I.
INTRODUCTION Back
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The Conceptual Framework of the Education Division of Missouri Baptist
University represents the shared vision of the University in preparing
educators to work effectively in PK – 12 schools. Over several years,
this Framework has been (and continues to be) developed collaboratively
among the six academic divisions of Missouri Baptist University and our
public and private school partners through the MBU Teacher Education Advisory
Committee. Its intent and function is to provide direction for the programs,
courses, instruction, candidate performance, scholarship, service and
accountability of the Education Division. It is heartily acknowledged
by all members of the faculty, administration and education community
that the Conceptual Framework of an institution is a living document that
requires constant assessment and examination for the purpose of maintaining
a contemporary and relevant relationship between the teacher education
program, the various content divisions, the public and private educational
institutions, and current educational philosophy and best practice.
This Framework is consistent with the missions of the University and the Education Division and is based upon research about best practices in education. Missouri state standards, as well as the standards of various national learned societies, provided the context for determining candidate performance outcomes. This Conceptual Framework also reflects the University’s commitment to diversity in teacher education preparation programs by integrating diversity into the day-to-day discussions within each course and to the integration of technology into all aspects of teacher preparation by including as one of its goals a technological component in each applicable course syllabus.
The
Conceptual Framework addresses:
• The mission of the Education Division of Missouri Baptist University
(Precondition 4.1);
• The philosophy, belief statements, and valued dispositions of
the Education programs at Missouri Baptist University (Precondition 4.2);
• The knowledge base, including theories, research and practical
knowledge upon which the philosophy is based (Precondition 4.3);
• Performance outcomes of candidates, based upon state and national
standards (Precondition 4.4);
• Assessment of candidate performance, programs, the unit as a whole
and this Framework (Precondition 4.5); and
• Continuous improvement of the Unit, the undergraduate degree programs,
and the graduate degree programs. (Precondition 4.5)
This Conceptual Framework is designed to assist students, faculty, and our partners in their own construction of an understanding of the Missouri Baptist University program for certification of teachers, counselors, school leaders, and other school personnel. It is anticipated that students and faculty will reshape, transform and reconstruct the Conceptual Framework until it becomes relevant and clear for each person. It is also recognized that this Conceptual Framework is a dynamic document that will be revised based upon updated standards and ongoing program and Unit assessment.
II. MISSION Back
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A.
MISSION STATEMENT OF MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
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Missouri Baptist University is an evangelical Christian, liberal arts
university and has as its purpose the offering of programs of study leading
to professional certificates, undergraduate degrees, and graduate degrees
in an environment where academic excellence is emphasized and a Biblically
based Christian perspective is maintained. The University is committed
to enriching its students’ lives spiritually, intellectually, and
professionally, and to providing educational services to the community.
Faculty and students work together toward the following purposes:
1. To develop a personal philosophy of life and an ethical and spiritual
commitment which is based upon awareness of alternatives and which is
examined in the light of Biblical revelation.
2. To grow in an understanding of themselves, as well as others, and to
cultivate an ability to employ this knowledge for self-development, for
mental and physical health, and for social and family relationships.
3. To prepare for living in harmony with the physical environment by becoming
aware of its basic principles, and of the means for intelligent use of
and conversation about its resources.
4. To develop effectiveness in the use and understanding of communication,
both spoken and written, employing analytical and logical thinking in
the process.
5. To become contributors to society in a manner consistent with Christian
principles, participating responsibly in church, school, community, and
world affairs, employing insights derived from a broad range of studies.
6. To grow in understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of literature
and the arts, and to become participants in creative and aesthetic activities
in the community.
7. To prepare for continuing study by becoming acquainted with electronic
technology resources and methods of scholarly research. (MBU 2000-2003
Catalog, p. 7)
B.
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE DIVISION OF EDUCATION Back
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The Education Division at Missouri Baptist University seeks to develop
reflective, problem-solving professional educators of excellence from
a Christian perspective; to enhance the life of students in the classroom
intellectually, spiritually, physically, and socially; and to significantly
influence students through the demonstrated integration of Christian faith
and learning in the classroom so that they may become positive change
agents throughout the broader community.
III.
PHILOSOPHY/PURPOSES/OUTCOMES
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Drawing from a rich combination of broad-based experiences and academic
preparation, the professional education faculty seek to facilitate in
each licensure candidate
1) The development of an educational posture which is child-centered,
experientially and authentically based, and consistent with a Christian
perspective;
2) An enhanced awareness of Christian moral and ethical responsibilities
relative to education in a diverse and changing society;
3) The development of critical thinking and effective problem-solving
skills through a variety of traditional and technologically-based experiences;
4) The application of experiential and research-based theories into the
pedagogical process.
The Unit fosters in students a reflective and problem-solving model so
that Missouri Baptist University graduates are able to make informed decisions
as professional educator.
A. PHILOSOPHY: STATEMENTS OF BELIEF AND DISPOSITIONS
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Above all, we believe all children and adolescents can learn to high standards.
In the specific, we believe that children and adolescents
1. Gain meaningful knowledge and understanding of their world as they
proceed through physical, emotional, social, behavioral, moral, logical,
and cognitive stages of development (Piaget, 1963; Vygotsky, 1978; Bandura,
1986; Bruner, 1986).
2. Develop morally through modeling, imitating, and practicing moral behavior
(Downs, 1994).
3. Are capable of moral autonomy (or self-regulation) and can make decisions
about right and wrong based upon internal convictions rather than through
avoidance of punishment or to seek rewards (DeVries & Kohlberg, 1990;
DeVries, Hildebrandt & Zan, 2000, Kamii, 1982).
4. Learn through interactive experiences including, but not limited to,
sensory experiences, critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, emotions,
synthesis, behavior, discovery, intuitive conceptualization, and reflection.
5. Make unique connections of prior knowledge and beliefs to arrive at
present understanding (Fosnot, 1996, Brooks & Brooks, 1999).
6. Learn in a diverse manner based on language, culture, tradition, learning
styles and faith.
7. Control their own learning.
8. Are motivated internally to learn and resolve disequilibrium (Piaget,
1969).
9. Must be able to communicate effectively in both oral and written language
to be successful in a global society.
10. Must be able to utilize technology effectively and in a variety of
ways.
As a logical consequence of our beliefs regarding learning, we believe
that effective and successful PK-12 teachers and other school personnel
possess and act upon the following dispositions:
1. Are enthusiastic about the discipline(s) they teach/practice, appreciate
the complex and ever-evolving nature of knowledge, and are committed to
continuous learning about the discipline(s) they teach/practice and how
individuals learn.
2. Appreciate multiple perspectives, convey to learners how knowledge
is developed, and see connections of the discipline(s) they teach/practice
to everyday life.
3. Use learners’ strengths as a basis for growth and their errors
as an opportunity for learning
4. Believe that everyone can learn challenging concepts at high levels
and persist in helping them achieve success.
5. Appreciate the role of technology in improving learning and professional
productivity.
6. Appreciate and value human diversity, show respect for students' varied
talents and perspectives, and use the multiple intelligences theory and
individualized instruction to successfully provide for diverse learning
styles.
7. Respect students as individuals with differing personal and family
backgrounds and various skills, talents, and interests.
8. Value flexibility and adaptability in the teaching and learning process
as being necessary for developing learners’ thinking, problem-solving,
and decision-making skills.
9. Take responsibility for establishing a safe, positive, participatory,
and collaborative learning environment.
10. Are thoughtful and responsive listeners who value the many ways in
which people seek to communicate and are sensitive to the cultural dimensions
of communication.
11. Value long- and short-term planning but are willing to adjust those
plans based on learner needs and changing circumstances.
12. Use a variety of assessment strategies to identify learners’
strengths and to promote growth.
13. Are committed to reflection, assessment, and learning as an ongoing
process.
14. Are committed to seeking out, developing, and continually refining
practices that address learners’ individual needs.
15. Are concerned about learners’ cognitive, emotional, social,
and physical well being, are alert to signs of difficulties, and are willing
to consult others in the school, the home, and the community regarding
their education and well being.
16. Respect learners’ privacy and the confidentiality of information.
B.
