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Graduate Program in Instructional Technology
The following are the broad goals of the program:
Global Education
The context of teaching and learning has become as large, rich, and complex as life itself. From a narrow and confined ‘school room’ with walls that defined teaching, learning, and the curriculum, we now have the world’s social, political, economic, commercial, and cultural forces define teaching, learning, and the curriculum. In order to truly prepare young people for this ever-changing, dynamic, and challenging world, we have to engage in an educational process that is fluid yet focused on critical issues that call for change, traditional yet transformative, and enables making a living as well as a life.
Holistic Education
The graduate program in Instructional Technology at North Carolina A&T State University’s School of Education is committed to designing and offering a process that honors the need today to ‘fit’ individuals interested in teaching and learning with an array of philosophical, multicultural, pedagogical, and technological tools. Such a preparation nurtures the essential qualities in individuals to excel, and to bring about the needed change in their own contexts of teaching and learning.
Critical and Relevant Education
Education influences human behavior, but it’s through a complex process of value-building, thinking, analysis, and integrating body, mind, and spirit. Our program is a response to a growing need in the world to bring together disparate fragments of education and infuse them with the elements of value from all learners and their historical, social, political, and economic realities. This effort translates to a focus on tools that enable transparency on multiple ways of knowing, problem-solving, teaching, connecting communities, and evaluating. The ultimate goal is to enable candidates in our program to identify critical issues and needs in the context of their work, master a deep and truthful understanding of each of their own learners and their needs, define goals and objectives for their work, design instruction tied to the above, and engage in a reflective and evaluative process about the outcomes of their efforts.
Program Description
Our graduate program, which is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, offers several opportunities for learners to engage in a deep study of instructional technology as well as expand into and integrate related fields like elementary education, special education, reading education, technology in Business and Industry, etc. The structure of our programs underscores the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and functioning. The Master of Science in Instructional Technology is offered in the following tracks. Face to face courses are available on campus and at other locations. Online classes are available for all tracks on a rotating schedule through the Center for Distance Learning (http://fac.ncat.edu/dist/default.htm).
Instructional Technology -- Business & Industry
Instructional Technology -- Assistive Technology
Instructional Technology – Computers (North Carolina Licensure)
Instructional Technology -- Media Coordinator (North Carolina Licensure)
A Certificate Program is offered in the following:
Assistive Technology
The Media Coordinator licensure track is a 39 hour degree program for those who are interested in a career as a media center specialist or librarian within the school system.
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Plan of Study
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The Computer Specialist licensure track requires 39 hours for completion and prepares individuals for an occupation as an instructional technology specialist for computers at the school or district level.
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program contact
The Business and Industry track requires 39 hours for completion and prepares individuals to enter the world of business in careers such as designing traditional training, producing computer/Internet based instruction, and consulting.
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The Assistive Technology track requires 39 hours for completion and prepares individuals to design learning contexts for individuals with mild to severe disabilities that enable their access to the curriculum or to workplace functions.
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Click here for information on Program Objectives
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Since the mid-90s, the percentage of students with disabilities in general classrooms has been increasing steadily, from 45% to 52%. In addition, the numbers of students who ‘struggle’ to become academically successful in areas like reading, writing, math, communication, etc. have increased. Also, students with disabilities do not attain the same level of academic proficiency as their peers, and therefore, are unable to have equitable opportunities in the workplace as adults. All of these factors place unique demands on the classroom teacher and other school personnel and call for a rethinking and restructuring of teacher education. This reality informs many of the program’s objectives listed below (learner refers to learners classified as disabled, learners who are ‘struggling’ but have not been labeled, and English Language Learners):
- Use Universal Design principles as a starting point in designing instruction for all students
- Identify the challenges that students with different disabilities and English Language Learners face in accessing the curriculum and tasks related to the curriculum
- Apply Universal Design principles to design instruction than can serve the needs of mainstream classrooms and students who are ‘struggling’ but are not labeled
- Choose the appropriate technological tools and instructional strategies to meet the individual needs of the learner
- Demonstrate the ability to organize transdisciplinary teams that can address the needs of learners with disabilities
- Demonstrate the ability to tap into a variety of on-site, district-wide, local, state-level, and national resources to address the needs of learners
- Design and conduct an Assistive Technology evaluation process for IEP recommendations and other instructional use
- Demonstrate a range of essential skills in identifying, testing, matching, applying and evaluating assistive technology (low, medium, and high-tech) tools based on learner needs
- Demonstrate authoring skills in designing individualized instruction in multiple formats that integrate audio, video, graphics, animation, etc.
- Establish equity in educational experiences for learners with disabilities through the effective use of assistive technology
- Improve academic achievement outcomes for students with disabilities
- Integrate recent advances from cognitive science and disability related research in designing instruction
- Analyze and understand policy related to education and disability education
- Understand the importance of teacher advocacy in the educational success of individuals with disabilities
- Engage families successfully in identifying, trying, adopting, implementing and assessing assistive technology
- Understand the legal bases to assistive technology device use and services
The Assistive Technology Certificate Program requires 12 hours for completion and prepares individuals to conduct assistive technology evaluations, integrate assistive technology in instruction and in the workplace, integrate Universal Design principles in designing instruction.
Applying to any of our programs:
Find information related to the process of applying, deadlines, etc.
The first step in applying to any of our programs begins at NCA&T’s office of Graduate Studies. Follow this link to access their page on admissions information, eligibility, tuition, admission requirements, forms, etc (http://www.ncat.edu/~gradsch/prospective.html). You are also welcome to contact us regarding information specific to the program.
Once your application for our program is accepted by the Office of Graduate Studies, you will be assigned an advisor who’ll walk you through the process of registering for courses and charting a plan of study to complete the program.
Faculty:
Dr. Muktha Jost, Associate Professor – Instructional Technology
Address: 275 School of Education Building, North Carolina A&T State University
Email: mjost@ncat.edu
Phone: 336-285-2138
Office: 2105 Yanceyville Rd., #225, Greensboro, NC 27405
Webpage:
Dr. Barbra Mosley, Assistant Professor – Instructional Technology
Address: 275 School of Education Building, North Carolina A&T State University
Email: mosleyb@ncat.edu
Phone: 336-285-2140
Office: 2105 Yanceyville Rd., #226, Greensboro, NC 27405
Webpage:
Dr. Karen Smith-Gratto, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator– Instructional Technology
Address: 275 School of Education Building, North Carolina A&T State University
Email:
gratto@ncat.edu
Phone: 336-285-2139
Office: 2105 Yanceyville Rd., #227, Greensboro, NC 27405
Webpage:
Virtual Classroom
In order to grant distance learning students' access to use University provided software programs, XenAppHosted needs to be installed on client's computer. Refer this PDF file for instructions.
System Requirements
- Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo processor
- Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise
- 2GB of RAM
- 40GB of available hard-disk space
- DVD-ROM drive
- Internet
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