A Community of Learners Guided by
Knowledge, Values, and Experiences



College of Education and Allied Professions
Western Carolina University
Conceptual Framework

I. Introduction

Western Carolina University has a long history as a teacher's college. Robert Lee Madison, the first president of the University, started the Cullowhee Academy in 1889. In 1891, the Cullowhee Academy became Cullowhee High School through a state charter granted by the General Assembly. Madison’s dream, called the "Cullowhee Idea," was to make education widespread and to provide teachers for village and rural children in the region. A state-supported normal department was established, and teacher preparation began in southwestern North Carolina in 1891 (Wood & Blethen, 1989). It continues to this day, having evolved through many incarnations to the College of Education and Allied Professions at Western Carolina University.

II. Western Carolina University Mission Statement

Western Carolina University is a comprehensive university within the University of North Carolina, offering a broad array of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, sciences and professions.
The University serves the people of North Carolina from its residential main campus at Cullowhee, situated between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, and through its resident credit programs in Asheville and Cherokee.

Mission
Teaching and learning constitute the central mission of Western Carolina University. The University seeks to create a community of scholarship in which the activities of its members are consistent with the highest standards of knowledge and practice in their disciplines.

The commitment of the community to service, research and creative activities complements the central mission and extends the benefits of its scholarship to society. As a major public resource for western North Carolina, the University assists individuals and agencies in the region through the expertise of its faculty, its staff, and its students.

Aspirations
Western Carolina University aspires to provide an environment in which students, faculty, and staff jointly assume responsibility for learning, where the free exchange of ideas, intellectual challenge, and high standards of scholarship prevail.

The University prepares students to become contributing and informed citizens in a global community. By working both independently and collaboratively, graduates of the University have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of an educated person, including:
the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to identify and resolve problems reflectively, and to use information and technology responsibly; proficiency in the intellectual and technical skills of a disciplined study in the arts, sciences, or professions; an appreciation for the creative and performing arts; and a basis for continued personal development and life-long learning.

To encourage and protect the free and open interchange of ideas, the University strives to provide experiences that foster the development of respect among all its members toward the larger communities of which it is a part. Accordingly, the University encourages its students, faculty, and staff to display the following traits of citizenship:

• behavior characterized by honesty, integrity, and responsibility;
• service to others;
• awareness of and sensitivity to the concerns of diverse people and cultures; and
• commitment to stewardship of the natural and cultural environment.

III. College of Education and Allied Professions, Role and Mission Statement

College of Education and Allied Professions, Role and Mission Statement
The College of Education and Allied Professions is one of four colleges at Western Carolina University. Five academic departments and thirteen service centers, programs and offices comprise the college. The college offers programs of study at the baccalaureate, master's, intermediate, and doctoral levels.

The primary role of the College of Education and Allied Professions is to prepare educators, counselors, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, recreation personnel and other human service specialists at both entry and advanced levels. These professionals will staff elementary, secondary, postsecondary schools, sport and recreation agencies, and other human service organizations in North Carolina and the region beyond. The College fulfills its mission by developing and maintaining a community of scholars that promotes and recognizes good teaching, service, and research. Of these three scholarly activities, providing optimal learning environments for students is most important, followed by service and research.

The College strives to provide leadership and technical assistance for the improvement of teacher preparation and elementary and secondary schooling in North Carolina, the nation, and developing countries. The College is strongly committed to partnering with the public schools in order to educate preservice teachers to teach all children to high standards, to assist beginning professional educators to be successful and remain in the profession, and to provide quality staff development for career professional educators.

Additional fundamental roles of the College are to serve the liberal studies program of the University and to offer programs and special clinical services that relate closely to the mission of the College and that are needed by its constituencies.

The College fulfills its mission by creating and nourishing a community of learners guided by knowledge, values, and experiences. The guiding principles of the community of learners include: (1) the belief that the best educational decisions are made after adequate reflection and with careful consideration of the interests, experiences and welfare of the persons affected by those decisions; (2) an appreciation of and respect for diversity; and (3) a commitment to fostering the responsible use of technology.

IV. Conceptual Framework 2000

A Community of Learners guided by Knowledge, Values, and Experiences

The Conceptual Framework was developed after examining several sources:

• Current and Classic Educational Literature
• Literature of Professional Associations, such as NCTE, NAEYC, etc.
• Best Practices
• The University Mission
• The College Mission
• The 1991 College Program Review
• College Programs
• The Professional Community* State and National Standards

The new Conceptual Framework, A Community of Learners guided by Knowledge, Values, and Experiences is consistent with the missions of the University and the College. It is a continuous cycle that reflects professional growth and development through the examination of recent educational literature and current best practices. In the last program review (1991), the college adopted the "Inviting, Reflective, Decision-Maker" (IRD-M) theme as a guiding principle of the knowledge base. This theme is explained in the College Mission statement as "the best educational decisions are made after adequate reflection and with careful consideration of the interests and welfare of the persons affected by the decisions." The theme has served us well and is incorporated in the Conceptual Framework 2000 as part of the learning and teaching cycle.

