Washington College | Framework for Understanding the Education Program

Framework for Understanding the Education Program

The Liberal Arts Context

The teacher education program of Washington College takes place within the setting of the Liberal Arts philosophy and approach to undergraduate education. This in itself underlines the unique strength of the program.

The Liberal Arts strive for the development of critical thinking and aesthetic judgment, and demand of students a reasoned familiarity with, and knowledge of, the humanities, philosophy, the natural and social sciences, and the fine arts. This real pursuit of excellence offers a diversity of, and quality in, cultural and intellectual resources for the benefit of the individual (and, arguably, the society), and is one of the foundation traditions of education. It is the belief of this institution in espousing this educational philosophy, that the individual is enriched and strengthened in what will ultimately be his or her vocational choice, by being first able to deal with ideas in their cultural, intellectual, scientific, and universal contexts, without having their vision and goal prematurely (though necessarily) narrowed by vocational necessity. This foundation provides an intellectual stability and discrimination, and a breadth of vision which are unique strengths in the aspiring teacher.

Building on this study of "the liberal arts and sciences", the College then places great emphasis upon the depth and quality of study in the particular academic discipline that students chose as their major content field. For the prospective teacher, the study of the process of education is only effective if the body of knowledge to be communicated (the content field) is known securely and consistently by the student.

Because the Washington College teacher education program is small, and because its foundation is the Liberal Arts which provides a common foundation of learning, knowledge, and ethos, the program has a personalized, humanistic dimension. This "smallness" provides an "ideal" learning environment [ as suggested by educational psychology and its varied philosophical roots ]. The program has low student-faculty ratios, and is characterized by immediacy, intensity, frequent (if not daily) interactions, and continuous performance demands. This very environment produces a critical commitment, that in itself becomes another source of motivation, challenge, and intellectual stimulation, for the future teacher.

James Coleman in a 1982 study noted that the verbal ability of teachers is one of the only school input factors that significantly affects the verbal achievement of students. Our prospective student-teachers who must interact on a daily basis in a critical thinking context with "educational and subject-matter faculty," their peers, and other professionals, develop in this training pit of argument and defense a greater and more confident verbal ability. We would argue that these critical thinkers, trained in a humanistic tradition, are the more capable of responding rationally and creatively to the unseen and unknown in the classroom.

Washington College, as all colleges, has its unique character. Its philosophy and practice attempts to form what John Henry Newman calls "a habit of mind... which lasts through life, of which the attributes are freedom, equitableness, and calmness, and moderation." Like an individual, the college has a style and substance of it own. Parts of its character reflect the rural life of Maryland's Eastern Shore. The personality, competence, and dedication of the men and women who teach in the College at large, and in the Educational Department in particular, the educational ideals they reflect, question, and pursue within the College character, give life and inspiration to the minds of their students in an intimate framework.

Washington College adds to the diversity and quality of cultural and intellectual resources offered to students who aspire to teach in secondary schools. The teacher education program take place within the context of the mission, role, and character of this small institution.

It also must be noted that a mark of American education that differentiates it from the systems of most other countries, is that the control of education is essentially local and democratic. This emphasizes the American values of democracy and respect for difference. Small teacher education programs are qualitatively different in spirit, character, and intensity from those in large institutions, and as such provide healthy diversity in the American tradition. We would argue that "if professional diversity and excellence are crucial to our educational systems, then the maintenance of undergraduate teacher preparation opportunities in (our) college is essential." (Travers, 1980.) There is always the danger that in the drive for the improvement and rationalization of our present systems, an insipid homogenization may take place ( as is the case in many countries). Then there is the danger of control by an unchallenged and entrenched establishment.

The Mood, Practice, and Environment of the Teacher Education Program—A Philosophical Rationale

Any realm of human endeavor which involves service takes place within the context of a set of beliefs on the nature of "the individual and his or her purpose and place in the universe". It is not appropriate here to have a metaphysical, ontological, and cosmological discussion ( though these are necessary beginning areas of inquiry when addressing education, the individual, and societal contexts ). It is appropriate to state the epistemological basis upon which the program is built, a basis which in itself is constructed on a view of "the person" that is dualistic.

