College of Education
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Conceptual
Framework
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The College of Education has adopted a Mission Statement dedicated to instructional excellence, modeling life-long learning, and sharing a vission and expertise with the surrounding communities.
The Model
Through programs dedicated to collaboration in instruction, field experience,
and research, the candidates in Sam Houston State University's Educator Preparation
Programs acquire the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to create
a positive learning environment. Employing a variety of technologies, these
candidates learn to plan, implement, assess, and modify instruction to meet
the needs of our communities' diverse learners.
Mission Statement
Through excellent collaborative instruction, research, and field experiences,
the Educator Preparation Programs of Sam Houston State University provide candidates
with opportunities to develop dispositions, skills, and knowledge which enable
them to create an environment in which they plan, implement, assess, and modify
learning processes, while serving effectively in diverse educational roles,
reflecting meaningfully on their growth, and responding proactively to societal
needs.
Philosophy
Stakeholders associated with the Educator Preparation Programs believe that
learning is a science and a developmental process that through reflective experience
can become an art. Through the mission of the Educator Preparation Programs,
educators grow as learners and develop the craft of teaching, administration,
or counseling. Striving to fulfill the need in our society for quality educators
who will advance and positively influence the goals of society, faculty in
the Educator Preparation Programs work collaboratively with faculty in the
College of Arts and Sciences, with school district personnel, the general public,
and with candidates and their families who entrust us with their education
and futures. The College of Arts and Sciences faculty provides the foundation
with content area knowledge while the school district personnel provide proactive
insight in field experience and reflective feedback on the work of our pre-service
teachers, counselors, administrators, and educational psychologists. Our candidates
plan, implement, assess, and modify their methods and strategies with the children
who are the ultimate benefactors of all efforts. The general public supports
our institution with tax dollars and expects accountability. This collaboration
involves a multi-modal framework that encourages inquiry, reflection, and effective
use of technology.
Knowledge Base
The goal of the Sam Houston State University Educator Preparation Programs
is to develop a knowledge base that is comprehensive and directed to the candidates'
individual needs; dispositions which enable them to be understanding, respectful,
and inclusive in their creation of nurturing learning environments for diverse
learners; and skills which enable them to plan, implement, and assess appropriate
instruction (Gagne, Briggs & Wagner, 1988). This knowledge base, comprehensive
in content, reinforced with pedagogical and learning theory, prepares them
to be effective instructional leaders responsive to the diverse needs of their
students. They will gain this knowledge through course content, faculty modeling,
and field experiences. Modeling by the educator preparation faculty, by content
area faculty, and by teachers in the public school classrooms reinforces this
learning. The educator preparation faculty also integrates opportunities for
candidates to collaboratively build an understanding of their vocation (Dewey,
1943, 1975; Schön, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978). Candidates graduate from our
programs with the experience of and the theory for effective planning, implementation,
assessment, and modification of learning and of the importance of reflection
and inquiry for their continued growth. This knowledge base will have been
technologically driven and strategically focused so that candidates will be
able to create a nurturing learning environment inspired by research on how
children learn, how they develop a social sense, and how technology affects
them and how they effect technology. (Kozol, 1991; Meyrowitz, 1985).
Learning Environment
The candidates learn to create an environment for learning through the interactive
use of familiar technologies, simulation games, research, data assessment,
imaging, interactive multimedia production, video and audio editing, the network,
and emerging technologies (Dale, 1954, 1969; Gordan, 1970; Jones, 1985; MacLuhan,
1964; Rheingold, 1993; Swartz, 2001; Turkle, 1984). In accordance with the
standards established by the International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE), candidates use diverse technologies, group activities, and teaching
strategies to focus, engage, and lead students to high level thinking skills
in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains (Bloom, 1980; Harrow,
1972; Krathwohl, Bloom, & Masia, 1964).
Communication
The graduates of the Educator Preparation Programs are effective communicators.
Using a variety of media, candidates communicate through their words and thoughts
by oral and written methods in ways that further our mission. They are active
listeners who are thoughtful before responding. They communicate effectively
with a diverse group of stakeholders and strive for the highest levels of professionalism
in all their interactions.
Assessment
Learning to plan and implement learning processes is critical for educators.
However, learning to assess and modify those processes is just as important.
The pre-service educators learn how to assess performance and to provide feedback
that will lead to growth in their students and, in the case of pre-service
administrators, to growth in the teachers they will supervise (Chase, 1999;
Merhens, 1992). They also learn several formal and informal tools for assessing
the development, needs, and strengths of children critical to the professional
educator (Popham, 2000). Mastering the analysis and uses of learner profiles,
our candidates will be able to create tools for measuring and evaluating performance
and educational progress to facilitate the success of all children (Glasser,
1969, 1987). Our faculty is dedicated to helping all candidates gain the skills
necessary to be effective evaluators of children, programs, and themselves.
This includes the components of modeling life-long learning, inquiring into
areas where further study is needed, and reflecting on the accountability of
the professional educator in the successes and failures of children (Schön,
1991; Schulman, 1992).
Effective Experience
The Educator Preparation Programs immerse candidates in field experiences that
help them develop the dispositions of leadership, patience, flexibility, and
tolerance for and acceptance of individual differences. To prepare candidates
for diverse cultures found in the schools, the Educator Preparation Programs
emphasize an understanding of the issues involved with implementing an anti-bias
curriculum (Derman-Sparks, 1989), as well as an awareness of the importance
of multicultural education permeating the school experience (Banks & Banks,
1993; Garcia & Pugh, 1992; Hale, 1990; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Paley, 1995).
The importance of these field experiences cannot be overstated. It is through
these experiences that our candidates develop and test what has been learned
in the university setting in a realistic environment. Building a strong, collaborative,
respectful relationship with stakeholders enables the Educator Preparation
Programs at Sam Houston State University to gather qualitative and quantitative
data that support our belief that graduates are effective in their chosen fields.
This belief is supported with the quantitative data provided from the state
accrediting agencies and the testimonials of area administrators who hire our
candidates. This conceptual framework guides the way in which we structure
our courses and certification programs. It is also a central theme that is
reinforced individually in our classes. In the adoption of this framework,
the Educator Preparation faculty insures that the programmatic direction is
in alignment with standards established by the State of Texas for the preparation
of professional educators and the standards of relevant professional organizations.
This coherent program, course objectives, field experience evaluation, and
state assessment insure the preparation of outstanding graduates in the fields
of elementary and secondary education, counseling, school psychology, and educational
leadership.
References
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