University of Nebraska Kearney

Teacher Education Assessment Mission 

By the time UNK students complete their education program the student/graduate will:

1. Understand the relationship of the philosophy that guides the education process in a democratic society, the College of Education, their specific discipline, and the behaviors they utilize in their classrooms.
2. Understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, instructional technology, and standards of the discipline(s) they teach and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for all students.
3. Understand the effect of cultural background on student learning and development, and as a result will be able to provide technologically-enhanced and other learning opportunities that support intellectual, social, and personal development of diverse students.
4. Understand different student learning styles and exceptionalities and be able to develop a variety of instructional opportunities, including the use of technology, that are adapted for diverse learners.
5. Be reflective practitioners who continually evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
6. Understand and use both formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate professional standards to ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
7. Be skilled in the democratic process of collaborative decision making.
8. Understand the strengths and needs of their students and possess the necessary skills to work effectively with individuals and groups from a variety of racial, cultural, ethnic, experiential, and linguistic backgrounds.
9. Have knowledge of family and school influences that affect student wellness, learning, and achievement enabling them to form partnerships among parents, educators, and the community in the best interests of their students.
10. Understand the school as a democratic system and how to work with individuals and groups to facilitate structures and policies that create and maintain school as a safe, caring, and inviting place for members of the school community.

Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate ability to note and appreciate diversity within a classroom. (Mission 3, 5, 10)
2. Students will demonstrate attention to the impact of their education on their professional growth. (Mission 3, 5, 10)
3. Students will identify connections between classroom activities and the four moral dimensions as described by John Goodlad. (Mission 3, 5, 10)
4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the four moral dimensions of education as described by John Goodlad and successfully connect them to the purpose of schools in a democratic society. (Mission 1, 5, 10)
5. Students will identify clear and strong connections between the question, "What does it mean to be a morally responsible teacher in a social and political democracy?" and the four moral dimensions as described by John Goodlad. (Mission 1, 5, 10)
6. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the school as a democratic system. (Mission 1, 5, 10)
7. Students will demonstrate knowledge of ways the social and cultural background of a student can affect his learning. (Mission 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
8. Students will demonstrate knowledge of learning styles and exceptionalities and how these affect student learning.. (Mission 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
9. Students will demonstrate skill and dispositions to reflect on the various influences that affect student learning and how that will dictate their own teaching philosophy.. (Mission 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
10. Students will identify the strengths and needs of the case study student they have shadowed.. (Mission 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
11. Students will identify examples of the four moral dimensions as they are connected to the experiences of the case study student they have shadowed. (Mission 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
12. Students will demonstrate ability to determine the major components of an social or political issue as it relates to education. (Mission 5, 10)
13. Students will demonstrate ability to employ analytical tools to pull apart the important actors, laws and/or arguments of social/political issues as they relate to education. (Mission 5, 10)
14. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate political positions based upon reason and logic. (Mission 5, 10)
15. Students will demonstrate the disposition to reflect on issues and principles related to education and specifically to their own roles as educators. (Mission 5, 7)
16. Students will demonstrate the disposition to work collaboratively with peers and professional educators. (Mission 5, 7)
17. Students will create lesson plans that make subject matter meaningful for all students. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
18. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effect of cultural background on student learning via the lesson plans they create. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
19. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effect of differing learning styles and exceptionalities via the lesson plans they create. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
20. Students will demonstrate the ability and disposition to reflect on their lesson planning via a post-teaching reflection paper. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
21. Students will demonstrate knowledge of both formal and informal assessment strategies via the lesson plans they create. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
22. Students will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with peers as they work cooperatively to construct lesson plans. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
23. Students will demonstrate an understanding and the necessary skills to work effectively with individuals and groups. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
24. Students will develop a complete case study of the demographic make up of the classroom in which they will be student teaching. (Mission 9)
25. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the central concepts and tools of inquiry of the content area they are teaching. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
26. Students will demonstrate skill in using technology as an instructional tool. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
27. Students will demonstrate skill in constructing and delivering learning experiences that actively engage students in the learning process. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
28. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effect cultural background has on student learning. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
29. Students will demonstrate an understanding of ways to enhance learning for diverse populations of students. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
30. Students will demonstrate skill in developing varied instructional activities, including the technology, to address different learning styles. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
31. Students will demonstrate ability and disposition to reflect on their teaching. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
32. Students will demonstrate the an understanding of both formal and informal assessment strategies. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
33. Students will demonstrate the disposition to work collaboratively with classroom teachers, administrators, or parents. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
34. Students will demonstrate an understanding of, the strengths and needs of their students and the skills to work effectively with them. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
35. Students will demonstrate skill in teaching the central concepts and tools of inquiry of the content areas they are assigned. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
36. Students will demonstrate skill in using technology as an instructional tool. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
37. Students will demonstrate skill in constructing and delivering learning experiences that actively engage the students in the learning process. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
38. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effect cultural background has on student learning. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
39. Student will demonstrate skill in constructing and delivering instructional activities for diverse populations. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
40. Students will demonstrate skill in developing varied instructional activities, including the technology, to address different learning styles. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
41. Students will demonstrate the ability and disposition to reflect on their teaching. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
42. Students will demonstrate an understanding of, and the skill to, employ both formal and informal assessment strategies. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
43. Students will demonstrate the disposition and the skill to work collaboratively with classroom teachers, administrators, and parents. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
44. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the strengths and needs of their students and the skills to work effectively with them. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
45. Students will demonstrate knowledge of how family and school influences affect student wellness, learning and achievement. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
46. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the school as a democratic system and the skill to work with individuals and groups to facilitate learning. (Mission 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
47. The students will provide information relative to the degree to which they were asked to reflect on teaching and learning. (Mission 5, 7)
48. The students will provide information relative to the degree to which they developed collaborative communication skills. (Mission 5, 7)
49. A randomly selected sample of students will provide information relative to their ability to reflect on the nature of their cohort experience. (Mission 5)
50. To gather information from administrators and teachers in our partner school network relative to the effectiveness of our Level One and Level Two experiences. (Mission 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)