College of Education Conceptual Framework (TREC)

This investigation provides candidates with knowledge of

1. Foundations
2. Content
3. Learners
4. Processes
5. Teaching Strategies
6. Technologies

Candidates gain an awareness of the role of research in development and validation of educational theories, the processes employed by researchers to investigate educational problems and challenges, and the valid use of research by teachers and administrators in day-to-day problem-solving. Throughout the journey, travelers reflect on what has been learned and experienced. They are continuously reconstructing their knowledge in light of new investigations and discoveries.

Strategically placed throughout the investigations of theory and research, learners see effective practices modeled by university and their public school counterparts. Effective practices are governed by theory and research, measured by state and national standards, and guided by craft knowledge accrued and shared by the entire educational community during the preparation of candidates. The unit's ultimate gauge of its success is found in candidates' ability to interpret and transfer practices to authentic settings such as practica, internships and student teaching.

No traveler makes this journey alone. Colleagues share knowledge, reflections and perceptions. Through this process of sharing, they function as a community, and learning is increased. Their needs are met through small group and classroom interactions, whether on campus or via distance education. Nor do travelers follow a direct path to a finite destination. Rather, as postsecondary students continue on their TREC, they revisit theory, research and practices found in effective classrooms. Through this process, students move ever closer to becoming empowered, transforming professionals, who will help to establish learning communities through commitment to their newly chosen profession.

Commitment conveys a great deal about the present and future state of education. Subsumed within commitment are other values of the unit including tolerance, persistence, compassion, development, trust and collegiality. One's devotion to these values guides all future decisions associated with diversity, development, interaction with family and community, leadership and professional relationships. Without commitment, little chance exists for craft knowledge to develop and to be passed along to future educators. Commitment is a learned behavior; faculty members are responsible for creating an environment conducive for and the expression of commitment.

Commitment is the glue that binds members of the educational community together. This community of learners exists at many levels, and their memberships are overlapping. The concept can be applied to a classroom, a school, a district, an education department or a university. Electronic connections create communities that know no geographic limits. In effect, the world has become a community. A learning community is one in which members are continually receiving new information, reflecting on this information, and reconstructing the knowledge that guides their decisions. It operates within an inclusive philosophy that seeks to include and empower an ever-widening circle of stakeholders within and outside its walls.

Learning communities can evolve over time, but their creation is facilitated by educators who understand the powerful potential that fully functioning learning communities hold for authentic student learning and their ability to free teachers from structures and processes that diminish their sense of efficacy and hasten burnout. Functioning within communities requires skill in collaboration and effective communication and an understanding of change processes. As we prepare to travel in the 21st century, continuous learning will not be a choice, but a matter of survival. Learning communities are built on this assumption. Postsecondary faculty working with future educators today will impact K–12 learning through 2040 and beyond. The rapid increase in rates of knowledge and information exchange demand that educators operate effectively in an environment of continuous change. Preparation of educators is no longer a four-year process, but a lifelong process. Licensure can no longer be thought of as the end of the journey but a permit to begin teaching and leading.

Travelers engaged in this TREC are moving toward a destination that is defined as transformation to a self-actualizing and continuously self-renewing educator. The enduring vitality and effectiveness of travelers as they move closer to this destination is strengthened by their understanding that

1. the rapidly changing and increasingly complex milieu in which educators function demands continuous growth and development
2. education is no longer controlled by individual teachers and administrators confined to their school and/or classroom, but rather is a collaborative enterprise involving a community of educators, and
3. administrators, teachers and students alike are empowered to take responsibility for their own continuous growth and development.

This shift to a new paradigm of schools, teachers, and teaching is not threatening to educators who are sharing this educational journey. They have learned to accept and expect the concept of continuous growth, evaluation and adjustment of programs and practices. Having experienced the invigorating aspects of continuous learning, they welcome and often initiate these efforts. Professional educators prefer the opportunity to work in effective collaborative situations rather than to return to a classroom or school to work alone behind closed doors. Likewise, educators working with students and teachers who are intrinsically motivated to investigate and construct knowledge enjoy continuous renewal.