Course Descriptions 475 Reading Specialist Endorsement. Prerequisite: Level l Basic Reading Endorsement. MED 6356 - Internship in Reading (3) This course is a field-based experience designed to give students an opportunity to work with curriculum and school leaders for improving reading instruction on a district or school level. Prerequisite: Level I Basic Reading Endorsement, MED 6355, MED 6354. The course is graded Credit/No Credit. MED 6360 - Foundations of Literacy (3) An exploration of current reading, oral and written language theories, and their applications for the improvement of literacy practices in schools. MED 6380 - Values Education (3) Designed for teachers, administrators, parents and community leaders. Examines the developmental processes of socialization and moral development. Four separate approaches of values education are evaluated. MED 6420 - Foundations of Education of the Gifted (3) An overview of education for the gifted and talented: historical and philosophical background; characteristics, needs, and developmental patterns of the gifted; issues in identification, differentiating curriculum and educational program options; special populations of gifted students. MED 6430 - Creative Processes in the Elementary School (3) This course focuses on the development of attitudes, methods, and skills in creative teaching, including an exploration of using music, art, dance, and drama in the elementary classroom. Graduate students will also explore philosophy, research, and theories which support arts integration, and development of teaching strategies and materials for use in the elementary classroom. MED 6440 - Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted (2) This course examines social and emotional developmental needs of gifted and talented children and proposes strategies for recognizing and meeting those needs in classrooms and with families. MED 6450 - Creativity and Applied Imagination (2) Exploration and development of readily available personal and community resources to encourage creative thinking/reasoning, classroom involvement, and transfer of learning. MED 6470 - Teaching for Thinking (2) Theory and practice for teaching thinking skills in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. MED 6480 - Differentiated Curriculum for the Gifted (3) Curriculum theories and educational strategies for educating gifted and talented students. A practical course with special attention to the development of instructional materials appropriate for use by gifted students in special programs as well as in the regular classroom. MED 6490 - Assessment and Evaluation in Education of the Gifted (3) Principles of assessment applied to identification of gifted and talented students including identification of gifted in minority populations, diagnosis of student learning needs, learning styles, evaluation of student progress, and evaluation of program effectiveness. MED 6495 - Action Research in Education of the Gifted (3) This is a capstone course in the program leading to a Utah teaching endorsement in education of the gifted and talented and meets the USOE endorsement requirement for a field experience or practicum in education of the gifted by requiring a community-based project in which learning from previous endorsement courses is synthesized in a practical way. Students are expected to take initiative in planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating meaningful action research projects relevant to education or the gifted and talented. Prerequisite: Bachelors degree, teaching license, and MED 6420, MED 6480, MED 6490. MED 6510 - Advanced Foundations in Special Education Practice and Law (Elementary and Secondary Teachers) (3) This course focuses on the learning and social characteristics of young people with exceptionalities — that is, disabilities (physical, mental, learning) or giftedness — and about public policy and services available to them. As future teachers, students will learn about how such individuals are identified and served by the school system, what strategies are effective for instructing them, and roles and responsibilities of school personnel in providing appropriate educational experiences for all students in an includive classroom. Prerequisite: Admission to Masters of Education. MED 6510D - Advanced Foundations in Special Education Practice & Law (Special Education License) (3) This course focuses on the learning and social characteristics of young people with exceptionalities — that is, disabilities (physical, mental, learning) or giftedness — and about public policy and services available to them. As future teachers, students will learn about how such individuals are identified and served by the school system, what strategies are effective for instructing them, and roles and responsibilities of school personnel in providing appropriate educational experiences for all students in an includive classroom. Prerequisite: Admission to Masters of Education. MED 6520 - Collaboration, Consultation, and IEP Development (3) Roles of the special educator and families. IEP development, Least Restrictive environment, managing multidisci- plinary team activities, and techniques of collaboration and consultation. MED 6521 - Practicum in Special Education (2) Not currently being taught. This Practicum experience will focus on examining in depth the lives of students with mild to moderate disabilities in school, home, and community settings. Students will be introduced to the IEP process and will practice developing collaborative relationships within school settings. This Practicum must be taken either concurrently with, or after completion of, MED 6510 and MED 6520. MED 6530 - Principles and Applications of Special Education Assessment (3) Administer, score, and interpret norm-referenced assessment instruments, analyze in combination with data from other assessment processes, and use to determine eligibility and develop educational programs. Weber State University 2012-2013 Catalog