About The School of Education

Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Education is to prepare pre-service and professional educators who are proactive in nurturing the life-long development of all learners. This mission will be accomplished by:

• Facilitating the acquisition of necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions;
• Cultivating the value of diversity
• Encouraging collaborative inquiry, innovation, and research;
• Promoting collegiality and service in schools and communities;
• Integrating technology into practice;
• Providing opportunities for professional growth; and
• Influencing educational practices and policies at the local, state, and national level.

Vision Statement

The vision of the School of Education is a community of life-long learners who actively reflect on the impact of their values, attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

Philosophy Statement

We, the faculty of the School of Education, believe that:

• Education is the foundation of a progressive society and critical to the development of citizens who will increasingly be part of a global community.
• Educators are the cornerstone of this foundation and the profession should be open to qualified individuals from all backgrounds.
• Schools of education play an integral role in meeting the complex challenge that faces our communities, states, and nation in preparing students, PK-16.
• All students can learn and it is our responsibility to create an environment that will facilitate student success.
• This collaborative environment should emphasize the importance of:
  • Diversity, which adds to the richness of the educational experience we provide students.
  • A healthy, open dialogue about educational theory and practice.
  • A knowledge of content appropriate for one's certification area.
  • Modeling and teaching best practices to our students.
  • The appropriate use of technology.
  • Ongoing research and resultant change in the field of education.
  • Keeping current about educational policy.
• People should be life-long learners who will contribute to the well-being of their community.

We value:

• The individualized instruction we can offer our students due to the small size of our university.
• The choices we can offer our students with regard to medium (face-to-face, online, interactive television), time and location of courses.
• The collegial relationship among the members of the School of Education and with faculty members from other disciplines.
• Support from the administration for continual improvement of our efforts.
• Competent pre-service teachers and practitioners who can balance their understanding of theory with day-to-day practice.
• A process of on-going reflection and assessment, the outcome of which is a well-developed curriculum and appropriate procedures.
• The contribution of community colleges in preparing students to complete their education at four-year institutions.
• A community of life-long learners.

We commit to:

• Assuring that our beliefs and values are evident in our actions (practice what we preach, walk the talk).
• Continual reflection and action with regard to our practices on an individual and unit basis.
• Sharing our experience and expertise in the field of education with our students, university, community and state/national organizations.
• Continuing our support of the alumni of our programs.
• Conducting research and scholarship.
• Adhering to and teaching the ethics of our profession.
• Undertaking quality assessment and seeking additional accreditation (SACS, SBEC, NCATE, SPAs).

Learning Outcomes

The faculty expects that candidates will:

• Demonstrate content knowledge in their respective content-area.
• Use appropriate processes and teaching practices.
• Apply knowledge about child and adolescent development.
• Incorporate knowledge of diversity in planning and delivering instruction.
• Incorporate technology in planning and delivering instruction.
• Plan for and assess students' learning.
• Create an appropriate learning environment.
• Communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders.
• Engage in professional growth.

Candidate Proficiencies

To achieve learning outcomes, candidates must demonstrate that they "are gaining the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to have a positive impact on P-12 student learning" (NCATE, 2000, p. 9). The following is a list of the specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the faculty has determined are important for each candidate to possess and exhibit.

KNOWLEDGE:
Our candidates will exhibit knowledge about and understand the impact on teaching and student learning of:

• theoretical perspectives of the profession
• the content, processes, and practices appropriate for their students
• child and adolescent development
• diversity
• technology
• planning and assessment
• the learning environment and classroom management
• collaboration
• legal and ethical issues related to education.

SKILLS:
Our candidates will be able to:

• select appropriate content for use in lesson planning and delivery
• apply best practices to promote learning in all students
• use knowledge of life-span development to direct their teaching
• select from an array of techniques to meet the needs of diverse learners
• integrate the use of technology into the learning environment
• use appropriate assessments to measure students' developmental progress
• develop an appropriate learning environment
• apply classroom management techniques
• communicate with all members of the educational community (students, families, other educators, administration, community members)
• reflect on their professional performance in order to improve their professional effectiveness
• employ ethical and legal standards in education. DISPOSITIONS: Our candidates will demonstrate a/an:
• respect for themselves and a positive regard for others
• passionate nature about learning
• belief in the value of a learner-centered instruction
• dedication to providing a safe and supportive learning environment
• acknowledgement of and respect for the fact people are shaped by their cultures
• commitment to clear and accurate communication
• professional and ethical attitude
• desire to keep current on educational research and practice.