students.
  • Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their teaching practices on the progress of their learners.
  • Read research articles meaningfully and apply them to the practice of teaching and leaming.
  • Interpret norm-referenced test results to assess how their learners are progressing over time; and analyze test results for a given school and grade, and use the results of that analysis to produce instruction that will improve students' performances.
  • Design, develop and implement action research strategies at classroom, grade and school levels.
  • Statistically analyze test results and design instruction to improve student performance as measured by the test.
  • Perform developmental assessments of students and use results to advise other teachers about instruction that will be developmentally appropriate for the students assessed.
  • Lead a team of colleagues to design instruction that will result in improved performance by students, using the analysis of test results.

Technology

  • Teach a broad range of technology skills to their students.
  • Teach technological skills to other teachers in their schools.
  • Troubleshoot many technological problems before calling for the school technology specialist.
  • Use the school network
  • Deliver instruction using multiple technologies.
  • Assess student leaming using technology projects
  • Maintain a classroom web page
  • Use a full range of technologies in teaching to solve instructional problems (e.g. video, audio, computers, graphic calculators)
  • Produce near commercial quality multimedia products to increase the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
  • Mentor colleagues to enable their improved effective use of a broad range of technologies for instruction.

Professional Concentration

  • Engage the minds of their learners, and help build connections between what they are leaming in the classroom with the world around them.
  • Use rich and varied resources in teaching, addressing the multiple intelligences and leaming styles of their students.
  • Think critically and solve problems.
  • Improve their skills, pedagogy, and depth of content knowledge in their areas of certification, based on sound research results.
  • Have mentor-level expertise in mathematics, broad field sciences, English or social studies.
  • Know the research and development literatures of effective schools, effective schooling and best professional practices.
  • Identify specific projects and products from literature in their area of professional specialization.
  • Given an analysis of an accountability test, teachers identify the portions of the school curriculum in which the content of the test should be taught.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must:

  1. hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field from a regionally accredited college or university;
  2. hold a teaching certificate in at least one teaching field;
  3. have passing scores on Praxis I and II or their equivalents; and
  4. have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 in all coursework for the last sixty (60) semester hours/ninety (90) quarter hours.

Teachers should submit the following with the Graduate Admission Application:

  1. a two-page personal statement of career and educational objectives;
  2. official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended;
  3. three (3) letters of recommendation, of which one must be from a supervisor who is familiar with your work;
  4. a $50 non-refundable application fee made payable to Thomas University.

Applicants who do not meet all criteria for regular graduate admission may be considered for provisional admission upon written request. To be considered for provisional admission, applicants MUST:

  1. submit all materials required for graduate admission delineated above;
  2. present a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.50 in the last sixty (60) semester hours of course work;
  3. enroll in six (6) semester hours of graduate course work the semester immediately following notification of provisional admission status; and
  4. earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher in the graduate courses taken.

Thomas University offers scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships that will dramatically reduce the final cost of tuition.

For more information, contact Dr. Melvin Gadson, Education Division Chair, or call 1-800-538-9484.

Graduate Courses

Graduate Courses

Teacher Leaders and Mentors...6 hours

Teachers will assume leadership positions in their schools, and demonstrate effective teaching strategies, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking abilities. They will be able to mentor other teachers in the area of teaching effectiveness. Teacher accountability, as effective managers of their classrooms and student behaviors, will be emphasized.

  • EDU 600 Learning Environments
  • EDU 601 Mentoring and Models of Teaching

Research...12 hours

Teachers will conduct traditional, action and qualitative research. Each will develop skills for assessing effective teaching practices. Teachers will interpret students’ test results, explain them to parents and other school personnel, and use the test data to improve instruction.

  • EDU 610 Educational Research
  • EDU 611 Educational Statistics
  • EDU 612 Teachers as Researchers
  • EDU 613 Professional Writing

Technology...6 hours

Teachers will use a full range of technologies to solve instructional demands. This includes presentation skills and utilization of technology for student projects and learning.

  • EDU 620 Applying Technologies for Effective Instruction
  • EDU 621 Internet and Web Design for Teachers

Professional Concentration...12 hours

Teachers will select an academic concentration to expand abilities in their current teaching field or to add a new endorsement or field to their certificate. This may include a reading endorsement, technology, English/language arts, mathematics, science or social studies.