Identification and Programming for the Gifted will provide opportunities to examine the complex issues around identification of gifted students, including twice-exceptionality and English language learners. Participants will study the areas of giftedness as identified in Iowa code: general intellectual ability, creative thinking, leadership ability, visual and performing arts ability and specific ability aptitude. Participants will examine, discuss, determine, and evaluate programming models and options that best meet the needs of each of these populations of students.

Administration and supervision of gifted programs will provide opportunities for students to audit, examine, develop, and/or improve their written comprehensive gifted and talented program plan and programming. Participants will study their current plans, consider best practices in gifted education, analyze data, and more.

Gifted Education Internship is the culmination of course work to qualify for the TAG endorsement. This internship focuses on application of best practices related to the field of gifted education. Participants will take part in 20 hours of learning and leadership experiences in multiple educational settings, supervised cooperatively by the university internship supervisor and/or an approved mentor in the field of gifted education. A minimum of 10 of the required 20 hours must be outside of participants current grade level endorsement area.

A course, on a special topic in the discipline at the post-baccalaureate or master degree level, offered on the basis of need, interest, or time lines. May be repeated for credit. See registrars office current class schedules Web page for specific semester description.

This course will explore the current development and practice of adolescent literacy in a changing world. Globalization means middle and high school students will find themselves in a world that requires ingenuity, imagination, and empathy, and will require employees who are willing to take risks and work cooperatively. With this in mind, this course will use a variety of texts to synthesize literacy strategies about reading, writing, speaking and thinking in the adolescent world, including how to adapt to the increase of technology in everyday use.

This course is designed for teachers of grades K-5 and will identify multicultural literature, which promotes multicultural teaching and learning. The purpose of this course is to involve teachers in literature, which acknowledges diverse backgrounds. Teachers will learn to use childrens literature to teach multicultural awareness. This course will emphasize activities through all areas of the curriculum including language arts, math, social studies, science, and the arts.

This course will examine the areas of brain research, differentiation, and multiple intelligence. Overviews of each topic will be discussed with in-depth reading/discussion for participants that are not yet familiar with these topics. This course will explore how teachers can incorporate new research into already developed lesson plans. This allows teachers to feel that new information or ideas can fit into curriculum already in place, without feeling the need to add just one more thing to an already packed agenda.

Participants will apply and integrate innovative teacher leadership and instructional coaching during an on-the-job experience grounded within their school districts and/or community. Participants will be challenged to think critically about their leadership/coaching roles and to extrapolate the experience to future leadership/coaching issues within their individual school districts. Prerequisites: 505, 506, 507.

Internet-based course. May be repeated for credit.

This course includes a study of the role of the supervising teacher in the student teaching program. Attention will be given to the development of understandings and skills essential in working effectively with student teachers and in improvement of instruction.