M.A. in Education Option in Curriculum and Instruction

Students may choose this emphasis if they are interested in a middle or high school level. Courses are geared for Urban settings specifically focusing on social change, school reform and reflective thinking. The specific goals of this Emphasis are:

• Develop knowledge and strategies to design curriculum at the classroom, school, and district levels.
• Increase leadership effectiveness among fellow teachers by understanding the complex social factors at work in school communities.
• Take charge of change by developing, implementing, and evaluating instructional innovations in middle and high schools.
• Gain knowledge of skills and procedures in educational research to understand and conduct an inquiry that improves classroom instruction.
• Prepare for additional subject area teaching certifications through appropriate course work leading to demonstrations of competency in selected fields while earning an MA degree.

Students may choose this emphasis if they are interested in K through 12 levels. This emphasis is particularly for those educators who may not have a strong background in teaching per se but are interested in education for the whole child. Courses are geared for Arts in Urban settings, reflective and project-based methods to gain cultural competence. The specific goals of this emphasis are:

• Promote literacy activities in neighborhood and community institutions such as libraries, parks and other groups through visual and performing arts.
• Demonstrate educational research in the fields of children’s literature, story, and drama related to educational development across the curriculum.
• Increase understanding and appreciation of multicultural, multilingual and diverse literatures.
• Demonstrate new or renewed understanding of the curricular, pedagogical and research issues associated with the teaching of creative literacies and literature as applied across the curriculum.
• Demonstrate knowledge of educational research in the fields of story, educational drama and children’s literature.
• Increase understanding and appreciation of multicultural, multilingual & diverse literatures and literacies and demonstrate their uses across the curriculum.

Students may choose this emphasis if they are interested in elementary STEAM methods. Courses are geared towards effective assessment, computer and digital learning and overall appreciation of 21st-century learning methodologies. The specific goals for this emphasis are:

• Discover innovative methods of instruction to increase effectiveness and students’ engagement, learning, and thinking.
• Acquire knowledge and skills that enable teachers to effectively research into math, science, and technology
• Build a knowledge base and experience that prepares educators for entry into doctoral programs in education.
• Enhance capacity to assume leadership in schools by promoting skills and knowledge inherent in STEAM.

“I want my students to develop a passion for reading, writing, and learning on their own.  I want to take classes like Storytelling, Using Educational Drama, and Multicultural Children’s Literature because these things are so important when it comes to the understanding of verbal and nonverbal signals and subsequently making the transition to written literacy. Earning the Masters Degree in Creative Literacies and Literature, would be one key step.”

“I am a student with a background in the arts, I am also a published author and an experienced LAUSD teacher. I specialize in teaching urban gifted students, and so far, I have been able to incorporate a great percentage of what I have learned in the classes that I have taken to satisfy the Creative Literacies program requirements into my classroom with major success.”

“Creative Literacies (program) is a vital endeavor in our current educational community, especially in regard to reaching and engaging students in urban communities. From the wide-ranging usage of visuals to interactive, “on your feet” reading to bridging gaps between cultures, this program gives teachers a wealth of tools in order to motivate and engage young readers so that they can understand and enjoy the miracle of reading.”