2010-11 Catalog

Decorative graphic

2010-11 Master of Education

Master of Education is available with ELL and Math concentrations. Looking for the 2011-12 index?

Title   Credits Schedule Su F W S Description Preparatory Faculty
English Language Learners (ELL)
Year 1
Foundations of English Language Teaching: ELLs, Family and Community

Grace Huerta

  4 1-5p Mon/Wed SuSummer In this survey course, participants explore the role of family and community in language acquisition and identity formation among English language learners (ELLs). We examine how certain contextual factors impact the educational process for ELLs, such as history,political climate, school policies and programming. Students will also critically evaluate issues of socioeconomic status, race, religion, class,national origin, disability, gender, and immigration history specific to ELLs.Class discourse will focus on these principal topics:   Teaching, curriculum development, community-based work Grace Huerta
How All Students Learn: Supporting Diverse Learners

Terry Ford

  6 Day SuSummer This class lays a foundation for the entire M.Ed. or endorsement sequence that will help participants deepen their understanding of the needs of their students. Throughout the M.Ed. program, we will build on this understanding in order to increase our positive impact on all students. In this class, we will engage in a core coordinated studies curriculum encompassing the needs of diverse learners in multicultural settings. We will consider the latest research on how the function and role of the brain, culture, and language development influence learners. Included in the core will be topics such as culturally responsive teaching, teaching for diversity and social justice and anti-bias education. Other foci of the class will be the effects of culture and language development on academic achievement and effective, research-based classroom practices for all students, further focusing our attention on those students who have been traditionally underserved by our educational system.  Essential questions guiding the class are: 1) What is learning? 2) How do we learn a language? 3) What is culture and how does it relate to community, schooling, learning and academic achievement? Learning Goals: Participants will deepen their understanding of the interdependence of the brain, culture and language development on the academic achievement of all learners and will increase their ability to assess and address the learning needs of all students.  Teaching, curriculum development, community-based work, further graduate studies Terry Ford
Language Acquisition Theory

Grace Huerta

  4 5-9p Wed. FFall This course is designed to acquaint you with the central issues in first and second language acquisition (SLA) research. It includes a review of SLA theories and research as well as discussion of successful strategies for learning/acquiring a second language. This class offers insights into the underlying processes and assumptions regarding language acquisition through the critical examination of language learning theories and teaching practices. Teaching, education, further studies in ELL Grace Huerta
Introduction to Linguistics and Literacy Development for ELLs

Grace Huerta

  4 5-9p; Wed. WWinter This course has two purposes: (1) to focus on teaching applications in grades PreK-12/adult settings, and (2) to meet Washington state and TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) endorsement standards for teacher preparation.  Linguistics & Literacy Development offers an introduction to language as a system, with a focus on teaching English as a second language to students in grades PreK-12 and adults. Among the topics addressed are English phonology, morphology, and syntax. In this course, we examine the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in the domains of functional, academic and critical literacies. Strategies for teaching grammar such as verb tenses, articles, possessives and prepositions will also be explored. Because language and literacy are the foundation of students’ academic achievement, this course focuses on teachers’ curriculum design and the selection of language methods for students with various levels of English proficiency.  Teaching, education, further work in ELL Grace Huerta
Content Area ELL Methods and Assessment 1

Maribel Vilchez

  4 5-9p; Wed. SSpring Participants will be introduced to teaching and assessment strategies to assist ELLs in the development of academic language and content area knowledge relevant to the Washington endorsement and Teachers of English Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) standards.  Through curriculum design, teaching demonstrations, and the use of technology, participants will practice teaching strategies relevant to specific content areas across target grade levels. Teaching, education, curriculum development, further studies in education Maribel Vilchez
Year 2
Action Research 1: Literature Review and Study Design

Sara Sunshine Campbell and Grace Huerta

  6 Day SuSummer  This 6-week course is designed to help you develop the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary to design and conduct your action research study and write your Master’s paper. Action research can be an exciting activity. It is absolutely relevant to your teaching context, yet includes perhaps the most thoughtful development of your knowledge on how to address questions and issues within the classroom. Many people consider it a basic part of teachers’ jobs, engaging in an ongoing cycle of question-posing, reading research, trying strategies, analyzing data, drawing temporary conclusions, and posing new questions. In this class you begin the first cycle of the action research process.  Teaching, mentoring, curriculum development, further graduate studies Sara Sunshine Campbell Grace Huerta
Assessment for ELLs 2

Grace Huerta

  4 Day SuSummer This class examines how to align objectives to methods in evaluation design and use. In addition, participants will implement assessment strategies by using a variety of formative measures of students' progress within their own curriculum design. Through readings, class discussion, research, and mentoring, this course focuses on teachers’ understanding of assessment theory and the implementation of assessment practices specific to students’ academic language and literacy development. Teaching, curriculum development, community work, further graduate studies Grace Huerta
Action Research 2: Data Collection and Analysis of Student Learning - ELL

