Conceptual Framework for the Education Program
The College of Graduate and Professional Studies education faculty emphasize these seven essentials in implementing coursework and programs. They are strands interwoven throughout the program in addressing the three components of the educational process: the nature of learners, the qualities of effective teachers, and the bodies of knowledge represented by the subject disciplines
.
| Collaborative Preparation | Developing Reflective Practitioners | |
| Collaboration is prized in all aspects of the program. School division personnel are consulted on program development and utilized to implement courses and field experiences. Faculty are integrally involved in program development, modification, and implementation. Students are asked for input on program and course change that will enhance their learning, and they learn both the significance and application of collaboration in the K-12 classroom. The program embodies the social constructivist view (Newman, Griffin, & Cole, 1989; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978; Bandura, 1977) that collaboration by a learning community constructs shared understandings for the betterment of all. In essence, all stakeholders are conceived of as constituting a community of practice (Brown, 1999). | Teachers and administrators must have the ability to monitor their own professional growth, as well as possess the research and inquiry capabilities to ensure the effectiveness of their efforts. All aspects of the program seek to enhance inclinations and aptitudes for research and reflection on educational practice and purpose, subject matter, and educational policy (Martin, Majesky & Eckler, 2003; Schon, 1983). This is evident in courses and field-based components of the program through such experiences as seminars, reflective journals, discussion board/virtual classroom exchanges, self-evaluations based on state competencies, professional portfolios, and individual professional development plans formulated during field experiences. The processes of inquiry and reflection are integrated in both initial licensure and professional development programs through emphasis on applied problem-based learning and research-based practice (Darling-Hammond, 1994). | |
| An Ethic of Care for Cultural and Individual Diversity | A Critical Capacity Developed through Inquiry and Research | |
| Teachers and administrators must possess concern that takes into account individual and cultural differences in such permutations of diversity as ethnicity, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, class, age, geography, language, cognitive style, giftedness, and disabilities. Such concern results from an ethic of caring (Gilligan 1982; Noddings, 1992), a process of ethical reasoning sensitive to humanistic and democratic principals (Dewey, 1916, 1989), and an assessment of the effects of such diversity upon the lives of children and the learning community in order to provide an enhanced learning environment for all participants in the educational process (Banks & Banks, 1993; Spindler, 1987). This ethic of care is evident throughout the program as a component of professional studies courses, an emphasis on differentiated instruction in coursework and field experiences, and required and recommended courses for M.Ed. completion (Survey of Special Education, Cross-Cultural Education, Teaching Gifted Learners). | Critical thinking is inherently a dialectical process. Teachers and administrators must know how to access and utilize research literature on current knowledge of teaching and learning and conduct meaningful research for themselves, and they must be adept in creating environments which foster critical and symbolic thinking for their students (Costa, 2001; Ashton, 1988; Resnick, 1987). Research and inquiry are components of all coursework in the program (as assignments, applications, and research strands) and the research requirement for the M.Ed. degree. | |
| A Standards-Based Emphasis in Pedagogy and Subject Knowledge | A Practice-Based Emphasis in Courses and Field Experiences | |
| All state standards are met, and all candidates are assessed on the pedagogical and endorsement competencies enumerated in the Virginia Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (1998); the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, Administrators, and Superintendents (2000); and the Virginia Standards of Learning. This includes Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards (1992), evaluation criteria derived from Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (Danielson, 1996), the Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (1998), and the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium: Standards for School Leaders (1996). Assessment instruments are based on these standards, including evaluation rubrics for student teaching and internships. | Field experiences provide Track I students with essential exposure to the school culture, classroom routines, implemented curriculum, and teaching procedures (Darling-Hammond, 1994). In practica, teacher candidates apply concepts presented in their courses. These experiences help to establish their knowledge and confidence as novice teachers. They become aware of the differences between children at the same grade levels and at different grade levels. Student teaching is the capstone experience of the licensure program. Teacher candidates are challenged to pull together their personal and educational experiences, and reflect as well as perform as a classroom teacher. Internships and course-embedded activities in Track II programs require students to apply and develop the competencies of the added endorsement sought. Practice at all levels is grounded in knowledge of disciplines, pedagogy, schools, and schooling and is evaluated by rubrics based on the Five Uniform Performance Standards. | |
| The Use of Technology to Support Teaching and Learning | ||
| Technology is integrated into all aspects of the program, coursework and field experiences, for both the preparation of professional educators and the value added to the learning of K-12 students (Roschelle & Pea, 1998). Candidates learn the use of technology in required instructional technology courses and apply it in courses and assignments throughout the program. They learn how to enhance student learning through instructional and administrative applications. The University supports this element of the program through the provision of faculty training, support personnel, and necessary hardware and software. | ||
These seven essential elements provide the foundation for the knowledge, dispositions (attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors), and skills emphasized in the CGPS education program. Program effectiveness and performance expectations of what candidates know and can do are assessed systematically throughout the program. Assessment of candidate progress is triangulated through multiple sources, including course grades, candidate self-assessment, feedback from mentor teachers on field experiences, field observations, passing state-required assessments, evaluations by lead teachers on subject matter competence, evaluation rubrics based on the five uniform performance standards, and a rubric to assess the professional portfolio. The essential elements of the conceptual framework are inextricably meshed in the design and implementation of the program; they will be modified as needed to ensure the best possible preparation of educational and instructional personnel.
|
||
References Ashton, P. (1988). Teaching higher-order thinking and content: An essential ingredient in teacher preparation. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. |
||
Top