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Conceptual Framework
To see how our Conceptual Framework lines up with the
college mission
and the objectives of the Core program click here.
Overview
Shared Vision
The Education Unit is
deeply committed to the Saint Joseph's College mission of forming
graduates who are competent professionals, capable of assuming
leadership roles in the world, and who embody Gospel values in their
personal lives and professional careers. Additionally, the
College
mission statement emphasis on the education of the whole student -
intellectually, physically, socially, and spiritually - and stewardship
of truth, in loving justice, and with concern for the needs of
the
individual have been critical in the Unit’s consolidation and
representation of its own conceptual framework.
The crystallization of
our practice is found in our research base and daily practice.
The
Unit presents its mission as Education
of the Whole Person: Mind,
Heart, and Spirit. We believe educators are drawn
to
the classroom for reasons of the heart and mind – ideals and virtues
that they espouse by their actions. We believe educators seek to
connect with children and adolescents to carry forth their passions for
each subject taught and for each student. We believe educators
inspire a love for learning and goodness in their students. We
believe educators must teach with both the Heart and Mind where
intellect and emotion converge in the Spirit of each person. To
this, the goals for the Unit, the faculty, the candidates, and the
school partners are as follows: to be intelligent leaders,
passionate humans, and caring teachers both in the classroom and in
every day life; to ennoble each student’s God-given gifts; to work
diligently to promote personal and cultural understanding that reflects
the values and dignity of human life; and to foster the love of
learning
by contributing one’s talents both in the classroom and in the larger
learning community. We, as educators, are immersed in what we
teach, dedicated to the importance of how we teach, and, above all,
passionate about whom we teach.
The Unit receives
faculty development funds to review the conceptual framework and
receive
formal responses from both school partners and Arts and Sciences
content
faculty. All stakeholder groups – content faculty, school
partners, and teacher candidates provided feedback on the Mind, Heart, and Spirit
model.
Course Examples
Coherence
The conceptual framework
Mind, Heart, and Spirit
works as the
guiding structure in all department’s endeavors. It is explicitly
evident in each of the key courses. The Unit has identified the
critical state and national standards, the major assessments,
dispositions, and desired outcomes for a Saint Joseph's College teacher
candidate at each point of the developmental sequence.
Additionally, the Mind, Heart, Spirit
framework identifies the department’s connection with the goals of the Core curriculum.
Mind
Commitment To Technology
In accordance with the
college mission to prepare competent, skilled professionals, the Unit
has articulated the teacher education curriculum to reflect national
and
state standards, has developed a thorough assessment system for content
and pedagogical knowledge, and expects best practices from both
candidates and faculty.
Our candidates are prepared by their liberal arts background, content area knowledge, and pedagogical skills. We believe this provides the necessary knowledge base for our candidates to ensure their P-12 students will meet and exceed the Indiana Academic Standards.
All teacher candidates fully participate in Saint Joseph's College’s award-winning Core Education Program. In the academic year 2005-2006, we began our 36th year of what continues to be recognized as an innovative approach to general education. The Core Curriculum is structured around the over-arching theme of "Christian Humanism." As a College, the pursuit of the Truth is our focus. This pursuit of the Truth encompasses truths about our world, people, and God. There are three guiding values: 1) The world is God's creation, 2) Respect for human dignity, 3)Religion shows that God's revelation is diverse and draws all people to Himself.
All disciplines are examined throughout the students' four years. Students begin their study with the "Contemporary Situation" and are challenged to expand their horizons throughout the fours years of Core. Students are challenged to find relationships among the various disciplines and to examine their own values and beliefs in relation to the Christian Tradition. Throughout all four years, students work to develop verbal and written communication skills, learn to share ideas with classmates in discussion, and become exposed to different values and cultures.
For faculty, it is a continual learning experience as they challenge students and themselves to see from a wider perspective the connections between various disciplines. Even among the faculty, conversations about Core have engendered a collegiality unlike other institutions. Faculty of various disciplines meet to plan the Core curriculum each semester. Additionally, there have been numerous development opportunities for faculty to discuss curricular concerns and to assist in the development of teaching pedagogies. Since its inception in 1969, the structure of the Core Curriculum has remained basically the same. However, the content of each segment of Core has changed and developed to keep pace with current scholarship in these areas.
Our candidates are prepared by their liberal arts background, content area knowledge, and pedagogical skills. We believe this provides the necessary knowledge base for our candidates to ensure their P-12 students will meet and exceed the Indiana Academic Standards.
All teacher candidates fully participate in Saint Joseph's College’s award-winning Core Education Program. In the academic year 2005-2006, we began our 36th year of what continues to be recognized as an innovative approach to general education. The Core Curriculum is structured around the over-arching theme of "Christian Humanism." As a College, the pursuit of the Truth is our focus. This pursuit of the Truth encompasses truths about our world, people, and God. There are three guiding values: 1) The world is God's creation, 2) Respect for human dignity, 3)Religion shows that God's revelation is diverse and draws all people to Himself.
