The mission of the School of Education is to prepare teacher candidates to be literate and progressive citizens who value human diversity and exemplify an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and for learning as a lifelong process. The school seeks to develop teachers with the professional and personal characteristics and dispositions to facilitate the holistic development of all learners in the context of contemporary society.
Together with partners across the university and in the schools, faculty of the School of Education have developed a Conceptual Framework to implement its mission and vision. The Conceptual Framework rests on three principles: a commitment to preparing teachers as professionals; a belief in the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and practice; and an active engagement in promoting a just world.
SOE’s Principles, Goals, and how these relate to the Conceptual Framework of Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions
| School of Education Principles | School of Education Goals for Initial (I) and Advanced (A) Levels of Preparation | Relation to the CF as Knowledge (K), Skill (S), or Disposition (D) |
|---|---|---|
| Principle 1(P1): Teachers as Professionals | Principle 1, Goal 1 (P1G1): To equip candidates with core knowledge and skills to foster a productive learning environment, and the means to update such knowledge (I); To engage advanced candidates in practice and reflection of their capabilities to implement effective curricula, and to develop professionally as resourceful individuals (A). Principle 1, Goal 2 (P1G2): To prepare candidates for success in their initial field studies (I); To provide opportunities for practitioners to remain actively involved in professional development (A). Principle 1, Goal 3 (P1G3): To prepare candidates to conduct thoughtful and professional observation of students in order to develop targeted instructional plans (I); To engage practitioners in the reflection of their practice through action research (A). | (K), (S)
(K), (S) |
| Principle 2 (P2): Teachers as promoters of a just world through social justice | Principle 2, Goa1 l (P2G1): To create leaders who design and successfully implement curriculum in an inclusive and multi-cultural setting (I); To create opportunities for practitioners to investigate the political, social and cultural biases inherent in many educational reform attempts (A). Principle2, Goal 2 (P2G2): Goal 2: To create leaders who apply course content and skills as they engage in activities in response to the diverse needs of the community (I); To engage practitioners in the analysis of the contexts in which educational reforms take place (A). Principle 2, Goal 3 (P2G3): To prepare professionals who demonstrate a commitment to equity and justice through the use of culturally responsive strategies (I); To ensure that practitioners develop culturally sensitive curricular strategies (A). Principle 2, Goal 4 (P2G4): To prepare candidates who advocate on the part of students when child abuse, neglect or violence is suspected (I); To instill the need for leadership in contributing to the improvement of these issues required of practitioners (A). Principle 2, Goal 5 (P2G5): To promote social justice through active involvement in Service Learning experiences (I); To promote responsible practice of community-based relevant curricular innovations (A). | (K), (S)
(S), (D)
(D)
(S), (D) |
| Principle 3 (P3): Teachers committed to interdisciplinary instruction | Principle 3, Goal 1(P3G1): To provide candidates with a broad interdisciplinary knowledge base (I); To ensure that action research products are inherently interdisciplinary and draw upon unifying themes (A). Principle 3, Goal 2 (P3G2): To provide candidates with the pedagogical skills to design interdisciplinary curricula (I); To encourage context-rich opportunities for professional development in theoretical and empirical contributions by candidates to their fields of concentration (A). Principle 3, Goal 3 (P3G3): To prepare candidates who are able to integrate technology into teaching and learning (I); To enable practitioners to incorporate technology-appropriate features into their educational research projects (A). | (K)
(S)
|