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CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK |
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First
Principles |
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The vision for McDaniel College was
developed in 1981. Known as The First Principles, this document
became the vision that continues to inspire and guide the
college.
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The First Principles are featured
prominently throughout the campus and in published printed
material. They serve to define a common purpose, a shared
vision, and belief structure that connect faculty, students, and
staff in the college community. The fifth bullet of the listed
principles demonstrates the college’s commitment to the
education program as an integral part of the liberal arts
education it provides to its students. |
| The First Principles
McDaniel College believes that liberally educated
men and women think and act critically, creatively, and humanely.
They take charge of their lives and develop their unique potentials
with reason, imagination, and human concern. McDaniel
accepts the challenge to provide an academic and social environment
that promotes liberal learning.
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We
strive to place students at the center of a humane environment
so that they may see and work toward their personal goals
while respecting others and sharing responsibility for
the common good. |
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We provide a foundation of knowledge
about the past and present so that students may be informed
about the world. |
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We provide various approaches to knowledge
and personal achievement so that students can think critically
about, respond creatively to, and form sensitive, intelligent
decisions concerning the world and its future. |
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We provide instruction in fundamental
skills so that students can express themselves for their
own satisfaction and to the larger community. |
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We provide solid and respected professional
programs for the committed student, and, more important,
we provide a liberal arts education as an integral part
of professional training so that students will be more
flexible, more successful, and happier in the world of
work |
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In the classrooms, in the residence
halls, on the playing fields, and in the lounges,
McDaniel College works to disseminate these First Principles. |
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Mission
Statement |
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The mission of educational programs at
McDaniel College is:
"To prepare knowledgeable, caring, reflective
practitioners to facilitate learning for all students in a
diverse and technological society." |
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Themes |
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The mission identifies three attributes
that McDaniel College seeks to develop in its graduates.
These three attributes form the core themes that permeate
all aspects of each graduate and undergraduate program in
the Education Unit.
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Knowledge
Is defined as a clear and certain perception
of something; the act, fact, or state of knowing; understanding.
Marzano (1992) suggests that knowledge includes both understandings
(declarative knowledge) and skills (procedural knowledge).
Shulman (1986) presents an array of knowledge that should
be considered in developing the knowledge base for teachers
to include, content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge,
curriculum knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge
of learners and their characteristics, knowledge of educational
contexts, and knowledge of educational ends, purposes,
and values and their philosophical and historical grounds.
McDaniel College considers knowledge to include both the
understandings in the areas Shulman has identified and
the instructional skills important in facilitating student
learning in classrooms. |
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Caring
Gordon,
Benner, and Noddings (1996, p. xiii) define caring as
a set of relational practices that foster mutual recognition
and realization, growth, development, protection, empowerment
and human community, culture, and possibility. This definition
emphasizes that caring occurs within relationships, which
Noddings (1984) describes as the “ethic of care”.
Caring involves a sense of relationships and is characterized
by concern and interest in the welfare of another. Caring
teachers seek to develop and facilitate effective relationships
between themselves and all those in the educational setting
in which they work. This includes relationships between
the teacher and their students, each student with other
students, students and the content, the teachers and parents,
and the teacher and the administration. These relationships
serve as a means of communication and understanding. McDaniel
College considers caring to be essential in the preparation
of teachers and seeks to facilitate this ethic through
dialogue with students, modeling of caring behaviors,
providing students with opportunities to care, and confirming
students’ emerging caring ethic. These requirements
are essential in the establishment of an ethic of care
(Noddings, 1984). |
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Reflection
Exemplary
teacher education programs advocate professional self-reflection
and provide structured opportunities for introspection.
Brown et al. (1997), observed that the most effective
teachers engage in a continuous process of “on-line
diagnosis of student understanding” (p. 207), monitoring
the dynamic relationship between the instructional interactions
and student performance. Structuring responsive interactions
to provide for the diverse learning needs of students
requires regular critical analysis of instructional practices,
issues, and contexts from multiple perspectives (Schon,
1987).
Developing the life-long habit of “reflection-on-action”
(Schon, 1987) begins in teacher education programs. Teachers
require time to reflect on the theoretical principles
driving their professional practices (Rogers, 1985; Houston
& Warner, 2000; Wood, 2000). Providing candidates
with guided opportunities to analyze and record their
thoughts, decisions, interactions, and outcomes prepares
them to adapt their practices and to set new goals for
professional growth. For novice and experienced teachers
alike, the challenge lies in making reflective decisions
that provide the optimal match between the student and
the learning context (Lipson & Wixson, 1997). To “function
as active, critical, and progressive thinkers,”
interns and in-service teachers must regularly engage
in professional reflection and inquiry, evaluating their
own professional knowledge and decisions as well as investigating
the educational issues that affect them (Houston and Warner,
2000). |
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Outcomes
List |
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Professional Education Unit Outcomes.
McDaniel College prepares candidates who:
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Consistently
demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and pedagogical
content knowledge necessary to facilitate learning for
all students. (Knowledge of Content and Teaching) |
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Use their self-awareness and knowledge
of diversity to create learning environments that support
their belief that all students can learn. (Diversity) |
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Provide leadership and service to effect
change in classrooms, schools, and communities. (Leadership
and Service) |
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Reflect on their practice and are committed
to continued professional development. (Reflection) |
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Communicate effectively with students,
parents, and colleagues in order to facilitate learning.
(Communication) |
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Demonstrate and promote the strategic
use of technology to enhance learning. (Technology) |
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