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Fellows Program
M.Ed. for the Practicing Teacher
The State of Ohio requires that all teachers further their education by obtaining a master’s degree or thirty hours of graduate credit to maintain their teaching license. As an institution that can help teachers meet that need, we believe it is our professional responsibility to offer a high quality master’s degree program that reflects what we know about how children learn and the best pedagogical practices that enhance that learning. We believe:
- Our master’s degree program should be rooted in a strong and consistent philosophical and conceptual framework;
- The master’s program should be intellectually stimulating and rigorous, grounded in theories related to teaching and learning, yet practical and applicable to teachers’ daily work
- Teachers should be empowered, both as instructors and as designers of curriculum;
- Our curriculum should reflect what we know about how children learn and the best practices in teaching them;
- The master’s program should enhance the professional practice of its participants, where the cumulative, collective experience of the program transcends the series of courses taught.
The structure of the Fellows Program
The Fellows Program is designed as a two year, cohort model. The summer session for each year is scheduled as a four week semester, running Monday through Thursday where two graduate courses are taken. Each of the fall and spring semesters involves classes scheduled one or two evenings per week, usually from 5:00-7:30 or from 5:00-9:00.
The 32 semester hour program is sequenced. Each course either introduces the theoretical background and thinking about the topic (e.g. learning theory or child development) or builds upon previous courses. The assignments for the program are also coordinated and scaffolded to ensure deep and meaningful learning. Application of what is learned is central to the philosophy and success of the program.
During the school year, Fellows carry out graduate assignments in their own classrooms, applying new theories and strategies with their own students.
Students are accepted in cohorts of 20-25 students, with a maximum of three cohorts per year. Cohorts are also composed of teachers from similar backgrounds. For example, different cohorts would be formed for independent school teachers, catholic school teachers, or public school teachers.
The Fellows Program is site-based. Not only are assignments carried out in the teachers’ own classrooms, but the program can be customized to a particular school’s or district’s goals. Further, the graduate courses are taught on site, at a mutually convenient location.
The master’s program culminates with a comprehensive master’s exam. There are three components to the exam: a written response to the core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), a capstone project, and an oral defense.
Courses
ED 500 Educational Foundations 3
ED 505 Educational Research 3
ED 510 Introduction to Human Development & Learning 2
ED 511 Advanced Studies in Development & Learning:
Elementary Teachers 3
ED 512 Advanced Studies in Development & Learning:
Middle and High School Teachers 3
ED 527 Addressing the Diverse Learner 3
ED 550 Professional Development Seminar I 3
ED 551 Professional Development Seminar II 3
ED 630 Applied Principles of Curriculum, Instruction and
Assessment for Independent or Parochial School Teachers 3
ED 631 Applied Principles of Curriculum, Instruction and
Assessment for Public School Teachers 3
ED 640 Teachers as Leaders and Facilitators of Change 3
ED 645 Master’s Capstone Project 3
ED 650 Master’s Seminar 3
Total hours 32
