Dr. Lyman

Teaching

I am currently a Professor of Elementary Education at Utah Tech University and an Adjunct Professor of Gifted Education at Pacific University.  I am a Constructivist-trained educator, focusing on interactive techniques designed to engage all students in the learning process.

I also supervise numerous practicum students and student teachers in their elementary school placements. This includes observing and coaching them in teaching and lesson planning.

Current university courses I teach include:

  • ELED 4400 Methods of Teaching Elementary Social Studies
  • ELED 3900 Differentiated Instruction for Exceptional Children
  • EDUC 3110 Educational Psychology
  • EDUC 2010 Introduction to Exceptionalities
  • EDUC Practicum Seminar Supervisor/Student Teacher Supervision
  • EDUC 581 Introduction to Gifted Education
  • EDUC 582 Classroom Strategies for Gifted Students
  • EDUC 583 Social and Psychological Foundations of Gifted Education
  • EDUC 541 Twice Exceptional Learners
  • EDUC 584 Practicum Supervision

Utah Tech University – Undergraduate Courses

Elementary Education Program
Educational Psychology – Required prerequisite course for Elementary Education, Special Education, and the Secondary Education Programs. Stresses research-based teaching/learning principles used in a classroom setting to enhance learning. Students will demonstrate knowledge about the nature of learning, human brain growth, the impact of brain research, child and adolescent development and how the brain processes information. An emphasis is placed on how teacher candidates can apply the theories and practices of educational psychology to daily teaching practices.

Intro to Exceptional learners – Required prerequisite course for Elementary Education, Special Education, and the Secondary Education Programs. This course provides an overview of the characteristics and learning needs of exceptional students and examines the teacher’s role in integrating these students into the K-12 classroom. Students will learn the basic laws and policies of Special Education such as ADA, IDEA and Section 504 of Vocational Rehabilitation Act; the key characteristics of inclusion, collaboration, and co-teaching; common learning and behavioral characteristics of exceptional students, and the principles of effective instruction in a tiered system of support.

Differentiated Instruction for Exceptional Learners – Required for all Elementary Education students. Teacher candidates will learn how to plan, teach, assess, and modify instruction for diverse learners in the classroom. They will explore the methods, strategies, and materials that are necessary to provide differentiated instruction for their students. Students will practice applying this knowledge in a practicum setting. This course is designated as an Active Learning Professional Practice (ALPP) course. This course allows students to explore and apply content learned in the course in a professional experience away from the classroom.

Methods of Teaching Elementary Social Studies – Required for all Elementary Education students. This course will introduce methods and strategies for effective instruction in the social studies at the K-8 level. This course examines the national standards (NCSS) as well as, state core curriculum needed to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes related to teaching social studies in the K-8 schools. This course is designated as an Active Learning Professional Practice (ALPP) course. This course allows students to explore and apply content learned in the course in a professional experience away from the classroom.     

Practicum Seminar Supervisor/Student Teacher Supervision – Required for all Elementary Education students. The practicum experience is an integral part of the field-based Education Program, and provides students the opportunity to apply concepts learned in coursework to real-life teaching in the classroom. Students will spend one full day per week, and one full week during the semester, in their assigned classroom. Students will complete all programmatic requirements for this semester, including field-based assignments from coursework, in this classroom.
This course emphasizes delivery of lesson plans that are appropriate to the contextual factors of the classroom and align to local and state curriculum and standards; implementation of classroom routines, procedures, and instructional strategies; collaboration with families of students; and development of professional dispositions of the practice. Students will work closely with cooperating (mentor) teachers and university supervisors via frequent conferences and observations using Utah Tech Department of Education assessment tools.

Pacific University–Graduate Courses

Talented and Gifted Specialization Program
Intro to Gifted Education – Examines the history of TAG as well as implications and requirements of Oregon’s TAG mandate. Course content includes need for identification process and for gifted services for twice-exceptional students, and Bett’s six profiles of gifted students.

Classroom Strategies – Assists classroom teachers in meeting diverse needs of gifted students through differentiation of instruction in the content, process, products, pace, grouping, and learning environment. Course content includes teaching strategies, brain-based teaching and learning, and the 16 Habits of Mind developed by Costa and Kallick.

Social and Psychological Foundations of Gifted Education – Assists classroom teachers and counselors who want to help students, parents and other educators see giftedness in a positive context.
Course content includes affective issues of gifted children and adolescents, impact of Piirto’s Pyramid of Talent Development and emotional intelligence on life- long success and the use of “The Gifted Identity Model.”

Twice Exceptional Learners – The main focus of the course is to assist educators, paraprofessionals and parents in understanding the phenomena of twice-exceptional students, recognizing the paradoxical characteristics and complex needs of twice-exceptional students and empowering those students to excel through collaboration and resources.  The course will explore twice-exceptional students who are gifted and are classified as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabled (LD), and students with Asperger’s Syndrome.  The course will address the identification process, classroom strategies involving differentiation and technology, and support for ideas for collaborating with Special Education teachers, other specialists and parents.

Practicum – Provides students with the opportunity to utilize knowledge and skills gained in coursework in a school setting. Students will maintain a competency and reflection notebook documenting a wide range of experiences from assessment of rate and level of learning to direct services to identified talented and gifted students. In addition, students will participate in an individualized “TAG Plan” meeting with a parent and teacher (or other district representative).