PURPOSE Back
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Based then on our beliefs and dispositions regarding learning and educator
practice, we have charged ourselves with preparing teachers and other
school personnel who use reflection and problem-solving to make informed,
ethical decisions. The Education Division of Missouri Baptist University
is thus committed to ensuring a cohesive curriculum, instruction and assessment
system for all of its licensure candidates. To that end, both undergraduate
and graduate programs of the Education Division are designed
1. to acknowledge the developmental journey involved in becoming a professional
educator
2. to make candidates critically aware of their own beliefs and dispositions
3. to provide continuous opportunity for candidates to reflect upon their
prior and evolving belief system, and
4. to provide early, on-going, and developmentally appropriate clinical
experiences wherein candidates not only practice, but also reflect upon,
their practices and decisions.
C.
UNIT-WIDE OUTCOMES
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The Education Division has identified the following outcomes as the guiding
principles by which its educator preparation programs are to be evaluated.
Missouri Baptist University prepares licensure candidates who
1. Consistently demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and pedagogical
content knowledge necessary to facilitate learning for all students, and
to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, competencies, and dispositions defined
by MBU, the State of Missouri, and Learned Societies as appropriate to
their area of responsibility.
2. Analyze and reflect on their practice using a variety of assessment
strategies, including action research, and are committed to continued
professional development.
3. Observe and practice solutions to problems of practice in diverse clinical
settings and with diverse PK-12 student populations.
4. Use their self-awareness and knowledge of diversity to create learning
environments that support their belief that through active hands- and
minds-on learning all students can learn challenging curriculum.
5. Demonstrate and promote the strategic use of technology to enhance
learning and professional practice.
6. Support schools, students, and community through leadership, service
and personal involvement.
7. Develop effective and supportive relationships that enhance communication
among students, parents, and colleagues to facilitate learning.
8. Exhibit empathy for and sensitivity to students and colleagues and
who practice the profession’s ethical standards.
See Section V (Performance Indicators), Section VI (Assessment of Candidates,
Programs, and the Unit and its Conceptual Framework), and Appendix C for
more information about these outcomes and how the Unit assesses and uses
them.
IV.
KNOWLEDGE BASES Back
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A metaphor and model has been developed to illustrate the philosophy and
knowledge bases of Missouri Baptist University’s education programs.
This metaphor provides a visual representation of the University’s
commitment to enriching all students’ lives spiritually, intellectually,
and professionally using Scripture as its foundation and integrating the
professional works of theorists such as Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky,
Jerome Bruner, and Michael Polanyi.
A. FOUNDATIONAL STEPS Back to Top
1.
FAITH PERSPECTIVE
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Just as buildings need a strong and secure foundation, the education programs
of MBU are built upon a foundation that integrates our faith perspective
and contemporary educational theories. The Christian perspective is the
foundation and the lens through which the faculty and students view the
teaching and learning process. Central to the founding principles of the
institution, our University Mission Statement integrates faith and learning.
We believe that learning is a developmental and interactive process through
which we stimulate our students’ awareness and knowledge of God
and the behavioral, social, biological, and physical environments filtered
through the lens of faith.
The perspective that faith is the foundation of knowledge and learning is modeled on the work of Hungarian scientist, sociologist, and philosopher Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) whose major philosophical work stressed the Augustinian formula fides quaerens intellectum, faith-seeking understanding. Human understanding rests on a tacit belief in the reality of an objective world within an affirming community. Faith is not peripheral to knowing and learning, but is a vital component of knowledge and understanding. The rationality of the cosmos is not something that can be verified or falsified, but must be understood and accepted by faith.
Polanyi provides an intellectual framework for relating faith to learning. Faith offers a lens that gives meaning and hope to the process of discovery. The faith perspective does not close down but opens up the reality of things so that there is an expectation and wonder about the order and sense of things. He rejects the idea of a neutral, impersonal scientific detachment in the process of learning. His fundamental principle is that “into every act of knowing there enters a passionate contribution of the person knowing what is being known” (Polanyi, 1974, p. xiv). No theory or construct can be relieved of the individual’s personal judgment as long as that theory is held to be true. This does not ascribe a purely subjective value to the learning of scientist-scholars, since there is an assumption of the universal validity of the researcher’s appraisal of reality and the scientist tacitly assumes that she or he is making true statements about likely events. Personal knowledge is much more than an abstraction that engages reality as a neutral bystander. Absolute objectivity is a misunderstanding of truth because it assumes the knower can stand outside the story of his own history, culture and language. This indwelling, or concrete experiencing, of truth is not formed in isolation but occurs within a believing community. It is Polanyi’s contention that no opinions, no matter how scientific and objective they are claimed to be, are outside a believing community. Personal knowledge is not an isolated endeavor but is undertaken within a community where one is held to be personally responsible for his beliefs. Learning and knowing becomes a kind of cultural apprenticeship within the believing community that confirms the values and standards of that tradition.
The emphasis in Polanyi on the formation of personal knowledge within a community is the key to developing both a critical and innovative conceptual framework. It is within the academic community that the scholar or student determines the limits of conceptual models and how such proposed models are to be judged. Language and thought are not immutable, so there must be some context for evaluating any reflection on life or truth so that it at least be intelligible to others within a particular community. As Stanley Cavell says, “the wish and search for community are the wish and search for reason” (20). Free inquiry, whether scientific, moral, or rational, demands intersubjective criteria since these provide a basis for consensus (Brunner, 27). Intersubjectivity relates to the “person-relative” nature of any argument or rational position. Whether something is intelligible or not depends on whether a person is able to relate it to his or her horizon of understanding (experience, cultural context, or language.) So in order for a particular conceptual framework to be recognizably adequate depends a great deal on the extent to which there is a shared horizon of understanding (Brunner, 23). There simply can be no discourse where there is not at least some view of the commonality of concepts and some shared criteria for assessing the limits of those concepts.
Every faith community will have a particular lens for viewing reality and will present a case for the universality of its position. This does not mean that a particular faith community believes that everyone will accept their position or that everyone belongs to it (McIntyre). A faith community will inevitably invoke a particular “we” framework such as “What we mean by such and such. . . “ which refers to a specific community of usage. It does not mean that the community assumes that everyone belongs to it and it does not mean that when someone disagrees that it is falsified. It simply means, as D.Z. Phillips states, “(T)hat the responses show that those who make them are outside the community of usage which has been invoked” (17). While MBU advocates a particular belief system, it also recognizes that there are pluralities of claimants and that all groups have the right to argue for the validity of their claims. This does not mean that every position is the same or equally valid. This is why a strong emphasis is placed on critical and reflective thinking in a context of receptiveness that is always open to correction and improvement that depends on this openness for continuous discovery (Thiselton, 252). The belief system that underlies a Christian university has important theological, ethical, and practical interests in hearing the voice of the “other” in the same manner that proponents of that belief system would expect or at least hope that others would allow them to present their claims for truth in the public arena. The proponents of a particular belief system recognize that their own particular beliefs are made more adequate when challenged by the claims of others.
While the university does present particular claims in the area of religious content, its view on the how of the learning process is multiform and varied and is based on the most current research in the field of education. Based on Polanyi’s view that the world is a place where it is expected that things will make sense, the faculty at Missouri Baptist University believe that learning is an active and shared interaction. Everyone has a stake in a process that leads to a shared understanding of the world.
2.
LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION
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The foundation of the education programs at Missouri Baptist University
is thus shaped by a faith perspective, a theoretical orientation towards
active learning, and a recognition of identified education competencies.
Students first encounter this foundation in the Liberal Arts General Education
program that the University provides and it is continued in the students’
specialization in the Education Division. Mastery of the liberal arts
and development of the whole person intellectually, socially, emotionally,
physically, and spiritually provide the foundation for the teacher education
program.
Missouri Baptist University is committed to education in the liberal arts tradition. The General Education program emphasizes a high level of academic achievement in a major field of study and places strong emphasis on a broad, cohesive, and firm foundation in the arts, language, natural, social and behavioral sciences, and literature and humanities. The University faculty and administration believe that without this foundation, students may be well educated to perform a task, yet be limited in ability to understand, participate in, and contribute to the cultural, social, and political life of their society.
