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.

Principles of corrective reading instruction, diagnostic instruments and procedures, effective strategies, and materials for correcting reading difficulties in grades 5-12 from individual to group and from formal to informal to alternative are covered. Profienciency in prescribing and communicating corrective instructional reading and writing plans and activities to support children's reading and writing development will be studied. Restricted to students admitted to reading licensure/endorsement program.

Development of the basic concepts for the creation of a quality managed classroom. Three critical areas of quality management will be explored: 1) building a quality classroom work, 2) defining quality classroom work, 3) creating quality classroom relationships.

Development of a knowledge base and the skills necessary to help students become high quality self-assessors. Strategies to move from inspectorship management to student self-management will be developed. Principles of Control Theory will be introduced to assist students in taking more effective control of their lives.

The relationships between the teacher and her/his students, between students and their work, and between the students themselves have a direct effect on the amount of learning that takes place. This class focuses on teaching effective problem-solving strategies using the Choice Theory communication model. This model helps students take more responsibility and ownership over their learning and behavior. It also helps them to be more successful in all the areas of their lives.

Effective preventive and corrective strategies are examined in the context of developing a classroom management style that promotes the growth of responsible behavior within the learning environment. The outcomes of reward and punishment management will be thoroughly analyzed and replaced with a non-coercive style.

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 children's 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.

Participants will examine instructional practices that are proven to have the greatest impact on student learning and achievement. Participants will learn skills and strategies associated with seeking and engaging in non-evaluative, reflective communication with colleges. Techniques essential to fostering a culture that embraces learning, innovation, trust, and partnership will be examined.