Program+Overview

** Our Vision ** We believe that each child, regardless of gender, race, creed, family background or socioeconomic status, has a right to be taught by a qualified teacher, a teacher who can help each child become all he or she can become.Our intent is to create a program for teachers that will bring that vision into practice.
 * Our Mission** //“The Education of the Whole Person// //__BUILT__// //on the Foundation of Liberal Arts”//

** Grounding the Vision **  Our vision is grounded in the principles that follow: 1.__Qualified Teachers Need a Liberal Education.__ Sharing the NCATE vision of qualified teachers, Lyon College insures that its graduates, who become licensed teachers, have completed a liberal education by requiring them to major in a liberal arts discipline while completing a liberal general education program. We believe that liberally educated people are, as the college mission states, “thoughtful, inquisitive, critical and creative” men and women with ingrained “habits of reasoned thought,” and virtues of “honesty, fairness, and respect” for others. Lyon wants candidates with these dispositions to become teachers and future leaders in our schools. 2.__Qualified Teachers Need Pedagogical Skill.__ Evidence shows that subject matter knowledge is not enough for effective teaching.Teachers must also understand and be able to apply the growing knowledge base of pedagogy. Accordingly, the heart of our teacher education program is a series of observation, participation, and internship experiences that will prepare better practitioners. 3.__Qualified Teachers Need to Model and Encourage Critical Thinking.__ Learning to think critically enables children to become responsible citizens able to respect differing points of view and to appreciate the contributions of diverse peoples. Liberally educated teachers provide children with an academic foundation that cultivates their critical thinking skills.

** Conceptual Framework Expanded ** To facilitate excellence in teaching, the Lyon College Teacher Education program seeks to provide an environment conducive to the preparation of competent, qualified teachers for today's schools.The model is "the education of the whole person" based on the foundation of the liberal arts.The Education program supports the mission of the College in its endeavors to develop creative and thoughtful leaders. Lyon College graduates of teacher education concentrations and the Early Childhood Major will achieve the following outcomes: Applying current research to improve teaching and learning Using research to make data-based decisions Designing, conducting and communicating the results of their own studies
 * // - Be wise consumers of educational research by //**

Teaching in culturally relevant ways that affirm every students capacity to learn Creating classroom learning environments that provide all students opportunities to learn Using a variety of approaches to assessment of learning
 * // - Understand and address inequities in the classroom, as they relate to race, gender, and social class by //**

Identifying, using and assessing instructional technology Developing in students the ability to use instructional technology
 * // - Instruct using technology skills by //**

Communicating well with students, parents, and community members Working sensitively with diverse students, parents, and community members Collaborating effectively with peers and administrators in cooperative teaching/learning teams
 * // - Lead in the continuous improvement of schools by //**

Identifying students’ developmental levels Applying a knowledge of child and adolescent growth and development at the appropriate instructional level Using a variety of teaching/learning strategies at the appropriate developmental level
 * // - Teach effectively at the appropriate instructional level by //**

Demonstrating proficiency in reading, writing, speaking Having a general knowledge of several liberal arts disciplines and by being able to integrate their content into lessons they teach Demonstrating intellectual ability in a liberal arts major Fostering critical and creative thinking in their students Demonstrating ethical professional behavior Demonstrating enthusiasm for teaching and learning Fostering a love of lifelong learning
 * // - Be liberally educated and take liberal arts knowledge, skills and dispositions into the classroom by //**