General education has been defined as the foundation of the higher education
curriculum. It is designed to provide a coherent intellectual experience
through which students are introduced to
1. fundamental knowledge, skills, and values essential in the study of
the academic disciplines;
2. enrichment of the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural life of the
student; and
3. the development of the educated person in service to the community
and the world.
In conjunction with the Missouri Baptist University Statement of Mission
and Purposes, the MBU General Education curriculum has the following purposes
and goals:
1. Students will be apprised of the fundamental principles, concepts,
and methods essential for
the acquisition of knowledge basic to a liberal arts education; mathematics,
physical and
natural sciences, social sciences, the arts, humanities, and composition.
2. Students will develop skills necessary to connect and apply knowledge
across disciplines.
3. Students will enhance their understanding of, and develop an appreciation
for, diverse human
cultures.
4. Students will hone their skills relative to thinking and solving problems
critically, analytically,
and creatively.
5. Students will improve their skills necessary for applying ethical principles
to inquiry.
6. Students will increase their level of understanding and sophistication
when rationally
evaluating, interpreting, and reporting data.
7. Students will establish and strengthen a foundation for successfully
integrating information
technology across disciplines.
8. Students will develop and enhance their self-perception as they relate
to a global environment
(socially, aesthetically, politically, and physically).
To aid in laying this foundation a General Education program has been designed to encourage exploration into the liberal arts; to provide exposure to new knowledge and subject fields; and to furnish broad-based, cohesive academic guidelines integrating disciplines.
GENERAL
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Every MBU student seeking a baccalaureate degree must complete the following
General Education program before graduation:
Communication Skills: 3 courses (at least 9 hours)
Fine Arts and Humanities: 3 courses (at least 9 hours)
Natural Science: 1 course from the biological sciences and 1 course form
chemistry or physical science (at least 7-8 hours); candidates for teaching
certificates must have a laboratory experience in each natural science
field
Mathematics: one course (at least 3 hours)
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 courses from at least two social science
disciplines: Cultural Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science,
Psychology, and Sociology (at least 9 hours)
Total Hours of General Education: at least 37-38
UNDERGRADUATE
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The General Education program is complemented by specific requirements
for each of the five baccalaureate degree programs. The student must complete
all requirements for the degree plan selected before graduation. The completion
of the General Education requirements and the Degree requirements comprise
a cohesive liberal arts basis, preparing students for study in professional
subject disciplines.
MBU candidates for certification in secondary teaching fields must complete a degree in their chosen field of study. Candidates for certification in early childhood education, elementary education, special education, and middle school education complete a Bachelor of Science in Education.
BACHELOR
OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION
Total Hours: at least 32-48
The Bachelor of Science in Education degree is reserved for students seeking
teacher certification at the early childhood, elementary, and middle childhood
levels.
Humanities: 3 courses, as listed below (at least 9 hours)
Mathematics: 1 course (at least 3 hours) beyond the general education
requirement including, but not limited to MATH 243 Probability and Statistics
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 21 hours
Kinesiology and Health Sciences: 5 hours (At least 2 hours must be activity
courses, unless waived for documented medical reasons.)
Computer Literacy: 1 course (at least 3 hours) OR proof of demonstrated
competency (determined by a college administered assessment test)
Interdisciplinary Studies: 1-2 courses (3-4 hours)
3.
LIFE EXPERIENCES
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Each student also brings life experiences to the learning process, and
the student’s socio-cultural background and spiritual beliefs influence
the development of his/her knowledge and beliefs about teaching and learning
(Vygotsky, 1978). Pre-service teachers, administrators, or counselors
often bring into the university classroom “a strongly constructed
practical theory” based upon at least 12 years of observations and
experience with traditional teaching practices (Davis, 2000, p. 186).
These personal practical theories, influenced by years of experience in
settings where learning meant knowing the right answer are often firmly
established and resistant to change (Rand, 1999; Rodgers & Chaille,
1998; Rodgers & Dunn, 2000; Stuart & Thurlow, 2000). Therefore,
the role of educator preparation is to help pre-service educators explore
and expand upon their life-experiences and personal theories about learning
and teaching through course work and authentic field experiences (Rodgers
& Chaille, 1998). In the realm of classroom management, for example,
candidates are challenged to develop a philosophy of classroom management
by exploring various traditional and contemporary theories on how children
and adolescents develop socially and morally. Faculty assist students
in broadening their perceptions of their role as a reflective, problem-solving
professional educator by surfacing their life experiences with involvement
in participatory learning, classroom discussions, exploration of management
theories, and experimentation with management techniques. Through these
interactions, candidates are encouraged to construct a personal philosophy
and practical plan for classroom management that is much broader than
disciplinary approaches or punishment. Methods classes provide another
venue through which candidates are assisted in surfacing their beliefs
about instruction and learning. In methods classes and in the field experiences
integrated into those classes, students experience the teaching and learning
process by participating in and being responsible for classroom instruction.
By providing multiple opportunities for our students to be active participants
in actual classroom encounters, faculty help candidates develop a personal
approach to classroom instruction that relies on a wide variety of teaching
and learning strategies rather than relying heavily or predominantly on
lecture as the method of providing instruction. Furthermore, faculty,
through their own teaching practices, model for candidates a variety of
instructional strategies utilizing active and participatory learning techniques,
critical and reflective thinking, and exposure to contemporary literature
for the purpose of helping students to construct a strong foundation of
professional competencies.
Beyond the University classroom and field experiences, MBU candidates for licensure are expected to participate in professional education organizations offered on campus as yet another mechanism for broadening their understanding of the profession and its standards. Organizations such as Kappa Delta Pi, Student Association of Curriculum and Supervision Development, Student Missouri State Teachers Association, and MBU Human Services Club provide candidates with leadership opportunities, opportunity for networking with future teachers, counselors, and school leaders across the state and nation, and demonstrate to candidates that education is a profession that demands continual personal, pedagogical, and practical development.
B.
PILLARS Back
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Bruner describes the educator’s role as performing the job of a
“scaffolding” for the learning task to make it possible for
students to internalize knowledge (Wertsch, 1985). Just as teachers can
scaffold students’ learning by providing supports, which are gradually
removed as students become competent, the programs for teacher and other
school personnel of Missouri Baptist University provide pillars of support
(scaffolds) designed to create competent teachers, counselors, and educational
administrators. These pillars of support are essential for the development
of professional practitioners, and through a scaffolded program the responsibility
for learning is shared by faculty and their students. The model of the
building identifies the following supports:
1. Theoretical Orientation: Active Learning
2. Field-Based Course Work
3. Emphasis on Diversity
4. Action Research
5. Integration of Technology in Course Work and Field Experiences
6. Service Learning
1.
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION: ACTIVE LEARNING
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Students come to Missouri Baptist University from a variety of social,
religious, and economic backgrounds. They have received different views
and perspectives about life and its precepts from their respective backgrounds
and upbringing. Following Polanyi’s precepts regarding the integration
of faith and learning, the Division of Education strives to challenge
our students’ prior knowledge by engaging them in active learning
and participatory study to stimulate critical and reflective thinking.
The purpose is not to negate their previous knowledge or faith-based beliefs
but rather to encourage them to construct a personal belief system based
on the relationship between prior knowledge and beliefs and new knowledge
acquired while interacting with professors and other students in the classroom
experience. Although their beliefs upon exiting the program may not have
changed dramatically from their prior beliefs, we regard as ultimately
important that students choose a faith and professional practice belief
system based on personal experiences and critical and reflective thought
about those experiences so that the foundation of their faith is the result
of personal reflection, is well chosen, and is insightful.
The Education Division does not view learning as the passive transmission of information from one individual to the other, but rather believes that learners actively create new knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning (Bransford et al., 2000; Hoover, 1996). This new knowledge is organized in networks that are increasingly more complex and abstract. This constructed knowledge is under a nearly continuous state of reorganization and restructuring (Noddings cited in Edwards, 1994). Learning is not merely the retrieval of rote-learned facts imparted to students, and one cannot necessarily transmit knowledge into the minds of learners simply by telling them information. As Shannon stated (cited in Phillippi, 1998), “Knowledge is not a gift from others, but a gift to oneself – the result of curiosity, action, uncertainty, judgment, and conversation.” Knowledge does not remain static, but is constantly evolving and changing as learners have new experiences that cause them to build on and modify their prior knowledge (Sidani-Tabbaa & Davis, 1991). Learning is not a simple stimulus-response occurrence. Learning takes place when students are encouraged to develop new concepts and knowledge, to be engaged in active learning experiences, are challenged to think critically and reflectively on new experiences and interpretations of those experiences(Von Glasersfeld, 1995a, 1995b). Individuals are active participants in the learning process whether they are experiencing new concepts in factual knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, or beliefs about their faith. They do not learn just by “doing,” but by “doing and thinking.” Action combined with critical thinking and reflection helps individuals construct new understandings (Ammon & Levin, 1993).
