Preparing Scholars and Leaders
Teacher Education at Furman University

Philosophy
Technology
Diversity
Content, Pedagogy, and Dispositions
References

Vision Statement

The Teacher Education Program at Furman University prepares educators who are scholars and leaders.

Mission of the Program

Furman University prepares teachers and administrators to be scholars and leaders who use effective pedagogy, reflect critically on the practice of teaching, promote human dignity, and exemplify ethical and democratic principles in their practice. Furman is committed to a program of teacher education that calls for collaborative, interdependent efforts throughout the academic learning community.

The teacher education program is anchored in the university’s commitment to the liberal arts—encompassing the humanities, fine arts, mathematics, and social and natural sciences as the essential foundation for developing intellectually competent educators. Furthermore, candidates develop professional content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions through:

• Mastery of subject matter
• Understanding of philosophical, historical, political, and sociological foundations of education
• Understanding of human development and its implications for learning
• Understanding of social/cultural relationships
• Understanding the interrelationship of curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• Practice of critical inquiry and reflection on teaching and learning
• Opportunities for leadership development
• Opportunities to study and practice effective communication
• Collaboration with peers and others

Philosophy

Our educational past…is not to be viewed as completed, or isolated from our educational present. Rather, the varying contexts in which leading educators, philosophers, and ideologists interacted with their environments are viewed as episodes in an ongoing educational experience. It provides us with a historical, philosophical, and ideological map or grid on which we can locate ourselves as educators today. Such a map of the mind helps us to avoid the rootlessness and presentism that today often characterizes too much of the rhetoric about education, teaching, and learning. (Gutek, 2001, p. 4)

The works of many educators, philosophers, researchers, and practitioners give direction to the program of teacher preparation at Furman University. Inspired by the scholarship of Dewey (1904, 1933, 1938) earlier in the century, and the work of Bruner (1960, 1966), Piaget (1954, 1970), Vygotsky (1978), and Gardner (1993), among others, we embrace the historical shift in pedagogy from teaching as a mechanical process of delivering information to a concept of more informed practice based on thinking, reflecting, and understanding (Clark, 1995; Schon, 1987; van Manen, 1995, 1990; Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde, 1998). We are involved in the national movement to bring university faculty and public school practitioners together for purposes of educating teachers (Goodlad, 1990, 1993), as well as the efforts to promote an education profession in which practice is grounded in theoretical understanding, research (Boyer, 1990; Duckworth, 1996), and extensive field experiences (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 1996, 1997). We endorse the work of those who have promoted the importance of depth of subject matter knowledge in the preparation of teachers (Griffin & Early, 1991; Goodlad, 1994; Shulman, 1987).

Furthermore, we believe that learning is cultural and social and that one of the greatest challenges in educating children for the 21st century is the search for a socially-just curriculum that engages all students and brings meaning to their lives (Cochran-Smith, 1991; Oakes & Lipton, 1999). We believe that changes in the educational system can be brought about by educators who are caring and thoughtful (Noddings, 1984; Oakes & Lipton, 1999; Posner, 2000; van Manen, 1986, 1990;); inspire others to participate actively in school improvement (Barth 1990; Goodlad, 1990); and join their colleagues for purposes of renewing schools and teacher preparation programs (Smith & Fenstermacher, 1999; Goodlad, 1990, 1993; Sergiovanni & Moore, 1989).
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Further, this philosophy is augmented by additional commitments to technology and diversity in all aspects of education:

Technology

Teachers must be prepared to empower students with the advantages technology can bring. Schools and classrooms, both real and virtual, must have teachers who are equipped with technology resources and skills and who can effectively teach the necessary subject matter content while incorporating technology concepts and skills (International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), 2000, p. 3).

In preparing educators as scholars and leaders, Furman University’s Teacher Education Program acknowledges the crucial role of technology as a means to locate information, transmit knowledge, gain conceptual understanding and achieve occupational ambitions. Teachers and students must therefore acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions that will enable them to solve problems and use technology as a tool for collaborating and communicating. “Being prepared to use technology and knowing how that technology can support student learning must become integral skills in every teacher’s professional repertoire” (ISTE, 2000). This objective is all the more urgent in light of the explosive growth of email and the World Wide Web.

