Curriculum & Instruction

The
Curriculum & Instruction
Program

with concentrations in:
Health Education,
Science Education, Mathematics Education,
Teaching for Conceptual Integration,
Social Studies Education, School Nurse,
ESL / Bilingual Education,
Personalized Option

Outcomes

Teachers continue to face
higher expectations for ensuring
that their students have
content rich learning experiences
in multiple subject areas.

To do this,
they not only need to understand
the key concepts of each subject area,
but also know appropriate methodology
to address students with varied skills,
different learning styles
and diverse backgrounds.

This complex task
has always made teaching
uniquely challenging and rewarding.

The Curriculum and Instruction Program offers concentrations to support teachers and preK-12+ educational professionals to design, implement, and evaluate the processes of curriculum and instruction. All students in the program complete a Curriculum and Instruction core course sequence, as detailed below, and select from among the following concentrations:

Health Education

This concentration is designed primarily for certified teachers at the secondary level who are seeking the Health Education Endorsement, certified school nurses, other health educators who are employed in a variety of positions, teachers and other educators who seek to enhance their understanding of health education and related methodology. The coursework supports health educators to take their knowledge of the principles of health and health education as well as their understanding of teaching into their professional practice. The goal is to promote health, prevent disease, and assist in educating others to support healthy lifestyle choices so that citizens are more informed and better prepared to contribute to the overall society.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction Health Education page.

Science Education

This concentration is designed for certified teachers and other educators who are seeking further enrichment, expertise, and confidence in their science content understanding, new learning experiences to fuel their enthusiasm and passion for science and science teaching, and unique opportunities to experiment with, refine, and reflect upon new methodologies and practices to engage children in learning science. This coursework is appropriate for teachers interested in obtaining the State of Illinois middle school science endorsement; additional endorsement coursework may be required.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction Science Education page.

Mathematics Education

This concentration is based on a constructivist approach to learning rooted in the philosophy of mathematics teaching and learning expressed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. It is intended for certified teachers in grades 3 through 8, who may choose to complete the State of Illinois middle level mathematics endorsement requirements.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction Mathematics Education page.

Teaching for Conceptual Integration

This unique concentration focuses on how student learning can be enhanced when a teacher uses instructional methods to help students integrate concepts and processes from several subject areas of the curriculum. Intended for teachers who teach multiple subjects to the same group of students in grades K-6, the program helps teachers develop conceptual understanding of Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science by deliberately integrating them two at a time.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction Teaching for Conceptual Integration (TCI) page.

Social Studies

Students consult with their academic advisor to select courses in Social Studies Education.

ESL / Bilingual Education

The coursework of this concentration addresses needs of teachers interested in working with students who are non-native English speakers. Focus is on theories of language acquisition, strategies that promote cultural understanding, and teaching practices that meet the needs of English Language Learners. This concentration meets the State of Illinois requirements of approval-endorsement to work in a Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, or Dual Instructional Program.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction ESL/Bilingual Education page.

School Nurse Certification

This concentration, approved by the Illinois State Board of Education to prepare registered nurses for the School Service Personnel Certificate Type 73 with school nurse endorsement, presents an exciting opportunity for registered nurses to practice in a dynamic specialty. School nurses utilize professional skills to promote health, prevent disease, and solve the health problems of the young people of our nation.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction School Nurse Certification page.

Personalized Option

The Personalized Option concentration provides the unique opportunity to customize one’s degree program according to personal and professional goals, choosing electives from courses in any area of graduate education, as approved by an academic advisor. Electives may be focused in one area or mixed and matched among education and/or content specific courses.

Detailed information is available at the Curriculum & Instruction Personalized Option page.

Program Core Courses

Program Outcomes

In addition to the concentration courses, program core courses are carefully blended to support the Curriculum and Instruction program outcomes.

These courses are designed to support participants to broaden their understanding, enrich their experiences, and bridge insights into practice:

CIC503 (3 sh) Curriculum Design and Evaluation

CIC504 (3 sh)
Instructional Decision Making

CIC592 (3 sh)
Seminar: Educational Inquiries

EPS541* (2 sh)
Cognition and Instruction

ESR 505* (3 sh)
Educational Inquiry and Assessment

A technology-based portfolio provides an opportunity for continual collaboration between students and faculty. As students progress through the program, they reflect on and exhibit evidence of their understanding.