Grace Huerta

  4 Evening FFall M.Ed. candidates will conduct action research studies through collecting, interpreting, and acting on data and reporting their findings. The class will also include writing the third chapter of the research paper.  Skills to be developed include:  collection and analysis of data, assessment of teaching strategies implemented based on data analysis, revision of strategies based on data analysis, communication strategies, how to write a research paper, and collaboration with colleagues. Teaching, curriculum development, further graduate studies Grace Huerta
Action Research 3: Research Paper and Presentation - ELL

Grace Huerta

  4 5-9p Tues WWinter This course will focus on completing and presenting the Action Research project implemented in fall quarter. The work will include completing the four sections of the written presentation as well as sharing the project through a public presentation. Public presentations are generally held in March.  The final papers will be bound and shelved in Evergreen's library.  Candidates will also provide the library with an electronic copy of the paper.  Teaching, teacher leadership, teacher mentoring, district curriculum directors, and further graduate work Grace Huerta
Mathematics
Year 1
Functions: Algebra to Calculus

Vauhn Foster-Grahler and Sara Sunshine Campbell

  4 Day SuSummer Functions:Algebra to Calculus will weave procedural and conceptual elements ofdifferential calculus and integral calculus into a rigorous study of linear,quadratic, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions. Eachfunction family will be explored algebraically, numerically, graphically andverbally. The classroom will be student-centered with a strong emphasis on collaborativelearning. Students will be expected to engage in a rigorous study of themathematics and participate fully in reflective practices centered on teachingand learning. This course is intended for students who want a rigorous surveyof the first-year of college mathematics or who plan on teaching middle schoolmathematics. Students who plan to teach high school mathematics are alsoencouraged to take this course, and additional course work in pre-calculus andcalculus may be necessary to complete your mathematical preparation to teachhigh school math. Teaching, further studies in math, curriculum development Vauhn Foster-Grahler Sara Sunshine Campbell
How All Students Learn: Supporting Diverse Learners

Terry Ford

  6 Day SuSummer This class lays a foundation for the entire M.Ed. or endorsement sequence that will help participants deepen their understanding of the needs of their students. Throughout the M.Ed. program, we will build on this understanding in order to increase our positive impact on all students. In this class, we will engage in a core coordinated studies curriculum encompassing the needs of diverse learners in multicultural settings. We will consider the latest research on how the function and role of the brain, culture, and language development influence learners. Included in the core will be topics such as culturally responsive teaching, teaching for diversity and social justice and anti-bias education. Other foci of the class will be the effects of culture and language development on academic achievement and effective, research-based classroom practices for all students, further focusing our attention on those students who have been traditionally underserved by our educational system.  Essential questions guiding the class are: 1) What is learning? 2) How do we learn a language? 3) What is culture and how does it relate to community, schooling, learning and academic achievement? Learning Goals: Participants will deepen their understanding of the interdependence of the brain, culture and language development on the academic achievement of all learners and will increase their ability to assess and address the learning needs of all students.  Teaching, curriculum development, community-based work, further graduate studies Terry Ford
How Students Learn Mathematics: Rational Numbers

Sara Sunshine Campbell

  4 4:30-8:30p; Wed. FFall We will continue our journey by focusing on the most important aspect of teaching—student learning which will be central to our work throughout the program. In particular this quarter we will enhance our capacity to formatively assess students’ mathematical knowledge. Four key approaches will be to (a) access and understand research on students’ conceptions, (b) interview students, (c) listen carefully to classroom conversations, and (d) examine student work. These four tools are both practical tools for learning about students’ mathematical ideas and effective when used skillfully. We will also deepen our knowledge of the mathematics we may teach. Mathematical explorations as a cohort will provide a knowledge depth for us to learn what to uncover about student thinking as well as how to focus instruction on central mathematical ideas. During this quarter our examination will be on rational number. What are the big mathematical ideas of rational number? Why do people often struggle with fractions, decimals and percents? What does research on rational number reveal about important instructional practices to support student learning? Learning mathematics should be exciting, invigorating, and challenging. This quarter we will also begin to lay a foundation for considering affective aspects of learning mathematics. The concept of “math phobia” was popularized long ago. While we will not explore the psychological concept of phobias, we will consider what aspects of the mathematical environment can be established and developed to support students’ self-efficacy and mathematical achievement. Teaching, education, math mentoring, curriculum development, further graduate studies in education Sara Sunshine Campbell
Pedagogies that Support All Students' Learning: Algebraic Thinking