Following the lead of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2000), Furman’s teacher education program, in defining technological literacy as a requirement for its candidates, incorporates a broad definition. Thus, we believe that technological literacy involves:

• Competence in operating information technologies
• The ability to use technology to solve problems and make decisions
• The ability to assess and apply a variety of technologies for instructional purposes
• Appreciation for technology as a means, rather than an end, in the instructional process
• Competence in using technologies for collaboration and communication
• Understanding of, and sensitivity to, the social, ethical and economic issues related to technology.
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Diversity

To respond effectively to both the challenges and opportunities related to the increasing racial, ethnic, cultural, and social-class diversity within U.S. society, teachers and administrators need to examine and clarify their own racial and ethnic attitudes and to develop the pedagogical knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with students from diverse cultural and ethnic groups (Banks 1999, p. viii).

Furman University’s teacher education program is committed to preparing educators who, as scholars and leaders, understand and appreciate the diverse nature of learners and their cultures. Our society’s concern for addressing diversity can be traced to the common school movement of mid-nineteenth-century America. Horace Bushnell, a leading thinker of the time, expressed the widespread concern that popular prejudices would be reinforced unless students were exposed to diversity: “Never brought close enough to know each other, the children, subject to the great well known principle that whatever is unknown is magnified by the darkness it is under, have all their prejudices and repugnances magnified a thousand fold” (Bushnell, 1853, p. 184). So, too, did Horace Mann believe that common schools would promote tolerance and democracy: “It is here [in the common school] that the affinities of a common nature should unite [children] together so as to give the advantages of pre-occupancy and a stable possession to fraternal feelings, against the alienating competitions of subsequent life” (Mann, 1837, cited in Cremin, 1957).

The Teacher Education Program at Furman University recognizes the continuing role that schools and teachers play in fostering acceptance and celebration of diversity, both individually and collectively. Recent studies suggest that teachers unable to model these dispositions cannot transmit or promote positive attitudes toward diversity among their students; nor can such teachers impart to their students the academic and social skills necessary for understanding, or competing in, a diverse world (Smith, 1998; Anyon, 1997; Mehan, Villanueva, Hubbard, & Lintz, 1996). In addition to enhancing their instructional repertoire, we believe that exposure to diversity will enable candidates to confront and, if necessary, modify their own attitudes toward different cultures. This not only leads to more effective teaching, it also promotes the larger cause of social justice (Rasool & Curtis, 2000).
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Content, Pedagogy, and Dispositions

The Teacher Education Program of Furman University prepares educators who are scholars and leaders, based on the following propositions:

1. Educators who are scholars and leaders demonstrate mastery of content essential for intellectual competence. (CONTENT) They:

• have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals and concepts of their discipline
• know and can implement national/state/district curricula and learning standards
• understand the interrelationship of curriculum, instruction, and assessment

2. Educators who are scholars and leaders use evidence-based practice for effective teaching and communication. (PEDAGOGY) They:

• articulate their own philosophy of education and use it to guide their practice
• demonstrate effective long- and short- range planning strategies, using
their knowledge of human development to promote learning
• establish and maintain high expectations for all students
• use a variety of assessments to inform instruction that reflect the way cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and exceptionality issues affect student learning
• relate disciplinary knowledge across the curriculum
• demonstrate ethical use of current educational technologies to enhance instruction, assessment, and student performance
• demonstrate use of accurate and current content from multiple sources to make subject matter meaningful to all students
• monitor student learning and adjust practice based on knowledge of student interests, abilities, experiences, and peer relationships
• create, nurture, and maintain a sense of democratic community in the classroom, using effective and appropriate classroom management strategies to promote student responsibility for behavior
• use appropriate organization and time management strategies
• demonstrate respectful and productive communications with families and other care-givers representing diverse groups
• communicate on a professional level, orally and in writing
• inquire about and reflect on curricula, the nature of learning and teaching, and their own practice for professional self-renewal
• demonstrate initiative to extend responsibilities beyond the classroom and into the school and community
• engage in collaborative work with colleagues, other professionals, and community members

3. Educators who are scholars and leaders are caring and thoughtful individuals who respond sensitively to the needs and experiences of students and others with whom they interact. (DISPOSITIONS) They:

