Online Master's Degree MEd in Curriculum & Instruction Special Education

Discover the frameworks and approaches used in the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction program. Explore what it means to be an educational leader in today's rapidly changing, multi-cultural education environments and investigate the many traditional and non-traditional facets of contemporary educational leadership. Examine competencies, characteristics, and practices that relate directly to student achievement and are grounded in current professional standards.

Learn about the various types and methods of educational research. Examine the value of education focused action research in a variety of learning environments. Develop foundational knowledge and skills to read, interpret, and use data to enable professional growth and improve student learning experience.

Explore educational leadership concepts by focusing on the characteristics and best practices needed to define and increase success in learning. Employ multiple measures to resolve learning challenges utilizing effective communication and collaboration in ways that empower oneself and others to enhance one's role as an educational leader. Learn about legal, ethical, and professional issues existing in today's educational environments that impact effective leadership.

Explore the foundations of curriculum design theories and principles used in various learning environments. Apply Understanding by Design (UbD), Differentiated Instruction (DI), and the standards of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), for designing and developing a functional and effective curriculum that matches all students' learning needs.

Implement Differentiated Instruction (DI) strategies for all students, especially as they apply to unique learners. Use multiple data points to design curriculum that can be differentiated and aligned to student, state, and national goals and standards by embedding technology, including assistive technology, in teaching and managing students. Examine DI strategies for English Language Learners, students with disabilities and learning differences, and high performing students as part of a heterogeneous learning environment.

Explore assessment theories and practices as integral elements of curriculum and instructional design. Interpret assessment data from multiple sources and use that data to inform curricular choices. Investigate embedding technologies into curriculum to assess and interpret student learning effectiveness as part of the continuous feedback cycle.

Investigate emerging theories of design and learning in today's increasingly complex technology-enhanced learning environments. Apply theory-based strategies for providing curriculum and instruction in traditional, alternative, virtual, and augmented learning settings.

Prepare for the Capstone by developing and focusing scholarship and artifacts for the portfolio, including a personalized educational philosophy statement. Drawing from the technology-focused, inclusion-centric themes explored throughout the program, draft an evidence-based curriculum proposal that addresses a self-identified achievement gap.

Integrate previous coursework and demonstrate the mastery of knowledge and skills developed throughout the program. Synthesize prior learning in order to develop a complete curriculum in an area of interest for utilization, along with the portfolio, in illustrating a cohesive educational philosophy and showcasing growth as an educational leader.