However, this belief in active learning and critical thinking does not imply that teachers have no active role in knowledge construction, because “any interpretation is as good as any other” (Borko, et al., 2000, p. 275). Rather, teachers serve as guides, facilitators, coaches or co-explorers who encourage learners to “question, challenge and formulate their own ideas, opinions and conclusions” and help students construct meanings that meet recognized curriculum standards (Abdal-Haqq, 1998, p. 1). Educators must be aware of students’ incomplete understandings or [conflicting] beliefs they bring to the classroom and strive to build upon their ideas to help them reach a more mature understanding of these concepts (Bransford et al., 2000).
Similarities in applying this theoretical perspective to diverse fields such as mathematics, science, reading, writing and art can be seen in an examination of the current position statements by various professional learned societies representing these fields (Zemelman et al., 1998). The recognition of a focus on active learning has accompanied the educational reform movement begun in the mid-1980s. With the publication of documents, such as the National Commission on Excellence in Teaching’s A Nation at Risk (1983), the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s publication, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (Bredekamp, 1987) and its revised edition (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989) and the NASSP and Carnegie Foundation report Breaking Ranks: Changing our American Institutions (1996), educators have called for a change from the traditional teaching practices of the past to practices that encourage students’ critical thinking skills through active learning.
Walker
& Lambert (1995) presented a summary of this theoretical perspective:
• Knowledge and beliefs are formed within the learner.
• Learners personally imbue experiences with meaning.
• Learning activities should cause learners to build upon their
experiences, knowledge
and beliefs.
• Learning is a social activity that is enhanced by shared inquiry.
• Reflection and metacognition are important aspects of constructing
knowledge and
meaning.
• Learners play a critical role in assessing their own learning.
• The outcomes of the learning process are varied and often unpredictable
(pp. 17-18).
In addition, J. S. Renzulli (1994), in his book entitled Schools for talent
development: A practical plan for total school improvement, found:
• The role of the learner in the learning process affects achievement
and motivation.
• Students feel positive about scho1ol when they have some control
over their learning.
Cooperation and motivation increase when students are allowed to investigate
and solve real life problems through group work.
The theoretical perspective of active learning is modeled by faculty in
education courses. The education faculty value and integrate a variety
of teaching strategies into their teaching based on the following research
findings and dispositions:
• Instruction connected to prior beliefs and knowledge- Instruction
related to students’ prior experiences and knowledge makes learning
meaningful (Bransford et al., 2000; Staff, 1996; Windschitl, 1997). MBU
faculty seeks to discover students’ current conceptions when planning
and implementing instruction. Students’ prior beliefs and knowledge
about a concept become part of the curriculum as faculty seek to explore
inconsistencies in knowledge and understanding and formulate instruction
to meet the needs of each student.
• Learner-centered instruction – Students’ interests
and strengths are considered when planning course activities, and faculty
members seek and value students’ points of view. Instructional strategies
and content delivery are modified as needed when indicated by students’
contributions to the courses. (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1992; Brooks
& Brooks, 1993, 1999; Falk, 1996; Lederhouse, 1997). This does not
imply that students have total control over instruction, or that the course
competencies will not be taught. Rather, teachers are sensitive to “teachable
moments” and use students’ enthusiasm, interests, prior knowledge
and motivation to meet course competencies (Brooks & Brooks, 1993).
• Conversation filled classrooms – Students have ample chances
to collaborate and exchange ideas with one another, as well as other students
in the class. Opportunity to engage in problem or inquiry-based learning
(such as through case studies) is valued and learning is socially constructed
through interactions with others (Brooks & Brooks, 1993; Falk, 1996;
Forman, Minnick & Stone, 1993; Lederhouse, 1997; Windschitl, 1997;
Zemelman et al., 1998). Education classes model Fosnot’s (1996)
concept of a “community of discourse.”
• Integration of subjects in the curriculum – Deep understanding
can develop in meaningful contexts when studies transcend subject matters
and are interdisciplinary. Within the set course requirements, faculty
seek to help students see connections among content areas and give students
the chance to investigate their own questions through meaningful assignments
(Falk, 1996).
• Reflection – Active learning is balanced with reflection.
Students must have time and opportunities to reflect upon (or make sense
of) the information received from class meetings, readings, assignments
and field experiences. This reflection may be aided through collaboration
with others, as the learner comes to some agreement or a state of equilibrium
about the meaning of the information. Arriving at an understanding of
a concept is often an uneven, messy process that requires serious reflection
(Etchberger & Shaw, 1992; Falk, 1996; Zemelman et al., 1998).
• Shared responsibility for learning – Faculty do not take
sole responsibility for students’ learning and assessment, but share
the responsibility for knowledge making with the students (Brooks &
Brooks, 1993). Faculty recognize that learning is meaningful when students
have ownership of it (Borko et al., 2000).
• Errors are a tool for learning – Whether it is a lesson
plan that does not go well in the field or an error on a test, mistakes
are an important component of cognitive conflict and growth and are “natural
steps” to new understandings (Brooks & Brooks, 1993, p. 83).
When mistakes are viewed in a positive light, students are not so afraid
to make errors or take risks (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1992; Falk, 1996;
Fosnot, 1996; Von Glasersfeld, 1995a, 1995b).
• Authentic assessment – Students are assessed through a variety
of methods. In addition to traditional tests or research paper assignments,
faculty also use rubrics, documented observations, and informal assessment
strategies to get information about students’ abilities and knowledge.
Asking students to explain their answers or to communicate their thinking
in oral and written form is a persuasive assessment tool. The responsibility
for assessment is also shared with students as they regularly evaluate
their knowledge and teaching, administrative, or counseling competencies
and reflect upon areas of strength and areas in which improvement is needed.
(Borko et al., 2000; Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1992; Brooks & Brooks,
1993; Falk, 1996; McAfee & Leong, 1997; Windschitl, 1997).
• Teacher’s role as a facilitator – Students learn through
a variety of methods based upon their particular learning style and faculty
members strive to create courses in which students critically think about
educational topics and issues. The teacher does not give up responsibility
as an instructional guide and leader in the classroom, but seeks to facilitate
learning through problem-solving and meaning-making tasks, rather than
transmitting information as a primary means of instruction (Borko et al.,
2000). No single method or set of teaching practices will help all students
learn. Therefore, faculty use approaches ranging from a highly structured
lecture format, to cooperative groups, to social groups, to individual
work with time for reflection (Perkins, 1999). Using their professional
knowledge and experience, faculty choose strategies that both guide and
support students’ learning, and their role is often one of a coach
or mentor. The faculty entertain students’ questions and ideas and
translate them into meaningful learning activities. (Foman et al., 1993;
Zemelman et al., 1998).
• Use of authentic problems – The use of authentic problems
in the curriculum (such as case studies) is an effective learning tool.
When students encounter real-life scenarios, which do not have one easy
solution, they must exercise their critical thinking skills. Students’
problem-solving and decision-making abilities are enhanced when instructors
present complex educational problems and provide adequate scaffolding
as support for students while they seek to find possible answers to the
problem. (Eby, 1998).
• Research-based instruction and practice – Students are shown
and experience the value of inquiry for practice through a sequence of
assignments that require them to perform action research. At the undergraduate
level, simple research projects are assigned, leading to a formal action
research project, which is a required element of the Professional Portfolio.
These research skills are further honed at the graduate level through
EDPS 553 Research Methods and GRED 583 Professional Portfolio in which
graduate students study a broad spectrum of research designs with particular
attention given to the process of Action Research. Graduate students begin
an action research project that will be conducted during their field experience
and/or internship and completed and submitted as part of their professional
portfolio.
