Master of Education in Teaching and Learning
 

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Before beginning your on-line graduate admission application, please note:
**Valid credit card is required for $25.00 application fee.
**Official college transcripts must be sent to Office of Admissions - Attn: Graduate Programs from each college/university attended before application review begins.
**Master of Education degree program recommends state teacher certification.
**Master of Education degree program requires the following, in addition to official college transcripts, be sent to Office of Admissions-Graduate Programs:

ABOUT THE PROGRAM    top                     

Curriculum and instruction are central to educational improvement and focus at the what, how, and why of teaching and learning.  In today's climate of educational reform, educational leaders are needed who are knowledgeable of the reform process from multiple perspectives, and who are prepared to engage in reflective practice that can effect policy and procedure.  Inherent in this process is the concept of the reflective decision-maker.  The Master of Education in Teaching and Learning, aligned with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is designed to enable individuals who work in education and related settings, develop competencies that are characteristic of those who assume leadership roles in bringing about improvement.

The program is designed to be completed in two years by taking two courses per semester including summers.  The program may be completed earlier by taking additional courses beyond the two per semester, however, participants not completing within seven years may be required to repeat coursework.

ADMISSION CRITERIA   top

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution..
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
• State teaching certification is highly recommended but not required.
• GPA of 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) for regular admissions.  Applicants with a 2.5 undergraduate GPA may be admitted conditionally with the requirement that they must achieve a "B" or better in their first nine credits. 
• Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the candidate's academic and/or professional experience.
• Writing sample (choose one below)

  a)  Prepare an essay discussing a contemporary educational issue, policy, or initiative.  Include a concise description of your chosen topic and discuss the pros and cons.  Also include your professional opinion in the final paragraphs of the essay.  Your essay should not exceed 300 words.

  b)  Review a pertinent scholarly journal article or report published in a recent professional journal.  Include the problem or issue, the author’s viewpoint and supporting ideas.  Also include your professional opinion in the final paragraphs of the essay.  Your essay should not exceed 300 words.  (You must send a photocopy of the full text of the article along with your essay.)

• Completed application form.
• $25.00 non-refundable application fee.
• Official grade report of the TOEFL at an appropriate level if the student is not a native speaker of English and has no high school or baccalaureate degree from an anglophonic institution.

Students may apply to transfer up to nine graduate credits for consideration toward graduation from the Master of Education program.  Students may petition to have additional transfer credits, not to exceed six, considered toward graduation.  Grades for transferred courses are not used in calculating the Lock Haven University grade point average.   All credits requested for transfer must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Issued from an accredited institution
• Carry graduate designation
• Grade of "B" or better
• Courses completed within the past seven years

PARTICIPANT FOCUS  top 

The Master of Education in Teaching and Learning degree is appropriate for, but not limited to, the following:

• Individuals teaching in public and private settings as well as early education or intermediate unit programs.
• Individuals teaching in Higher Education settings who have an interest in instructional improvement.
• Individuals who have interest in seeking National Board Certification.
• Individuals interested in increasing their skills and knowledge of a specific area of specialty to enhance their effectiveness as teacher leaders.
• Individuals interested in increasing their skills and knowledge related to performance standards instruction.
• Individuals interested in developing skills to become educational change agents.

CURRICULUM   top

The program requires thirty-six (36) semester hours with the following categories:

Department Requirement - 3 sh
EDTL600 Introduction: Inquiry and Educational Change

Core Requirements - 12 sh
EDTL601 Teaching and Learning in an Information Age
EDTL602 Advanced Instructional Design and Development
EDTL604 Designing Assessments Using Performance
EDTL606 Analysis of Teaching

Research Requirements - 6 sh
EDTL692 Reflective Practice and Action Research 1
EDTL694 Reflective Practice and Action Research 2

Area of Specialty - 15 sh

Department Requirement
The focus of the Department Requirement, EDTL600 Introduction: Inquiry and Education Change, is to give the MEd student an overview of the program, skills for success in graduate education as well as on-line learning, an understanding of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, an introduction to the effective analysis and utilization of educational research and to begin the action research project/portfolio process.

Core Requirements
The four core requirement courses, EDTL601 Teaching and Learning in an Information Age; EDTL602 Advanced Instructional Design and Development; EDTL604 Designing Assessments Using Performance Standards; EDTL606 Analysis of Teaching, focus on major components of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and provide skills to support the MEd student in becoming a teacher leader.  The Core Requirement courses insure all MEd students have a grounding in key skill and knowledge sets that will compliment the selected area of specialty and action research project and result in becoming a reflective teacher leader.

Area of Specialty
The Area of Specialty is intended to focus on participants needs allowing greater flexibility and resulting in identifiable outcomes that can be documented.  Needs could be cohort based or individual based.  Given circumstances where a cohort is formed form a specific geographic location, such as a school district or group of districts, learning communities could be formed and facilitated by local directors in support of professional development activities.  Where available and appropriate local facilitators could be National Board Certified Teachers.  Areas of Specialty could include, but are not limited to:

• Generalist
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification
• Performance Standards Education
• Instructional Design/Development/Evaluation
• Technology in Education
• Medical Education
• Higher Education
• Alternative Education
• Corrections Education

Because of the flexibility of the Area of Specialty, the program, with appropriate planning and approval, could respond to specific requests to meet specific needs that arise due to change actions at all levels of education.  It is anticipated the discipline based courses from the Master of Liberal Arts program will also be used to enhance the area of specialty.

Classroom Based Action Research Project
The Classroom Based Action Research Project focuses on teacher/teaching improvement through reflection and ongoing analysis of teaching practices.  The purpose of this component is to provide opportunity to participate in the research process that will become an ongoing practice in the MEd students classroom.  The resulting projects will be added to an ever increasing body of knowledge that will be available through web resources to other education practitioners.  Course requirements are EDTL692 Research Studies 1 and EDTL694 Research Studies 2.  Action research engages teachers in a four-step process:

1. Identify an area of focus.
2. Collect data.
3. Analyze and interpret data.
4. Develop an action plan

Portfolio Development
The focus of the development of the portfolio is to provide documentation of the scholarly, professional development activities of the MEd student.  The portfolio will not only include the Classroom Based Action Research Project Report, but will also document reflective teaching practices and the impact of the various courses in the MEd program on those practices.  Portfolio development will be aligned with the criteria established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards assessment process.

ON-LINE DELIVERY   top 

Utilization of web based on-line delivery resources and tools makes it possible to provide programming to rural/remote areas or to meet the needs of in-service teachers with high demands on their time and energy for whom meeting specific time and geographic location requirements is difficult.  This also allows for expansion of program offerings beyond state borders.  Using learner friendly course engines and ever growing digital resources makes the experience a viable option to traditional face-to-face programs.

Note:  In situations and locations where cohorts can be formed, and at their request, a facilitator model or direct face-to-face instruction could be provided as an additional component in support of the on-line program.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:   top
Graduate Programs
Office of Admissions
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, PA 17745
Telephone - in PA 1-800-332-8900; outside PA 1-800-233-8978
Fax - 570-893-2201
Send an email to Graduate Admissions 

Updated 09/02/2009