All disciplines are examined throughout the students' four years. Students begin their study with the "Contemporary Situation" and are challenged to expand their horizons throughout the fours years of Core. Students are challenged to find relationships among the various disciplines and to examine their own values and beliefs in relation to the Christian Tradition. Throughout all four years, students work to develop verbal and written communication skills, learn to share ideas with classmates in discussion, and become exposed to different values and cultures.
For faculty, it is a continual learning experience as they challenge students and themselves to see from a wider perspective the connections between various disciplines. Even among the faculty, conversations about Core have engendered a collegiality unlike other institutions. Faculty of various disciplines meet to plan the Core curriculum each semester. Additionally, there have been numerous development opportunities for faculty to discuss curricular concerns and to assist in the development of teaching pedagogies. Since its inception in 1969, the structure of the Core Curriculum has remained basically the same. However, the content of each segment of Core has changed and developed to keep pace with current scholarship in these areas.
Teacher candidates
experience an equally rich content area preparation. Those
candidates preparing for licensure in Secondary Education complete the
full academic major in their content area. Along with Core and
Education courses, they are fully prepared to meet their students’
needs. Elementary Education majors take additional courses in
math, science, art, music, technology, and community health to enrich
their general education preparation. Majors in the Unit also
select a college minor outside of the department to further develop an
in-depth specialty to bring to their classrooms. Popular choices
for minors include Spanish, Social Work, Art, and Physical Education.
The courses within the Unit provide critical pedagogical knowledge to our candidates. The focus is on positive P-12 outcomes and the candidates experience and implement the following concepts on their path to becoming fully licensed teachers: developmentally appropriate practices, accommodations for exceptional needs, instructional strategies, short and long-term planning, motivation and management tools, assessment selection and interpretation, curriculum theory and implementation, and professional development. Embedded in these concepts are the skills that teachers need to effectively and appropriately help all students learn. This knowledge base includes the ability to select and use the best available technology and the ability to communicate cross-culturally.
The courses within the Unit provide critical pedagogical knowledge to our candidates. The focus is on positive P-12 outcomes and the candidates experience and implement the following concepts on their path to becoming fully licensed teachers: developmentally appropriate practices, accommodations for exceptional needs, instructional strategies, short and long-term planning, motivation and management tools, assessment selection and interpretation, curriculum theory and implementation, and professional development. Embedded in these concepts are the skills that teachers need to effectively and appropriately help all students learn. This knowledge base includes the ability to select and use the best available technology and the ability to communicate cross-culturally.
The Unit faculty model
best practices in the Education courses, practices that are supported
by
research presented in the classes and practices that are expected
during
Candidate practica. These practices include the following: use of
multiple assessments, portfolios, modifying lessons for students with
exceptional needs, using technology in the classroom, and using
performance results to modify lessons.
Heart
Professional Commitments and Dispositions
John Henry Cardinal
Newman chose the words “cor ad cor loquitor” as his cardinalitial
motto. This motto, "heart speaks to heart," truly captures the
essence of what happens as our candidates learn and apply the ethic of
caring to their professional lives.
The Unit faculty often refer to the profession of teaching as a “calling.” To that, we desire that our candidates be passionate about the profession and immersed fully in all possible opportunities to develop both their teaching skills and rapport with children and adolescents. The early and frequent field experience highlighted in our program allows us to begin the developmental sequence first semester, freshmen year and equally allows the candidate to engage in the heart of the profession early in the formal education process.
The Unit has identified professional dispositions that are critical to the success of our program and reflect the conceptual framework. These dispositions are assessed and aggregated each semester of field experience. Additionally, each candidate is assigned a Unit faculty member as his/her academic advisor. As advisors, the faculty have access to evaluations. This allows us to plan, place, and supervise field placements for the optimum professional growth of our candidates.
The Unit faculty often refer to the profession of teaching as a “calling.” To that, we desire that our candidates be passionate about the profession and immersed fully in all possible opportunities to develop both their teaching skills and rapport with children and adolescents. The early and frequent field experience highlighted in our program allows us to begin the developmental sequence first semester, freshmen year and equally allows the candidate to engage in the heart of the profession early in the formal education process.
The Unit has identified professional dispositions that are critical to the success of our program and reflect the conceptual framework. These dispositions are assessed and aggregated each semester of field experience. Additionally, each candidate is assigned a Unit faculty member as his/her academic advisor. As advisors, the faculty have access to evaluations. This allows us to plan, place, and supervise field placements for the optimum professional growth of our candidates.