Previously, our emphasis was on educators and the ways in which they affect students and educational settings. In the year 2000, we have moved to a more collaborative model in which educators, through partnerships between the University and the public schools, facilitate student development through a strong knowledge base, an examination of values and dispositions vital to teaching and based on students’ experiences in schools. We have embraced the propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) for experienced teachers and the standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) for initially licensed teachers. The reflective aspect has become stronger and more explicit over the last decade, and we reaffirm the importance of reflective decision-making with an added emphasis on the continuous cycle of learning through teaching, knowledge, values and experiences.

Knowledge, Values, and Experiences

The following statements reflect the goals we have for Western Carolina University students during the course of their education programs. In collaboration with our B-12 partners in the region providing quality field experiences, our programs are designed to foster the development of these dispositions, knowledge and skills.

We teach our students to use their knowledge of both human development and their disciplines to effectively teach all pupils to solve problems. Appropriate values and dispositions are central to excellent teaching. We model collaborative, caring, and intellectually stimulating learning communities so our teacher education students will create environments for all their students that encourage curiosity, foster motivation, and promote achievement of rigorous state and professional standards. We require our candidates to use state-of-the-art technology in their courses and in their field experiences.

Our vision is for candidates who are passionate, lifelong learners, who genuinely care about all students, who understand human development, who have a deep knowledge of their disciplines, who have an effective range of instructional skills including a facility with technology, and who expect and support high achievement in their students. This vision is shared, articulated, and supported throughout the curriculum, in clinical experiences, and in the formative and summative assessments.
Knowledge and Skills: Candidates learn to use their knowledge of human development and their subject matter to effectively teach all pupils to solve problems.

Candidates learn to:

• Know the subjects they teach
• Know how to teach their subjects
• Communicate effectively
• Understand and use the knowledge bases for multicultural education
• Integrate current technology into their instructional repertoire
• Understand development in children and adolescents
• Effectively organize and manage groups of students or clients
• Be proficient at solving problems
• Practice critical, independent, reflective thinking
• Use informal and formal assessment strategies appropriately
• Demonstrate professional responsibility
• Become instructional leaders
• Foster connections between schools and home, family, and community

Values and Dispositions:
We attempt to foster the following values and dispositions in education candidates to ensure that all students learn.
We encourage candidates to:

• Value individual differences and demonstrate commitment to the achievement of all students
• Know and practice professional standards of integrity
• Be passionate and enthusiastic about teaching and learning
• Take initiative and have a strong sense of efficacy
• Be lifelong learners
• Strive for quality

Experience:
We provide multiple, substantial, and varied experiences in schools so that candidates will have a strong base for understanding the theories and the practices to enhance all students’ learning.
We require our students to:

• Learn through field-based experiences such as observations and internships
• Systematically reflect on practice
• Draw on their own life experiences, and reflect on the impact of culture on learning in diverse settings
• Help their students connect life experiences to new learning
• Use a variety of available technological resources and
• use their skills to increase the technology skills of their students and other school professionals
  

Key Terms

Community refers to those involved in the Western Carolina University professional education programs including candidates (university students in education), faculty, staff, administrators, and those in schools in local educational agencies (school systems).

Learners refer to all of those involved in the enterprise. At the institution the focus is on candidates in professional education programs, and in schools the focus is on students in those schools.

Knowledge encompasses understanding of human development and learning theory as well as comprehensive knowledge of discipline content such as mathematics, science, art, music, etc.

Skills include the pedagogical skills of managing groups of learners, teaching relevant and appropriate content, using technology, and facilitating human growth intellectually, physically, and affectively. Skills also include supervision and leadership skills designed to improve the learning performance of all students.

Values and dispositions are used synonymously here. They are the values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth. Dispositions are guided by beliefs and attitudes related to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice. For example, they might include a belief that all students can learn, a vision of high and challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe and supportive learning environment.

Experiences include those experiences that each candidate and student brings to the learning enterprise, experiences at the institution, and a variety of early and on going field-based opportunities in which candidates observe, assist, tutor, instruct, assess, counsel, conduct research, and/or supervise and lead.

Elaboration

Knowledge and Skills

Know the subjects they teach – Candidates have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and demonstrate their knowledge through inquiry, critical analysis, and synthesis of the subject. Every candidate successfully completes a curriculum that provides a strong core in the discipline(s) to be taught by the candidate. Curricula in the content areas are aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Content knowledge is emphasized and validated at the undergraduate level by the requirement of a passing score on the Specialty Area portion of the Praxis and by the inclusion of "curricula" as a major function on the Beginning Teacher Performance Appraisal System used in student teaching and the internship. At the master’s level content courses comprise more than half the program.