• respect and value all students and others for their diverse talents, abilities, perspectives, and contributions
• are sensitive to community and cultural norms
• are timely, respectful, and responsible in meeting expectations
• use suggestions by other professionals to meet challenges and improve practice
• reflect critically and consistently on their own attitudes and actions
• exemplify passionate commitment to teaching and continuous learning
• commit to educational renewal through active professional involvement
• model ethical and democratic principles in all relationships
• use sound judgment and display confidence in practice
• are advocates for students’ well being
(Based on INTASC, 1992; NBPTS, 1989; and ADEPT, 1999 standards)
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References

Anyon, J. (1997). Ghetto schooling: A political economy of urban educational reform. New York: Teachers College Press.

Banks, J. A. (1999). An introduction to multicultural education. 2nd ed. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Barth, R.S. (1990). Improving schools from within: teachers, parents, and principals can make the difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Menlo Park, CA: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Bruner, J. S. (1960). The process of education. New York: Vintage Books.

Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Bushnell, H. (1853). Common schools. In R. Welter (Ed.), American writings on popular education: The nineteenth century (pp. 174-199). Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.

Clark, C. (1995). Thoughtful teaching. New York: Teachers College Press.

Cochran-Smith, M. (1991). Learning to teach for social justice. In G. Griffin & M. Early (Eds.), The education of teachers: Ninety-eighth yearbook of the national society for the study of education (pp114-144). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Dewey, J. (1904). The relation of theory to practice in education. In C.A. McMurry (Ed.), The relation between theory and practice in the education of teachers. Third Yearbook of the National Society for the Scientific Study of Education. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A statement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: D.C. Heath.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan.

Duckworth, E. (1996). “The having of wonderful ideas” and other essays on teaching and learning. New York: Teachers College Press.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Goodlad, J. I. (1990). Teachers for our nation’s schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Goodlad, J. I. (1993). School-university partnerships and partner schools. Educational
Policy, 7, 24-39.

Goodlad, J. I. (1994). Educational renewal: Better teachers, better schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Griffin, G., & Early, M. (Eds.). (1991). The education of teachers: Ninety-eighth yearbook of the national society for the study of education. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Gutek, G. L. (2001). Historical and philosophical foundations of education: A biographical introduction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2000). National educational technology standards for teachers. Author.

Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. (1992). Model standards for beginning teacher licensing and development: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: Chief State School Officers.

Mann, H. (1957). First annual report to the Massachusetts Board of Education. In L. A. Cremin (Ed.), The Republic and the school: The education of free men (pp. 29-33). New York: Teachers College Press. (Original work published 1837) Mehan, H., Villanueva, I., Hubbard, L, & Lintz, A. (1996). Constructing school success: The consequences of low-achieving students. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (1989). What teachers should know and be able to do. Author.

National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (1996). What matters most: Teaching for America’s future. Author.

National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (1997). Doing what matters most: Investing in quality teaching. Author.

Noddings, N. (1984). Caring: A feminine approach to ethics and moral education. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Oakes, J., & Lipton M. (1999). Teaching to change the world. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Piaget, J. (1954). The construction of reality in the child. New York: Basic Books.

Piaget, J. (1970). The science of education and the psychology of the child. New York: Orion Press.

Posner, G.J. (2000). Field experience: A guide to reflective teaching (5th ed.). New York: Longman.

Rasool, J. and Curtis, A. (2000). Multicultural Education in Middle and Secondary Classrooms. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Schon, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sergiovanni, T. J., & Moore, J. H. (Eds.). (1989). Schooling for tomorrow: Directing reform issues that count. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Shulman, L.S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching. Harvard Educational Review, 57, 1-21.

Smith, G. P. (1998). Common sense about uncommon knowledge: The knowledge bases for diversity. Washington, DC: AACTE.

Smith, W.F., & Fenstermacher, G.D. (Eds.). (1999). Leadership for educational renewal: Developing a cadre of leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

South Carolina Department of Education (1999). The South Carolina system for assisting, developing, and evaluating professional teaching (ADEPT). Author.

van Manen, M. (1986). The tone of teaching. Scholastic.

van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. Albany: State University of New York Press.

van Manen, M. (1995). On the epistemology of reflective practice. Teachers and teaching: Theory and practice, 1, 33-50.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (1998). Best practice: New standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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