2.
FIELD-BASED COURSEWORK -- SCAFFOLDED FIELD EXPERIENCES
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MBU educator preparation programs are based upon the belief that learning
is developmental and built upon prior knowledge and experiences. Field
experiences for all educator preparation programs are therefore carefully
sequenced to provide a support for students as they gain pedagogical knowledge
and skills. Support for learning at every level of education preparation
requires giving information, prompts, reminders and encouragement at the
right time and in the right amounts, and then gradually allowing the student
to do more and more on their own. Faculty assist learning by adapting
materials and problems to students’ current developmental level,
demonstrating skills or thought processes, and walking students through
complicated educational issues, giving feedback or asking questions that
refocus students’ attention until the students grow into independent
educators in their own respective fields of professional endeavor.
Scaffolded
Field Experiences: TEACHER EDUCATION
Teacher education students have their first field experience in their
sophomore year and are given guidance and support as they observe and
work with students. Their field experiences continue in their junior year
as, in groups, they work with children during their methods courses. Students
have another more comprehensive opportunity in their senior year where
they assume total responsibility for planning and instruction during an
intense experience-based field experience. The final 16-week student teaching
field experience prepares students for independent teaching in their own
classroom. This support in the field is continued through the beginning
teacher assistance program that the University provides for first- and
second-year teachers. A plan for the scaffolded field experiences for
pre-service teachers is shown below.
Phase I: Exploring the Profession
EDCL 211 Field Experience I – In this introduction to the teaching field, students are given support and guidance as they begin to experience instruction from a participatory perspective. Students must first spend time observing the structure and activities in the classroom to examine the developmental levels of the students with whom they will be interacting. Initiation into the experiential nature of this fieldwork begins as the students serve as a classroom teacher’s aid in classrooms most directly related to their preferred area(s) of certification. Under the direction of the classroom teacher with whom they are working, students become actively involved in the field experience when they present one complete lesson for the students. This beginning field experience is designed to provide the students with the opportunity to experience classroom instruction and behavior with students in age-appropriate groups. The objective is for the university students to reflect on their initial decision to pursue a teaching career and to evaluate the developmental level of students with whom they feel most suited. During this initial field experience the University students have opportunity to rethink previous decisions and choices for study in the event they find themselves unsuited for a career in education or on a particular level of instruction. At this point, students still have ample time to change their course of study if this is the appropriate decision.
Phase II: Immersion in the Profession
300 – 400 level methods courses – Based on the students’ Phase I field experiences and the insights they gained from being in the classroom experiencing education from a “front row seat,” MBU students are now at the point in their education that they can make insightful and practical decisions about continuing in the teacher education program. In the Phase I experience, students were primarily observers and less participants in the actual teaching and learning process. During Phase II, students increasingly become participants in classrooms at their chosen level of teaching. Students are expected to actively participate in the teaching and learning process in a variety of different classroom settings. Students assume more independence in planning and presenting lessons, but continue to benefit from ample faculty and professional support. These field experiences are combined with multiple opportunities for reflective discussion, student interaction, problem solving, and journaling. During these experiential activities students are required to present multiple lessons in a variety of content areas, using various instructional strategies, but always being focused on professional competency based on the standards. An integral part of these courses and field experiences is the interchange among the University students in the class, the cooperating field teacher, and University faculty. This is a time for critical thinking and exploration of the profession based on a problem-solving methodology.
EDCL 411 Field Experience II – In Phase II, students are also given opportunity to develop professional skills, to participate in the teaching and learning process, and are required to think critically and reflectively about their performance, their competency, and their contribution to the students in their classrooms. Teaching now has become the profession of choice and students have been actively involved in the teaching and learning process and have a distinct advantage over students who have not had the opportunity to experience the classroom first hand. During Phase II MBU students further refine their teaching competencies as they work independently with a cooperating teacher and with faculty supervisors to prepare and present three lessons in a developmentally appropriate grade/subject area relating most specifically to the area of their certification. The University students are solely responsible for providing extensively planned and coordinated lessons and are accountable for the results. The integration of curriculum, instruction, and assessment is the primary objective of this level of experience. Students reflect upon their teaching competencies in their professional journal. The expectation of this reflective journaling assignment is that students will become introspective educators who are self-evaluative. Students are expected to continually seek ways to improve their competency in areas that are the most personally and professionally challenging.
Phase III: Professional Internship
Student Teaching – During Phase III of the field experiences, students spend more concentrated time in actually conducting classes and being responsible and accountable for student learning during the times they are in charge of the curriculum. This experience during which the students begin to assume responsibility for classroom instruction establishes a foundation on which the students build their repertoire of instructional strategies, hone their classroom management techniques, and begin to infuse themselves into a teaching career from a professional perspective rather that a student’s perspective. During Phase III students participate in two eight-week field experiences during which they assume total responsibility for classroom instruction and assessment. Students are required to meet regularly with faculty supervisors and other student teachers in a seminar class to discuss their student teaching experiences, share ideas and concerns, and collaborate with their colleagues about professional roles and responsibilities. The students are required to continue to think reflectively and develop their professional journals. Students are expected to dialogue daily with cooperating teachers about their teaching competencies and their students’ success. These dialogues are considered an integral part of the reflective process. In order to ensure that our students have been given every opportunity to experience diversity during their field experiences, these two Phase III experiences must be conducted in different grade levels and different school settings.
Scaffolded
Field Experiences: GRADUATE EDUCATION
At the graduate level, field work is done in the professional’s
own classroom or building. Within these settings, future advanced teachers,
building administrators, and school counselors apply course information
and conduct research based on relevant course assignments.
Field
Experiences: COUNSELOR EDUCATION
Based on the MBU Education Division’s belief that learning is developmental
and built upon prior knowledge and experiences, counseling field experiences
are also carefully sequenced and provide a scaffolding of support for
students as they gain counseling knowledge and skills. Counseling students
are provided field experience opportunities in several of the counseling
courses and through the completion of a variety of lengthy counseling
practicums. Through these interactive experiences and reflections, counseling
students are prepared for independent counseling in a school setting.
Phase I – Exploring the Profession
Counseling Practicum I consists of 60 clock hours of observations and field experiences in a school setting or a community counseling setting to learn responsibilities and roles of practicing counselors. This field experience allows students to apply the skills learned in counseling courses and is carefully supervised by MBU faculty and a cooperating counselor.
Phase II – Professional Internship
The Practicum for Elementary School Counseling consists of 300 clock hours of supervised counseling within an elementary school setting; this is followed by a practicum for Secondary School Counseling, which consists of 300 clock hours of supervised counseling experiences within a secondary school setting. These semester-long field experiences further refine the counseling competencies under the supervision of MBU faculty as well as elementary and secondary school counselors.
Note: Clock hour requirements are based upon recommendations from the state agency and counseling learned societies.
Field
Experiences: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
Phase I – Exploring the Profession
Phase I – Graduate students who are seeking certification as a building
administrator (elementary or secondary) are required, while completing
coursework, to produce specific assignments pertinent to the course description,
design, and to fulfill course objectives. These assignments are designed
to be relevant to current and future designs for school administration
and to require candidates to work closely with an educator who is currently
serving as a building administrator. Candidates are expected at the beginning
of their program to establish a mentor relationship with someone who is
presently serving as a building administrator to ascertain perspectives,
opinions, ideas, and possibilities from these mentor-type relationships.
Using this information, candidates document, write, and reflect about
curriculum-specific assignments.
Phase
II – Professional Internship
Phase II: ELAD 574 Elementary Administration Internship/Portfolio is a
90 clock-hour supervised educational administration field experience in
an elementary school under the direction of a graduate faculty member.
The intern will engage in two twenty-hour field experiences in two diverse
settings, one considered a rural or small-school setting and the second
an urban or suburban or large-school setting. During these two field experience
activities, the candidate will conduct action research dealing with program
evaluation, program planning, staff evaluation, curriculum development
activities, and staff with the elementary school faculty. The candidate
will confer with the University instructor on a weekly basis as part of
the residency requirement. The final phase of the internship includes
a 50-hour field experience under the direction of a certified elementary
school principal in a public or certified private elementary school. The
student intern will design and complete a practical project to be determined
collaboratively by the school principal, the candidate, and the university
faculty supervisor. The project must serve a real need of the school.
