411 Universality and Diversity in Child and Family Development, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Provides knowledge of child and family development from diverse and cultural perspectives, offering appreciation for critical role of families. Explores role of culture, various disabilities, and theories for understanding and interpreting child and family growth and development.
413 Language Development and Emergent Literacy for Diverse Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Provides understanding of first and second languages. Explores impact of disability and second language acquisition; and covers interrelationship of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Offers understanding of diversity of oral and written communication styles in families, communities, and cultures.
414 Creating Environments and Adapting Curriculum for Diverse Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Provides understanding of developmentally appropriate programs and practices for culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse young children. Students explore, plan, and implement curricula and environments using individually, age-related, and culturally appropriate methods and materials. Provides understanding of the important role of play, active exploration, construction and representation of knowledge, and social interaction with peers and family.
423 Language Acquisition and Communication for Diverse Infants and Toddlers (3:3:0) Provides understanding of early language development in terms of the five major components of language. Speech, language, and communication are discussed, particularly in terms of interrelatedness with cognitive and sociocultural development. Explores importance of adult-child interaction; and impact of bilingualism, cultural diversity, cognitive ability, and language disorder.
424 Culturally, Linguistically, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices with Infants, Toddlers, and their Families (3:3:0) Provides understanding of culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate programs and practices in community settings that provide services to infants and toddlers with varied abilities and their families. Students explore, plan, and implement developmentally supportive activities, and are expected to become familiar with cultural context of infants and toddlers with whom they are working. Special emphasis on providing home-based services.
511 Universality and Diversity in Child and Family Development, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides knowledge of child and family development from diverse and cultural perspectives. Students explore role of culture and theories for understanding and interpreting child and family growth and development; learn about various disabilities; and acquire appreciation for critical role of families.
512 Assessment of Diverse Young Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides understanding of forms, functions, methods, and roles of assessment for planning and implementing effective early childhood programs for children ages 3–5 from diverse cultures and with varied learning needs. Teaches quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluation and assessment. Students learn about technological adaptations, and gain understanding of appropriate strategies for conducting, reporting, and decision-making related to specific functions of assessment. They also learn about assessment strategies for second language learners, and adaptations for children with disabilities.
513 Language Development and Emergent Literacy for Diverse Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Prerequisites: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides understanding of first and second languages. Explores impact of disability and second language acquisition, and covers interrelationship of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students also gain understanding of the diversity of oral and written communication styles in families, communities, and cultures.
514 Creating Environments and Adapting Curriculum for Diverse Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides understanding of developmentally appropriate programs and practices for culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse young children. Students explore, plan, and implement curricula and environments using individually, age-related, and culturally appropriate methods and materials. Covers important role of play, active exploration, construction and representation of knowledge, and social interaction with peers and family members.
521 Infant/Toddler Development in Family and Cultural Contexts (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Teaches about development of infants and toddlers in family and cultural contexts. Students explore role of family, culture, and developmental theories in providing frameworks for understanding and interpreting behavior of children from birth to age 3. Students learn about factors that place infants and toddlers at developmental risk, and other disabilities.
522 Family-Centered Assessment of Diverse Infants and Toddlers (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Focuses on family-centered practice in assessing infants and toddlers with diverse cultures and abilities. Teaches assessment practices that lead to plans for supporting infant development in individually and culturally relevant ways. Offers understanding of appropriate strategies for conducting, reporting, and decision making related to specific functions of assessment, and adapting assessment practices for culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse infants and toddlers and their families.
523 Language Acquisition and Communication for Diverse Infants and Toddlers (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides understanding of early language development in terms of five major components of language. Discusses speech, language, and communication, particularly in terms of interrelatedness with cognitive and sociocultural development. Also explores importance of adult-child interaction; and impact of bilingualism, cultural diversity, cognitive ability, and language disorder.
524 Culturally, Linguistically, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices with Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Explores culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate programs and practices in community settings that provide services to infants and toddlers with varied abilities and their families. Students explore, plan, and implement developmentally supportive activities with infants and toddlers and their families, and are expected to become familiar with cultural context of infants and toddlers with whom they are working. Special emphasis on providing home-based services.
612 Development and Assessment of Diverse Learners, K–3 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Examines forms, functions, methods, and roles of assessment for planning and implementing effective early childhood programs across content areas for culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse children in kindergarten through third grade.
