The Graduate School of Education at the U. of Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system, is offering two new online certificate programs in gifted education and library science.
"Providing opportunities to students from Kansas to Singapore and back to Buffalo is our mission," says Christine Kroll, assistant dean for online programs, who has 12 years of experience in teaching and delivering online education.
The certificate in gifted education, which begins January 10, is a 15-credit-hour program designed for New York State certified teachers in an area some educators have considered neglected.
"The greatest tragedy facing today's gifted children is the assumption that they will achieve to their full potential while being instructed at grade-level expectations," said Rosemary Callard-Szulgit, a program instructor.
The Master of Library Science program is a new two-year online program with an emphasis on information access and reference services, according to Dagobert Soergel, chair of the library and information studies. The courses will use technology that allows group work and other interactions among students.
"The first four courses, all in the required core, will be taught by our full-time research faculty. The advanced courses will be taught by both our full-time faculty and by experienced practitioners," said Soergel. "The cohort format also fosters the formation of an online community that adds an important dimension, and gives the students the opportunity to support and learn from each other that would otherwise be available only on campus."
The program in gifted education begins in the Spring. The Library science program is accepting students through Feb. 1 for fall 2010 admission.
For more information, visit http://www.gse.buffalo.edu/online .