During the ninety hours of field experience, the candidate will compile
reflective documentation and artifactual evidence in the professional
portfolio to attest to the his/her competency in the standards for school
leaders.
ESAD 574 Secondary Administration Internship/Portfolio is a 90 clock-hour supervised educational administration field experience in a secondary school under the direction of a graduate faculty member. The intern will engage in two twenty-hour field experiences in two diverse settings, one considered a rural or small-school setting and the second an urban or suburban or large-school setting. During these two field development activities, the candidate will participate in action research dealing with program evaluation, program planning, staff evaluation, curriculum development activities, and staff with the secondary school faculty. The candidate will confer with the university instructor on a weekly basis as part of the residency requirement. The final phase of the internship includes a 50-hour field experience under the direction of a certified secondary school principal in a public or certified private secondary school. The student intern will design and complete a practical project to be determined collaboratively by the school principal, the candidate, and the university faculty supervisor. The project must serve a real need of the school. During the ninety hours of field experience, the candidate will compile reflective documentation and artifactual evidence in the professional portfolio to attest to the candidate’s competency in the standards for school leaders.
3. EMPHASIS on DIVERSITY Back
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Missouri Baptist University’s faith-based approach to education
advocates a particular understanding of truth rooted in its Christian
heritage. MBU faculty, however, recognize that truth is not a “one-way-street.”
The University readily acknowledges the fact that competing claims for
truth must be addressed in an honest and transparent manner. Our perspective
is critical of what might be described as normative pluralism that advocates
that there is no truth except the truth that there are a plurality of
claimants and that all claims are equally valid. That view leads to what
Frederic Jameson calls the “commodification of diversity”
in which students simply pick and choose what they want to know without
having to contend with the intellectual, moral, and scientific challenges
posed by other cultures.
The University’s perspective on diversity may be considered a type of contested pluralism rather than a normative one. Contested pluralism begins with the premise that all participants in a debate have a responsibility to offer well-reasoned arguments about their truth claims in the various forums that exist for such argumentation. As Michael Cartwright contends, this provides the opportunity to look both ways; students have the opportunity to truly study and learn in a context that is “committed to the pursuit of truth conducted at the intersection of overlapping discourses” (212).
The University’s faith-based approach to education must, however, provide more than a context for good arguments. At the core of the Christian Gospel is the belief that its unique message must be lived and practiced if it is to be accepted by others. The Gospel is at its heart an experiential form of learning. It was from its inception a revolutionary and creative interpretation of truth. This truth that Christians profess is most faithfully performed when it is offered in the context in which it was first demonstrated, the context of mutuality and openness to others. This means a willingness to listen to persons with alternative or foreign ideas with an attitude of humility and respect. There is no question that culture is diverse and that a truly faith-based approach to education is committed to assisting students to understand and respond within such a varied world, even when there is disagreement about the truth. This means extending a certain “interpretive charity” to strangers if the intent is to hear their voices (Fowl and Jones 125). In such a diverse world, it is a rare gift when strangers are willing to speak openly and Christian education is about providing such a context.
In keeping with the University’s plan for addressing diversity, the Education Division seeks to understand, respect, and appreciate all types of diversity. It is readily accepted and acknowledged that students learn in different ways based on their speech and language patterns, learning styles, culture, tradition, and faith. The faculty must be proficient in meeting the needs of diverse learners in terms of curriculum, instruction, and assessment and modeling this proficiency so that students not only learn to respect diversity within the student body but also learn to be proficient in meeting the diverse needs of the students who will be in their own classrooms. Consistent with the Education Division’s recognition of the importance of linking instruction to students’ prior experiences and knowledge, Missouri Baptist University recruits and employs faculty who believe that quality instruction must be integrated with their students’ familial, cultural, social, and economically-based experiences. MBU faculty is cognizant and sensitive to the needs of members of diverse cultures and recognition and appreciation of diversity is actively presented in a number of courses.
At MBU the atmosphere of contested pluralism is exemplified in the programs and instruction of the Education Division. The concept of diversity is included in class discussions, particularly in ETOP 523 Classroom and Behavior Management, ETOP 583 Perspectives in Diversity, EDAD 563 Administration of Special Programs, and EDPS 383 Psychology of Teaching and Learning, as well as multiple courses in the counseling area that address children with special needs. Because our culture is so diverse in its make-up, our students must be prepared to confront the issues relevant to diversity from a knowledgeable and informed perspective. It is highly likely that our graduates will have students in their classrooms from widely diverse populations. Approaching the concept and constructs of diversity from the perspective of contested pluralism conveys the expectation that faculty will include in their class discussions and course content issues dealing with diversity which will challenge our students to engage in critical thinking, to practice reflective dialogue, and to make thoughtful inferences in matters of diversity. It is the intent of the University not only to provide our students experience with diversity in their college coursework and in a diverse faculty, but also to approach diversity from the perspective of preparing them to be effective and discerning among the people with whom they associate professionally and for whom they serve as educators, school leaders, and counselors.
Field experiences for undergraduate and graduate-level educators are provided
in different cultural settings in order to prepare our students for the
diversity they will encounter in their professional experiences. MBU students
in the teacher education program participate in field experiences made
available from both public and private school settings, as well as inner-city,
suburban, and rural settings. Students in the counselor education program
participate in counseling practicums available in both public and private
school settings and residential facilities for children and youth in inner
city, suburban, and rural settings. Field experience placement forms require
that students address and reflect on the diversity of their students and
in their classrooms in their journals and portfolio artifacts. During
field experiences and internships, candidates for school administration
are required to address the role of leadership in dealing with diversity
in the schools in which they conduct their observations and research.
Critical and reflective thinking are integral tools in structuring their
philosophy for school administrators’ impact on diversity in education.
4.
ACTION RESEARCH Back
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Action research has been defined as “a process in which participants
examine their own educational practice, systematically and carefully,
using the techniques of research” (Watts, 1985, p. 2). Action research
has been increasingly recognized as an appropriate tool for positive change.
What began as a way of applying scientific method to the study of social
sciences in the 1940s has evolved as a legitimate process for individual
teacher and school district improvement. A strong research base supports
the value of action research for both teachers and students (Fairfax County
Public Schools Teacher-Research Project, 1992; McKay, 1992). Action research
requires pre-service and in-service educators to look thoughtfully and
critically at their professional practices and to engage in reflective
dialogue. This cyclical inquiry process leads to teachers who continually
observe, evaluate and revise their instruction as they learn more about
themselves and their students (Bruce, 2000). Educators involved in action
research grow both personally and professionally.
The Education Division of Missouri Baptist University embraces the model of a teacher/researcher and incorporates action research in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduates are introduced to action research in two upper-level courses taken in their junior and senior years (EDUC 302, Professional Growth and Portfolio Development I, and EDUC 401, Professional Growth and Portfolio Development II) and are required to complete an action research study in a minimum of two additional upper-level courses. During their student teaching semester, students are required to complete an action research project if they have not already done so. Students receive support in completing this project during their student teaching seminar. Undergraduates are required to document their research project in their professional portfolios and are given the opportunity to share their research in “portfolio celebrations” held at the end of their student teaching semester.
Graduate students are required to take a research class (ETOP 553, Methods of Research) in which a variety of research methods are explored, with emphasis placed on action research. The culminating activity of this course is the completion of the first three chapters of a proposed action research project. All graduate students who are required to submit a professional portfolio as the summative assessment of their area of certification and competency are also required to include an action research project as a significant component of their portfolio.
5.
INTEGRATION of TECHNOLOGY in COURSE WORK and FIELD EXPERIENCES
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It is universally acknowledged that technology is a rapidly changing reality
that appears to have no limits and requires that we continually expand
our horizons. The rapid increase in technology and media guarantees that
every strategic plan striving to maintain a current approach to these
challenges is outdated the minute the plan is committed to paper. There
is an ever-expanding chasm between the universal need for the most updated
technology and media equipment, people who are skilled and competent in
the use of that equipment, and the resources necessary to provide those
needs. It is a safe assumption to make in saying that whatever needs MBU
currently has in the area of media and technology is merely a drop in
an ocean of technological possibility. Our overall and most realistic
goal is to maintain a steady course of improvement and acquisition of
equipment, supplies, and resources to prepare teachers to integrate technology
into their classroom instruction strategies. An adjunct to this goal is
an expectation that all faculty will expand their own understanding of
technology for teaching and learning and will integrate technology into
their courses in ways that are appropriate to the methods of inquiry used
in their discipline and to the learning needs of their students.
