The conceptual framework of the Education Department
of College of Saint Mary emphasizes the concept of Women as Leaders in
Education. The knowledge and value bases of CSM’s “Women as Leaders in
Education” are grouped into four domains of professional development and
liberal arts experiences: Core Curriculum/Liberal Arts, Pedagogical
Studies/Applied Experiences, Service to Others, and Development of Mind,
Body and Spirit.
Core
Curriculum/Liberal Arts
The
core curriculum, adopted by College of Saint Mary in 2000, is designed to
provide students with appropriate developmental and integrated education.
The three-tiered curriculum consists of 47 credit hours of coursework
involving progressively more complex knowledge and skills. Experiencing
Liberal Arts courses, included within the core curriculum foster creativity,
stimulate critical thinking, develop problem-solving and decision-making
skills and encourage reflection related to each student’s personal
philosophy and spiritual and ethical values. The overarching themes of the
core curriculum are:
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Communication and Technology Skills
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Analysis /Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving
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Moral Reasoning/Values
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Social responsibility/Leadership
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Ethics/Spirituality
Pedagogical
Studies/Applied Experiences.
Pedagogical and applied experiences are designed to develop competencies for
prospective teachers through a sequence of professional courses. These
studies and applied experiences provide a setting for life-long learning,
scholarly activity, understanding of relationships with groups and
individuals of all cultures, and career opportunities that are appropriate
to student desires and needs. The professional courses emphasize the
acquisition of knowledge, skills, competencies and values which are
presented and implemented in course work, labs, field-based and student
teaching experiences. The sequence of experiences presented in the
department outcomes provides students with practical knowledge regarding
learners, learning processes and teaching strategies.
Service
to Others.
The
Education department has established varied service projects that enable
students to provide instruction and service within the community.
The
S.M.A.R.T. (Science, Math, And Relevant Technology) Project was initiated in
1992 with Girls Incorporated of Omaha. Through this program preservice
teachers, as partial fulfillment of the requirements for EDU 353 Teaching
Science and EDU 355 Teaching Math, plan and conduct hands-on lessons in
science, math and technology for K-6th grade girls. Many of the girls are
members of underserved populations. S.M.A.R.T. represents the positive
interrelationships of joint ventures of business, higher and local
organization. This program has been nationally recognized in several
publications, including the Honda Foundation Report and the Guide
to Math & Science Reform sponsored by the Annenberg Fund.
The
PALS Project, initiated in the fall of 1996, expanded a service-learning
partnership between College of Saint Mary and partner schools in which
education faculty conduct a diagnosis and evaluation reading course and
practicum at the school. This project offers K-6 students specialized
assistance in reading and writing and supports the school faculty. It
provides preservice teachers at College of Saint Mary with an excellent
practicum to gain knowledge and skills in teaching reading and diagnosing
reading difficulties. Currently PALS is taking place at Minne Lusa
Elementary School, Success for All school, providing a rich experience for
CSM students. This program has been cited within inquiry approaches of
the Nebraska Network for Education Renewal.
As part of the course requirements for
EDU 342, Children’s Literature, all students must complete a
service-learning project where they provide service to children and/or
families related to literacy. Students work at agencies that serve
at-risk children and families throughout the greater Omaha metro area.
Within special education course work students complete service-learning
activities. They observe and apply theoretical knowledge to behaviors
for participants in community agencies during EDU 240, Guidance and
Classroom Management. During a special education practicum, EDU 133,
students provide instruction and reflection assistance for teachers in
special education settings as a service project.
Funds provided through a grant from the
Nebraska Consortium for Service Learning funded a combined lesson planning
and grant writing opportunity. Students in EDU 353, Teaching Science,
learn how to write mini-grants to fund service-learning projects conducted
in their Operation S.M.A.R.T. experiences.
The education program at CSM seeks to
enable students to achieve intellectual pursuits and experiences that
stimulate a search for values through processes involving critical analyses
and reflection. The overall educational program emphasizes enlightened
ethical decision-making while providing thoughtful exploration of
Judeo-Christian traditions. Education faculty support and encourage
student participation in athletics by adapting schedules and
assignments to accommodate their needs.
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