The epistemological basis, or theory of knowing, which is the foundation of the program is that of the Thomist, which describes knowing as primarily an exercise in logical activity. With logic ( as defined ) the ground of reality and the medium of action in the knowing process, education must look to the training of the instrument of logic—the intellect—in educating young people. The mind has powers that may be said to originate in, and be the function of , certain mental faculties. In this tradition these faculties are three in number: Reason, Memory, and Will, with Reason being the dominant faculty. When the faculties unite in a trained fashion they become capable of Intuition. It also must be remembered that the Thomistic position is a reworking of Aristotelian epistemology.

This theory is a unifying strand running through the program. At first an overview may suggest that the philosophical basis is an eclectic one. The method of the professional sequence borrows heavily from Dewian Experimentalism. The humanistic mood and personal orientation of the program is influenced by Existentialist philosophy. In the end, however, this apparently eclectic use of classical and contemporary philosophies is reconciled in the epistemology of Aquinas and the Neo-Thomists. It is important that the reader recognize this philosophical foundation—which is consistent with the goals and orientation of the liberal arts education at Washington College. Much of teacher training today is conditioned by behavioral philosophies. This program, though it uses the findings of contemporary psychologists and educational theorists who have a behaviorist orientation, does not subscribe to that behavioral view of the individual and society.

In its structure, the professional sequence operates at three levels of "discourse" simultaneously. The first level is that of the traditional presentation and giving of information. The second is that of the means and medium of communicating that knowledge and information. Thirdly, there is the human context of that act of information-communication. The human context involves the development of self knowledge and the use of critical faculties. In the program this means that once the teaching act takes place, students and professor immediately evaluate all dimensions of the teaching act just presented. This continuous assessment can be rudely honest (!), promotes self knowledge and a truthful humility for all participants, and leads to a beginning understanding of the purposes of authentic assessment modalities.

There is a correspondence between these levels of discourse and Mortimer Adler's development of "three distinct modes of teaching and learning", modes which rise in successive gradations of complexity and difficulty. It is no accident that Adler may be termed a Thomist. He describes three different modes of learning and teaching which correspond to three different ways in which the mind can be improved: we acquire organized knowledge by means of didactic instruction; we develop intellectual skills by exercises, coaching, and supervised practice; and we enlarge our understanding of ideas and associated values by means of maieutic ( Socratic ) questioning and active participation. The curricular model described by Adler appropriately describes the structure, intention, practice and environment of the professional sequence in our program.

As this is a training program (in the Thomistic sense), hidden agenda are frequently present. Stated objectives do not always convey the mood and intention of a learning sequence. Rather by using the mind or intellect to discover (and so become trained), the prospective student in intellectual activity becomes capable of "intuition", so appropriating the knowledge and structure to him or herself. This way of acquiring knowledge and perceiving structures and relationships is very consistent with contemporary theory on internal motivation, recent findings in cognitive science, and some formulations of constructivist theory. This mode of operation is "essentially" developmental in character—recognizing that each prospective teacher follows a particular path of cognitive, critical, personal, communal, and performance growth.

The development of "intuition" is accompanied by growth in self knowledge. The program places singular emphasis on personal development. The caring, careful, and sensitive human individual is seen as having the potential to be a unique teacher in this contemporary society. It is recognized that this "persona" is a character at risk. Thus the program has as one of its hidden dimensions the building of senses of security, identity, belonging, purpose, and personal competence in each candidate.

Current Teacher-Education literature in describing the daily life of the "effective" teacher, identifies three levels of functioning. Teachers are seen as: i) decision makers who on a daily basis respond to problems in the complex and evolving learning, motivational, and socio-cultural contexts of today's schools [ Berliner, 1979 ]; ii) primary socializing agents who need to develop interpretative, normative, and critical perspectives on education, so that they become reflective, critical and sensitive practitioners with an intellectual integrity [Council of Learned Societies in Education, 1986 ], ; iii) "significant others" who need to view students in essentially positive ways holding favorable expectations, because expectations, be they positive, neutral, or negative, have a formative influence on the motivational levels and success expectations of the students [Purkey, William W., and Novice, John M., 1984].