Know how to teach their subjects – Candidates demonstrate a thorough understanding of professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards, as shown in their development of meaningful learning experiences to facilitate student learning for all students. All teacher education programs emphasize methodology through specific methods courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Faculty and candidates demonstrate knowledge of best practices and proficiency in implementing best practices including the effective use of the state-of-the-art technology.

Communicate effectively – Faculty and candidates demonstrate clarity and efficacy in oral and written communication and use multimedia to communicate to individuals and groups. Examples include use of technology in composition and oral communication Liberal Studies courses, development of personal webpages by faculty and students, and other required communications such as program portfolios and the required technology portfolio.

Understand and use the knowledge bases for multicultural education – Candidates in undergraduate and graduate programs learn the knowledge bases for multicultural education and connect them to their practice. Examples include the use of case studies in courses reflecting diversity, developing and adapting lesson plans with diverse learners, and demonstrating knowledge in the Teacher Work Sample. Curriculum, field experiences, and clinical practice help candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity.
Integrate current technology into their instructional repertoire - The use of varied and recent technologies is required of candidates, and faculty and candidates demonstrate technology in their teaching to facilitate learning. The teacher education program requires the use of computer technology and all initial level teacher candidates demonstrate technology proficiency through the successful completion and presentation of the Technology Portfolio. Examples include required training in technology at the beginning of the first semester at WCU, required technology assisted presentations in Liberal Studies courses and in education courses, web-based communication among students, faculty, and resources such as on-line databases, usergroups, and email.

Understand development in children and adolescents – One required professional education course at the undergraduate level, PSY 320 or PSY 322, and one required professional education course at the graduate level, PSY 621, are dedicated to teaching candidates to understand human growth and development so that candidates can use learning techniques appropriate to the developmental level of the students.

Effectively organize and manage groups of students or clients – Faculty and candidates integrate knowledge of development, subject, and methodology to teach small and large groups of students productively in stimulating and caring environments.

Be proficient at solving problems – Through a variety of opportunities to engage in problem-solving, candidates develop problem-solving skills and become knowledgeable about problem-centered learning.

Practice critical, independent, reflective thinking – Faculty assign learning activities that require critical thinking by candidates and reward reflective, independent thinking. Faculty and candidates demonstrate reflection and critical thought in their teaching through the adaptation of existing curricula and innovative approaches to common themes.

Use informal and formal assessment strategies appropriately – Faculty and candidates employ data collection strategies to inform their decisions. Faculty and candidates gather and analyze information to aid instruction of their students.

Demonstrate professional responsibility – Faculty and candidates demonstrate accountability to the learning and teaching experience by preparing stimulating learning activities, consistently facilitating healthy growth, and providing meaningful feedback and direction to students. Faculty and candidates are positive role models for their students or clients.

Become instructional leaders – Faculty and candidates demonstrate leadership in instruction. Candidates learn to become instructional leaders in the graduate programs where candidates combine coursework and clinical experiences to build upon their experiences and academic background to form a solid foundation to assume leadership responsibilities in the schools. One course in the Professional Studies Core for master’s level teacher education candidates, EDCI 613 Teacher Leader, allows candidates to begin to develop the needed base for becoming instructional leaders in the schools. The institution also offers a leadership program for supervisors, principals, and other administrators.

Foster connections between schools and home, family and community – Faculty and candidates teach their students to value family and community by creating learning activities relevant to the community and to the families of students. Candidates solicit family participation and support in choosing, designing, and carrying out learning activities.

Values and Dispositions

Value every student and demonstrate commitment to the achievement of all students – The faculty and candidates show appreciation for all students regardless of cultural background and teach in culturally sensitive ways so that all students achieve and are expected to achieve. Cultural diversity and individual differences are major parts of two required professional education courses at the undergraduate level, EDCI 231 and SPED 335, and one course at the graduate required professional education course, SPED 620.

Know and practice professional standards of integrity – The NEA Code of Ethics is part of the first course in education, EDCI 231, and codes of ethics specific to each discipline are part of the curriculum for the disciplines. The faculty and candidates demonstrate behavior that is conducive to growth, characterized by integrity, and sensitive to privacy rights of all individuals.

Be passionate and enthusiastic about teaching and learning – The faculty and candidates demonstrate behavior that encourages learning and values inquiry. Faculty and candidates welcome opportunities to learn and grow beyond minimum requirements and standards and exhibit their passion and enthusiasm by seeking opportunities to learn and approaching them with openness and zest.

Take initiative and have a strong sense of efficacy – Faculty create opportunities for candidates to initiate learning and encourage self-directed projects. Faculty and candidates value productivity by rewarding distinguished work.

