Dec 29, 2010
After years of planning, Shawnee State University's Department of Education now offers a Master of Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction for local residents.
"Students don't have to go to an online university or travel to get the master's degree," said Ken Carlson, Ed.D., associate professor and graduate program facilitator in Teacher Education. "All of the classes are in a blended format, some classes are online and some classes are on campus."
Carlson conducted one online class from Chicago with students in Florida on vacation last summer. The classes are very flexible and it is designed for practicing teachers. The offerings will be expanding in the future.
The Master of Education program is a 33-semester-hour program offered through evening, weekend and summer classes. The purpose of the Teacher Education Program is to prepare educators to be learner-centered and inquiring professionals who can think critically, act ethically, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively to meet the diverse needs of all students.
The five goals of the graduate program are as follows:
- Graduates apply their content/discipline knowledge to create meaningful learning experiences.
- Graduates apply their understanding of human development, learning and diversity to inform their professional practice.
- Graduates apply their knowledge of environmental influences to create learning environments that support the learning outcomes.
- Graduates apply their knowledge of effective curriculum and instruction to ensure students' learning outcomes.
- Graduates model ethical, reflective and inquiring professional practice.
"We really think this meets the needs of our students," Carlson said. "We also have a fourth- and fifth-grade endorsement available."
The MOE program is a cohort program that has a sequence of classes the students follow. Each fall a new cohort begins. The first cohort will be graduating in the spring on Saturday, May 7.
All of the classes are available for professional development to help teachers meet their certification requirements also.
