Education, Integrated Science for Teachers

Professors McClure, White
Associate Professor Glenn-Applegate

Assistant Professor Kaka, Nobel
Instructor Hall

Ohio Wesleyan has been educating teachers for more than 100 years. This experience confirms our belief that the most creative and effective teachers are prepared at strong liberal arts colleges such as ours. Our program emphasizes a solid theoretical base and practical experience. From the first course onward, Education candidates learn about the responsibilities and rewards of their profession by working directly with children in area schools, community centers, and in Ohio Wesleyan’s Early Childhood Center, a laboratory pre-school program.

Ohio Wesleyan offers programs preparing students for teacher licensure at the Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and high school levels. We also offer licensure in Special Education (K-12). Candidates working towards the Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Special Eduation, or Integrated Science licenses pursue an OWU major in education. Candidates pursuing other Multi-age or Adolescent to Young Adult (secondary) licenses will major in another department at Ohio Wesleyan and minor in education. Ohio Wesleyan’s programs lead to the following State of Ohio teacher licenses:

Early Childhood License: Prekindergarten to grade three

Middle Childhood License: Grades four to nine — preparation for teaching in a middle school setting. The State requires two of the following four concentrations:

Reading and Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies

Adolescence to Young Adult License: Grades seven to twelve — preparation for teaching in a high school settings.

Integrated Language Arts
Integrated Mathematics
Integrated Science
Integrated Social Studies

Intervention Specialist License - grades Kindergarten - grades 12

Multi-age License: Prekindergarten to grade twelve

Drama/Theater
Foreign Language (Spanish and French )*
Music
Visual Arts

* Students interested in teaching German or Latin should talk with the Education Department Chair.

Education majors are normally admitted to the Teacher Education program by the end of their sophomore year. Minors are normally admitted by the end of fall semester of their junior year. The program admission requirements include successful completion (C- or higher) of foundational courses in Education, (EDUC 105, 110 or EDUC 115 depending on licensure area), and EDUC 251, ratings of “3” or higher for the field experiences associated with the foundational courses, two positive recommendations from OWU faculty members, a GPA of 2.8 (overall and, for Education minors, in the subject area major), required SAT or ACT scores, satisfactory scores on the department Dispositional Survey, and “adequate” or above ratings on the application essays. Contact the Education department for a complete description of the admission and retention policy.

Graduates who complete the prescribed coursework in Education and content area fields, student teaching, and other requirements of the State of Ohio, and who pass the State-mandated licensure examination(s), are entitled to an Ohio Four-Year Resident Educator license. The Teacher Education program is approved by the Ohio Board of Regents, and it has achieved national accreditation through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) - now called CAEP. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. Ohio maintains formal reciprocal agreements with 27 other states, thus the Ohio license is recognized by most other states. Candidates desiring a teaching license from another state should consult with the education department early in their junior year to discuss reciprocity and/or organize their programs to meet the requirements of the states concerned.

Beginning with their first Education course, EDUC 110: Role of the School; Integrated Science candidates participate in a field experience working with students (i.e., Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Columbus Initiative Tutoring Experience at Linden Elementary, Autism Equine Ranch). During their second foundational course, EDUC 251 - Psychological Foundations of Education, Integrated Science candidates complete their field experience by tutoring diverse learners in one of two high-poverty urban Columbus schools. These two placements give candidates over 50 hours of experience working in diverse settings. Candidates continue their field experiences during their methods courses. In total, candidates will have completed a minimum of 100 hours observing and assisting teachers, and teaching lessons based on ideas developed in their methods courses before they begin their student teaching experience. All candidates seeking licensure student teach for 15 weeks, resulting in a total of over 450 hours in the classroom. Full-time faculty members in the Education department take part in the supervision of student teachers. In addition, full-time faculty from the arts and sciences supervise AYA and Multi-age candidates in their subject area. Student teachers meet for weekly seminars and receive a minimum of six formal observations during the semester. Student teaching takes place through agreements with local schools.

2017 - 2018 Data

During the 2017-18 academic year, 21 students completed their teacher education program. Of these, 9 were in the Early Childhood education program; 3 in the Middle Childhood education program; 2 in Music; 4 in Social Studies; 2 in Spanish; and 1 in Life Sciences. Female students made up 67%; male, 33%. The overall enrollment at OWU was 1,603: 53% female and 47% male. International enrollment was 5.24%; American Indian/Alaskan Native was .12%; Asian was 3.24%; Black, non-Hispanic was 10.23%; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander was .12%; Hispanic/Latino was 5.55%; White, non-Hispanic was 67.81%; two or more races was 4.74%; and Race/ethnicity unknown was 2.93%.

Of the 21 program completers, 20 took the OAE examination(s) in their teaching area.

Fifty-five students were formally enrolled in the teacher education program in 2017-18. Of those, 27% were male, 73% female. Four full-time Education Department faculty members supervised student teachers along with members of the arts and science faculty. Students completed a total of fifteen weeks of full-time student teaching totaling 450 hours of in-class experience.

Student Teaching

Student teaching takes place every spring semester. Students register for 3 credits of student teaching and 1 unit for the student teaching seminar. Student teaching is a full-time commitment involving teaching, planning, and other in-school responsibilities, and various assignments originating from the half-unit courses.

Education Department Policy on Credit/No Entry in all Teacher Education Licensure Programs

Credit/no entry courses may not be taken in the major area of study (Early Childhood, Middle Childhood Education,Special Education, or the Integrated Science major, nor in any courses to be used for the general requirements in English composition, foreign language, professional Education licensure courses or for the University distribution requirements. Only one course taken in the minor area of study or concentration may be taken credit/no entry and must have the approval of the director of the specific licensure program.

Learning Outcomes for Teacher Candidates

We believe that becoming a competent, committed, professional teacher for a diverse democratic society requires the following knowledge, skills, and dispositions:

1) knowledge of human development, motivation, and learning, as well as, the individual and contextual factors which guide one’s ability to develop instruction that is appropriate for all students.

2) knowledge of classroom organization, management, and curriculum, and the ability to design, implement and manage the learning environment in ways that support active student learning and independence.

3) knowledge of a variety of instructional strategies and materials, including technology, that encourage students’ problem-solving and critical thinking and the ability to select and implement instructional strategies that account for and adapt to all contexts, learners, and content.

4) knowledge of a variety of assessments strategies that are embedded in instruction and the ability to use formative and summative assessments to monitor and evaluate student learning, to communicate assessment information to all stakeholders, and to inform one’s own teaching.

5) commitment to teaching as a viable, honorable profession.

6) commitment to the importance of fostering collaborative relationships with colleagues, families and the larger community.

7) commitment to the importance of improving one’s efficacy as it relates to student learning.

8) commitment to the necessity for ensuring that democratic ideals for a multicultural society are the foundation of all teaching and learning.

9) commitment to the importance of engaging in reflective practice and lifelong professional development.