It is the responsibility of a Teacher Education Program to create a set of learning experiences through which the untutored student teacher candidate develops the confidence, ability, and skill to operate at the above three levels on their first appointment as a beginning teacher.

But the same program also has the responsibility to develop a significant level of performance in the beginning student teacher, so that student can teach "justly" in the initial student teaching practice. In the program, the instructional procedures and their sequential development, include learning scenarios which are I) "cooperative-collaborative", ii) "experiential—performance" oriented, iii) involve problem solving, and iv) use a three level discourse feedback system. They are structured so as to place the students on the first step towards developing a confidence in functioning at the three described levels, thereby enhancing their ability to teach "justly". The word "justly", a concept in moral justice, implies that though the student teacher is himself or herself in a learning situation during their first student teaching experience, the pupils in the classroom will not be penalized by the fact that the teaching practice is an initial experience.

The philosophical theories of John Dewey and Alfred North Whitehead provide the initial theoretical foundation for the pedagogical construction in the Program. John Dewey, the educational philosopher and the father of Pragmatism, postulates that learning is rooted in experience and that knowledge derives from a process of inquiry, an inquiry that is often best found in the development of problem solving situations. "Active learning" which involves the learner as questioner and reflective participant or agent is coupled with the psychological organization of content. This organization involves the active experiencing in some real or simulated way of the reality under investigation by the learner. The learner becomes a "doer" and "problem solder". This mode of learning is more effective and enduring when compared to passive learning with its associated logical organization of content. Here, the learner is the passive receiver of established knowledge, a knowledge which is ordered in a set paradigm.

Alfred North Whitehead's theory of intellectual progress postulates three stages for the student's intellectual journey, "Romance", "Precision", and "Generalization". "Romance" introduces the student through novelty to engagement or active involvement with the learning situation—an emotional connection and curiosity takes place. The learner sees relevance or connectedness, and judges the he or she has something to contribute. Once this active engagement occurs, the student moves to the level of "Precision" where she or he must rigorously and systematically analyze and synthesize data, facts, concepts, and generalizations, so as to come to grips with the problems presented. "Generalization" is the final stage, and it provides the synthesis of the integration of "Romance" and "Precision". This synthesis is accompanied by an intellectual satisfaction and sense of closure which then become the foundation for further intellectual progress.

A third influence is "the theory of instruction" of Jerome Bruner. He has emphasized the academic usefulness of using games for getting people involved in understanding language, social organization, and the idea that there are theories of explanation behind these social phenomena.

Role-Play, Simulations, Games, Improvisations and other active learning formats place individuals initially in a state of "disequilibrium" which produces the need for explanation through questioning by the individual. The simulation then involves contrast, the stimulation and use of informed guessing, hypothesis making, participation, and finally the stimulation of self consciousness. Simulation, improvisation , and the associated role play, place the student in problem situations which reflect real life experiences. The students in order to solve problems have to engage in a process in inquiry. The process of inquiry and problem solving engages them in the intellectual stages of "precision" and "generalization". The action of being drawn into the "slice of real life" of the simulation with its initial "disequilibriums", serves to engage the student actively in the process of simulation through "romance."

The Program

The course of study seeks to establish a reflective and collegial environment in which the self-esteem, the performance ability, and the problem-solving capacities of the potential teacher are shaped and reshaped at a formative level. The teaching challenge is to obtain from the students an intellectual, emotional, and social commitment to what is taking place in the classroom so that they become active learners. Whitehead, Dewey and Bruner indicate the potential of active learning, discovery, and simulation for developing an engaged commitment.

At the conclusion of individual courses and in the in succeeding professional program, the total course and the elements within it are analyzed using learning theory structures and research knowledge about what constitutes effective teaching. Activities, learning units, and the course become "the content" for further learning. Through lengthy and sustained analytic inquiry, the students tease out i) the learning assumptions, ii) the instructional procedures, iii) the hidden training methods, iv) the varied teacher roles, v) environmental characteristics, vi) pedagogical structures , vii) teaching tensions and choices, viii) formal and informal assessment-evaluation measures, and ix) intellectual, social, and personal consequences.

