Based upon a background of positive psychology (Seligman), and strengths psychology (Clifton) strength-based leadership emphasizes the development of employee strengths, rather than the remediation of individual weaknesses as a way of doing business. Using the framework of strength-based leadership, students will learn how to apply leadership theory in a way which promotes a culture of commitment, rather than simply compliance. Students will study their own strengths and how to build an educational community around the strengths of each employee to move their schools to greater academic achievement. Florida Leadership Standards will be addressed via a crosswalk of the strength-based approach to traditional leadership practice.
- Teacher: Angie Franklin
Students will study generic and their institution’s test, attendance, and graduation data to discuss and describe possible paths to improvement. This course is designed to move leaders from “I think” solutions to “the data suggest” solutions. Students will practice “real world” decision-making to meet the standard: “High Performing Leaders plan effectively, use critical thinking and problem solving techniques, and collect and analyze data for continuous school improvement.” Students will personalize their study to meet the needs of their charter, public and traditional private Montessori schools.
- Teacher: Justin Tosco
An introduction to children’s literature, values of literature, genres of children’s literature, the qualities of classic and current children’s literature, and methods to integrate literature into the preschool and elementary Montessori classroom. The Montessori view of fiction, fantasy, and realistic literature and children will be explored.
- Teacher: Sheila Linville
This is a basic course designed to acquaint students with knowledge and skills necessary to create and successfully implement Montessori inspired activities, games and sports to promote health and wellness. Students will gain an understanding of the role of physical education in Montessori settings even if they are the classroom teacher. This includes curricular components and class approaches. The course will also include an orientation to concepts of PE specific observation, the structure of a typical PE class, providing feedback, encouraging participation, and using sports to teach interdisciplinary concepts.
- Teacher: Maegan Brusaw
Students examine family life from historical and cultural perspectives, particularly its influence on the development of young children. A critical examination of the changing American family is central to this course. Strategies for effective parenting and educational interventions for working with young children and families from a variety of cultural settings are also emphasized. Throughout the course, students apply Montessori philosophy to their partnerships with families. Students will have opportunities to explore current issues addressing families including the changing role of fathers, the impact of economic stress on families, same sex parenting, grandparents raising grandchildren, and realistic expectations for family involvement in today’s Montessori school communities.
- Teacher: Dorothy Harman
This course will examine eight key elements of what Montessori called Total Reading as it is taught in Montessori programs. These are Creating a Literacy Culture; Emergent Literacy; Working with Words and Grammar; Penmanship and Creative Writing; Passing from Writing to Reading; Oral Language, Vocabulary, and Fluency; Speaking; and Listening and Viewing. Each of these will be examined in terms of importance, and applicability. Special attention will be paid to materials and methods for implementing these areas in Montessori classrooms.
- Teacher: Debbie Couldrey
This course will explore Montessori methods, practices, and pedagogy across multiple disciplines, including: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language arts, & sciences. Students will focus on comprehending and analyzing concepts. The curriculum is geared towards the learning needs and developmental readiness of children who are ages three to six years old, and is aligned to the MACTE standards.
- Teacher: Heather White
The course addresses Montessori focused practices regarding classroom observation and management. The combination of personal reflection on classroom observation and management, as well as, actual classroom observations is used to deepen the student’s understanding, appreciation of and ability to apply course topics.
- Teacher: Darlene Abernathy-Neely
This course presents an administrator’s overview of the Montessori curriculum from early childhood through adolescence. Specifically, students will explore the Montessori philosophy of educating children from toddler to teenager, as well as age-appropriate teaching techniques and learner explorations. They will study specific content areas, alternative assessments, work plans, and the effective management of Montessori education programs, including observing and assessing educator effectiveness.
- Teacher: Jennifer Savage
This required core course uses the frameworks of positive psychology and strengths-based leadership to explore leadership theory that promotes a culture of commitment and recognizes the strengths of all educators and students as a focus. In this course, students will learn to identify their own personal strengths as well as those of their individual students and create strategies for using these in Montessori instruction, relationship building, assessment, and classroom management at all levels: infants and toddlers, early childhood, lower elementary, upper elementary, and secondary school, including working with adults in teacher education.
- Teacher: Angie Franklin
This course introduces the role of technology in the development of the Montessori curriculum as well as the role of technology in the implementation of the Montessori curriculum in the 20th century. The course is designed for students who have earned Montessori credentials and are working toward their Doctoral degree. Emphasis is on the changing role of technology in the Montessori classroom. We will analyze Montessori’s writings on technology and consider what current researchers suggest regarding technology and how educators are implementing technology in their schools. We will also analyze the life’s work of Walt Disney, to evaluate how he utilized technology in new and diverse ways out of his love for children.
- Teacher: Krystal Perkins
This required core research course explores the theoretical and practical foundations, as well as the ethical, legal, and social justice implications of rigorous, summarily excellent doctoral-level research. While examining the assumptions, theories, and processes of qualitative, quantitative, and action research, students will define a project, begin to gather and analyze data, and report on their work.
- Teacher: Caroline Robbins
This course provides an introduction to characteristics of exceptional children and an overview of theories, programs, curriculum and instructional strategies, and technological options for improving learning for students with disabilities in Montessori settings. The course will also cover legal issues pertinent to nondiscriminatory assessments, individualized educational plans, and parental involvement, and a 15-hour special education or inclusion field experience is required. Students will apply information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, and communication, as a guide to action.
- Teacher: Heather White
Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.
In this course, students will begin working with their Committee Chair and lay the groundwork for Chapters 1 and 2 of their dissertation. Students also complete required human subjects training and begin forming their dissertation committee.
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Topic 1 – Preparation for Dissertation Phases (Identifying your Committee Chair; forming your committee; setting bi-weekly meeting norms; milestone check-in; etc.)
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Topic 2 – Finalizing your research focus; articulating the problem of practice; narrowing a topic
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Topic 3 – Finalizing your research focus; articulating the problem of practice; narrowing a topic
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Topic 4 – Completing CITI/human subjects training (IRB modules); research ethics in practitioner research
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Topic 5 – Writing Chapter 1: Introduction, background, significance of the study, and purpose statement
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Topic 6 – Writing Chapter 1: Introduction, background, significance of the study, and purpose statement
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Topic 7 – Theoretical and conceptual frameworks; selecting a framework aligned with your problem
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Topic 8 – Writing Chapter 1: Theoretical/Conceptual framework
- Teacher: Lindsey Pollock
Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.
- Teacher: Heather Gerker
- Teacher: Ambar Saleh-Cipolloni
Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.
- Teacher: Heather Gerker
This course explores a foundational overview of peace psychology principles focusing on the nature, cause, intervention, and prevention of the determinants of peace. Students will analyze how peace psychology can be applied to a variety of interpersonal settings, and to promote conflict resolution and create non-violent social environments.
- Teacher: Elena Rosemond
This foundational course introduces and develops a frame of assumptions for strengths-based philosophy, as well as creates a framework for dealing with students from a strengths perspective. Originating from the fields of positive psychology, this course will familiarize students with elements of Seligman’s theory of Positive Psychology, Clifton’s Strengths perspectives, and Purkey’s Invitational Theory. Students will develop a new paradigm that will provide a differentiated lens to observe and evaluate students. The underlying assumption being that all students have talents and potential strengths that can provide a mechanism for performance excellence. Leaders are charged with assisting students in the discovery, development, and application of these strengths
- Teacher: Julie Small