Questions about the Bachelor of Education Program

Questions about the Bachelor of Education Program

What are the major changes in teacher education in the Bachelor of Education (BEd)
program?
There are several major changes: First, we are admitting students directly into a five-
year dual-degree program, at the end of which students will graduate with two degrees
(BEd and one of BKin, BSC or BA). Second, we have designed each semester of the BEd
degree as a thematic unit focusing on essential aspects of learning and teaching of
individual learners, small groups of learners, classrooms, community based/informal
learning, and lifelong learning. Third, we have included explicit instruction and
experience in curriculum areas throughout the program, thus ensuring that our students
develop a well informed and integrated approach to the design, teaching and
assessment of classroom-based and informal learning.

How will you recruit the right kinds of students to the program to enter the very
complex and challenging profession of teaching?
At present, undergraduate students are admitted based on grade point average (GPA).
In the future, we will be developing opportunities for prospective undergraduate
students who may not have a sufficiently high GPA, but who have other strong
demonstrated qualities and capabilities, to apply for entry to the program through a
specified access initiative. In addition, as part of its new strategic plan, the Faculty of
Education will be developing activities with high school students to encourage greater
interest in commencing careers in education.

What qualities are you looking for in students who aspire to be teachers?
We seeking students who have demonstrated excellence in their own learning,
demonstrated commitment to children and/or young people’s learning, and a
demonstrated interest in and commitment to community engagement.

What will differentiate University of Calgary teacher education graduates from
graduates of other education programs?
Graduates from our teacher education program will have strong beginning expertise in
inquiry-based learning research and practice. In addition, they will graduate with at
least one area of pedagogical expertise, a strong understanding of the research bases of
learning and teaching, demonstrated abilities to work in interdisciplinary teams, and will
be adept at creating and working in a technology-rich learning environment.

Will the number of students in the undergraduate program change?
At present, we graduate approximately 425 BEd students each year, a number that is
not expected to change in the near future.

How does this change in programming align with the proposed new Education Act in
Alberta?
We did not create the new program with the proposed new Alberta Education Act in
mind. However, because both our new program and the new Education Act are drawing
from similar bodies of research on teaching and learning, there are obvious alignments
between our program and the new Act.
(note: for more information on the Alberta Education Act, visit
http://ideas.education.alberta.ca/engage/current-initiatives/action-on-legislation)

How will students learn about different theories of learning and their applications to
teaching practice?
In their first semester all students will take a course that provides an overview of
historical and contemporary theories of learning that influence teaching practice.
Students then will be required to apply this knowledge to teaching practice that they
experience throughout the remainder of their program.

How do we develop teachers of the future who understand a 21st century model of
teaching and learning, rather than the still-pervasive industrial model?
Our students must first develop a strong theoretical understanding of how people learn
in various contexts and situations. They then must have the opportunity to design
learning environments that require their students to not only acquire knowledge, but
also to create and apply new knowledge. Our program will model these pedagogies and
also will require students to demonstrate strong capabilities as designers of complex
learning environments.

How will the Faculty of Education enable pre-service and beginning teachers to
integrate these new pedagogical approaches in classrooms and/or schools where
these are not well known or understood?
Owing in part to the success of the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI),
many of these pedagogies are known and/or are being developed by individual teachers
and, in some cases, entire schools and school districts. Through our Office of
Professional and Community Engagement (PACE), we are offering both graduate degree
opportunities and also non-credit professional learning for teachers who are interested
in strengthening their instructional practices.

How are we going to assist teachers to become members of a learning team or assist a
learning team?
In the first year of our program, we have a focus on schools as learning communities.
The third semester of our program emphasizes socio-cultural theories of learning,
paired with teamed approaches to teaching.

How will the Faculty of Education support the continued development of a culture of
research in schools?
Our inquiry-based teacher education program prepares beginning teachers to develop a
strong disposition toward research by requiring critical engagement with educational
research as applied to teaching practice. As well, our inquiry-based program is
developed in partnership with schools that are identifying their research priorities and,
in so doing, are helping to support and benefit from existing and future research in
schools. All of our professional graduate programs are research-based programs, many
of which emphasize school-based inquiry.

How will teachers embrace the role as curriculum developers?
Our students will become knowledgeable and skilled in all aspects of curriculum
development through coursework in these areas, and also through the requirement to
adapt curriculum topics to a wide range of learners and learning abilities.

How is pedagogy in all areas/disciplines being developed within a specialist-
knowledge teacher education curriculum?
Throughout the teacher education program, students will be acquiring knowledge about
how people learn, how to design learning activities/environments for individuals and
groups, and how to understand learning challenges and opportunities. At the same
time, they will be developing specialist pedagogical knowledge in areas such as literacy,
numeracy, science, and early years education (to name only a few).

In a specialist-based program, how will you prepare strong generalists?
In each pedagogical specialization, students are required to work in interdisciplinary
teams both on campus and in the field. Through these experiences, they will become
knowledgeable and skilled in a number of curriculum areas.

Alberta Education is emphasizing inclusive education and the University of Calgary is
emphasizing the development of specialist pedagogical knowledge and skill. How will
these be reconciled?
An expert teacher within any area of specialization must create learning opportunities
for all students. Our program requires teacher education students to bring their
specialist knowledge to interdisciplinary teams, which will enable the sharing of
knowledge and skill necessary for classroom-based inclusive education in Alberta
schools.

How will teacher education candidates learn to support children who are not
succeeding?
The first year of our program helps teacher candidates to develop their knowledge of
the research on learning and how this research can inform their work with individuals
and small groups of students. As well, also in the first year, students take two courses
on matters related to diversity and learning, with emphases on learning about both
cultural and cognitive differences and pedagogical approaches designed to help all
learners succeed. Through these courses and through field experiences that require
students to apply this knowledge, our pre-service teachers will become more aware of
and knowledgeable about how to assist all students become successful learners.

How will you teach student teachers about assessment?
In addition to taking a course on assessment and evaluation, students also will
experience different approaches to assessment and evaluation in all aspects of the
program, especially those components focused on content area methods. As well, the
instructors in the program will model a variety of assessment and evaluation practices.

How will continuity among all faculty members in the program be ensured with
regards to instruction and assessment?
All components of the program have team leaders who facilitate communication among
other faculty members in their area, and also enable connectivity and consistency across
components of the program for each semester.

Will the program continue to be Pass/Fail?
The program as a whole will not be Pass/Fail. Commensurate with extensive research in
assessment and evaluation, our program will utilize a wide variety of assessments, with
some components of the program graded and others (including the field experiences)
pass/fail.

We hear about stresses of beginning teachers. How will the new program help them
to cope with the sort of stress that they will experience throughout their careers?
Our new program includes a course on life-long learning, developed and taught by
researchers in our Adult Learning area. Through this course and with ongoing
connections with the field through their program, students will gain both practical
experience and conceptual knowledge that will assist them with the ongoing challenges
they will encounter in their roles as professional educators.

How do we help pre-service teachers find their passion for learning?
At the Faculty of Education we endeavor to engage our students in challenging learning
experiences and we appropriately support their learning. In so doing, as supported by
the research on student engagement, students tend to demonstrate enthusiasm for
their learning and teaching.

What advising and/or counseling services are available for students enrolled in the
teacher education program?
In addition to the relationships developed between and among school and university-
based mentors, students have access to Faculty of Education based program advisors
and also university-based career counselors.