The activities, the simulations, and the course thus become case studies for pedagogical inquiry. In each course and in selected experiences the students are placed in varied collaborative and cooperative learning situations [ Johnson and Johnson, 1985 ] in which the goals of separate individuals are linked together so that there is a positive correlation among their goal achievements. The cooperative strategies produce positive interdependence among group members, a strong sense of individual accountability, a higher motivation to succeed and learn, positive attitudes towards the instructional experience, and the development of greater levels of interpersonal toleration and acceptance.

Students who have completed the courses and program state that the program is rich and varied pedagogically, and as they progress through their professional and pedagogical courses, they admit to a surprise that they have already developed a wide range of knowledge and skills in pedagogy, which is being presently confirmed or reinforced in pedagogical studies and practice. The courses in the main sequence ( Principles of Education, Educational Psychology, and The Education Block ) are deliberately and developmentally constructed to both unconsciously and consciously present to the aspiring teacher a range of good teaching practices. There is a training dimension in the hidden curriculum.

The Curriculum and Program Structure

Central to the curriculum that is developed to prepare teachers are two principles, the principle of development and the principle of integration (Travers and Sacks, 1987). The principle of development describes the structured role transition from student to beginning teacher that is achieved through a gradual process in a developmental manner. Historical, sociological, philosophical, and 'governance' knowledge, the theory and practice of pedagogy in general and as applied to the content field, research practice and knowledge, internships and student teaching are sequenced in an articulated fashion to effect this role transition and to aid the desired developmental growth in the student. This sustained and planned developmental approach provides the time needed to integrate theory and practice, and to cultivate the confident ( but humble! ), thoughtful, and analytic practitioner.

The process of development is greatly aided by the fact that the same small number of faculty who teach the professional courses have a place in overseeing the total process, and know individually students from when they start professional preparation to when they complete it. In such small, familial and intimate contexts, a "mentor-apprentice relationship" can be said to be an apt description of the program relationships cultivated. This individual attention in a program which jumps over traditional course boundaries significantly empowers the individual student, encouraging them to continually reflect on the mutual relationships of theory and practice, and the tensions between their ideals and current realities.

The principle of integration sees the study of education as a humanistic, developmental process of inquiry embedded in the liberal arts tradition. Such integration is pedagogically advantageous as mutual reinforcements can occur between the "education" and liberal arts curricula. Small classes encourage skills and perspectives essential to the development of a sensitive practitioner. Logical and critical thinking skills, analytic abilities, interpersonal sensitivity, socio-political awareness and ethical commitment are pursued in both curricula. If professional education were separated from the undergraduate liberal arts study, this kind of integrated educational study would suffer. Further, the developmental integration of field work into course study further aids the study of theory and practice, providing opportunities for analysis of the complexities of schooling.

There is in the professional program an internal integration which sees the different parts of the program developmentally related: the smallness of the program, the intimacy of contact between faculty and students, the generalist nature of faculty skills and knowledge and their oversight of the whole curriculum assist this integration. Student teaching is a collaborative experience between the college supervisor who is also a course instructor, the cooperating teacher who is frequently requested by name by the college, and the novice teacher. Students are encouraged to think creatively, to be imaginative and new where appropriate, and to be continually self evaluative. The college does recognize that the student teaching experience lies between two "cultures", the culture of the college world and the culture of the school world, each with their own goals, priorities, constraints, and preoccupations. There are limitations and future challenges set by this situation.

In this small programs which take place within the setting of the liberal arts philosophy, and within a college that has its own individual unique character, which like individuals, has a style and substance of its own, integration and development are aided by a conscious ability to define the mood, practice, and environment of the teacher education program.

As has been previously stated, the program exists within the context of a set of beliefs on the nature of " the individual and his or her purpose and place in the universe. Consequently a coherent program is able to both state the epistemological basis upon which the program is built and to articulate their view of the relationships of individuals, society, and the enterprise of education. This small program articulates an agreed upon educational philosophy which is consistent with the undergirding philosophy of the institution. The consequence of this ability to describe the mood, practice, and environment of the program, is that there exists a definite and describable vision of the teacher and good teaching guiding and unifying the program.

Summary

The main professional education curriculum has an integration which obeys principles of development and articulation ( as described above). A future challenge is to more fully integrate all dimensions of the program into the articulated "main line" of the program, thus eliminating any disconnectedness and redundant overlapping.

