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Online Graduate Education Courses at William & Mary

Accomplish more in your education career. With coursework rooted in social justice, equity and inclusion, you’ll build expertise to be a culturally responsive teacher and advocate for every student.

Whether you work in or outside of a classroom, earning your Online Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction will provide you with the tools and insights to lead actionable change. Understand the latest research and theories behind curriculum design through one of our three specializations, but more importantly, you will also learn how to execute those plans and adapt them to your environment.

Core Curriculum Courses (3 Credit Hours Each)

Build the foundation to be a collaborative leader in education through our core curriculum courses. To earn your graduate degree, you will need to complete 30 credit hours. All graduate students will be required to take the following five core courses in addition to 15 credit hours for the specialization they choose to pursue: Special Education (K-6), Special Education (6-12) or ESL/Bilingual Education.

CRIN 540: Teacher Inquiry for Equity and Inclusion

This course helps beginning teachers become more effective by critiquing various research paradigms, reviewing the research literature and systematically collecting and interpreting evidence to improve practice. Students will learn how to identify and use research literature and systematic evidence to improve practice with a focus on students’ thinking and learning.

CRIN 542: Designing for Deeper Learning

This course will familiarize students with research, examples and models in deeper learning K-12 schools. Core tenets, student outcomes, instructional practices, and performance assessments will be explored through analysis of research and review of authentic curriculum-based examples. Students will design, implement, and reflect on a deeper learning curriculum project.

CRIN 543: Teaching for Social Justice

This survey course focuses on designing for key issues of social justice affecting teachers and schools and the communities they serve. Teachers will analyze how the sociological foundations of schools, including the sociopolitical and cultural contexts influence equity for students. They will also examine the origins of national, state and local policies impacting teachers, schools and student learning and their implications to equitable outcomes of learners. In particular, practicing teachers will interrogate sociocultural issues of their teaching and learning environments and analyze relationships to positive socio-emotional outcomes for the whole student and across diverse students. Teachers will explore best practices for collaborating and developing effective equitable relationships with families and the communities, and support students to be agents of social change.

CRIN 545: Leading Change in the Profession

This course examines the theoretical and practical applications of teacher leadership in order to develop knowledge, skills and attributes required to inform and develop policy and practice and expand existing efforts to steer systemic improvements to benefit student learning.

CRIN 544: Globalization and Education

This course will study broad perspectives on, theories of and practices in education and how these have been impacted by globalization and its ensuing political, economic and social effects across the world. The course includes an exploration of how language, culture and content intersect in education. The purpose of this exploration is to better prepare students as global citizens as they seek to solve international and intranational problems, and to research how these solutions can contribute to addressing global challenges and inequities.

Special Education (K-6) Specialization Courses (3 Credit Hours Each)

Create classroom experiences that meet the needs of students with disabilities. If you are already a licensed teacher with an endorsement in elementary education from the Virginia Department of Education, you can earn an add-on endorsement in Special Education General Curriculum Elementary Education K-6.** Students interested in pursuing an add-on endorsement may need to complete a practicum. Please connect with an advisor for more information.

CRIN X52: Instructional Design/Methods for Students with Disabilities in the General Curriculum

This course develops content knowledge in fundamental teaching methods (instructional assessment, instructional design, evidence-based instructional methodology, universally designed instruction, accommodations/modifications, data-based decision-making, and individualized planning) necessary for successful instruction and support of students with disabilities in the general standards-based K-12 curriculum.

CRIN X59: Assessment for Instructional Design

This course will provide students with information needed to administer and interpret standardized and non-standardized assessments for a variety of purposes including eligibility, instructional design and decision-making. Consideration is given to ethical issues that guide assessment decisions of students with disabilities as well as culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

CRIN X51: Language Development and Reading Instruction for Exceptional Students

A course which focuses on normal language devel­opment and language communication disorders in exceptional children and youth. Topics discussed include language acquisition in the normally develop­ing child contrasted with developmentally disordered children diagnosed with mental retardation, emotional disturbance, visual and hearing impairments, aphasia, and autism. Emphasis is placed upon development, teacher assessment, and classroom techniques in teaching reading and written language.

CRIN X33: Assessment and Instruction in Math for Students with Disabilities

This course will engage participants in the study and implementation of evidence-based assessment and instruction in mathematics for students with disabilities in grades K-12.

