The Department of Educational Theory & Practice
Dr. Anton Hecimovic, Chairperson
COE 278, (406) 657-2315
thecimovic@msubillings.edu
www.msubillings.edu/coe/etp/
Professors: Davison+, Hecimovic, Hobbs, Lord^, Metheny+, Miller
Associate Professor: Barfield+, McEnany
Assistant Professor: Dell, Klippenstein, Low, Mitchell, Pasieka
University Lecturers: Ballard, Holt*, Schwalbe, Trewhella
Professors Emeritus: Dunlop, Gruber, Heywood, Hopkins, LaCounte, Lee, Madden, Warne, Waterman
^Joint Appointment with the Department of Health and Human Performance
+Joint Appointment with the College of Arts and Sciences
*Joint Appointment with the Office of Certification and Field Experience
Mission
The Mission of the Department of Educational Theory and Practice is to prepare teachers who evidence the highest ideals of the teaching profession. This mission involves leading prospective teachers to examine the complex ways in which diverse disciplines interrelate and provide the foundations of all education. Study in the Department’s courses is intended to prepare professional educators for insightful, critical examination of the principles and practices that they encounter in their careers.
Offerings in the Department are based on the assumptions that teaching excellence depends upon: 1) celebration of the dignity of all individuals and cultural groups; 2) comprehensive understanding of subject matter; 3) a knowledge of human intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development; and, 4) thoughtful, informed decisions about pedagogy.
Advising Information
Portfolio
The process of developing a portfolio helps candidates make connections between course work and practice. The portfolio is a baseline of performance that allows for continuing reflection and professional development. Through this comprehensive approach, candidates demonstrate their growth in knowledge, skills and dispositions as outlined in the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework.
Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor each semester to confirm that their Plan of Study is accurate and complete and that each portfolio benchmark has been met. If necessary, changes and updates should be made in order to ensure that program requirements can be completed in a timely manner. Faculty advisors work with students to explore appropriate internships, co-operative education placements and/or experiential learning opportunities that will enhance the student’s academic program. In addition, advisors provide assistance in selecting elective courses that support the student’s interests, career plans, Plan of Study, and portfolio completion.
Students need to bring to advising sessions their College of Education Initial portfolio. The portfolio is a collection of artifacts collected by the students that is based on the Initial Conceptual Framework developed by the faculty.
Academic advising services for freshmen education majors are provided through the Advising Center in McMullen Hall, Room 100. During the sophomore year, education majors will be assigned to a faculty advisor in their department for upper division advising. Advising files for upper division students are maintained by the student’s faculty advisor within the department. Although advisors are available to assist students in designing their Plans of Study, students are ultimately responsible for meeting degree requirements.
Undergraduate Degrees and Majors
Bachelor of Science in Education
Broadfield Major in Elementary Education
Elementary Option
Secondary Option
Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree with Teaching Licensure Option is available. See Teacher Licensure Options for the following areas in the College of Arts & Sciences (see page 113) and in the College of Allied Health Professions (see page 85).
Teaching Minors
For students who are gaining teacher licensure in a content major the following minors lead to endorsement:
Secondary or K-12 Education Majors
In addition to successfully completing the major course of study, secondary level teaching majors are required to successfully complete several specific courses in the Academic Foundations requirements (see page 236), the Professional Core (see page 248), and an approved teaching minor. Approved teaching majors and minors are listed in the individual departments under the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Allied Heath Professions.
Graduate Degrees
Master of Education with options in:
Curriculum and Instruction K-8
Educational Technology
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies (Teacher Licensure, elementary (K-8), secondary (5-12)
Post-Baccalaureate Program
The Post-Baccalaureate Program is a non-degree program leading to initial teacher certification and/or subject area endorsements or student enrichment.
Portfolio
All Post-Baccalaureate students are required to complete the College of Education Initial Portfolio. The portfolio is a collection of students’ work based on the Conceptual Framework developed by the faculty. For other details concerning the graduate degree and post-baccalaureate program, see the Graduate Catalog. Graduate Catalogs may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies, McMullen Hall Room 200, Montana State University Billings, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT 59101-0298, (406) 657-2238.
The process of developing a portfolio helps candidates make connections between course work and practice. The portfolio is a baseline of performance that allows for continuing reflection and professional development. Through this comprehensive approach, candidates demonstrate their growth in knowledge, skills and dispositions as outlined in the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework.
Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor each semester to confirm that their Plan of Study is accurate and complete and that each portfolio benchmark has been met. If necessary, changes and updates should be made in order to ensure that program requirements can be completed in a timely manner. Faculty advisors work with students to explore appropriate internships, co-operative education placements and/or experiential learning opportunities that will enhance the student’s academic program. In addition, faculty advisors provide assistance in selecting elective courses that support the student’s interests, career plans, Plan of Study, and portfolio completion.
Students need to bring to faculty advising sessions their College of Education Initial portfolio. The portfolio is a collection of artifacts collected by the students that is based on the Initial Conceptual Framework developed by the faculty.
The Department of Educational Theory and Practice is committed to preparing teachers who evidence the highest ideals of the teaching profession. Programs in the Department are based on the assumptions that: 1) effective teachers celebrate the uniqueness and dignity of all individuals and in all cultural groups; 2) a comprehensive understanding of subject matter is essential to teaching excellence; 3) an in depth knowledge of human intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development through informed classroom practice is essential to teaching excellence; 4) human learning emerges contextually within individuals and is molded in part by familial and cultural institutions and values; and, 5) thoughtful, informed decisions about pedagogy enable teachers to guide students in constructing knowledge and becoming actively involved citizens in an increasingly global society.
These goals are accomplished by: schooling pre-service and in-service teachers in the dynamics of developing self-esteem and diverse family and cultural heritages; encouraging broad-based, in depth studies in a variety of disciplinary areas; focusing on developmentally appropriate instructional theory and practice; modeling attitudes, behaviors, and practices which are sensitive to individual, gender, and cultural differences; assisting students in developing instructional strategies which emanate from several theoretical bases; and, limiting the size of classes to promote maximum individual attention for students.
NEXT: Bachelor of Science in Education Degree - Broadfield Major in Elementary Education
|
