General Information

The Education Department's mission is to continue its rich tradition of preparing candidates for excellence in the teaching profession. Mount Union's Teacher Education Program has established programs in Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Intervention Specialist, Adolescence to Young Adult, and Multiage Education to assist candidates to:

• develop an understanding of subject matter areas and create meaningful learning experiences based on this knowledge;
• develop an understanding of students' cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development and create learning opportunities that support student development;
• recognize and value student diversity and the differences in how students learn and provide instruction to accommodate such diversity;
• develop instructional plans based on students, curricular goals and models, subject matter, and community;
• develop pedagogical knowledge and skills and use this expertise to encourage each student to develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills;
• create a classroom environment that facilitates learning and a climate that encourages fairness, positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation;
• develop effective verbal, nonverbal, written, technological, and media communication skills to support and enhance student learning;
• understand the role of assessment and the use of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate student learning;
• develop skills necessary for self-reflection and use this knowledge to analyze past experiences and pursue professional development opportunities;
• collaborate with students, candidates, parents, community members, and professional colleagues in order to support student learning and development; and
• demonstrate a sense of caring.

Licensure

The provisional license is required for the first year of teaching in Ohio. The provisional license, valid for two years, shall be issued to an individual who holds a degree by the license, who has successfully completed an approved program of preparation, who is deemed to be of good moral character, who has successfully completed PRAXIS II, and who has been recommended by the dean or head of teacher education at an institution approved to prepare teachers.

Higher Education Report Card

The Higher Education Report Card is a federal requirement of Title II for all colleges and universities offering teacher preparation. The University of Mount Union is proud to announce that in the eleventh year of reporting, the 2009-2010 academic class of new teachers met the statewide pass rate in the summary total of PRAXIS II tests in which the University prepares teachers. This information will continue to serve as a benchmark as the University continues to build upon its rich tradition of preparing new educators.

Curriculum

Specific programs are offered in these areas:

I. Early childhood license is valid for teaching children who are typically developing and included children. Licenses shall be issued for ages three through eight and prekindergarten through grade three.

II. Middle childhood license is valid for teaching learners from ages nine through fourteen and grades four through nine in the curricular areas named in such license. The middle childhood teacher preparation program shall include preparation in the humanities (including the arts) and areas of concentration in at least two of the following: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

III. Adolescence to young adult license is valid for teaching learners from ages twelve through twenty-one and grades seven through twelve in the curricular areas named in such license. Preparation in the teaching field shall constitute at least an academic major or its equivalent with sufficient coursework in all areas to be taught. Licenses shall be offered in the following areas:

• (a) Earth/space science
• (b) Integrated language arts - emphasis in literature or writing.
• (c) Integrated mathematics
• (d) Integrated social studies - emphasis in history and political science.
• (e) Life sciences
• (f) Physical sciences (physics and chemistry)

IV. Multiage license is valid for teaching learners from ages three through twenty-one and prekindergarten through grade twelve in the curricular areas named in such license. Preparation in the teaching field shall constitute at least an academic major or its equivalent with sufficient coursework in all areas to be taught. Licenses shall be issued in the following teaching fields:

• (a) Foreign languages - French, German, Spanish, or Japanese
• (b) Music
• (c) Physical education
• (d) Health education
• (e) Visual arts

Early Childhood Major

The core values that undergird the early childhood licensure program are based in part on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Code of Ethical Conduct standards of professional practice in early childhood education. Mount Union College joins NAEYC in a commitment to certain fundamental values that are deeply rooted in the history of the early childhood field by:

• appreciating childhood as a unique and valuable state of the human life cycle and valuing the quality of children's lives in the present, not just as preparation for the future;
• basing our work with children on knowledge of child development and learning;
• appreciating and supporting the close ties between the child and family;
• recognizing that children are best understood in the context of family, culture, and society;
• respecting the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague); and
• helping children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships based on trust, respect, and positive regard. (Feeney & Kipnis 1992)

Taken together, these core values define our basic commitment to children and underlie our curriculum and its position on developmentally appropriate practice.

Middle Childhood Major

This program is based on the National Middle School Association's (NMSA) guidelines for the preparation of middle level educators. The interdisciplinary program contains knowledge, pedagogy, and field experiences designed specifically for teachers of this age group. Coursework and field experiences are focused on the following concepts:

• nature of early adolescents and needs of young adolescents;
• young adolescent development in the school context;
• philosophy and school organization of the middle school and of the role of the middle level educator;
• curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment appropriate for young adolescents;
• collaboration with colleagues, families, resource persons, and community groups;
• two broad and multidisciplinary teaching fields which encompass the major areas within those fields;
• variety of field experiences in diverse and middle level settings with divergent experiences and responsibilities.

Adolescence to Young Adult Education Minor

Our vision for preparing teachers to teach at the Adolescence to Young Adult level is based primarily on two major resource areas: Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution, a report of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) on the high school of the 21st century and the content knowledge, standards, and benchmarks developed in national curriculum reports of the learned societies. The NASSP recommendations are as follows:

• High school is, above all else, a learning community, and each school must commit itself to expecting demonstrated academic achievement for every student in accordance with standards that can endure national scrutiny;
• High school must function as a transitional experience, preparing each student for the next stage of life, whatever it may be for that individual, with the understanding that, ultimately, each person needs to earn a living;
• High school must be a gateway to multiple options;
• High school must prepare each student to be a lifelong learner;
• High school must provide the underpinning for good citizenship and for full participation of life in a democracy;
• High school must play a role in the personal development of young people as social beings who have needs beyond those that are strictly academic;
• High school must lay a foundation for students to be able to participate comfortably in an increasingly technological society;
• High school must prepare young people for life in a country and world in which interdependency links their destiny to that of others, however different those others may be from theirs;
• High school must be an institution that unabashedly advocates young people.

Multiage Minor

The preparation of teachers in the areas of foreign language, music, physical education, health, and visual arts is accomplished by offering candidates essential elements of the early and middle childhood and adolescence to young adult programs. Methods courses and field experiences are selected to develop specific skills and competencies necessary for success with candidates across this expanse of age and grade levels. The professional and pedagogical studies' component of the licensure area is based on NAEYC, NMSA, and NASSP models and incorporates a compendium of standards and benchmarks for K-12 education. Content specific courses are aligned with Specialized Professional Association and are the foundation of each licensure area.

Average Class Size

In the Education Department, the class size for introductory/foundations courses is about 20. Methods courses, any course carrying a W designation, and the media course are capped at approximately 20 students.

Activities and Events

The Education Department sponsors on campus the Student National Education Association (SNEA). Nationally known guest speakers in the field of education appear on campus. A chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society in education, is also active. Involvement includes monthly meetings, semester projects, and attending the national bi-annual convocation.

Off-Campus Opportunities

All classes throughout the candidates program, beginning with ED 150W taken in the spring semester of the freshman year, provide candidates the opportunity for significant field experiences. These afford the candidate an opportunity to observe, assist, and gradually direct instructional activities in the various licensure areas.

Career Services

The Teacher Education Program offers our candidates career placement services that are specialized and geared toward assisting them in obtaining a teaching appointment. College preparation in education provides an excellent foundation for careers in schools, child care centers, colleges, coaching, human services professions, corporate training, and other areas.