Be lifelong learners – Faculty and candidates engage in learning and share learning experiences beyond the classroom setting and time parameters. The institution values learning by presenting a cash award to one academic program each year called "Beyond the Classroom" to encourage activities that extend classroom learning.
Strive for quality – Faculty demand excellence and the achievement at the highest level of all state, regional, and professional standards and candidates demand high levels of performance of their students. Excellence is recognized, celebrated, and rewarded.

Experience

Learn through field-based experiences such as observations and internships – Candidates are required to complete a series of sequenced and guided clinical experiences from the beginning course in teacher education through the last fulltime internship/student teaching. The field-based experiences in all programs at the undergraduate and graduate level are developmental.

Systematically reflect on practice – Candidates are guided to reflect on clinical experiences and to document their reflections through written journals. Candidates share their experiences individually and in groups with other candidates and faculty to learn from the experiences and to inform future practice.

Draw on their own life experiences and reflect on the impact of culture on learning – In reflection of practice, candidates consider how past experiences influence their actions and analyze their own cultural background.

Help their students connect life experiences to new learning – Candidates teach culturally relevant lessons to their students assisting their students to see the connection between their lives and learning in the classroom.

Use a variety of available technological resources and use their skills to increase the technology skills of their students and other school professionals – Faculty and candidates use a wide range of technology tools in their instruction and encourage and teach each other new skills. Candidates teach their students and their colleagues new technology skills.

V. References

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VI. Description of the Process for Developing the Conceptual Framework

Development of the conceptual framework has been a collaborative process involving all of the stakeholders in the teacher education program. A committee of a faculty member from every department in the college, the associate deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Allied Professions, the Director of Special Programs, and the assistant principal of Cullowhee Valley School (K-8) met biweekly for six months beginning in September 1999 followed by meetings only after new input was received. The committee systematically involved faculty, students, and public school educators in the process.

The committee used the following procedures to develop the conceptual framework:

1. A committee chair was elected from the committee membership.
2. The committee reviewed the NCATE guidelines and indicators for the development of a conceptual framework.
3. The committee reviewed the current college Knowledge Base Theme.
4. The committee reviewed over 50 conceptual framework statements from other institutions as well as selected literature.
5. The committee reviewed current state, regional, and national standards for undergraduate and graduate professional educators.
6. Committee members asked departments to discuss the conceptual framework and reported the discussions back to the committee.
7. The committee surveyed every teacher education faculty member by mail concerning:
   a. Satisfaction with the current Knowledge Base Theme,
   b. Suggestions for new conceptual framework, and
   c. Goals of courses taught.
8. The committee surveyed a sample of undergraduate and graduate teacher education students and cooperating teachers regarding their perceptions of the aims of the teacher education program.
9. The committee reported progress and feedback from various surveys at a meeting (11.5.99) of all teacher education faculty and collected more oral and written feedback.
10. The committee drafted a Conceptual Framework draft statement and discussed it considering NCATE guidelines and indicators.
11. The committee developed another draft for discussion.
12. The committee held an open forum for all teacher education faculty to comment (5.1.99) and revised the framework based on comments received.
13. The conceptual framework was presented to the faculty at the opening of school meeting in August of 2000 (8.18.00). Faculty were asked to consider ways to disseminate the information.
14. The committee met to review the comments and revised the framework again (8.23.00).
15. The committee distributed the revised framework and solicited supporting references via email.
16. The committee reviewed the current draft in comparison to NCATE indicators for conceptual frameworks (10.12.00).
17. The committee presented a proposed Conceptual Framework to the College of Education and Allied Professions Policy Committee (11.17.00).
18. The committee reviewed and finalized a draft to be sent to external reviewers who were persons in the state who were or had served on the NCATE Board of Examiners (These persons would not be allowed to serve on the visitation team to WCU because they were from the same state).
19. The committee made revisions based on comments from external reviewers.
20. Policy Committee of the College of Education and Allied Professions adopted the revised Conceptual Framework (2.25.01).
21. Western Carolina University Teacher Education Council adopted the revised Conceptual Framework (2.22.01).

VII. Conceptual Framework Development Committee

Chair: Mary Jean Herzog, Professor, Educational Leadership and Foundations

Carol Burton, Director of Special Programs and Teaching Fellows

Gayle Miller, Professor, English (former Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences)

Jane Perlmutter, Professor, Elementary and Middle Grades Education

Dale Carpenter, Professor, Associate Dean, College of Education and Allied Professions

Ted Phillips, Assistant Professor, Health and Human Performance

Hal Herzog, Professor, Psychology

Mary Boat, Assistant Professor, Human Services

Ellen Hunter, Assistant Principal, Cullowhee Valley School (grades K-8)