Sara Sunshine Campbell

  4 4:30-8:30p; Wed. WWinter Building on our foundation of , we will examine how teachers can effectively support student learning. We will identify and modify mathematical tasks to improve students’ possibility of successful learning. Task examination will focus on particular learning goals, levels of thinking, and appropriateness for collaborative or individual work. We will combine task selection with instructional strategies that support substantive student learning. Particular instructional strategies will include how to use student-generated ideas to advance collective learning and how to use language and discourse for native and non-native English speakers.  Our mathematical focus will be on algebraic thinking. Historically the public and many teachers believed that algebra was something first encountered in 8th or 9th grade. Today we know that it builds from students' early experiences with number, operation, and patterns. Algebra is also a gatekeeper course for students to achieve higher levels of math and science as well as graduation and financial success. It plays a significant role for students in our society and is therefore important for teachers to understand deeply. Our focus on algebraic sense will include examinations of patterns and functions and relationships among various representations as well as a conceptual development of generalization and proof. This course should expand your understanding of key features of algebraic thinking and develop connections to other mathematical ideas. Building on our prior work, we will expand our understanding of how to create a learning environment that authentically supports all learners. In particular, how can collaborative group work increase all students’ learning, self-efficacy, achievement, and not put “strong” students in the role of worker bee?  Teaching, education, curriculum development, further studies in education Sara Sunshine Campbell
Creating an Inclusive Mathematics Learning Environment: Probability and Statistics

Jana Dean

education mathematics 

  4 5-9p; Wed. SSpring This course focuses on teaching mathematics from a social justice stance. If we truly say that all students should have the opportunity to learn important mathematics, and that math matters for their life outcomes,we must examine the social, psychological, structural and cultural factors thataffect student outcomes. In this course we will begin by examining the racialized backbone of schools and school history. We will consider what has been allowed into the mathematical cannon, and what is systematically excluded—whose mathematics counts? The course will continue by exploring the role of status, power, and identity in the classroom and examine effective strategies to provide students with greater access and create math classrooms as more equitable spaces. We will consider tracking and un-tracking academically, structurally,and politically. We will explore effective strategies for developing student language in the math classroom and how students with special needs can be supported. We will explore some features of probability and statistics with a focus on conceptual understanding and using tasks that deepen our understanding of equity. Our coverage of probability and statistics will be guided by two documents: The Transition Math Standards and Washington Endorsement Competencies 5-12. Another feature of this class is to further introduce participants to graduate work. We will read original research articles that are dense and use formalized language. Readings will sometimes portray different perspectives that appear to contradict each other. This is another feature of graduate work. In a dynamic human system such as education, research is quite complex and doesn’t always paint a clear picture of what is best for all kids. Our work in this area is intended to help participants prepare to conduct their own action research projects. It should help participants recognize the differences among research articles, conceptual pieces, and articles that are written as synthesis pieces for teachers. Participants will be asked to pay particular attention to how research questions are framed. Posing a good researchable question is an art form that teacher/researchers need to learn.  Teaching, tutoring, mentoring, curriculum development, further graduate studies Jana Dean
Year 2
Action Research 1: Literature Review and Study Design

Sara Sunshine Campbell and Grace Huerta

  6 Day SuSummer  This 6-week course is designed to help you develop the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary to design and conduct your action research study and write your Master’s paper. Action research can be an exciting activity. It is absolutely relevant to your teaching context, yet includes perhaps the most thoughtful development of your knowledge on how to address questions and issues within the classroom. Many people consider it a basic part of teachers’ jobs, engaging in an ongoing cycle of question-posing, reading research, trying strategies, analyzing data, drawing temporary conclusions, and posing new questions. In this class you begin the first cycle of the action research process.  Teaching, mentoring, curriculum development, further graduate studies Sara Sunshine Campbell Grace Huerta
Discrete Math for Teachers

Vauhn Foster-Grahler

education mathematics teaching and social justice 

  4 Day SuSummer Discrete mathematics can be loosely organized into four areas, thinking and writing about mathematics, sets, functions and relations, combinatorics and probability, and graph theory.  This course will cover parts of each of these areas including logic, mathematical writing and introduction to proofs, introductory work with sets and Boolean Algebra, counting and probability, graphs, and trees.  The classroom will be student-centered with a strong emphasis on collaborative learning.  Students will be expected to engage in a rigourous study of the mathematics and participate fully in reflective practices centered on teaching and learning.  This discrete mathematics course is designed for students who have an interest in mathematical reasoning and for those who are preparing for further study in mathematics, computer science, and math education.  You are encouraged to have successfully completed at least one college-level math class in preparation for this course. Education, teaching, further studies in mathematics Vauhn Foster-Grahler
Action Research 2: Data Collection and Analysis of Student Learning - Math

Sara Sunshine Campbell

  4 Evening FFall M.Ed. candidates will conduct action research studies through collecting, interpreting, and acting on data and reporting their findings. The class will also include writing the third chapter of the research paper.  Skills to be developed include:  collection and analysis of data, assessment of teaching strategies implemented based on data analysis, revision of strategies based on data analysis, communication strategies, how to write a research paper, and collaboration with colleagues. Teaching, curriculum development, further graduate studies Sara Sunshine Campbell
Action Research 3: Research Paper and Presentation - Math

Sara Sunshine Campbell

  4 5-9p Tue WWinter This course will focus on completing and presenting the Action Research project implemented in fall quarter. The work will include completing the four sections of the written presentation as well as sharing the project through a public presentation. Public presentations are generally held in March.  The final papers will be bound and shelved in Evergreen's library.  Candidates will also provide the library with an electronic copy of the paper.  Teaching, teacher leadership, teacher mentoring, district curriculum directors, and further graduate work Sara Sunshine Campbell