The program is unified rather than fragmented, with a building block curriculum which continually develops knowledge, skills, and abilities in a decidedly sequenced and articulated fashion. There is a continuous interplay between theory and practice, between analysis and "performance", an interplay which recognizes certain limitations in the penultimate component of the program, the teaching practicum . And there is a vision of the teacher and a conception of good teaching which runs through the program from the beginning to the end, a vision which involves metaphor, description, self definitions, and challenge, alluding to the philosophical principles and theories which undergird the program.

The teacher must develop critical, interpretative, and normative perspectives, and be able to articulate those perspectives. The teacher is an intellectual person. The teacher is "a magician", "a renaissance person" [ this is an allusion to ability and the challenge to be able to make cross disciplinary references and allusions ], "a sensitive and moral person", and " a citizen who educates for democracy in the modern world ". The classroom is a stage which is orchestrated with care and precision, thought-through scripts , and moments of apt improvisations. The classroom is a place of risk and comfort, challenge and possibilities. The profession of teaching is noble: it is a vocation demanding sacrifice. It is, with parenting, a calling fraught with responsibility... the "good" teacher has passion ( and it must be remembered that "passio", in its etymology, includes an element of suffering ).

Objectives and Competencies in the Teacher Education Program

Prospective teachers must develop to a satisfactory level a number of intellectual, personal, and professional competencies that are needed in the various teaching roles which the effective teacher must assume. The major functions or roles which are recognized as part of effective teaching are:

content specialist
diagnostician of learning difficulties, needs, and styles of learning
strategist
designer of instruction for each student and the group
facilitator, guide, and manager of learning for individuals and groups
evaluator of student performance, teaching methods, and learning materials
curriculum developer

Governing Objectives

Preparing the student teacher for these roles is an important goal of all teacher education programs and the basis for the five governing objectives which the Education Department and the Council of Teacher Education have identified are:

Achievement of competency in the content areas of specialization and in the other fields of knowledge pertinent to the individual program;
Development of an understanding of the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of children, as well as the ability to assess their learning potential and to plan effectively for their development;
Acquisition of a facility for communicating intelligently and effectively with children and others in a variety of educational environments, through the selection of appropriate teaching methods, instructional materials, and other resources;
Development of effective strategies for evaluating student learning and growth;
Evolution of a capacity for continual reappraisal of one's own teaching philosophy, objectives, techniques, and materials.

Teacher Objectives and Competencies

These governing objectives have been made even more operational by a set of specific competencies which are related to each of the five areas included in the objectives. The identified teacher competencies, given below, attempt to provide a clear picture of the product that the College's teacher education program seeks to deliver. They establish, also, specific guidelines for the development and evaluation of teacher education curricula.

Achievement of competency in the content areas of specialization and in the other fields of knowledge pertinent to the individual program.
1. Knowledge of basic content in the area of specialization and awareness of current trends in that area.
2. Knowledge of and ability to apply developmental principles and theories of child development as they relate to the content area of specialization in the following:
  - physical and motor development
  - cognitive development
  - language development
  - social development
3. Knowledge of the beliefs and practices that contribute to the varied cultures which make up the pluralistic fabric of the U.S.A..
4. Ability to be critical and articulate concerning one's beliefs and judgments as a result of the development of normative, critical, and interpretative perspectives.
5. Development, through the study of the reflective discipline of history, of the knowledge and sensitivities needed to study the problems of modern society from the perspective of past occurrences of a similar or associated nature.
6. Development of a basic understanding of anthropological and sociological concepts, theory, research and methods, with additional focus on multicultural concepts.
7. A reasoned and discriminating appreciation of the role of literature as a human art form.
8. Practical mastery of the English language as a source of personal satisfaction, as a functional necessity and as a means of free and full self-expression.
9. A working knowledge of the essential computational skills which are an integral part of the day-to-day existence and an awareness of the potential applications of mathematical and other scientific techniques as an aid to societal improvement in medicine or other related fields.

