Teaching and Learning

Get Your M.A. in Special Education -- Online!

Iowa elementary school teachers interested in pursuing a master’s degree and certification in special education now have more options thanks to a new distance learning opportunity.

Program Coordinator Bill Therrien, an associate professor in Teaching & Learning, said the online students have the same classroom experiences as their on-campus cohorts. They attend classes in real time via web cam.

Off-campus students work with local mentors who observe their work, provide feedback and assist them as needed. Therrien said that since he expects many of the students will be working teachers, they will be able to complete course assignments in their own classrooms.

“For example, in the Behavioral and Social Interventions class, students are required to develop and implement a behavioral plan for a student experiencing difficulty,” he said. “This assignment will not only fulfill a class requirement, but will likely be of value on its own accord to the teacher.”

Dean Sandra Bowman Damico said she is proud the College is able to provide distance learning instruction for the entire state and beyond.

“Through online learning, students now have access to high-quality education without ever having to leave their home community.”

Therrien aims to attract 10 online students a semester and said offering the program online fills an essential educational opportunity in the state.

“There is a need for special education teachers throughout the state, but particularly in rural areas,” he said. “As a state university, it’s our obligation to ensure all children with special needs in Iowa, regardless of where they live, are taught by qualified, top-notch special education professionals.”

To learn more about the new program, visit www.education.uiowa.edu/teach/speceddistance.

 

“We the People”—Energizing Civic Education

Thirty teachers from across the state got a taste of student life when they attended “We the People: The Citizen and Constitution Teacher Institute” July 15 through 22. They learned how to implement the “We the People” curriculum in their classrooms by participating in it themselves.

“We the People” focuses on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and fosters civic competence and responsibility among elementary, middle, and high school students. The national program has been around for 22 years and is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Center for Civic Education.

“The program provides teachers with important resources such as textbooks, lesson plans, and professional development opportunities so that they can help their students understand the history and principals of our constitutional government,” said Professor Gregory Hamot, state director of the “We the People” program.

The institute culminated with the teachers participating in a mock congressional hearing judged by local leaders and political experts. This activity was similar to state and national mock hearings students can participate in through the program.

Hamot said the hearings help the teachers, and ultimately their students, become engaged and educated citizens. “Any program that helps promote the development of what (Thomas) Jefferson called the highest office of our nation, that of citizen, is commendable,” he said.

Casey Dunley, a teacher at Meredith Middle School in Des Moines, said she was impressed with the resources the “We the People” program will provide her school and enjoyed her time on campus this summer.

“I loved being a student again,” she said.

Fred Matlage, a social studies teacher at Sibley-Ocheyedan High School, said he was energized by the institute and looked forward to implementing what he learned.

“This is the best professional development I have ever attended,” he said.