613 Language and Literacy Development for Diverse Learners, K–3 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Develops and applies knowledge of literacy stages in conjunction with appropriate instructional materials and techniques for grades K–3. Analyzes, synthesizes, and applies knowledge of recent research to teaching practices in literacy development. Applies instructional approaches in response to the needs of diverse students in culturally and developmentally sensitive manner.
614 Integrating and Adapting Curriculum across the Content Areas for Diverse Learners, K–3 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Explores developmentally appropriate programs and practices for teaching children in grades K–3. Covers strategies for planning and implementing community of learners inclusive of children with diverse abilities and needs. Integrative class links knowledge in specific content areas to broader picture of managing the classroom day, implementing integrated curriculum across content areas, and applying philosophical principles related to effective instruction of diverse young learners.
615 Developing Concepts in Early Childhood Mathematics and Science for Diverse Learners, K–3 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Examines preoperational and concrete operational thought processes of conservation, seriation, observation, comparison, classification, and early number concepts. Uses concrete science and math materials, experiences to foster development of quantitative thinking in geometry, measurement, graphing, and whole number arithmetic. Covers construction of math and science lessons and hands-on experiences that address needs of variety of student populations, such as children with disabilities, gifted and talented children, and minority and culturally diverse groups.
781 Frameworks for Unified, Transformative Early Care and Education (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Provides opportunity to analyze foundational frameworks for developing unified perspective for working with culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse young learners, birth to age 8, and their families. Students examine foundational work from separate fields of early childhood education, early childhood special education, multicultural education, and second language acquisition and bilingual education.
782 Policy Perspectives Affecting Diverse Young Learners and Their Families (3:3:0) Prerequisites: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Advanced seminar explores historical and current trends and issues involving legislation and policy in early childhood education, bilingual education, early childhood special education, and multicultural education. Focuses on historical role of social advocacy, development of advocacy skills, and collaboration and consultation with other professionals and staff in early childhood education. Provides understanding of continuum of services and context of service delivery.
790 Internship with Diverse Learners, Ages 3–5 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Enables students to participate full time in inclusive early childhood setting serving families of infants and toddlers with diverse learning needs. Links university course work to real world of working with diverse families and their infants and toddlers. Students engage in carefully planned learning sequence, including observing infants and toddlers, environments, and intervention strategies that identify family concerns, priorities, and resources.
791 Internship with Diverse Infants and Toddlers and Their Families (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Enables students to participate full time in inclusive early childhood setting serving families of infants and toddlers with diverse learning needs. Links university course work to real world of working with diverse families and their infants and toddlers. Students engage in carefully planned learning sequence, including observing infants and toddlers, environments, and intervention strategies that identify family concerns, priorities, and resources.
792 Internship with Diverse Learners, K–3 (3:3:0) Prerequisite: admission to UTEEM program, or permission of instructor. Enables students to participate full time in early childhood setting serving children with diverse learning needs. Links university course work to real world of teaching. Students engage in carefully planned learning sequence, beginning with targeted observations and culminating with responsibility for entire planning process for three- to four-week period.
793 Specialization Internship with Diverse Learners and Their Families (6:6:0) Prerequisite: passing scores on Praxis I and II, and admission to UTEEM program; or permission of instructor. Enables students to participate full time in education setting serving diverse children and their families, becoming involved in range of activities to ensure experience and understanding of the complexity, uniqueness, and significance of the work done.
804 Families of Diverse Young Learners – Interdisciplinary and Cross-cultural Research, Policy, and Practice (3:3:0) Prerequisites: admission to doctoral program or post-master’s status and permission of instructor. Explores the relationship between families and professionals in providing appropriate early care and education for diverse young children. Course includes in-depth study, analysis, and discussion of original research as well as syntheses of findings.
805 Personnel Preparation and Professional Development in Early Education of Diverse Learners (3:3:0) Prerequisites: admission to doctoral program or post-master’s status and permission of instructor. Explores research and current recommended practices related to professional development and teacher education in early care and education of diverse learners. Provides opportunity for practical application with pre-service or in-service early educators.
806 Early Childhood Cognition, Language, and Literacy for Diverse Young Learners (3:3:0) Prerequisites: admission to doctoral program or post-master’s status and permission of instructor. Develops an understanding of research and practice related to cognition, language, and literacy in a sociocultural context in the early childhood education of diverse learners, including special education and multicultural/multilingual education.