CRIN X56: Classroom Management and Positive Behavioral Supports for Students with Disabilities

This course explores models, programs, and interven­tions for meeting the behavioral needs of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Classroom organization and management, functional behavioral assessment, behavioral interventions, social skills instruction, and the role of the teacher in designing and delivering classroom management and behavioral supports are stressed.

Special Education (6-12) Specialization Courses (3 Credit Hours Each)

Support students with disabilities as they transition into adulthood. Through this specialization, you can earn an add-on endorsement in Special Education General Curriculum Secondary Education 6-12 from the Virginia Department of Education. You must already be a Virginia licensed teacher with an endorsement in English, history and social sciences, mathematics, biology, chemistry, Earth science, or physics.** Students interested in pursuing an add-on endorsement may need to complete a practicum. Please connect with an advisor for more information.

CRIN X52: Instructional Design/Methods for Students with Disabilities in the General Curriculum

This course develops content knowledge in fundamental teaching methods (instructional assessment, instructional design, evidence-based instructional methodology, universally designed instruction, accommodations/modifications, data-based decision-making and individualized planning) necessary for successful instruction and support of students with disabilities in the general standards-based K-12 curriculum.

CRIN X83: Individualized Education Program Transition Planning & Services

An examination of individualized education program (IEP) transition planning and services that promote positive post-school outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. Topics include legislative requirements, transition IEP assessment, writing measurable transition goals, infusing transition competencies into the general curriculum, identifying appropriate programs and transition services, and collaborating with community agencies.

CRIN X51: Language Development and Reading Instruction for Exceptional Students

A course which focuses on normal language devel­opment and language communication disorders in exceptional children and youth. Topics discussed include language acquisition in the normally develop­ing child contrasted with developmentally disordered children diagnosed with mental retardation, emotional disturbance, visual and hearing impairments, aphasia and autism. Emphasis is placed upon development, teacher assessment and classroom techniques in teaching reading and written language.

CRIN X33: Assessment and Instruction in Math for Students with Disabilities

This course will engage participants in the study and implementation of evidence-based assessment and instruction in mathematics for students with disabilities in grades K-12.

CRIN X56: Classroom Management and Positive Behavioral Supports for Students with Disabilities

This course explores models, programs and interven­tions for meeting the behavioral needs of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Classroom organization and management, functional behavioral assessment, behavioral interventions, social skills instruction and the role of the teacher in designing and delivering classroom management and behavioral supports are stressed.

ESL/Bilingual Education Specialization Courses (3 Credit Hours Each)

Create a learning environment that sets English learners (ELs) up for success in the classroom. This online program will prepare licensed educators hoping to earn an endorsement in ESL teaching the Virginia Department of Education, you will need to complete the Praxis Subject Assessment in English as Second Language and meet certain other requirements.**

CRIN 519: Methods in Teaching ESL, PK-12

This course introduces the student to instructional methods and practices for teaching ESL in PK-12 classroom settings with a focus on academic language development, providing comprehensible input, increasing background knowledge, developing language and content objectives, vocabulary development, increasing oral language production, selecting culturally responsive materials, integrating language and content instruction, and differentiating according to ELs’ language proficiency levels.

CRIN 520: Understanding Language: Second Language Acquisition, Theory, and Practice

This course examines first and second language acquisition, theory, and practice. In addition, it supports pre-service teachers’ understandings of the role of language within the context of specific academic disciplines. Course topics include: Language development, strategies to promote literacies across specific academic disciplines, culturally responsive pedagogy, and assessment for ELs.

CRIN 521: ESL Curriculum Design: Teaching ELLs in the U.S.

This course examines key processes in curriculum design for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and how to develop and align curriculum, instruction, and assessment when applied to the PreK-12 public school setting. This course also introduces best practices for teaching content instruction to ELs, communicating with and involving families of ELs in schools and identifying ELs for special education and gifted services.

CRIN 523: Bilingual Education and Dual Language Programs

This course introduces students to the foundational principles and practices in the field of bilingual-bicultural education in the U.S. This course provides an overview of how to implement dual language-TWI programs in K-12 classrooms. This course explores issues of curriculum development, instruction and access to resources in bilingual classroom settings.

CRIN 525: ESL Testing and Evaluation

This course introduces the students to assessment issues and experience in developing assessment techniques for English language learners. It allows students to differentiate assessments according to students’ language proficiency levels. It allows students to ensure ELs have equitable access to academic content and language instruction.

**Students are responsible for confirming the Online M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction will meet the requirements to earn an endorsement in their state or region.

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