The Literacy Education specialty area is designed to develop and extend the expertise of educators in both leadership and classroom positions who wish to specialize in the area of literacy education. Students examine theories, programs and practices in the teaching of literacy, the evaluation of literacy development and the integration of literacy across curricular areas.
Iowa Communications Network (ICN)
Courses in this program are offered primarily via the ICN. Delivery of ICN programs is limited to the state of Iowa.
eLearning
Courses in this program have an online component using eLearning, a Blackboard learning management system requiring Internet access and a web browser. While most students encounter very few technical difficulties, our team of support specialists is available to assist you as needed.
200:214 Foundations of Instructional Psychology, 3 credit hours
Study of factors involved in designing and implementing effective instructional environments.
210:201 Issues and Trends in Curriculum, 3 credit hours
Current ideas influencing the planning and implementation of curriculum.
230:212 Methods and Materials in Literacy Education, 3 credit hours
Integrated approach to language learning within and across grades K-12, with a strong emphasis on reading and writing connections within content areas and across children’s and young adult literature.
230:238 Advanced Assessment and Evaluation of Literacy Development, 3 credit hours
Experience in assessment and evaluation of literacy processes. Survey of interrelationship of assessment and evaluation to literacy development including current issues and practices. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing, previous course work in literacy education, or consent of instructor.
230:239 Advanced Literacy Studies, 3 credit hours
Students locate, read, examine, analyze and evaluate a variety of historical and contemporary literacy research pieces; make plans for research studies and write literature reviews, conference and grant proposals.
230:240 Language Development and Variability, 3 credit hours
Exploration of research on factors generally associated with variability in language and literacy development, on methods designed to promote language and literacy development and on roles of teachers and parents in promoting this development in children with differences.
230:245 Critical Issues in Children's Literature, 3 credit hours
Advanced literacy course exploring ideological, cultural, social and political issues in children's literature. Study in sociocultural contexts of literacy instruction, with critical analysis of literature as an instrument to inform and transform life as well as learning.
230:260 Roles of the Reading Specialist, 3 credit hours (2010 cohort only)
Exploration of the five major leadership roles required of school personnel who serve as reading and language arts specialists.
230:289 Seminar, 3 credit hours (2008 cohort only)
230:299 Research, 3 credit hours
240:232 Selection and Integration of Instructional Technology, 3 credit hours
Examination of new technologies that generate need for new literacies for 21st century students. Includes procedures for selection and integration of instructional technologies to support learning involving use of both computer-based and non-computer-based materials.
250:205 Educational Research, 3 credit hours
Evaluation of educational research concepts, including purposes, hypotheses, principles of research design, data collection and interpretation of results.