Communication and Education Courses

Communication concepts and skills applied to relationship management; communication process, listening, self-disclosure, perception, conflict.

Survey of current theories and research on intercultural communication; development of critical thinking skills in regard to intercultural interaction and communication styles.

Theory and practice of effective persuasive techniques.

Principles of effective conflict management in various settings; emphasis on styles of conflict, power, goals, strategies and intervention techniques as well as negotiation in the conflict process.

Examines topics in measurement, geometry, and trigonometry and the way that grade 5-10 students develop an understanding of these ideas. Emphasis will be placed on recent and seminal research on learning and teaching geometry to develop mathematical practice as described in CCSS-M, especially for topics such as symmetry, congruence and similarity, right triangle trigonometry, transformations, unit, and partitioning of space. Particular emphasis will be placed on extended tasks that expose learners to investigation, conjecture, argumentation, and incorporating dynamic software. Does not count toward mathematics MAT or MS graduate programs.

In this course, students will learn how to incorporate students' diverse cultural backgrounds and language proficiency levels into instructional planning that aligns with the English Language Development Standards. Students will learn how to measure the level of English Language Proficiency, become familiar with the state English Language Proficiency assessment, and learn how to interpret data and explain the results of standardized assessments to students with limited English proficiency, the students' families, and to colleagues.

Principles and problems of organization and administration of American education, including local, regional, and state systems.

Management skills, concepts, and information needed to administer a district-wide curriculum; audits and other evaluations as part of the curriculum or program development cycle; duties and responsibilities of curriculum developers from a standpoint of several possible roles and assignments; criteria and basic concepts for an audit, including essential curriculum management components, alignment, quality control, standards, and data sources.

Writings that have influenced educational theory and practice.

Examination of information processing, social interaction, personal, and behavioral models of teaching; emphasis on practical implementation of these models in teaching situations.

This course explores the management skills, concepts, and information needed to administer a district-wide standards-based instructional and assessment program, with emphasis at the school principal level. This also includes the role of the administrator in supervising for change through the creation of an inclusive learning environment. The administrator’s responsibility in the auditing of content standards and corrective procedures based on assessment results will be covered in depth. The course will also include the various forms of standards-based assessment, both formative and summative, and how to lead organizations to align instruction with state assessments. Both the content and context of instruction and its effect on assessment results will be covered. The formal as well as the informal content of the instructional process and the leader’s responsibility to supervise for both is a critical component of creating inclusive learning environments. The effect of technology, articulation, and the role of the administrator in monitoring what is taught will be investigated as a means toward quality control.

Ethical and legal principles undergirding schools in the U.S.; statutory and case laws focusing on Idaho and surrounding states.

Students will examine relevant research and practical knowledge shared by the mathematics education community. Includes the examination of history, theoretical perspectives, student learning, and pedagogy.

In this course, students will be introduced to the evolution, research, and current federal and state legal mandates of ENL education, the processes of language acquisition and development, and the role that culture plays in students' educational experiences. The students will begin to apply Language Acquisition Theory to their lesson planning, aligning their instruction to ELD and CCSSI.

This course is designed to develop an understanding and application of teaching agriculture using the three-circle model. The course is taught using on-site clinical supervision, technical assistance, leadership, follow-up and support to beginning teachers of secondary agricultural education program.

Theory of and practical strategies for extending and reinforcing student learning of subject matter through reading and writing.

This course examines philosophical and theoretical frameworks, methodologies, strategies, techniques, and designs of educational research. The primary themes: (1) the integration of research with educational practices, (2) the role of diversity in the social/political context of research, and (3) the design and use of research in education.

Explorations of research foundations focused on developing skills in consuming, synthesizing and conduction research from contemporary and diverse perspectives.

Improvement of testing, examination, and evaluation in schools; practice in making, giving, scoring, and interpreting tests; use of results in counseling.

Introduction to action research as a form of systematic applied inquiry conducted by professionals to gain insight, develop reflective perspective, effect change, enhance environment, and improve practice, pedagogy, learner/participant outcomes, policies/procedures. Goals of course include: understanding the theoretical foundations of practical and critical action research, self-study, and teacher research; examining the impact of action research on professional knowledge/actions/environment; exploring processes for identifying area of focus, generating data, analyzing and interpreting data, and developing an action plan for change.

This course introduces students to basic media skills in photography, audio, video, microblogging, social media, content management, basic coding — and blog on a topic of their choice. Students also will explore and share their field experience through a variety of media, and will engage and examine social media uses for advertising, marketing and public relations outreach in natural resources.