Focusing on Secondary Education, SEC 507 (ADVANCED THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION) students will plan, instruct and assess utilizing best practices. Emphasis on general secondary methods, curriculum development, inquiry, classroom management, and instructional strategies. Selection and design of materials and methods to meet students' cognitive, social and emotional learning needs. Planning and instruction for diverse student needs will be emphasized.
Watson College of Education
Email: gilld@uncw.edu
Upon completion of SEC 507, students will be able to:
The full reading list and purchase options are on the Textbooks page. Additional readings are listed inside each module. The Watson College Dispositional Statement is required reading for all education students.
This course is an online course with all activities and materials in the Canvas Learning Management System. All students must have access to a computer and check the class site in Canvas regularly. Plan to check the site several times a week, not only on the day work is due. All work is due by 11:59 PM EST. It is the responsibility of the student to access the materials, note any due dates, and ask the instructor questions as soon as possible. All work is to be submitted and graded via Canvas. No work will be accepted via email.
It is the student's responsibility to have electronic equipment, in good working order, to participate fully in this course. Students must have at a minimum, a working computer with speakers and a microphone. Students without personal electronic equipment must make arrangements to use equipment at the university or other locations. Lack of access to equipment will not be accepted as a reason for not participating in the course requirements.
For details, see the Tech Support page.
Policies for attendance, AI use, late work, and other expectations, along with Watson College and UNCW policies, are addressed on the Course Policies page.
Final grades for the course will be determined based on a percentage of the points across all assignments, with the following scale determining the grade (no +/- grades and no rounding):
| A | 90.00–100 |
| B | 80.00–89.99 |
| C | 70.00–79.99 |
| D | 65.00–69.99 |
| F | < 64.99 |
The full assignment list and point values are on the Assignments page.
I want you to do well in the course, so let me know how I can help you. If you have trouble keeping up with assignments, it is up to you to let me know as soon as possible.
Email me at gilld@uncw.edu. Put "SEC 507" in the subject line. I try to return emails within 24 hours on weekdays. If you haven't heard back by then, send a follow-up.
Canvas Inbox: I do not use Canvas email.
For all technical problems and computer help or assistance, email TAC (TAC@uncw.edu), contact the UNCW ITSD Computer Help Desk or visit its location in the Randall Library, or visit their location in Hoggard Hall (Room 131). Please note that technology problems are not an excuse for late assignments, and I do not provide tech support.
If for any reason you have needs for special accommodations to fulfill class requirements and succeed in this class, contact me between the first class and second class by phone or e-mail. Your special needs may be related to physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or lacking prerequisite knowledge and skills for the course. If you would need special accommodations due to unexpected events in your personal life during the course of the semester, please contact me as soon as possible.
Students with a need for Disabilities Services have resources available through the Office of Student Disability Services.
Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional representation of someone else's work as your own. All work submitted via Canvas will be processed for plagiarism.
The full UNCW Academic Honor Code applies in this course. AI use guidance and late work policies live on the Course Policies page.
Carefully consider your tone when posting messages. Since there are no visual clues, other than the message posted, pay careful attention to the manner in which messages are posted so that messages will not be taken out of context. Also, remember that even if you disagree with another person's idea, opinion or solution, do not attack the person. Simply state that you disagree with the person's idea, opinion or solution, and defend your alternative response with logical statements.
The ten Core Rules of Netiquette appear on the Meet Your Instructor page.
This course reflects key components of the Watson College of Education's Conceptual Framework. Specifically, the course seeks to prepare teachers holding a NCDPI Provisional License in becoming knowledgeable and proficient education professionals who perceive the importance of inquiry and reflection as fundamental to effective teaching while recognizing and utilizing the value of difference to maximize human development.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to learning through the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. Our powerful academic experience stimulates creative inquiry, critical thinking, thoughtful expression and responsible citizenship in an array of high-quality programs at the baccalaureate and master's levels, and in our doctoral programs in marine biology and educational leadership. Substantial research activity, combined with our hallmark teaching excellence and moderate size, advances distinctive student involvement in faculty scholarship. We are committed to diversity and inclusion, affordable access, global perspectives, and enriching the quality of life through scholarly community engagement in such areas as health, education, the economy, the environment, marine and coastal issues, and the arts.
The mission of the Watson College of Education is to develop knowledgeable and proficient education professionals dedicated to improving schools and society. We address this mission by:
The full assignment list with due dates is on the Assignments page. Module-by-module reading schedules appear inside each module overview. Due dates land on the official UNCW Fall 2026 academic calendar before each module opens.