Educational Technology

Overview

The Educational Technology Program empowers teachers to teach and students to learn in today's information age. The program emphasizes theory, production, and applications of instructional technologies in education. Faculty continuously update the program to reflect new developments in communications, computers, and telecommunications technologies. The faculty are working professionals, involved in applications of information technologies in schools, both public and private.

Students earn a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Educational Technology and may choose to pursue a specialization in School Media or a generalized program in educational technology. Certification as a School Library Media Specialist is offered for both initial educator candidates as well as for those who already hold a Connecticut educator certification and are seeking an additional certification as a School Libary Media Specialist (a cross-endorsement).

Requirements for the M.A. in Educational Technology (generalized) - minimum of 33 credits

Core Courses (18 credits)

• Philosophical Foundations of Education
• Teaching and Learning within Multicultural Contexts
• Introduction to Educational Technology
• Media production course
• Media literacy course
• Research in Educational Technology or Internship in area of concentration
• Pass the Master's Comprehensive Examination

Elective Courses (15 credits)

Requirements for the M.A. in Educational Technology (School Media concentration) - minimum of 33 credits

Core Courses (12 credits)

• Philosophical Foundations of Education
• Teaching and Learning within Multicultural Contexts
• Introduction to Educational Technology
• Research in Educational Technology or Internship in area of concentration
• Pass the Master's Comprehensive Examination

Library Core Courses (12 credits)

• The School Library
• School Library Automation
• Introduction to Reference
• and one of the following courses: Literature for Young Adults, Multicultural Literature K-8, Storytelling in the Classroom or Critical Viewing of Television and Children's Safety on Mass Media and the Internet.

Media Core Courses (9 credits of appropriate school media elective courses plus 3 credit Research or Internship course)

School Library Media Specialist Certification

Students holding a Connecticut educator certificate with at least one year of successful teaching can complete this certification as a cross-endorsement with 30 credits of coursework in educational technology and approved related courses.

Students without an educator certificate who wish to earn initial educator certification complete 24 credits in educational technology and related courses (which include a library component of 12 credits and a media component of 12 credits) and 24 professional education credits.

Admission Qualifications

Applications to the program are reviewed twice yearly. The deadlines for submission of application materials are March1 for summer and fall admission and November 1 for spring admission. After an initial paper review, successful applicants are invited to campus for a group interview. The interview is intended to clarify applicants' understanding of the program and the profession, and to assess applicants'potentional for success in the program. After admission, each candidate is expected to meet with an assigned faculty advisor to outline a planned program of study before beginning coursework.

Admission Qualifications for School Library Media Specialist Certification Program

Candidates for certification must:

• pass an entry examination of essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics (PRAXIS I - PPST) or must have this requirement waived based on appropriate SAT, ACT, PAA or GRE scores.
• have achieved a GPA of at least 2.67 (waivers are available on a case by case basis and may require supplemental undergraduate coursework to increase the undergraduate GPA and/or completion of two approved graduate education courses, depending on GPA.)

Internships and Research

Candidates have opportunities to complete internships in school library/media centers, cable television and multimedia production companies, and at the Fairfield University Media Center. They can also undertake independent study projects, often conducting research in consultation with a faculty member. Recent projects have focused on children's safety on the Internet, English as a second language resources on the Internet, developing young people's critical awareness of TV, and school homepage design.

Teaching Internship Program (Paid Internship Available - School Media Specialist Track)

Paid, year-long internships are available to matriculated candidates to gain valuable experience and to defray a significant portion of their cost of study. These internships include a range of responsibilities, from small group activities, to substituting, to assisting tenured faculty in school settings. In return for the intern's service, the school district deposits $12,000 with Fairfield University. This amount is banked for interns to draw upon for courses taken toward their degree or certification (Download Teaching Internship Program Application). Deadline for applying for upcoming academic year is June 15th.

Special Resources

Candidates have access to the resources of the University Media Center, which features television production and post-production facilities, including two color television studios and portable production and editing equipment. Through special arrangement with Quantel Inc., the University has acquired a state-of-the-art digital video editing system used in television production courses. Desktop video editing is also available. Additional resources include multimedia computer laboratories, video postproduction, digital still-picture cameras, portable video cameras and recorders, and a host of other media equipment.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Fairfield program are well regarded and much in demand in K-12 education. A number of graduates hold positions in the instructional/training and multimedia departments of major corporations and production houses.