It is the goal and intention of the Education Division that technology will be fully integrated into all coursework and field experiences for education, leadership, and counseling students. MBU students are introduced to technology in their general education coursework and further refine their technological skills in EDUC 373, Technology and Instructional Media, a class required of all elementary and middle school education majors. The education faculty build on this knowledge with assignments requiring students to demonstrate their competency in technology. One graduation requirement is that students’ competency in use of technology in curriculum and instruction be documented with artifacts that are included in their summative portfolios. EDUC 573, Application of Technology as an Effective Tool in Teaching, is a required graduate-level course for students pursuing a Masters level education. Classroom teaching, administration, and counseling students must show that they can use technology in their professional practice to enhance the performance of their duties and responsibilities as well as the performance of their students/clientele.
6.
SERVICE LEARNING
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Dewey, Tyler, Piaget, Kolb, and Taba composed educational philosophies
that, in order to provide a framework for learning, schools must integrate
experiential learning into the curriculum ( Kinsley & McPherson, 1995).
Tyler (1949) professed that learning occurs “through the active
behavior of the student; it is what he does that he learns, not what the
teacher does” (p. 63). The education faculty at MBU believes that
students of all ages develop morally, emotionally, and socially, as they
become actively involved and solve real-life problems with peers, adults,
and the community in which they live. Through active involvement and real-life
problem solving, students will become cognizant, sensitive, compassionate,
and empathetic to the needs of others. The MBU education faculty believes
that service learning is a stimulus to help students develop positive
moral behavior and character, foster an ethic of service to others and
the community, and develop positive relationships with peers and adults
and their community. Community service experiences that are integrated
into the school curriculum provide opportunities for students to make
real contributions to their school and community thereby fostering a positive
sense of self and personal worth.
Currently, service experiences are provided for the MBU students through campus organizations and practicum experiences. Additionally, every MBU student is required to take the capstone course IDST 403, World Citizen. An integral part of this course is a service learning project in which each student must participate and consequently submit a reflective document as the culminating course requirement.
Organizations in which students in the educator preparation programs are encouraged to participate are Student Missouri State Teachers Association, Kappa Delta Pi, Students in Free Enterprise, Student Life, Campus Crusade, Ministerial Alliance and the MBU Habitat for Humanity Chapter. Examples of service projects these organizations have undertaken include book drives for domestic abuse shelters, providing school supplies for inner-city classrooms, and volunteering to tutor individual students in the classroom or home. It is the goal of the Education Division to expand upon these efforts by encouraging our faculty to include community service into the academic curriculum through such classroom activities as providing students with structured time to think, talk, and write about their service activities.
C.
STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES: Beginning Teacher, Educational Administrator,
and Counselor Education Competencies
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The Education Division seeks to produce reflective, problem-solving professionals
who demonstrate their competencies in areas adopted by the Missouri State
Board of education for teaching, school administration, and counseling.
The Education Division’s goal is to assist educators to become autonomous
individuals who are self-directing, self-motivating, and self-modifying.
Because they are experimenting and experiencing, they are constantly learning.
Autonomous educators work both as individuals and as part of an organization;
they are both independent and inter-dependent. (Costa and Garmston, 1994)
Alignment of MBU’s competencies to state and national standards
documents is included in Section VI, with additional detailed information
in Appendix B.
D. DOME
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REFLECTIVE
PRACTICE
As the final component of its Framework, the Education Division seeks
to produce reflective, problem-solving professionals who demonstrate their
possession of teaching, administrative, and counseling competencies. These
competencies are demonstrated through reflective practice. Reflective
thinking means giving critical thought, analysis, interpretation and synthesis
to information as opposed to accepting information without judicious reasoning.
Educators who rely on habitual behavior and are guided by impulse, custom
or authority, rather than their own reflective thoughts, will have a difficult
time growing as professionals. The Education Division strongly values
reflection as a tool for growth and requires its students to engage in
reflective practice as an integral tool of their professional practice.
A formula that ensures professional growth is:
Faith + Knowledge + Experience + Reflection = Cognitive and Spiritual Growth
Faculty believe that through continuous reflection about course work and field experiences, MBU students are prepared to become life-long reflective practitioners who seek to improve their skills and knowledge and grow as professionals. Reflective thinking is made up of many parts and reflects the individual desire to engage in inquiry and aggressively seek self-awareness, self-knowledge, and new insights into the world of professional practice.
At MBU, reflection is also a means for linking the faith mission of the institution with contemporary theory, research, and practice in the field. Reflection helps faculty and students to understand that Christian education is not a "one-way street,” but is "committed to the pursuit of truth conducted at the intersection of overlapping discourses" (Cartwright, 199). Reflection therefore provides a means of engaging a plurality of ideas and values without excluding religious discourse.
The curricula for teacher preparation, educational leadership, and counselor education is designed to include critical thinking as an integral component of the instructional strategies. The intent is for the students to address the standards and their competency in meeting those standards through critical thinking, participatory dialogue, and the sharing of ideas and perspectives. Education classes are expected to have designated opportunities for students to practice reflective thinking and expression by relating the content of classroom discussions and dialogue to their personal paradigms and then constructing new knowledge and insight from the interchange of concepts. Reflections provide an opportunity for students to express their interpretations and newly constructed knowledge in written form and to correlate this new knowledge to the standards and competencies. Students are expected to continually improve their sophistication and depth of reflection as they progress through the MBU education program.
Consistent with its belief in the developmental nature of learning, the Education Division has identified three levels in the development of candidates’ reflective skills, corresponding to the first three levels around which the faculty have developed the curriculum:
At the first level of professional development, students are considered to be Exploring the Profession. During this time students who are giving serious consideration to becoming teachers take the first major step toward the profession by completing the admissions packet into the teacher education program and begin taking foundations 300-level courses. The content of these courses introduces the students to concepts and dispositions about teaching and learning, ideas about child growth and development, and technology as it applies to classroom instruction. The students complete the C-BASE basic academic competency test and sit for a personal interview with the education faculty. The objective at this level is to determine whether the student is well suited for education and that education is well suited for the student. To facilitate development of reflective skills, the Education Division has created portfolio courses for undergraduate and graduate students to teach reflective writing to the professional standards.
Level
One Reflections
Exploring the Profession: It is our goal that instructors model and teach
students the art of reflection. Opportunities are provided in each course
for assisted practice and independent assignments requiring reflective
thinking.
Candidates for certification are asked to describe the setting/context in which their knowledge, skills, and dispositions were acquired. Candidates for certification learn how to provide accurate and relevant data to verify competency within the standards addressed in the course. Observations and facts are connected to research that comprises the body of data to verify competency within the standards addressed in the data. They learn to interpret and analyze the data and their interpretations, and their analyses allow for inferences and/or decisions that will lead to knowledge and skills beneficial to children. Data are used in the analysis and interpretation to provide evidence of the connectedness and patterns in actions and results. At the foundational level, the candidates for certification must begin to see the connectedness and patterns of actions and results as an important element of professional decision-making. Pre-service candidates are prepared to look into the future based on their observations and analyses, conclusions about practice, plans of instructional, leadership, and counseling activities, and plans for on-going professional development and self-learning.
The candidate for certification will present a reflection for evaluation during an interview for admittance to the professional block for the faculty to determine the level of development in the art of reflection.
At the second level, (Professional Standing) students immerse themselves in the profession through the curriculum, their own performance and competency in professional standards, expectations, and dispositions through more direct and participatory involvement in active learning and action-oriented field experiences and their interactions with faculty, cooperating teachers from their field experiences, and fellow teacher education candidates.
Level Two Reflections
Professional Standing: Students who have been admitted into the Teacher Education Program are at the level in which their skill in the art of reflection is reinforced by opportunities to practice through various assignments that are connected to teaching, administration, and counselor competencies/standards and dispositions. At this level, they should voluntarily and willingly take responsibility to consistently engage in the act of analytic reflection.
