The nature and purpose of the Teaching and Learning CAGS is to provide Learners the knowledge, skill sets, and professional competencies that will enhance their instructional practice and expand their professional awareness. Learners have the opportunity to explore, examine, and evaluate contemporary teaching and instructional practices. This CAGS is aligned to the Curriculum and Teaching specialization.

CT5000 - Curriculum and Instructional Strategies

This course provides an overview of theories, principles, practices and issues in curriculum and instruction. It explores the pedagogical and curricular requirements in schools and integrates theory and practice. This course focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of curricula. Using six architectural principles as a framework, the course investigates strategies and methods to teach diverse learners.

CT5001 - The Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

Reflective practice is a powerful force for educational change. Reflection is a critical process that informs decision making and involves experience, research, discussion, and implementation. Reflective practitioners are committed to continuous learning and improvement. This course will provide the Learner with an overview of the reflective thinking process and model, and will invite the Learner to reflect on past actions in the classroom in order to improve and energize professional growth, teaching methods, classroom strategies, and student learning.

CT5002 - Learning Styles and Teaching Styles – Strategies for Success

Strategies for successful, meaningful teaching involve both strategies/processes and relationships. Specific strategies/modalities and principles can be collected and integrated into a lesson plan or learning module. The question of how a particular strategy relates to a specific learning outcome/chapter objective is partially dependent on the teaching and learning styles present in the specific situation/context. The skillful use of learning and teaching styles requires familiarity with style models, an awareness of one’s personal style and how it influences your individual thinking, acting, and communicating. There is no one single teaching strategy that can be uncritically adopted and unquestioningly followed that will guarantee success in teaching. Regardless of what type of style or strategy one uses in a specific teaching/learning context, creative adaptations will frequently need to be made so that connections are made between the participants in the educational event. Teachers may find such adjustments uncomfortable and time consuming, as well as being in conflict with their own set of style values. In this course, participants will gain a deep understanding of teaching and learning style variations through critical analysis and application of style-behavioral models and principles. Both hypothetical and real teaching scenarios and strategy decisions will be critically considered and integrated into a personal working model with the focus on building practical style skills and associated strategies. Interpersonal dynamics, as embedded in personal teaching and learning styles, operating within educational contexts/events and the systemic nature of such structures are examined in this class. Learners examine their own style profile, and how it impacts their communication with individuals and groups. This process includes appropriate communications’ modalities among the class participants.

CT5003 - Principles of Teaching & Learning

This course is developed for students who are classroom teachers and other educators. The course focuses on four essential questions: How do people learn and develop? How can my teaching and classroom environment support learning for understanding? How can learning theory inform my teaching practice? How can interactions among the learner, the classroom environment, and the teaching/learning process produce motivation to learn and build strong learning communities?

CT5004 - Foundations of Language & Literacy Education

This course will assist educators in learning more about the foundations of language development and the impact language acquisition has on literacy learning. Educators will be asked to reflect on their own understanding of language development and reflect on their teaching of language.

CT5006 - Multiple Intelligences and Ways of Learning

The purpose of this course is to examine the theoretical framework and practical applications of the theory of multiple intelligences, developed by Dr. Howard Gardner. Learners will explore the characteristics of each intelligence area with emphasis on understanding both the Learner’s own particular multiple intelligences profile and how it impacts teaching style, as well as students’ ways of learning as determined by their unique combinations of multiple intelligences. Learners will explore ways to incorporate the intelligences into the development of curriculum and into the daily classroom environment. Emphasis is placed on the Learner gaining a clear understanding of the theory of multiple intelligences and its value in curriculum development and delivery as well as gaining practical tools to positively impact the learning and lives of their students.