Development of an understanding of the social, emotional, physical and cultural needs of children, the ability to assess their learning potential and to plan effectively for their development.
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply learning principles relating to changes in behavior.
2. Knowledge of types of learning problems and ability to recognize behavior which indicates the nature of the difficulty.
3. Ability to discriminate between external environmental conditions effecting learning (those under the control of the teacher) and the conditions within the learner.
4. Knowledge of functions which may be served by external learning conditions under the control of a teacher and ability to apply this knowledge of instructional functions.
5. Knowledge of the basic elements of a behavioral objective and the ability to write them.
6. Ability to develop behavioral objectives appropriate to cognitive, affective and psychomotor events desired in the classroom.
7. An awareness of the importance of specifying objectives in selecting and organizing contents, strategy selection and evaluating the outcomes of instruction.
8. Knowledge of the dimensions of learner data which must serve as an information base in formulation of objectives, including:
  - diagnostic data: level of previous performance, etc.
  - anticipated rate factors: age, attitude, motivation, attention level, etc..
9. Ability to recognize instructional objectives which are appropriate for use with a specified group.
10. Knowledge of sources of traditional objectives which represent steps toward the attainment of goals, taking into account pupil data factors
11. Ability to plan instructional sequences in which intended outcomes are described in terms of specified objectives in several content areas and on appropriate levels of learner development.
Acquisition of facility for communicating intelligently and effectively with children and others in a variety of educational environments through the selection of appropriate teaching methods, instructional materials and other resource.
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply criteria for evaluating the quality and relevance of various approaches to instruction.
2. Knowledge of conditions in which a specialized environment (e.g., a field trip) can be used as a medium of instruction.
3. Familiarity with strategies relating to various verbal interaction patterns.
4. Ability to use strategies involving the arrangement of small and large group interactions among students.
5. Ability to use strategies involving the appreciation and affirmation of diverse culture.
6. Ability to use strategies involving the use of dramatic techniques such as role playing, storytelling, pantomime, etc..
7. Ability to use strategies designed to implement instructional objectives involving creative thinking.
8. Ability to use strategies designed to implement objectives involving cognitive memory and evaluative thinking.
9. Ability to choose appropriate media, select and implement techniques, and evaluate results of the interaction in a classroom situation.
10. Ability to modify methods on the basis of prior experience and evaluation.
11. Ability to verbalize to students, parents, the community and others, in a clear and concise manner, the knowledge or other outcomes desired as a result of the above interaction.
Development of skills for the effective use of strategies for evaluating student learning and growth.
1. Knowledge of functions of educational testing in diagnosis, learner feedback and program evaluation.
2. Awareness of basic concepts, principles and statistical techniques used in educational assessment, testing, and evaluation.
3. Comprehension and application of basic principles relating to common types of objective and essay test items.
4. Knowledge of and ability to apply principles related to administration and scoring of standardized tests.
5. Ability to interpret the role of value judgments in evaluating learner characteristics and measuring learner performance.
6. Ability to distinguish between facts of observation and inferences or guesses.
7. Ability to record observational data in anecdotal form, using terms which are objective and verifiable.
8. Ability to describe and analyze ways of interpreting and using evaluative data.
9. Skill in using appropriate techniques in determining the outcome of instruction based on the instructional objectives formulated.
10. Acceptance of the need for gathering data frequently from formal and informal situations and recording it in a brief objective form.
Evolution of a capacity for continued reappraisal of one's own teaching philosophy, objectives, techniques and materials and maintenance of and participation in activities of the teaching profession in general.
1. Knowledge of the basic terminology, conventions and methodology of educational literature.
2. Ability to differentiate between educational philosophies and to characterize the philosophy of an historical era or educational systems, as well as to identify the principal individuals who have influenced education.
3. Development of an appreciation of education as a profession, to understand it's nature, goals and scope, and to be in a better position to decide whether or not to become a part of this profession.
4. Ability to identify the environmental influences which affect the educational institution, such as the political, social, economic, and cultural context, and to understand the changing nature of education as a result of changes in its environment.
5. Knowledge of the range and sources of instructional related literature useful to the classroom teacher.
6. Interest in and ability to read and interpret reports in education and related fields.
7. Interest in translating, when appropriate, knowledge obtained through reading and other sources into practice involving one's own instructional activities.
8. Ability to analyze one's own teaching and modify performance in light of self-analysis.
9. Knowledge of basic theories of social behavior and principles of group dynamics.
10. Ability to analyze a variety of problem situations involving teacher interactions with school personnel and school patrons and to determine justifiable solutions.
11. Knowledge of the history and current activities of professional educational organizations.
12. Consideration of the merits of membership in appropriate professional organizations and active participation in the organization. M. Ability to explore and evaluate career opportunities in the field of education today.
Evolution of a capacity for continued reappraisal of one's own teaching philosophy, objectives, techniques and materials and maintenance of and participation in activities of the teaching profession in general
1. Knowledge of the basic terminology, conventions and methodology of educational literature.
2. Ability to differentiate between educational philosophies and to characterize the philosophy of an historical era or educational systems, as well as to identify the principal individuals who have influenced education.
3. Development of an appreciation of education as a profession, to understand it's nature, goals and scope, and to be in a better position to decide whether or not to become a part of this profession.
4. Ability to identify the environmental influences which affect the educational institution, such as the political, social, economic, and cultural context, and to understand the changing nature of education as a result of changes in its environment.
5. Knowledge of the range and sources of instructional related literature useful to the classroom teacher.
6. Interest in and ability to read and interpret reports in education and related fields.
7. Interest in translating, when appropriate, knowledge obtained through reading and other sources into practice involving one's own instructional activities.
8. Ability to analyze one's own teaching and modify performance in light of self-analysis.
9. Knowledge of basic theories of social behavior and principles of group dynamics. j. Ability to analyze a variety of problem situations involving teacher interactions with school personnel and school patrons and to determine justifiable solutions. k. Knowledge of the history and current activities of professional educational organizations.
10. Consideration of the merits of membership in appropriate professional organizations and active participation in the organization.
11. Ability to explore and evaluate career opportunities in the field of education today.