The reflections of the candidates for certification persistently and carefully address the standards. They must be able to describe the settings in which the knowledge and skills were acquired and provide accurate and relevant data to verify competency within the standard. They must be able to connect research to observations and facts and interpret and analyze the data to create learning opportunities using professional standards. Interpretations and analyses allow for inferences and/or decisions that are appropriate and beneficial to the intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of children. As they gain skill in using analysis and interpretation of data to provide evidence of the connectedness and patterns in actions and results, their projections into the future are based on their observations and analyses, conclusions about practice, and plans for on-going professional development and self-learning.
While being interviewed for admittance to Professional Internship, candidates for certification will present a general reflection on a teaching, administrative, or counseling standard so that the faculty can determine the students’ level of development in the art of reflection. During this interview, candidates will again be asked to explore their evolving dispositions toward teaching and learning.
The third level (Professional Internship) is the time in their professional development considered their internship. During this period, candidates have the opportunity to draw from all that the education program has provided them via curriculum, scholarship, participation in student professional service and leadership opportunities, experiential learning and personal accountability. During this period, teacher candidates are required to take total responsibility for integrating curriculum, instruction, and assessment in a classroom to which they have been assigned. During the internship, the students are required to apply the knowledge and skills they have attained during the previous levels. It is at this level teachers prepare to take the final step toward professional achievement.
Level Three Reflections
Professional Internship: At this level, students exhibit a refined knowledge and skill of the art of reflection. During the Professional Internship, candidates for certification will produce high-quality reflections that will verify their competencies and dispositions based on the teaching, leadership, and counseling competencies.
Reflections of candidates for certification address the key elements of the standards. They are able to describe extensively the settings in which the knowledge, skills, and dispositions were acquired. They can provide accurate and relevant data to verify competency within each standard. Observations and facts are connected to quality research to compile the body of data. Candidates can interpret and analyze data to create powerful learning and counseling opportunities using professional standards. Interpretations and analyses allow for inferences and/or decisions that are appropriate and beneficial to the intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of children. Data are used in the analysis and interpretation to provide evidence of the connectedness and patterns in actions and results. The connectedness and patterns of actions and results are an important element of professional decision-making that the candidates for certification demonstrate. In-depth projections into the future are based on observations and analysis, conclusions about practice, plans of action for future instructional, leadership, and counseling activities, and plans for future instructional, leadership, and counseling activities, and plans for on-going professional development and self-learning. It is the objective of the education division faculty that at this level reflection has become a natural and automatic cognitive function.
Candidates for certification present their MBU Professional Portfolio for evaluation by students and faculty at the end of their Professional Internship to determine the level of professional growth, competency, and art. The complete evaluation process is required for successful completion of the professional internship and educator preparation program.
The final level of professional development is Induction into the Profession. Having successfully completed the previous levels of development, it is time for MBU candidates to assume a new position as a professional educator.
V.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
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As a result of the University’s mission and the Division’s
commitments and knowledge base described above, the MBU Division of Education
has identified the following outcomes for all teaching and other school
professionals. Each of these outcomes corresponds to one (or more) of
the architectural features describing MBU’s Conceptual Framework.
Missouri
Baptist University Education Division Conceptual Framework Outcomes
MBU prepares licensure candidates who
1. consistently demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and pedagogical-content
knowledge skills, competencies and dispositions defined as appropriate
to their area of responsibility. (Architectural Element: Lintel -- Standards
and Competencies; Foundational Steps: Liberal Arts Education and Life
Experiences; and Pillar -- Active Learning)
2. analyze and reflect on their practice using a variety of assessment
strategies, including action research, and are committed to continued
professional development. (Architectural Element: Dome -- Roof Reflective
Practice and Pillar -- Action Research)
3. observe and practice solutions to problems of practice in diverse clinical
settings and with diverse Pk-12 student populations. (Architectural Element:
Pillars -- Action Research and Field-Based Coursework)
4. use their self-awareness and knowledge of diversity to create learning
environments that support their belief that through active hands- and
minds-on learning all students can learn challenging curriculum. (Architectural
Element: Pillars – Diversity and Active Learning)
5. demonstrate and promote the strategic use of technology to enhance
learning and professional practice (Architectural Element: Pillar -- Technology)
6. support schools, students, and community through leadership, service,
and personal involvement. (Architectural Element: Pillar -- Service Learning)
7. develop effective and supportive relationships that enhance communication
among students, parents, and colleagues to facilitate learning. (Architectural
Element: Pillars -- Service Learning and Field-Based Coursework)
8. exhibit empathy for and sensitivity to students and colleagues and
who practice the profession’s ethical standards. (Architectural
Element: Foundational Steps -- Faith Perspective)
VI.
ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATES, PROGRAMS, & THE UNIT AND ITS CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
(Precondition 4.5) Back to
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A systematic and multi-perspectival plan for assessment has been developed
for teacher, school leader, and counselor education candidates. Candidates
are evaluated at each phase of the program with decisions made by the
Teacher Education Council or the Graduate Affairs Council to recommend
or reject candidates for further study. The Candidate assessment system
is divided into phases, with detailed assessment criteria included in
each phase; Program and Unit assessment aggregates candidate data as well
as including information not directly related to candidate performance.
Data are collected from students, faculty, and the PK – 12 community.
Detailed tables for how MBU organizes the curriculum around and assesses
each of the Conceptual Framework outcomes is provided in Appendix C. The
following list provides an overview of the major data sources used in
assessing candidates and programs:
• Student evaluations of courses
• Faculty evaluations of courses
• Student test scores (C-BASE and Praxis II)
• Student course work, such as reflections, projects, and course-embedded
assessment of dispositions and pedagogical content knowledge
• Videos of pre-service teachers
• Student professional portfolios
• Student interviews with the Teacher Education Council
• Student grade point averages
• Surveys of PK – 12 cooperating teachers
• Surveys of area principals who hire MBU teachers and counselors
• 1st – and 2nd-year teacher evaluations from PK – 12
schools
• Faculty Activities Summary self-evaluations
• Campus assessment data, such as student satisfaction surveys
A.
Candidate Assessment Data Collected & Reviewed
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The MBU Education Division employs a variety of internal and external
assessment strategies to ascertain each candidate’s readiness to
be admitted to Professional Education, to progress through his/her certification
program of study, and to exit from the program and enter the profession
in possession of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions appropriate to
his/her professional roles and responsibilities as defined by the Unit,
the State of Missouri, and program-appropriate Learned Societies. The
Unit defines “Internal” assessment as an assessment developed
(or adapted) and implemented by MBU faculty and “External”
assessment as an assessment developed and/or implemented by an organization
(e.g., Educational Testing Service) or a faculty-member/partner outside
of the Unit (e.g., a hosting or cooperating teacher). The following tables
summarize MBU’s candidate assessment system for Initial and Advanced
certificates. The “Assessment Strategy Legend” beneath each
table identifies strategies used at each program transition point. Specific
information regarding instruments, internal instrument development, and
rubrics is available in other documents produced by the Unit and regularly
reviewed by faculty and candidates. Post-baccalaureate candidates for
initial certificates are assessed using the same procedures and instruments
as are undergraduate candidates for initial certificates with the exception
that post-baccalaureate candidates are not required to pass the College
Basic Academic Subjects Examination? (see #7 in the Assessment Strategy
Legend below).
Note: Missouri Baptist University requires undergraduate candidates to
have an ACT score on file with the institution as a condition for admission
to the institution.
CANDIDATE
(Initial) |
Phase
I: Admission to Professional Ed. |
Phase
II: Prior to Student Teaching |
Phase III: Exit |
|||
Internal |
External
|
Internal |
External |
Internal
|
External |
|
Content
Knowledge |
1(a),
2, 3(a), 4, 9(a,c) |
4,
7 |
1(b),
2, 3(a), 4, 9(a,c) |
4 |
2,
3(a), 4, 9(a,c) |
3(b); 8 (all pro- grams); 9(a,c) |
Professional
& Pedagogical Knowledge |
1,
2, 3(a), 4, 9(b,c) |
4 |
1(b), 2, | |||