Our identified key
dispositions for each candidate are as follows:
Communicates effectively
with all students
Respects all students
Actively supports all students’ achievement
Initiates interactions in the classroom
Asks relevant questions
Seeks to expand opportunities for involvement
Is a positive role model to students
Behaves professionally
Respects all students
Actively supports all students’ achievement
Initiates interactions in the classroom
Asks relevant questions
Seeks to expand opportunities for involvement
Is a positive role model to students
Behaves professionally
These dispositions are
categorized under Relationships, Initiative, and Professionalism.
These qualities are indicative of a candidate who is fully engaged in
the teaching and learning process. These dispositions and values
encourage our candidates to become life-long learners, continually
seeking ways to improve practice and encourage student learning.
Spirit
Commitment to Diversity
We expect our candidates
to graduate fully committed, professionally and personally, to
Christian
Humanism. As a unit, the most compelling Gospel value imbedded in
this concept is that of valuing human dignity. We believe the
value and respect for each human life is directly related to and
justifies our commitment to diversity. According to
Cardinal Avery Dulles, candidates educated in the Christian Humanist
tradition will become “conscious of the gap between what is and what
ought to be according to God’s design for the world; they will be
motivated to bring ethical values and sense of service to their
lives…” The dignity of the human person is central to the
Catholic faith. We believe this tradition imbues in our
candidates a belief in the potential of all students and serves as a
guiding purpose to helping all learners achieve.
In Core 9, candidates
explore the possibility of a Christian view of the human person by an
examination of the general problems of humanism, religion, Christianty,
and Catholicism. They will apply psychological, sociological,
philosophical, and theological considerations to the material in
previous Cores. In Core 10, candidates apply the ideas of
Christian Humanism to personal and professional ethics.
This foundation allows the candidate to advocate for the ethics of care and social justice in the classroom and in society. Christian Humanism is committed to the human person in his or her personal and existential actuality. Christian Humanism is dynamic, affirming the transforming power of forgiveness and merciful love to allow persons to grow fully into humanity. Christian Humanism recognizes the true identity of the person whose selfhood is intrinsically bound with freely chosen relationships with others. It is the recognition and acceptance of the responsibility to take on the obligations of true freedom.
This foundation allows the candidate to advocate for the ethics of care and social justice in the classroom and in society. Christian Humanism is committed to the human person in his or her personal and existential actuality. Christian Humanism is dynamic, affirming the transforming power of forgiveness and merciful love to allow persons to grow fully into humanity. Christian Humanism recognizes the true identity of the person whose selfhood is intrinsically bound with freely chosen relationships with others. It is the recognition and acceptance of the responsibility to take on the obligations of true freedom.
Synthesis
Candidate Proficiencies Aligned with State and National Standards
Mind, Heart, and Spirit come
together in the implementation of our program as guided by the
conceptual framework. The pieces work together coherently and
seamlessly in our curriculum design and articulation. For our
candidates, this is most evident in their classroom performance and
reflective writing. Candidates are actively teaching and
interacting with P-12 students from their first semesters through
student teaching. The Unit works closely with classroom teachers
to monitor the effectiveness. Reflective practitioners continually
evaluate their own performances in order to improve their
practice. Candidates write regular reflective pieces on field
experience in which they must identify standards, make text and theory
connections, and reflect on their own effectiveness. These
reflective journals, submitted on-line, often become the basis for
class
discussions. Additionally, candidates in their final years
reflect
in their Philosophy of Education papers and on their Outcomes Project
prepared for the Exit Interview. This engagement in praxis
prepares our candidates to synthesize fully the many diverse elements
that will shape their future roles as educators.
The conceptual framework
for the Unit has been fully aligned with state and national
standards. Unit faculty re-visit the framework in each full
assessment cycle to evaluate effectiveness of standards integration and
alignment with the College mission of interdisciplinary teaching and
learning. The framework and knowledge base was developed to
reflect interdisciplinary theory and practice, the nature of the
institution’s Core Curriculum, and the role of professional education
courses and the field experience in a liberal arts college. This
is most evident in the actual delivery of courses under the
framework. Each course is developed and taught as a collaborative
effort across developmental levels and content areas. Candidates
from all programs engage in a common experience, then participate in a
corresponding developmental-level discussion section and field
experience to put theory into action. This mirrors the delivery
of
the Core Program in design and reinforces the important foundation of
interdisciplinary study and inquiry in our conceptual framework.
The content of the courses also reflects the standards-based conceptual
framework as the design is directly based on INTASC standards with the
common themes of exceptionality, diversity, and technology recurring in
each experience.
The standards are embedded in the program at all levels for all licensure areas. This is explicitly stated in the overall course syllabi and the syllabi for each discussion section. Specific forms of assessment have been delineated for each semester in every program. Additionally, field experience assessment tools are standards-based and are used consistently across all programs.
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