Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies
Contemporary Literacy Education: K-9
The primary focus of the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies - Contemporary Literacy Education: K-9 is to explore/investigate current issues and challenges in literacy education in the kindergarten to middle years grades. This program will engage educators in the study of contemporary theories, research, and cutting edge literacy practices, with an emphasis on identifying ways to enhance their own teaching, whether it be in Alberta, other Canadian provinces, or in International contexts.
This online program will provide opportunities for interchange and interaction among professional teachers to share ideas, critical reflections and engage in inquiry. It is designed to accommodate classroom teachers and curriculum leaders.
The program explores questions such as the following:
- What are “new” literacies? How are digital and multimodal literacies relevant to today’s students in and outside of school?
- How can my teaching be informed by research and various theories pertaining to literacy?
- How can I adapt my teaching to meet the needs of struggling readers and writers and students who are diverse linguistically and culturally?
- What is behind some of the contemporary controversies in literacy education and how can I better articulate my own stance to parents, colleagues and administrators?
Notes:
- This program can ladder into a Master's degree. Click here for more information.
- This program does not qualify students for Alberta Teacher Certification.
Program Goals
The following program goals are specific to Contemporary Literacy Education: K-9:
- Provide practical links between theory and teaching in order to develop deep understandings about effective teaching of reading and writing in K - middle years education.
- Explore contemporary challenges in literacy teaching, including cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom, meeting the needs of struggling readers and writers, and the role of digital and multimodal literacies in learning and teaching.
- Consider research and theories connected to literacy practices in homes and communities, including digital and multimodal communication, and ways that these can inform teaching.
- Provide a professional community of practice where teachers across different locations can connect with others to explore current issues and literature in the field.
- Provide an opportunity to learn about graduate level coursework with the future possibility to ‘ladder in’ coursework for a Masters degree.