*not required for C.A.S.
**see below for M.S.Ed. requirements

All Curriculum and Instruction program concentrations share the following outcomes:

Understand learners
Understand the learning process
Understand curriculum-making for a diverse society
Make appropriate instructional decisions
Critically reflect and articulate professional beliefs in relation to practice
Collaborate with others productively
Integrate theory and practice by conducting inquiry
Advocate for productive change through assuming an active role in teaching, curriculum-making, and professional involvement beyond the classroom
Understand pertinent academic content

For a graphic representation of these outcomes, see the Curriculum & Instruction Outcomes page.

Degree Options
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) This 34 semester hour degree is designed for educators who seek to grow in their professional competencies, typically focused on classroom instruction. Requirements include 14 sh program core: CIC503 Curriculum Design and Evaluation CIC504 Instructional Decision Making CIC592 Seminar: Educational Inquiries EPS541 Cognition and Instruction ESR505 Educational Inquiry and Assessment 20 sh electives as described within each concentration	The Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) This 36 semester hour degree is designed for qualified educational professionals who want to pursue the field in greater depth and who later may wish to continue their studies beyond the masters degree level. Requirements include 23 sh required courses: ESR 506 Graduate Research: Interpretive/Critical ESR 502 Statistical Methods in Education ESR 503 Research Design Analysis FND 504 History and Philosophy of Education FND 505 Perspectives on Contemporary Issues CIC 503 Curriculum Design and Evaluation CIC 504 Instructional Decision Making CIC 592 Seminar: Educational Inquiries CIC 599 Thesis 13 sh electives chosen by the student and approved by the academic advisor	The Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) This 30 semester hour certificate is for those who have completed a master’s degree in a specific field and want to engage in continued graduate student to add a new career dimension. Requirements include: 9 sh required courses: CIC 503 Curriculum Design and Evaluation CIC 504 Instructional Decision Making CIC 592 Seminar: Educational Inquiries 21 sh electives chosen by the student and approved by the academic advisor

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty
The Curriculum and Instruction faculty plan, implement, and evaluate curriculum to represent the best of what they know in order to facilitate the growth of the program participants. They join their students in engaging in critical review of the research, conducting classroom inquiry, and bringing new understandings into daily practice. The faculty, as indicated below, are available to answer advising questions.
Personalized Option Dr. Darrell Bloom Department Chair Wheeling Campus, x5622 dbloom@nl.edu Dr. Bernadette Herman Program Director Personalized Option Coordinator Wheeling Campus, x5377 bherman@nl.edu Dr. Jane Moore Wheeling Campus, x5192 jmoore@nl.edu ESL/Bilingual Education Dr. Tim Collins Wheeling Campus, x5021 tcollins@nl.edu Dr. Kristin Lems ESL-Bilingual Program Coordinator Evanston Campus, x2407 klems@nl.edu Leah Miller Chicago Campus, x3555 ldmiller@nl.edu Dr. Ken Kantor Evanston Campus, x2378 kkantor@nl.edu Health Education Linda Gibbons Health Education Program Coordinator Wheeling Campus, x5373 Linda.Gibbons@nl.edu Mathematics Education Angela Andrews Lisle Campus, x4252 Angela.Andrews@nl.edu Dr. Edna Bazik Math Program Coordinator Lisle Campus, x4350 Edna.Bazik@nl.edu Dr. Eunice Goldberg Evanston Campus, x2493 egoldberg@nl.edu Dr. Arlene Hambrick Chicago Campus, x3875 ahambrick@nl.edu Dr. Art Hyde Wheaton Campus, x4520 ahyde@nl.edu		School Nurse Linda Gibbons School Nurse Program Coordinator Wheeling Campus, x5373 Linda.Gibbons@nl.edu Science Education Laura Coirier Wheeling Campus, x5220 lcoirier@nl.edu Dr. Alan Rossman Science Program Coordinator Evanston Campus, x2804 arossman@nl.edu Dr. Vito DiPinto Wheeling Campus, x5139 vdipinto@nl.edu Teaching for Conceptual Integration Dr. Art Hyde TCI Program Coordinator Wheaton Campus, x4520 ahyde@nl.edu Social Studies Education Dr. Mark Newman Social Studies Program Coordinator Wheeling Campus, x5819 mnewman@nl.edu Dr. Roger LaRaus Evanston Campus, x 2797 rlaraus@nl.edu

C&I main page updated 4/7/06.