These Objectives and Competencies are used as a general check list to ensure that the Education Program, in its courses and experiences, comprehensively provides the knowledge, experiences, and skill based activities which are necessary for the development of a effective beginning teacher. These objectives are currently being informed by three other sources of information, which in themselves describe and establish ( though in varying language ) similar sets of objectives and skills. These sources of information are:

"The Knowledge Base for the Beginning Teacher" ( A.A.C.T.E. );
"The Essentials for Teacher Education" Task Force Reports ( M.S.D.E. );
"The Maryland Curricular Frameworks" in English Language Arts, Science, Art, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Mathematics ( M.S.D.E.)

Conclusion

The above is an attempt to describe the ideas, philosophy, practice, and structures that are woven together to construct the education program at Washington College. They are, as the program, in a state of evolution and clarification. This reflects our human condition, and our educational condition, where theory and practice, and practice and theory, constantly interact, infusing, inspiring, correcting, changing , and demanding clarification of the other. This is a healthy dynamic, and in a small program with all the characteristics described above, there is a stronger probability that such interaction will have a healthy and continual life, as the economies of scale which so fragment teacher education in large institutions are not so stiflingly present in small institutions.

References

Berliner, David, Research on Teaching: Concepts, Findings, and Implications, [McCutchan, 1979]

Berliner, David, and Rosenshine, Barak, Talks to Teachers, [Random House, 1987]

Bruner, Jerome, Towards a Theory of Instruction, [Belknapp Press, 1975]

Council of Learned Societies in Education, Standards for Academic and Professional Instruction in Foundations of Education, Educational Studies, and Educational Policy Studies, [Prakken, 1986]

Dewey, John, Experience and Education, [MacMillan, 1938]

Dewey, John, The Relation of Theory to Practice, Third Yearbook, [National Society for the Scientific Study of Education, 1904]

Newman, John Henry, The Idea of a University, [ Clarendon, 1976 ]

Travers, E. F., and Riemer Sacks, S. , Teacher Education and the Liberal Arts, Proceedings of the Conference on Excellence in Teacher Education Through the Liberal Arts, [Muhlenberg College, 1987]

Whitehead, Alfred North, The Aims of Education, [MacMillan, 1929]

Whitehead, Alfred North, Process and Reality, [Harper, 1960]

Department of Education